When you send your proposal for sponsorship, it must pass through two stages. The primary short listing stage and the committee selection stage.


For your proposal to be on the primary short list, it has to satify the requirements of conformity to the research theme, format, cost, elegibility and duration. After scaling this stage, your proposal will go to the selection committee.


The selection committee is made up of experts in the subject area. Their job is to pick the best proposals for sponsorship consideration.


Proposals are conventionally selected on the following principles;

1. Originality.


The selection committee painstakingly searches proposals for originality of the topic. The committee would want to know what new concepts and ideas a proposal intends to generate.


Suggested new findings the proposed research could make must be a product of a good knowledge of literature (art) review.

2. Relevance.


The selection committee places high consideration on how relevant tthe proposed research topic is to the research theme. Would the research findings solve an urgent socio-economic problem? Your research proposal should clearly state the problem in the “problem statement”.

3. Objectives.


What are the objectives of the proposed research? The objectives must be clearly stated in the proposal.


Also, the significance of the proposed study should be stated in the proposal; That is, your proposal should indicate answers to “what gaps and how well, would any new knowledge fill?”

4. Qualifications.


Do you as a researcher have relevant training and working experience in the area that is the focus of the proposed research?


If you have not attained satisfactoty level of training or experience, you could include in the proposal, the resume of a contracted qualified supervisor. The supervisor would receive an honorarium.

5. Research Methodoly.


This usually receives a significant level of attention from the selection committee. So, you should take your time to assess and select methods of data collection and data analysis. Describe your methods in detail, state their weaknesses and strengths in your proposal.

6. Consistency.


It is important to show the interrelatedness among all components of the proposed research. All irrelevant sections should be left out completely.

7. Work Plan.


A comprehensive work plan should be in the grant research proposal. Indicate the duration of the project, and commencement and completion dates of each activity.

8. Interest.


This is a very important consideration. How does the end user of the proposed research wantto use the findings? What problems do they intend to solve with the findings? Do you have a letter from the end user and how they have supported or intend to support the research? If you have, attach it.

9. Budget.


A realistic budget, which also conforms to sponsor’s requirements should be in the research proposal.


In conclusion, grant research proposals that receive high marks in the sections explained above, usually, under normal circumstances, get approved for sponsorship.

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