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How to Develop your Research Proposal and Application

  • Start early and know your deadlines!! (Give yourself plenty of time)
  • Utilize online resources:
    • Office of Medical Student Research website
    • Office of Research Services website (research.unc.edu/services)
    • Departmental Websites (http://www.med.unc.edu/www/about/depts)
  • Talk to other students:
    • Graduate or MD/PhD students may be able to direct your searches and recommend good mentors
    • The FAX Journal (www.med.unc.edu/dms/journal) publishes abstracts from previous Student Research Days

Don’t limit yourself to one possibility; check out all research topics and mentors that interest you!

  • Email/phone mentors to request a meeting
    • Don’t get frustrated if they do not respond to you right away; most researchers are very busy and it may take them a few days to get back to you
    • If you have difficulties, contact the department administrator
  • Meet with your prospective mentor
    • Bone up a little on the project/research field before the meeting
    • Read a recent publication or two from the mentor’s lab
    • Read an article or two from the field for more background knowledge
    • Be prepared to answer questions, like:
      • Why are you interested in my research project/field?
      • What do you want to get out of this experience?
      • What are your prior experiences?
    • Ask questions, like:
      • What is the expected duration of the project?
        • Projects that can be finished in the allotted time are generally best
        • Consider smaller portions of larger projects
      • What is the anticipated time commitment?
        • Most grants require 40 hours per week, so make sure that the mentor’s expectations are similar (not more, not less)
      • Do I need any specialized knowledge or skills?
        • The project may require skill in a technique that takes a long time to adequately master, which will cut away from time you have to actually work on your project
      • Is this project based on work that is yet to be done?
      • How much contact will I have with you as a mentor?
        • You might learn you will have more interaction with a post-doc or graduate student than your mentor. If so, you will want to meet with that person to make sure they have the right attitude and are willing to mentor you
      • What are the overall expectations?
        • Get as much information as you can about the research environment
        • Establish your role early on
        • Presentation?
        • Publication?
  • Your application will be comprised of five items:
    • Application form
    • Your biosketch
    • Your mentor’s biosketch
    • A letter of support from your mentor
    • A written research proposal (2-3 pages)
  • Work with your mentor on your proposal
    • Start early! You and your mentor are very busy and the deadline will “sneak up” on you.
    • Your proposal should be a product of your own work and not a “cut and paste” job from one your mentor’s grants – the review committee will be looking for this…
    • Ask for references and other materials to help get you started
    • Gain an understanding of the format expected for the proposal
    • Give your mentor and yourself enough time so revisions can be made.
  • Consider other possible application processes and their timelines: