Research Grant Proposal Assignment Sheet

Research Grant Proposal Assignment Sheet

Nov 13th Proposal (One-page worksheet)

Nov 20th Annotated Bibliography (Approx. 2 Pages)

Nov 27th First Draft (4-5 pp., approx. 1300 words)

Dec 4th Final Draft (4-5 pp., approx. 1300 words)

Imagine that an anonymous donor is offering an annual undergraduate research grant to KPU students in order to bring fresh voices to a variety of pressing issues in Canadian society. To receive funding, you must submit a grant proposal that outlines your perspective on the issue, and gives an overview of how you would go about conducting research on this topic.

This year’s themes are centered around education, the environment, and criminal justice. Choose one of the following research questions and develop a proposal around your plan to address them:

• Do the benefits of split-level classrooms in public education outweigh their drawbacks?

• Should all police officers in Canada be required to wear body-worn cameras?

• Should plastic straws be banned throughout Canada?

There are research guides available for each of these topics through the KPU Library website, on the Canadian Points of View Reference Centre Database. You should familiarize yourself with these research guides, with special attention to the Point and Counterpoint sections in order to get a sense of the debates surrounding these issues. You may use either the Point or Counterpoint article as one of your sources, but at least two of your sources should come from outside those listed in the database.

*You may also choose an alternate topic from the Canadian Points of View Reference Centre Database if you wish, but you must get my approval to do so.Proposal

Your proposal should contain the following sections with appropriate headings. Each section should contain well-structured paragraphs that use topic sentences address a coherent and specific topic.

Introduction and Preliminary Argument (~1/2 page)

Introduce the topic of your research question. What is your preliminary hypothesis? In other words, what do you expect to find after doing more research? This will act as a thesis statement for your proposal.

Background and Significance (~1 page)

Explain the issues or problems related to your topic. Why are these important? Define or explain any terms or concepts that you are using for a “non-expert” reader.

Literature Review (~2 pages)

What have scholars and activists said about this topic already? You must include at least three sources that support your preliminary argument or hypothesis about the research question, and one source that you disagree with and needs to be corrected or qualified. Introduce each source, use at least one direct quote from each source to indicate the writer’s argument, and give your own commentary on the author’s argument.

How might you go about researching this question? What lingering questions remain after reviewing the literature, and what gaps in knowledge are you hoping to fill with your project?

Student Credentials and Conclusion (~1/2 page)

What perspective or qualifications do you bring to this conversation? Make an argument for your personal ethos and credibility in researching this topic. Why should the donors choose your proposal over the other submissions?

What sources have you used to support your proposal?