Guidelines for Preparing the Application Proposal Skip to main content
Academic Administration
Student Research Associate Program

Guidelines for Preparing the Application Proposal

In order for a proposal to be reviewed, the student and the proposal must meet the following prerequisites:

  • Student has completed at least 60 credit hours (at start of research).
  • Major discipline encompasses project discipline.
  • Student has a cumulative GPA of 3.0.*
  • Faculty sponsor has agreed to mentor.

If you have met these requirements, please begin your proposal. To help you complete your proposal, please read the sections below to make sure your proposal is ready. Please submit your completed three-part proposal in addition to your application form to admin_aid@byuh.edu. You will find the application on the bottom of Student Research page.

Required Proposal Outline and Components

The proposal should be written by the student under the supervision of the sponsoring faculty mentor and include the following:

General Statement

  • Interests and career goals.
  • Project area and reasons for choice.
  • Previous research experience (if applicable).

Research Design

  • Introduction (including objectives, thesis statement, and projected outcome or findings).
  • Methodology (including a week-by-week timeline) & theoretical framing.
  • Brief summary of literature review to explain how this research contributes to or expands existing studies. Include a bibliography.
  • If dealing with human subjects, include IRB approval and CITI certifications for both primary and secondary investigators.

Presentation Venues and Timeline

  • Projected timeline or dates for presentation/publication.
  • Plan to share the results (specify conference and/or publication venues).
  • Attach a conference abstract, if applicable.

Application Review Criteria

Researcher Preparation

  • Does the applicant's general statement show appropriate preparation for and interest in the proposed project?

Proposal Preparation

  • Has the proposal been prepared carefully and completely?
  • Is the proposed research placed in context of the major discipline being studied?
  • Does the proposal demonstrate a serious and professional approach to the endeavor?
  • Has the sponsoring faculty mentor seen and approved of the proposal?

Objectives (Relationship to University Mission and Goals)

  • Are the objectives of the project clearly stated?
  • Do they have a relationship to the university mission and goals (intercultural, leadership, etc.)?

Propriety and Feasibility of Methodology

  • Is the proposed methodology appropriate to the project feasible in terms of undergraduate research and the proposed time frame?
  • Are the requested resources available and/or adequate to complete the project?
  • Does the project have sufficient focus to be feasible? Tightly focused questions and research methods are preferred over vague and overly-ambitious ideas.

Project Merit

  • Will the result of the project add new insight to the body of knowledge or existing studies in its field?
  • Does the project have academic merit?
  • Does the project address a question of significance?
  • Are the project results likely to be accepted for publication or presentation?

Presentation Venue & Format

  • Does the project fit the conference's/journal's theme?
  • Is the venue discipline-specific and has a rigorous review process?
  • Does the presentation format help build student capacity and develop student's skills?

Student Research

Guidelines for Application
Guidelines for Proposal