As part of your application to an HDR degree at ACU, you will need to submit a research proposal that outlines your project idea. This guide is here to support you through that process, whether you're just starting to shape your idea or you're ready to write.
Your research proposal is your chance to:
A strong research proposal shows that:
Remember that you're not expected to have all the answers yet: that is what the research itself is intended to do. But you can use the Research Proposal to show that you've done enough thinking, reading and planning to start a higher degree research project (M.Phil or Ph.D.) at ACU.
Your proposal should be around 2,000 words (excluding references). The sections below are a common structure used across many disciplines. Depending on your particular area of research, your prospective ACU supervisor might suggest some adjustments so it best aligns with your chosen discipline.
Your title should clearly reflect what your proposed research is about. Make it as informative and focused as possible but also feel free to refine it later. It is more important to be clear and descriptive than being overly creative at this stage.
List the ACU academic who has potentially agreed to supervise your project, including their name, title (professor, associate professor …), School/Institute, Faculty and contact information. Your supervisor can support you in shaping your proposal before you submit. If you don’t have a prospective supervisor, don’t worry, ACU will identify two suitably qualified supervisors.
Write a short summary (150–250 words) that outlines:
Ask someone unfamiliar with your topic to read this section and make sure they can understand what your project involves.
What do you hope to achieve with your research? Your aim is your big-picture goal. Your objectives are the smaller steps that help you get there. Be logical and realistic at this stage of planning. Ask yourself: Can this be done in 3-4 years (for a Ph.D.) or 1.5-2 years (for an M.Phil.)?
Use this section to show you’re familiar with the research already happening in your field. Think of it as answering:
Remember that you don’t need to review everything. Instead, try and focus on key studies, themes or debates that are directly relevant to your project.
Use this to demonstrate why your proposed research matters. For instance, will it fill a gap in current knowledge? Or will it test or refine an existing theory? Or will it provide new insights, methods or data? You’re not expected to change the world with your research, but you are expected to show how your project will make a unique and meaningful contribution to current knowledge and understanding in your chosen field or discipline.
Explain if your research uses a particular theoretical lens to inform the research design, data collection or data analysis. This will be different for different research fields and disciplines, so don’t worry if you haven’t yet decided what your framework is, since this is something you can discuss in detail with your supervisor.
Explain what steps and processes you will do to carry out your research. This is where you will explain what your data collection might be – are you analysing texts, documents or artworks? Or are you working in a lab, the field, a library or an archive? Will you interview people or use other instruments (e.g., surveys)? Will your data be qualitative or quantitative, or both? This will be very different depending on your field and topic and research questions, so it is very important to justify why your approach is the most appropriate for you and your proposed research.
A timeline shows you’ve thought realistically about how long each stage of your project will take. It will break the overall project into smaller milestones, such as conducting your literature review, completing data collection, or writing chapters or articles. At this stage, it’s okay to plan the first year in more detail and later years in broader stages.
This is where you can outline if there are any particular resources that you will need to make your research successful. Depending on your project, this might be certain equipment or software, the ability to travel to conduct fieldwork, or funding to cover subscriptions or access fees. It is important to be clear and realistic here.
Include a list of the literature that you’ve cited when preparing your proposal, ensuring that you use a referencing style appropriate to your field (e.g. APA, Chicago Harvard). If you aren’t sure, a reference manager program like Endnote can help you prepare the reference list.
Note that this section is not included in your word count.
As part of Australian Catholic University's commitment to academic integrity and research excellence, all Higher Degree by Research (HDR) proposals may be subject to originality checks using plagiarism detection software.
To uphold the highest standards of academic honesty, we ensure that all submitted proposals:
When submitting your research proposal:
Writing a research proposal can feel daunting but remember, no one expects perfection. You're not expected to have all the answers now. This proposal is a foundation that you will build upon and it's the first step in a longer, exciting research journey.
Reach out to your proposed faculty or prospective supervisor if you need more guidance.