The research proposal is a necessary document for your Candidacy process, Milestone 1.
You can think of it as your research project’s blueprint, or a roadmap for your research journey. It needs to clearly communicate:
In short, it should include all the key considerations and steps you will take to complete your project
Your proposal isn’t something you write alone. It’s normal, and expected, to draft it in close consultation with your supervisor(s), who will typically need to review and approve it before you submit for your milestone.
For doctoral candidates, you’ll typically write 10 pages, while masters students will write about 5 pages. These page counts are a rough guide rather than a strict target - some sections, particularly your background/literature review and methodology, will naturally take up more space than others, such as your timeline or budget.
A strong proposal does more than satisfy a milestone requirement. It forces you to think through your project properly before you’re deep into it, gives your supervisors and examiners confidence that your project is feasible and well thought through, and gives you a reference point to return to throughout your candidacy when you need to check whether you’re still on track.
Exactly how your proposal is structured, and how much depth each part goes into, will vary depending on your discipline, your specific project, and your supervisor’s expectations - so don’t worry if yours doesn’t look identical to a template or to other students’ proposals.