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Proposal Guidelines

To enroll in an upper-division MCDB research course, students are required to prepare and submit a project proposal as a separate document from the course contract. The proposal must be written by the student (with guidance from the faculty research mentor), reflecting their understanding of the project.

Course or Series-Specific Guidelines

The scope of your proposal depends upon the series or course in which you are planning to enroll. Please review below proposal guidelines for each MCDB upper-division research course.

MCDB 196A-B

Your proposal should outline a project that is appropriate in scope for two quarters of research. Please note that            you will not be submitting a proposal for MCDB 196B.

MCDB 198A-C

Your proposal should outline a project that is appropriate in scope for three quarters of research, culminating in a final thesis. Please note that you will not be submitting proposals for MCDB 198B and 198C.

MCDB 198D

Your proposal should outline the next phase of your project that is appropriate in scope for 10 weeks of research. Your work in MCDB 198D must be a continuation or extension of your MCDB 198A-C project.  

MCDB 199

Your proposal should outline a project that is appropriate in scope for 10 weeks of research.

MCDB 199A-B

Your proposal should outline a project that is appropriate in scope for two quarters of research. Please note that            you will not be submitting a proposal for MCDB 199B.

MCDB 199C

Your proposal should outline a phase of your project that is appropriate in scope for 10 weeks of research. Your work in MCDB 199C must be a continuation or extension of your MCDB 199A-B or MCDB 196A-B project.  

Some students may enroll in MCDB 199C prior to MCDB 196A-B. If this is the case, your proposal should outline the first phase of your multi-term project.

MCDB 199D

Your proposal should outline a phase of your project that is appropriate in scope for 10 weeks of research. Your work in MCDB 199D must be a continuation or extension of your MCDB 199A-C or MCDB 196A-B and 199C project.  

General Guidelines

Please include a title page with the following information:

  • Title of your proposed project
  • Your name and UID
  • Course number or series (MCDB 199A-B, MCDB 199C, MCDB 198A-C, etc.)
  • Quarter
  • Your faculty research mentor’s name

Although the format can vary slightly, the proposal should contain the following information:

  • A problem statement – a clear description of the larger problem within which your research project is situated
  • Existing bodies of literature that provide context for your project
    • Consider how your proposed work builds upon previous studies
  • Specific research question(s) to be answered
  • A hypothesis
  • Specific aims, explaining what you plan to accomplish and how
    • This section should include an account of methods that will be used to generate data
      • Consider how the data will be collected and subsequently analyzed
    • This section should also include a justification for why approach is appropriate
      • Consider how it addresses your hypothesis or research question
  • A short paragraph at the end of the proposal, indicating:
  • The scope of the proposed project (i.e., 10 weeks, two quarters, or three quarters)
  • Approximately many hours per week the proposed project is expected to involve (please note that a minimum of 12 hours per week is required and no more than 20 hours per week is permitted)
  • How often the student will meet with the faculty mentor or direct supervisor (if distinct) to discuss the project (i.e., once per week)

The proposal must make clear the precise role that the student will play in the lab, including how much and which part of the data collection will be completed by the student. In other words, be sure to distinguish between the work performed by others in the lab from that performed by the student. For example, instead of writing, “We will perform the following experiments…,” specify, “I will perform the following experiments…”

Lastly, the proposal should be long enough to capture and describe well the required information, at least 1-2 pages in length (single-spaced).