# Research proposal planning worksheet

Organise the project before adapting it to the funder’s required headings.

Last verified: 2026-09-10

## Working title and question

[What precise question will this project answer?]

## Context and gap

[What is already known? Which sources establish this? What remains unresolved?]

## Contribution

[What would the project add and for whom is it useful?]

## Methods and evidence

[Data/materials] | [Access] | [Method] | [Analysis] | [Limitations]

## Feasibility

[Stage] | [Time] | [Output] | [Dependency] | [Alternative if blocked]

## Host and training

[Expertise/facility needed] | [Host fit] | [Skills to develop]

## Ethics and data handling

[Relevant permissions, consent, security and sharing arrangements]

## References and compliance

[Sources actually read] | [Call headings and length] | [Authorship rules]

## Guidance sources

- [Research proposal guidance](https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/application-guide/supporting-documents/research-proposal)
- [ERC Starting Grant](https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/starting-grant)