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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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See an example

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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17 Research Proposal Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

A research proposal systematically and transparently outlines a proposed research project.

The purpose of a research proposal is to demonstrate a project’s viability and the researcher’s preparedness to conduct an academic study. It serves as a roadmap for the researcher.

The process holds value both externally (for accountability purposes and often as a requirement for a grant application) and intrinsic value (for helping the researcher to clarify the mechanics, purpose, and potential signficance of the study).

Key sections of a research proposal include: the title, abstract, introduction, literature review, research design and methods, timeline, budget, outcomes and implications, references, and appendix. Each is briefly explained below.

Watch my Guide: How to Write a Research Proposal

Get your Template for Writing your Research Proposal Here (With AI Prompts!)

Research Proposal Sample Structure

Title: The title should present a concise and descriptive statement that clearly conveys the core idea of the research projects. Make it as specific as possible. The reader should immediately be able to grasp the core idea of the intended research project. Often, the title is left too vague and does not help give an understanding of what exactly the study looks at.

Abstract: Abstracts are usually around 250-300 words and provide an overview of what is to follow – including the research problem , objectives, methods, expected outcomes, and significance of the study. Use it as a roadmap and ensure that, if the abstract is the only thing someone reads, they’ll get a good fly-by of what will be discussed in the peice.

Introduction: Introductions are all about contextualization. They often set the background information with a statement of the problem. At the end of the introduction, the reader should understand what the rationale for the study truly is. I like to see the research questions or hypotheses included in the introduction and I like to get a good understanding of what the significance of the research will be. It’s often easiest to write the introduction last

Literature Review: The literature review dives deep into the existing literature on the topic, demosntrating your thorough understanding of the existing literature including themes, strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the literature. It serves both to demonstrate your knowledge of the field and, to demonstrate how the proposed study will fit alongside the literature on the topic. A good literature review concludes by clearly demonstrating how your research will contribute something new and innovative to the conversation in the literature.

Research Design and Methods: This section needs to clearly demonstrate how the data will be gathered and analyzed in a systematic and academically sound manner. Here, you need to demonstrate that the conclusions of your research will be both valid and reliable. Common points discussed in the research design and methods section include highlighting the research paradigm, methodologies, intended population or sample to be studied, data collection techniques, and data analysis procedures . Toward the end of this section, you are encouraged to also address ethical considerations and limitations of the research process , but also to explain why you chose your research design and how you are mitigating the identified risks and limitations.

Timeline: Provide an outline of the anticipated timeline for the study. Break it down into its various stages (including data collection, data analysis, and report writing). The goal of this section is firstly to establish a reasonable breakdown of steps for you to follow and secondly to demonstrate to the assessors that your project is practicable and feasible.

Budget: Estimate the costs associated with the research project and include evidence for your estimations. Typical costs include staffing costs, equipment, travel, and data collection tools. When applying for a scholarship, the budget should demonstrate that you are being responsible with your expensive and that your funding application is reasonable.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: A discussion of the anticipated findings or results of the research, as well as the potential contributions to the existing knowledge, theory, or practice in the field. This section should also address the potential impact of the research on relevant stakeholders and any broader implications for policy or practice.

References: A complete list of all the sources cited in the research proposal, formatted according to the required citation style. This demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the relevant literature and ensures proper attribution of ideas and information.

Appendices (if applicable): Any additional materials, such as questionnaires, interview guides, or consent forms, that provide further information or support for the research proposal. These materials should be included as appendices at the end of the document.

Research Proposal Examples

Research proposals often extend anywhere between 2,000 and 15,000 words in length. The following snippets are samples designed to briefly demonstrate what might be discussed in each section.

1. Education Studies Research Proposals

See some real sample pieces:

• Assessment of the perceptions of teachers towards a new grading system
• Does ICT use in secondary classrooms help or hinder student learning?
• Digital technologies in focus project
• Urban Middle School Teachers’ Experiences of the Implementation of
• Restorative Justice Practices
• Experiences of students of color in service learning

Consider this hypothetical education research proposal:

The Impact of Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Academic Performance in Middle School Mathematics

Abstract: The proposed study will explore multiplayer game-based learning techniques in middle school mathematics curricula and their effects on student engagement. The study aims to contribute to the current literature on game-based learning by examining the effects of multiplayer gaming in learning.

Introduction: Digital game-based learning has long been shunned within mathematics education for fears that it may distract students or lower the academic integrity of the classrooms. However, there is emerging evidence that digital games in math have emerging benefits not only for engagement but also academic skill development. Contributing to this discourse, this study seeks to explore the potential benefits of multiplayer digital game-based learning by examining its impact on middle school students’ engagement and academic performance in a mathematics class.

Literature Review: The literature review has identified gaps in the current knowledge, namely, while game-based learning has been extensively explored, the role of multiplayer games in supporting learning has not been studied.

Research Design and Methods: This study will employ a mixed-methods research design based upon action research in the classroom. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design will first be used to compare the academic performance and engagement of middle school students exposed to game-based learning techniques with those in a control group receiving instruction without the aid of technology. Students will also be observed and interviewed in regard to the effect of communication and collaboration during gameplay on their learning.

Timeline: The study will take place across the second term of the school year with a pre-test taking place on the first day of the term and the post-test taking place on Wednesday in Week 10.

Budget: The key budgetary requirements will be the technologies required, including the subscription cost for the identified games and computers.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: It is expected that the findings will contribute to the current literature on game-based learning and inform educational practices, providing educators and policymakers with insights into how to better support student achievement in mathematics.

2. Psychology Research Proposals

See some real examples:

• A situational analysis of shared leadership in a self-managing team
• The effect of musical preference on running performance
• Relationship between self-esteem and disordered eating amongst adolescent females

Consider this hypothetical psychology research proposal:

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Stress Reduction in College Students

Abstract: This research proposal examines the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on stress reduction among college students, using a pre-test/post-test experimental design with both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods .

Introduction: College students face heightened stress levels during exam weeks. This can affect both mental health and test performance. This study explores the potential benefits of mindfulness-based interventions such as meditation as a way to mediate stress levels in the weeks leading up to exam time.

Literature Review: Existing research on mindfulness-based meditation has shown the ability for mindfulness to increase metacognition, decrease anxiety levels, and decrease stress. Existing literature has looked at workplace, high school and general college-level applications. This study will contribute to the corpus of literature by exploring the effects of mindfulness directly in the context of exam weeks.

Research Design and Methods: Participants ( n= 234 ) will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group, receiving 5 days per week of 10-minute mindfulness-based interventions, or a control group, receiving no intervention. Data will be collected through self-report questionnaires, measuring stress levels, semi-structured interviews exploring participants’ experiences, and students’ test scores.

Timeline: The study will begin three weeks before the students’ exam week and conclude after each student’s final exam. Data collection will occur at the beginning (pre-test of self-reported stress levels) and end (post-test) of the three weeks.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: The study aims to provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing stress among college students in the lead up to exams, with potential implications for mental health support and stress management programs on college campuses.

3. Sociology Research Proposals

• Understanding emerging social movements: A case study of ‘Jersey in Transition’
• The interaction of health, education and employment in Western China
• Can we preserve lower-income affordable neighbourhoods in the face of rising costs?

Consider this hypothetical sociology research proposal:

The Impact of Social Media Usage on Interpersonal Relationships among Young Adults

Abstract: This research proposal investigates the effects of social media usage on interpersonal relationships among young adults, using a longitudinal mixed-methods approach with ongoing semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data.

Introduction: Social media platforms have become a key medium for the development of interpersonal relationships, particularly for young adults. This study examines the potential positive and negative effects of social media usage on young adults’ relationships and development over time.

Literature Review: A preliminary review of relevant literature has demonstrated that social media usage is central to development of a personal identity and relationships with others with similar subcultural interests. However, it has also been accompanied by data on mental health deline and deteriorating off-screen relationships. The literature is to-date lacking important longitudinal data on these topics.

Research Design and Methods: Participants ( n = 454 ) will be young adults aged 18-24. Ongoing self-report surveys will assess participants’ social media usage, relationship satisfaction, and communication patterns. A subset of participants will be selected for longitudinal in-depth interviews starting at age 18 and continuing for 5 years.

Timeline: The study will be conducted over a period of five years, including recruitment, data collection, analysis, and report writing.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: This study aims to provide insights into the complex relationship between social media usage and interpersonal relationships among young adults, potentially informing social policies and mental health support related to social media use.

4. Nursing Research Proposals

• Does Orthopaedic Pre-assessment clinic prepare the patient for admission to hospital?
• Nurses’ perceptions and experiences of providing psychological care to burns patients
• Registered psychiatric nurse’s practice with mentally ill parents and their children

Consider this hypothetical nursing research proposal:

The Influence of Nurse-Patient Communication on Patient Satisfaction and Health Outcomes following Emergency Cesarians

Abstract: This research will examines the impact of effective nurse-patient communication on patient satisfaction and health outcomes for women following c-sections, utilizing a mixed-methods approach with patient surveys and semi-structured interviews.

Introduction: It has long been known that effective communication between nurses and patients is crucial for quality care. However, additional complications arise following emergency c-sections due to the interaction between new mother’s changing roles and recovery from surgery.

Literature Review: A review of the literature demonstrates the importance of nurse-patient communication, its impact on patient satisfaction, and potential links to health outcomes. However, communication between nurses and new mothers is less examined, and the specific experiences of those who have given birth via emergency c-section are to date unexamined.

Research Design and Methods: Participants will be patients in a hospital setting who have recently had an emergency c-section. A self-report survey will assess their satisfaction with nurse-patient communication and perceived health outcomes. A subset of participants will be selected for in-depth interviews to explore their experiences and perceptions of the communication with their nurses.

Timeline: The study will be conducted over a period of six months, including rolling recruitment, data collection, analysis, and report writing within the hospital.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: This study aims to provide evidence for the significance of nurse-patient communication in supporting new mothers who have had an emergency c-section. Recommendations will be presented for supporting nurses and midwives in improving outcomes for new mothers who had complications during birth.

5. Social Work Research Proposals

• Experiences of negotiating employment and caring responsibilities of fathers post-divorce
• Exploring kinship care in the north region of British Columbia

Consider this hypothetical social work research proposal:

The Role of a Family-Centered Intervention in Preventing Homelessness Among At-Risk Youthin a working-class town in Northern England

Abstract: This research proposal investigates the effectiveness of a family-centered intervention provided by a local council area in preventing homelessness among at-risk youth. This case study will use a mixed-methods approach with program evaluation data and semi-structured interviews to collect quantitative and qualitative data .

Introduction: Homelessness among youth remains a significant social issue. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of family-centered interventions in addressing this problem and identify factors that contribute to successful prevention strategies.

Literature Review: A review of the literature has demonstrated several key factors contributing to youth homelessness including lack of parental support, lack of social support, and low levels of family involvement. It also demonstrates the important role of family-centered interventions in addressing this issue. Drawing on current evidence, this study explores the effectiveness of one such intervention in preventing homelessness among at-risk youth in a working-class town in Northern England.

Research Design and Methods: The study will evaluate a new family-centered intervention program targeting at-risk youth and their families. Quantitative data on program outcomes, including housing stability and family functioning, will be collected through program records and evaluation reports. Semi-structured interviews with program staff, participants, and relevant stakeholders will provide qualitative insights into the factors contributing to program success or failure.

Timeline: The study will be conducted over a period of six months, including recruitment, data collection, analysis, and report writing.

Budget: Expenses include access to program evaluation data, interview materials, data analysis software, and any related travel costs for in-person interviews.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: This study aims to provide evidence for the effectiveness of family-centered interventions in preventing youth homelessness, potentially informing the expansion of or necessary changes to social work practices in Northern England.

Research Proposal Template

Get your Detailed Template for Writing your Research Proposal Here (With AI Prompts!)

This is a template for a 2500-word research proposal. You may find it difficult to squeeze everything into this wordcount, but it’s a common wordcount for Honors and MA-level dissertations.

Your research proposal is where you really get going with your study. I’d strongly recommend working closely with your teacher in developing a research proposal that’s consistent with the requirements and culture of your institution, as in my experience it varies considerably. The above template is from my own courses that walk students through research proposals in a British School of Education.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Game-Based Learning Activities for the Classroom
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 No-Prep Games for the Classroom (Emergency Games!)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Class Group Name Ideas (for School Students)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 19 Top Cognitive Psychology Theories (Explained)

8 thoughts on “17 Research Proposal Examples”

Very excellent research proposals

very helpful

Very helpful

Dear Sir, I need some help to write an educational research proposal. Thank you.

Hi Levi, use the site search bar to ask a question and I’ll likely have a guide already written for your specific question. Thanks for reading!

very good research proposal

Thank you so much sir! ❤️

Very helpful 👌

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Research Proposal Example/Sample

Detailed Walkthrough + Free Proposal Template

If you’re getting started crafting your research proposal and are looking for a few examples of research proposals , you’ve come to the right place.

In this video, we walk you through two successful (approved) research proposals , one for a Master’s-level project, and one for a PhD-level dissertation. We also start off by unpacking our free research proposal template and discussing the four core sections of a research proposal, so that you have a clear understanding of the basics before diving into the actual proposals.

• Research proposal example/sample – Master’s-level (PDF/Word)
• Research proposal example/sample – PhD-level (PDF/Word)
• Proposal template (Fully editable) 

If you’re working on a research proposal for a dissertation or thesis, you may also find the following useful:

• Research Proposal Bootcamp : Learn how to write a research proposal as efficiently and effectively as possible
• 1:1 Proposal Coaching : Get hands-on help with your research proposal

PS – If you’re working on a dissertation, be sure to also check out our collection of dissertation and thesis examples here .

FAQ: Research Proposal Example

Research proposal example: frequently asked questions, are the sample proposals real.

Yes. The proposals are real and were approved by the respective universities.

Can I copy one of these proposals for my own research?

As we discuss in the video, every research proposal will be slightly different, depending on the university’s unique requirements, as well as the nature of the research itself. Therefore, you’ll need to tailor your research proposal to suit your specific context.

You can learn more about the basics of writing a research proposal here .

How do I get the research proposal template?

You can access our free proposal template here .

Is the proposal template really free?

Yes. There is no cost for the proposal template and you are free to use it as a foundation for your research proposal.

Where can I learn more about proposal writing?

For self-directed learners, our Research Proposal Bootcamp is a great starting point.

For students that want hands-on guidance, our private coaching service is recommended.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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Internationalisation

• Funding opportunities
• International Partnership Development Fund (IPDF)

Radboud-Glasgow Collaboration 

Radboud – Glasgow Collaboration Fund

The 2024 Research and Learning & Teaching funding is now closed. Thank you to those that applied, applicants will be notified of the outcome in May 2024.

What is the Radboud–Glasgow Collaboration Fund?

Radboud University and the University of Glasgow signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018, renewed in 2023, outlining plans to work closely together as strategic partners.

As part of the plans to work together, the Radboud-Glasgow Collaboration Fund was established to:

• Facilitate and support joint initiatives that will strengthen the two universities’ strategic priorities;
• Encourage innovative learning and teaching practices and initiatives;
• Facilitate multi-disciplinary and cutting-edge research;
• Encourage international staff mobility and provide opportunities for development.

The Fund is overseen by the Radboud-Glasgow Joint Steering Committee (SC) and is designed to promote projects which pursue the following high-level goals:

• Research (in any discipline, for one-year projects - maximum budget for each project is £20,000)
• Learning and Teaching (teaching initiatives such as dual degrees, jointly taught modules etc. - maximum budget for each project is £20,000)
• Short-term staff mobility (professional development; exchange of knowledge and experience [e.g. work shadowing]; to deliver guest lectures; or to develop a new collaboration initiative; to prepare an external grant funding proposal

Both Glasgow and Radboud are comprehensive research-intensive Universities and founding members of The Guild network of European Research-Intensive Universities. This funding is an opportunity to build on our many existing research links. Radboud is also a partner for student mobility.

Priority funding

In 2023 it was announced that both universities would increase their investment in the Radboud-Glasgow partnership. This increase in funding allows the RGCF to better support the high-level goals of the collaboration through priority funding.

The RGCF welcomes projects that will set out a more ambitious vision and that include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• Contribute to both Glasgow’s and Radboud’s long-term EDI/DEI goals in relation to any or all of, the implementation, content, or impact of research or learning & teaching projects.
• Focus on civic engagement.
• Contribute to both Glasgow's and Radboud's long-term sustainability goals, in relation to any or all of, the implementation, content, or impact of research or learning & teaching projects.
• Aim to use the RGCF as seed funding for bigger projects by developing a portfolio of research over (max) 5 years with the aim of applying for a large research grant.
• Are interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary.
• Contribute to or create and maintain and international classroom for students of both institutions.
• Seek to further strengthen the collaboration between the two institutions by developing mobility and/or exchange opportunities relating to the topic of the proposal.

The maximum budget for each Research and Learning & Teaching project is £20,000. There is a maximum budget of £2,000 for each short-term mobility proposal. Staff from the University of Glasgow who can start their project immediately in May or who can frontload spending prior to the 31 July 2024 can receive this portion of the budget in June 2024. However, these funds must be spent by 31 July 2024. The rest of the budget for the project will be transferred in August and must be spent by 31 July 2025. Please indicate in your application form if you can already spend part of your funds by 31 July 2024.

Who is it for?

Academic and professional staff from all disciplines at Radboud and Glasgow and their affiliated Research Centres and Institutes are invited to apply to this funding opportunity. Staff applying for the Research and Learning & Teaching projects will need to identify a member of staff at Radboud with whom they intend to work with. 

[email protected]

• Radboud University
• University's sustainable travel guidance

For the latest travel advice please check the University's Travel Safety and Overseas work page .

If you are interested in short-term mobility to Radboud please email  [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I establish contacts with colleagues at Radboud? If you prepare a short proposal of a couple of sentences about your research area and your ideas for a project and send this to [email protected]  and  [email protected] then the administrators of the Funds can pass this request along to the relevant department.

Alternatively, many of the collaborations between Radboud and Glasgow colleagues have happened via one person looking through the staff pages of the other institution and getting in touch with staff. You should feel free to reach out to staff directly.

2. How does the staff mobility element work? Do I apply to invite colleagues, or should you apply via your own institution? The person who will carry out the mobility should fill out the application form. All applications should be sent to bot h [email protected]  and  [email protected] . The application will be reviewed by the chairs of the Steering Committee and if approved, processed by the home institution of the applicant. This means for Glasgow staff wishing to travel to Radboud, the funding will come from Glasgow and vice versa.

3. Will the Steering Committee still accept application where a larger part of the budget will be spent in one institution as opposed to equally balanced between both? For example, if one institution would like to involve a research assistant in the project. The Steering Committee will still accept applications which have a more unbalanced budget. However, the Steering Committee will look for a strong justification of why there is a greater expenditure at one institution. The application would also need to demonstrate how the project would lead to an enduring partnership and collaboration when more money is being requested by one institution rather than another, e.g., would the collaboration still endure if the research assistant left the institution? 4. Do the project leads at both institutions need to be staff with a contract? Yes, both projects leads need to have an active contract of employment with one of the partner institutions (appointed at least 0.5 FTE). If on a fixed term contract, the end date must be beyond the funding period. However, other members of the project do not need to meet this requirement. Please see section 1 of the Radboud-Glasgow Collaboration Fund 2024-2025 Application Guidelines for the full eligibility requirements. 5. How does the application process work? Each application needs to have a project lead from both institutions. The project leads fill out one application form together and submit this to both [email protected]  and  [email protected] . The applications are then peer reviewed by staff at both institutions before being sent to the Steering Committee for its decision. 6. It is possible for project leads who were successful in a previous year to apply again? Either as part of a different collaboration, or in order to take an established collaboration forward. Yes, it is possible to re-apply to the fund after being successful in previous years. It is also possible for a Project Lead who is successful in one funding year to apply in a following year as part of a different collaboration. 7. What kinds of teaching projects have been funded and are the Steering Committee looking for? Previously, and learning & teaching projects have focussed on PGT students, but projects can also focus on UG level. Collaborative projects often have an online element and an international classroom element. The Steering Committee is particularly keen to see projects with a focus on teaching innovation, and projects that will provide an international experience to students. 8. Can the money be used to fund mobility for students? Please see the full list of eligible costs at section 4 of the Radboud-Glasgow Collaboration Fund 2024-2025 Application Guidelines. The Fund is not designed to offer continuous funding student mobility. Therefore, any application looking at student mobility would need to clearly show the sustainability of the project beyond the initial funding period and clearly demonstrate how the mobilities would be funded in future years. If this can be demonstrated, funding could be used to initiate or prototype a student mobility. However, bear in mind that we are looking for projects that have added value beyond simply initiating a mobility. 9. Is there a preference for research projects or learning & teaching projects? There is no preference for either, the allocation of funding is always done in response to the quality of the projects.

Finally It is always a good idea to get in touch with your College International Deans or School International Lead who may be able to help align the application with strategic goals locally as well as the Global Glasgow strategy. They may also be able to help identifying additional or complementary funding that may be appropriate for the application.

Previous funded projects

  2022-2023  research and learning/teaching funded projects.

2021-2022   R esearch and Learning/Teaching funded projects

2020-2021   R esearch and Learning/Teaching funded projects

Congratulations to t he following s even projects  were  funded, representing the rich variety of research taking place across the University.  

• Twitter as a sociolinguistic laboratory for tracking the dynamics of rapid linguistic change -  Dr Jane Stuart-Smith  (School of Critical Studies)  
• Organising for development: How donor governance affects aid allocation and the effectivene s s of foreign aid -  Dr Bernhard Reinsberg  (School of Social & Political Sciences)  
• Mindfulness is associated with romantic relationship wellbeing, but why? In search of mechanisms –  Dr Esther Papies  (School of Psychology)  
• From cells to life-histories: metabolic rate of zebrafish differing in cell size -  Prof Shaun Killen  (Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine)  
• Safe Planning with Artificial Intelligence –  Dr Gethin Norman  (School of Computing Science)  
• Unravelling the mechanisms whereby FAM111A regulates magnesium and calcium homeostasis -implications in the Kenny-Caffey syndrome –  Prof Rhian Touyz  (Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences)  
• Slavery, Forced Migration and Family History: Towards a Durable Partnership in Research and Teaching -  Dr Jelmer Vos  (School of Humanities)  

2019-2020 Research and Learning/Teaching funded projects

Seven projects were funded for 2019/2020 the successful collaborations are below:

Learning and teaching

• Joint and Dual Degree Development at RU and UoG: Scoping and Initial Programme Design including Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degrees Angela Melley (College of Social Sciences, Glasgow) and Koen Schilders (Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud) 
• Development of a Radboud-Glasgow 2-year collaborative Master's programme in Cognitive Neuroscience  Dr Guillaume Rousselet (Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology, Glasgow) and Dr Rob van Lier (Donders Centre for Cognition) 

Learning and teaching / Research

• The worlding classroom: connecting places, disciplines and positionalities in discussing migration, asylum and borders Dr. Teresa Piacentini (School of Political and Social Sciences, Glasgow) and Dr. Joris Schapendonk (Geography, Planning and Environment, Nijmegen School of Management).  Dr. Teresa Piacentini reflects on the ways in which research opportunities can present new avenues for colleborative work in her blog on The Worlding Classroom
• 'The Hopes of Ages is in Process of Realisation': The Establishment of the Permanent Court of Internationalisation Justice, 1920-1922 Dr. Christian Tams (School of Law, Glasgow) and Prof. Henri de Waele (Faculty of Law, Radboud University)  > Visit the project's website
• Life after Slavery: Setting the Research Agenda of Slave Histories in the Global Era, 1750-1900 Dr. Jelmer Vos (School of Humanities, Glasgow) and Dr. Dries Lyna (Faculty of Arts, Radboud)  > One of the tangible results of this collaboration is their successful application for a joint Summer School
• Quantifying Host and Parasite Factors Influencing Gametocyte Production in Controlled and Natural Plasmodium Falciparum Infections Prof Matthias Marti (Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow) and Prof. Teun Bousema (Medical Microbiology)  > With support from the RGCF the group has completed a study related to gametocyte production and infectivity , which is currently under review at a top journal in the field of Infectious Diseases
• BEST: Better Smart Campus Sensor Technologies Prof. Phil Trinder (School of Computing Science, Glasgow) and Assistant Prof. Pieter Koopman (Institute for Computing and Information Sciences) > Visit the project's website

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Home » Research Proposal – Types, Template and Example

Research Proposal – Types, Template and Example

Table of Contents

Research Proposal

Research proposal is a document that outlines a proposed research project . It is typically written by researchers, scholars, or students who intend to conduct research to address a specific research question or problem.

Types of Research Proposal

Research proposals can vary depending on the nature of the research project and the specific requirements of the funding agency, academic institution, or research program. Here are some common types of research proposals:

Academic Research Proposal

This is the most common type of research proposal, which is prepared by students, scholars, or researchers to seek approval and funding for an academic research project. It includes all the essential components mentioned earlier, such as the introduction, literature review , methodology , and expected outcomes.

Grant Proposal

A grant proposal is specifically designed to secure funding from external sources, such as government agencies, foundations, or private organizations. It typically includes additional sections, such as a detailed budget, project timeline, evaluation plan, and a description of the project’s alignment with the funding agency’s priorities and objectives.

Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

Students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree often need to submit a proposal outlining their intended research for their dissertation or thesis. These proposals are usually more extensive and comprehensive, including an in-depth literature review, theoretical framework, research questions or hypotheses, and a detailed methodology.

Research Project Proposal

This type of proposal is often prepared by researchers or research teams within an organization or institution. It outlines a specific research project that aims to address a particular problem, explore a specific area of interest, or provide insights for decision-making. Research project proposals may include sections on project management, collaboration, and dissemination of results.

Research Fellowship Proposal

Researchers or scholars applying for research fellowships may be required to submit a proposal outlining their proposed research project. These proposals often emphasize the novelty and significance of the research and its alignment with the goals and objectives of the fellowship program.

Collaborative Research Proposal

In cases where researchers from multiple institutions or disciplines collaborate on a research project, a collaborative research proposal is prepared. This proposal highlights the objectives, responsibilities, and contributions of each collaborator, as well as the overall research plan and coordination mechanisms.

Research Proposal Outline

A research proposal typically follows a standard outline that helps structure the document and ensure all essential components are included. While the specific headings and subheadings may vary slightly depending on the requirements of your institution or funding agency, the following outline provides a general structure for a research proposal:

• Title of the research proposal
• Name of the researcher(s) or principal investigator(s)
• Affiliation or institution
• Date of submission
• A concise summary of the research proposal, typically limited to 200-300 words.
• Briefly introduce the research problem or question, state the objectives, summarize the methodology, and highlight the expected outcomes or significance of the research.
• Provide an overview of the subject area and the specific research problem or question.
• Present relevant background information, theories, or concepts to establish the need for the research.
• Clearly state the research objectives or research questions that the study aims to address.
• Indicate the significance or potential contributions of the research.
• Summarize and analyze relevant studies, theories, or scholarly works.
• Identify research gaps or unresolved issues that your study intends to address.
• Highlight the novelty or uniqueness of your research.
• Describe the overall approach or research design that will be used (e.g., experimental, qualitative, quantitative).
• Justify the chosen approach based on the research objectives and question.
• Explain how data will be collected (e.g., surveys, interviews, experiments).
• Describe the sampling strategy and sample size, if applicable.
• Address any ethical considerations related to data collection.
• Outline the data analysis techniques or statistical methods that will be applied.
• Explain how the data will be interpreted and analyzed to answer the research question(s).
• Provide a detailed schedule or timeline that outlines the various stages of the research project.
• Specify the estimated duration for each stage, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.
• State the potential outcomes or results of the research.
• Discuss the potential significance or contributions of the study to the field.
• Address any potential limitations or challenges that may be encountered.
• Identify the resources required to conduct the research, such as funding, equipment, or access to data.
• Specify any collaborations or partnerships necessary for the successful completion of the study.
• Include a list of cited references in the appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

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Research Proposal Example Template

Here’s an example of a research proposal to give you an idea of how it can be structured:

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Well-being: A Mixed-Methods Study

This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of social media on the well-being of adolescents. The study will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive data. The research objectives include examining the relationship between social media use and mental health, exploring the role of peer influence in shaping online behaviors, and identifying strategies for promoting healthy social media use among adolescents. The findings of this study will contribute to the understanding of the effects of social media on adolescent well-being and inform the development of targeted interventions.

1. Introduction

1.1 Background and Context:

Adolescents today are immersed in social media platforms, which have become integral to their daily lives. However, concerns have been raised about the potential negative impact of social media on their well-being, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction. It is crucial to investigate this phenomenon further and understand the underlying mechanisms to develop effective strategies for promoting healthy social media use among adolescents.

1.2 Research Objectives:

The main objectives of this study are:

• To examine the association between social media use and mental health outcomes among adolescents.
• To explore the influence of peer relationships and social comparison on online behaviors.
• To identify strategies and interventions to foster positive social media use and enhance adolescent well-being.

2. Literature Review

Extensive research has been conducted on the impact of social media on adolescents. Existing literature suggests that excessive social media use can contribute to negative outcomes, such as low self-esteem, cyberbullying, and addictive behaviors. However, some studies have also highlighted the positive aspects of social media, such as providing opportunities for self-expression and social support. This study will build upon this literature by incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to gain a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between social media and adolescent well-being.

3. Methodology

3.1 Research Design:

This study will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The quantitative phase will involve administering standardized questionnaires to a representative sample of adolescents to assess their social media use, mental health indicators, and perceived social support. The qualitative phase will include in-depth interviews with a subset of participants to explore their experiences, motivations, and perceptions related to social media use.

3.2 Data Collection Methods:

Quantitative data will be collected through an online survey distributed to schools in the target region. The survey will include validated scales to measure social media use, mental health outcomes, and perceived social support. Qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of participants. The interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis.

3.3 Data Analysis:

Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis to examine the relationships between variables. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically to identify common themes and patterns within participants’ narratives. Integration of quantitative and qualitative findings will provide a comprehensive understanding of the research questions.

4. Timeline

The research project will be conducted over a period of 12 months, divided into specific phases, including literature review, study design, data collection, analysis, and report writing. A detailed timeline outlining the key milestones and activities is provided in Appendix A.

5. Expected Outcomes and Significance

This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the impact of social media on adolescent well-being by employing a mixed-methods approach. The findings will inform the development of evidence-based interventions and guidelines to promote healthy social media use among adolescents. This research has the potential to benefit adolescents, parents, educators, and policymakers by providing insights into the complex relationship between social media and well-being and offering strategies for fostering positive online experiences.

6. Resources

The resources required for this research include access to a representative sample of adolescents, research assistants for data collection, statistical software for data analysis, and funding to cover survey administration and participant incentives. Ethical considerations will be taken into account, ensuring participant confidentiality and obtaining informed consent.

7. References

Research Proposal Writing Guide

Writing a research proposal can be a complex task, but with proper guidance and organization, you can create a compelling and well-structured proposal. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

• Understand the requirements: Familiarize yourself with the guidelines and requirements provided by your institution, funding agency, or program. Pay attention to formatting, page limits, specific sections or headings, and any other instructions.
• Identify your research topic: Choose a research topic that aligns with your interests, expertise, and the goals of your program or funding opportunity. Ensure that your topic is specific, focused, and relevant to the field of study.
• Conduct a literature review : Review existing literature and research relevant to your topic. Identify key theories, concepts, methodologies, and findings related to your research question. This will help you establish the context, identify research gaps, and demonstrate the significance of your proposed study.
• Define your research objectives and research question(s): Clearly state the objectives you aim to achieve with your research. Formulate research questions that address the gaps identified in the literature review. Your research objectives and questions should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Develop a research methodology: Determine the most appropriate research design and methodology for your study. Consider whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches will best address your research question(s). Describe the data collection methods, sampling strategy, data analysis techniques, and any ethical considerations associated with your research.
• Create a research plan and timeline: Outline the various stages of your research project, including tasks, milestones, and deadlines. Develop a realistic timeline that considers factors such as data collection, analysis, and report writing. This plan will help you stay organized and manage your time effectively throughout the research process.
• A. Introduction: Provide background information on the research problem, highlight its significance, and introduce your research objectives and questions.
• B. Literature review: Summarize relevant literature, identify gaps, and justify the need for your proposed research.
• C . Methodology: Describe your research design, data collection methods, sampling strategy, data analysis techniques, and any ethical considerations.
• D . Expected outcomes and significance: Explain the potential outcomes, contributions, and implications of your research.
• E. Resources: Identify the resources required to conduct your research, such as funding, equipment, or access to data.
• F . References: Include a list of cited references in the appropriate citation style.
• Revise and proofread: Review your proposal for clarity, coherence, and logical flow. Check for grammar and spelling errors. Seek feedback from mentors, colleagues, or advisors to refine and improve your proposal.
• Finalize and submit: Make any necessary revisions based on feedback and finalize your research proposal. Ensure that you have met all the requirements and formatting guidelines. Submit your proposal within the specified deadline.

Research Proposal Length

The length of a research proposal can vary depending on the specific guidelines provided by your institution or funding agency. However, research proposals typically range from 1,500 to 3,000 words, excluding references and any additional supporting documents.

Purpose of Research Proposal

The purpose of a research proposal is to outline and communicate your research project to others, such as academic institutions, funding agencies, or potential collaborators. It serves several important purposes:

• Demonstrate the significance of the research: A research proposal explains the importance and relevance of your research project. It outlines the research problem or question, highlights the gaps in existing knowledge, and explains how your study will contribute to the field. By clearly articulating the significance of your research, you can convince others of its value and potential impact.
• Provide a clear research plan: A research proposal outlines the methodology, design, and approach you will use to conduct your study. It describes the research objectives, data collection methods, data analysis techniques, and potential outcomes. By presenting a clear research plan, you demonstrate that your study is well-thought-out, feasible, and likely to produce meaningful results.
• Secure funding or support: For researchers seeking funding or support for their projects, a research proposal is essential. It allows you to make a persuasive case for why your research is deserving of financial resources or institutional backing. The proposal explains the budgetary requirements, resources needed, and potential benefits of the research, helping you secure the necessary funding or support.
• Seek feedback and guidance: Presenting a research proposal provides an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance from experts in your field. It allows you to engage in discussions and receive suggestions for refining your research plan, improving the methodology, or addressing any potential limitations. This feedback can enhance the quality of your study and increase its chances of success.
• Establish ethical considerations: A research proposal also addresses ethical considerations associated with your study. It outlines how you will ensure participant confidentiality, obtain informed consent, and adhere to ethical guidelines and regulations. By demonstrating your awareness and commitment to ethical research practices, you build trust and credibility in your proposed study.

Importance of Research Proposal

The research proposal holds significant importance in the research process. Here are some key reasons why research proposals are important:

• Planning and organization: A research proposal requires careful planning and organization of your research project. It forces you to think through the research objectives, research questions, methodology, and potential outcomes before embarking on the actual study. This planning phase helps you establish a clear direction and framework for your research, ensuring that your efforts are focused and purposeful.
• Demonstrating the significance of the research: A research proposal allows you to articulate the significance and relevance of your study. By providing a thorough literature review and clearly defining the research problem or question, you can showcase the gaps in existing knowledge that your research aims to address. This demonstrates to others, such as funding agencies or academic institutions, why your research is important and deserving of support.
• Obtaining funding and resources: Research proposals are often required to secure funding for your research project. Funding agencies and organizations need to evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of the proposed research before allocating resources. A well-crafted research proposal helps convince funders of the value of your research and increases the likelihood of securing financial support, grants, or scholarships.
• Receiving feedback and guidance: Presenting a research proposal provides an opportunity to seek feedback and guidance from experts in your field. By sharing your research plan and objectives with others, you can benefit from their insights and suggestions. This feedback can help refine your research design, strengthen your methodology, and ensure that your study is rigorous and well-informed.
• Ethical considerations: A research proposal addresses ethical considerations associated with your study. It outlines how you will protect the rights and welfare of participants, maintain confidentiality, obtain informed consent, and adhere to ethical guidelines and regulations. This emphasis on ethical practices ensures that your research is conducted responsibly and with integrity.
• Enhancing collaboration and partnerships: A research proposal can facilitate collaborations and partnerships with other researchers, institutions, or organizations. When presenting your research plan, you may attract the interest of potential collaborators who share similar research interests or possess complementary expertise. Collaborative partnerships can enrich your study, expand your resources, and foster knowledge exchange.
• Establishing a research trajectory: A research proposal serves as a foundation for your research project. Once approved, it becomes a roadmap that guides your study’s implementation, data collection, analysis, and reporting. It helps maintain focus and ensures that your research stays on track and aligned with the initial objectives.

When to Write Research Proposal

The timing of when to write a research proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements and circumstances. However, here are a few common situations when it is appropriate to write a research proposal:

• Academic research: If you are a student pursuing a research degree, such as a Ph.D. or Master’s by research, you will typically be required to write a research proposal as part of the application process. This is usually done before starting the research program to outline your proposed study and seek approval from the academic institution.
• Funding applications: When applying for research grants, scholarships, or funding from organizations or institutions, you will often need to submit a research proposal. Funding agencies require a detailed description of your research project, including its objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. Writing a research proposal in this context is necessary to secure financial support for your study.
• Research collaborations: When collaborating with other researchers, institutions, or organizations on a research project, it is common to prepare a research proposal. This helps outline the research objectives, roles and responsibilities, and expected contributions from each party. Writing a research proposal in this case allows all collaborators to align their efforts and ensure a shared understanding of the project.
• Research project within an organization: If you are conducting research within an organization, such as a company or government agency, you may be required to write a research proposal to gain approval and support for your study. This proposal outlines the research objectives, methodology, resources needed, and expected outcomes, ensuring that the project aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives.
• Independent research projects: Even if you are not required to write a research proposal, it can still be beneficial to develop one for your independent research projects. Writing a research proposal helps you plan and structure your study, clarify your research objectives, and anticipate potential challenges or limitations. It also allows you to communicate your research plans effectively to supervisors, mentors, or collaborators.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Stanford Cancer Institute

Search stanford cancer institute, novartis call for pre-proposals: research project program.

Deadline: August 1, 2024

Novartis's objective is to work together with academic institutions to de-risk innovation and bridge the translational gap of early-stage research. We would like to collaborate and form long-term relationships with academic scholars who are deeply committed to translating their scientific discoveries into patients. We offer academic institutions new opportunities for scientific engagement with Novartis through in-licensing of academic technologies, research collaborations and opportunities for co-creation with our scientists, and long-term strategic partnerships. We are committed to working together with academic scholars to translate the next great innovative ideas into powerful medicines to change the future of medicine.

Please find detailed information and the Pre-Proposal Submission Template here:  https://seedfunding.stanford.edu/opportunities/novartis-call-pre-proposals . There should be NO confidential information disclosed in the pre-proposals.

Amount of Funding: The budget amount is expected to be $100,000 to $300,000 for one year (including indirect costs). Novartis will rely on what the faculty, in collaboration with RMG, estimate as appropriate; however, details on budget would not be explored unless a pre-proposal is selected for a full proposal submission.

Eligibility: Stanford faculty with PI eligibility and CE faculty (with an approved CE faculty PI waiver). CE applicants must obtain an approved CE faculty PI waiver BEFORE the pre-proposal deadline. Instructions for CE faculty PI waiver requests: Submit the required, completed CE faculty PI waiver template and attachments directly to Kathleen Thompson at [email protected] by end of day on July 29, 2024. Please do not contact your RPM/RMG or CGO/OSR regarding waivers for this program.

Areas of Interest: Cardiovascular & metabolic Renal diseases Oncology Immunology Neuroscience Diseases of aging and regenerative medicines Gene therapies xRNA Please see the PDF attachments for specific thematic Novartis priorities under each area.

Timeline: July 29, 2024 – CE faculty PI waiver requests due (if applicable) August 1, 2024 – Pre-proposal submission deadline to Stanford Medicine - Industry Relations (SM-IR) team August 12, 2024 – Submission of completed pre-proposals to Novartis by SM-IR Deadlines for full proposal submission will be announced at a later time to selected faculty. This timeline will include the institutional representative (RPM/RMG or CGO/OSR) review deadline and Proposal Intake Form (PIF) requirement.

Submission Instructions for Pre-proposals: Fill out the attached pre-proposal template ( https://seedfunding.stanford.edu/opportunities/novartis-call-pre-proposals ).

Email the complete pre-proposal to Nour Malek at [email protected] and Nicole Kay at [email protected] before August 1, 2024. The Industry Relations team will review the submissions with the Office Technological Licensing (OTL) and Industry Contracting Office (ICO) and then formally submit all pre-proposals to Novartis on behalf of Stanford. There should be NO confidential information disclosed in the pre-proposals.

Institutional representative: you do not need to submit your pre-proposals through RMG or OSR for institutional approval; you may submit your pre-proposal directly to Nour Malek and Nicole Kay per the instructions above. If invited to submit a full proposal, please initiate your Proposal Intake Form (PIF) at your earliest convenience. Final proposal submission will require institutional approval prior to submission.

Any CE faculty PI waiver requests should be submitted directly to Kathleen Thompson per the instructions above.

Questions? Please contact Nour Malek at [email protected] and Nicole Kay at [email protected].

Stanford Resources Funding Information for the Stanford community Limited submission programs, NIH resources, DoD CDMRP, internal funding opportunities, searchable funding databases. Institutional representatives and

Internal Proposal Deadline Policy School of Medicine PIs: RPM Department Assignments and SoM internal proposal deadline policy

A Proposal Intake Form (PIF) in SeRA is required for all sponsored project proposal submissions in the School of Medicine (except for fellowships, clinical trials, and Internal Seed Funding NOT from sponsored projects).

PIs in all Other Schools: Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) Contract and Grant Officer Pre-Award & Post-award department assignments

• Patient Care
• Clinical Trials
• Health Equity
• Shared Resources

Stanford Medicine

Health care.

©2024 Stanford Medicine

151+ Research Proposal Topics [Updated 2024]

Crafting a compelling research proposal begins with selecting the right topic—a task that demands careful consideration and a thoughtful approach. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the intricacies of choosing research proposal topics, exploring the importance of a well-defined focus and guiding you through the steps to create a robust proposal.

How to Select Research Proposal Topics?

Table of Contents

Selecting research proposal topics is a crucial step in the research process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose a compelling and impactful research topic:

• Self-reflection:
• Identify your personal interests, passions, and curiosities.
• Consider topics that resonate with you on a deep level.
• Academic and Professional Interests:
• Reflect on subjects that captivated you during coursework or work experience.
• Assess the relevance of these interests to your academic or career goals.
• Current Issues and Trends:
• Stay informed about contemporary challenges and emerging trends in your field.
• Choose a topic that addresses current issues for greater relevance and impact.
• Literature Review:
• Conduct a thorough review of existing research in your chosen field.
• Identify gaps and limitations in the current body of knowledge.
• Formulate Clear Research Questions:
• Develop clear and concise research questions based on the gaps identified.
• Ensure your questions are feasible and align with the chosen topic.
• Choose a Methodology:
• Select an appropriate research methodology (experimental, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods).
• Justify your choice and discuss data collection techniques.
• Significance and Contribution:
• Articulate the relevance of your proposed research.
• Highlight the potential contributions your work can make to the field.
• Research Design and Plan:
• Outline the specifics of your research design.
• Create a realistic timeline, allocating resources and budget effectively.
• Address Challenges and Limitations:
• Acknowledge potential challenges and limitations.
• Discuss strategies to mitigate challenges and be transparent about constraints.
• Conclusion:
• Summarize key points of your research proposal.
• Emphasize the importance of the chosen topic and encourage feedback.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your research proposal topic is not only engaging but also has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to your field of study.

151+ Research Proposal Topics: Category Wise

Science and technology.

• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Job Market Trends
• Advancements in Renewable Energy Technologies
• Exploring the Potential of CRISPR Technology in Genetic Engineering
• Cybersecurity Measures for Critical Infrastructure Protection
• The Role of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management
• Augmented Reality in Education: Enhancing Learning Experiences
• Quantum Computing: Current Status and Future Implications
• Sustainable Technologies for Environmental Conservation
• Smart Cities: Integrating Technology for Urban Development
• Robotics in Healthcare: Applications and Ethical Considerations

Health and Medicine

• Precision Medicine: Customizing Healthcare Based on Genetic Factors
• The Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Care
• Mental Health Stigma: Strategies for Reduction and Education
• Vaccination Hesitancy: Understanding Causes and Developing Interventions
• Aging Population and Healthcare Challenges
• Bioinformatics and Personalized Cancer Therapies
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Diagnosing Medical Conditions
• Emerging Infectious Diseases: Preparedness and Response Strategies
• Nutrition Education in Schools: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
• Healthcare Disparities: Addressing and Eliminating Gaps in Access

Social Sciences

• Social Media and its Influence on Political Discourse
• Impact of Social Isolation on Mental Health in Elderly Populations
• Cultural Competence in Education: Training and Implementation
• The Role of Gender Stereotypes in Career Choices
• Cyberbullying: Prevention and Intervention Strategies
• The Effects of Immigration Policies on Migrant Communities
• Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Systems
• Examining the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Self-Esteem
• Intersectionality in Feminist Movements: Challenges and Opportunities
• Community Policing: Building Trust between Law Enforcement and Communities
• E-Learning Platforms: Effectiveness and Challenges
• Inquiry-Based Learning: Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills
• Inclusive Education Practices: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
• The Impact of Standardized Testing on Educational Equity
• School Safety Measures: Strategies for Prevention and Response
• Teacher Professional Development: Models and Effectiveness
• Online Education Accessibility for Students with Disabilities
• Gamification in Education: Engaging Students in Learning
• Bilingual Education: Benefits and Challenges
• STEM Education Initiatives: Encouraging Interest in Science and Technology

Business and Economics

• Sustainable Business Practices: Balancing Profit and Environmental Impact
• Corporate Social Responsibility in Multinational Corporations
• Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business Operations
• Economic Consequences of Global Health Crises
• Digital Marketing Trends and Consumer Behavior
• Financial Literacy Education: Bridging the Gap
• Small Business Sustainability: Challenges and Strategies
• The Gig Economy: Implications for Workers and Employers
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How to Compose a Research Proposal?

Composing a research proposal is a systematic process that involves careful planning, organization, and clear articulation of your research idea. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to compose a research proposal:

• Title: 
• Create a clear and concise title that reflects the essence of your research.
• Introduction:
• Provide background information on the research topic.
• Clearly state the research problem or question.
• Justify the importance and relevance of your research.
• Summarize relevant existing literature.
• Identify gaps, limitations, and areas for further exploration.
• Establish a theoretical framework for your study.
• Research Questions or Hypotheses:
• Formulate clear and specific research questions or hypotheses.
• Ensure they align with the research problem and are feasible.
• Objectives or Aims:
• Outline the specific goals of your research.
• Clearly state what you aim to achieve with your study.
• Methodology:
• Describe the research design and justify your choice.
• Detail the data collection methods and tools you plan to use.
• Address ethical considerations related to your research.
• Explain the importance of your research.
• Clearly state the potential contributions your study can make.
• Provide a detailed plan for executing your research.
• Include a timeline, milestones, and the allocation of resources.
• Potential Challenges and Limitations:
• Acknowledge possible obstacles and limitations.
• Discuss strategies to address challenges proactively.
• Summarize the key points of your research proposal.
• Reiterate the significance of your research.
• Invite feedback and suggestions.
• References:
• Cite all the sources and literature used in your proposal.
• Follow the appropriate citation style ( APA, MLA, Chicago , etc.).
• Appendices (if necessary):
• Include any supplementary materials such as surveys, questionnaires, or additional data.

Tips for Composing a Research Proposal

• Clarity and Conciseness: Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid unnecessary jargon that may confuse readers.
• Alignment: Ensure that each section of your proposal aligns with the overall research objective.
• Feasibility: Confirm that your proposed research is feasible within the given time and resource constraints.
• Review and Revise: Review your proposal for coherence, consistency, and clarity. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or advisors and make revisions accordingly.
• Adherence to Guidelines: Follow any specific guidelines or instructions provided by your institution or funding agency.
• Engage the Reader: Capture the reader’s attention in the introduction and maintain engagement throughout.
• Ethical Considerations: Clearly address any ethical concerns related to your research, ensuring compliance with ethical standards.

Selecting research proposal topics is a nuanced process that requires a blend of personal passion, academic rigor, and an understanding of the broader context.

By following this comprehensive guide, you can navigate the seas of research proposal development with confidence, ensuring that your chosen topic is not only compelling but also lays the foundation for meaningful and impactful research.

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ATTN Researchers: BCRC Proof of Concept and Clinical Trial Call for Proposals OPEN

The Beef Cattle Research Council invites proposals focused on projects related to proof of concept and clinical trials . The application deadline for this call is September 3, 2024, at 11:59 PM MT .  

With increased investment in research through the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off, the BCRC has committed to provide research funding in two key areas that have previously had limited funding:  

• Proof of Concept – proposals to help inform whether a concept is worth pursuing as a larger, more defined funding request  
• Clinical Trials – proposals to validate practices or technologies that have been discovered through research projects and/or to facilitate the adaptation of technologies utilized in other sectors, commodities or countries  

The BCRC has committed funding to short-term projects in these two areas, with a maximum of $50,000 per project regardless of duration. Project duration should be between six months to one year, unless a clear rationale can be provided demonstrating the need for a longer timeframe.  

The purpose of this call is to fund proof-of-concept research and clinical trials that will lead to the achievement of objectives in the Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy and the  National Beef Strategy . Leveraging producer check-off funds allocated to approved projects with other industry or government cash contributions is encouraged but not required for this call.   

Refer to the documents below for more information. All call-related information can also be found on the BCRC’s Call for Proposals webpage.

Download the 2024 Proof of Concept Call for Proposals

Download the 2024 Instructions and Guidelines for Submission

Open the 2024 Proof of Concept Call for Proposals Form

Sharing or reprinting BCRC blog posts is welcome and encouraged. Please credit the Beef Council Research Council, provide the website address, www.BeefResearch.c a , and let us know you have chosen to share the article by emailing us at [email protected] .

Your questions, comments and suggestions are welcome. Contact us directly or spark a public discussion by posting your thoughts below.

• Attention researchers
• call for proposals
• clinical trials
• Proof of Concept

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Assignment 3: Research Proposal The purpose of a research proposal is to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have both the competence and work plan to complete it. A research proposal addresses the following questions: what you plan to accomplish, why you want to do it, and how you are going to do it. Note for this assignment: you may choose to complete a proposal for a real or hypothetical research project.

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UD Professors Shine in Sales Research Awards

The Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management (JPSSM), esteemed globally for its scholarly publications on selling and sales management, recently recognized the outstanding contributions of faculty members from the University of Dayton's School of Business Administration (SBA). The 2023 JPSSM  awards saw SBA faculty members securing three prestigious accolades, underscoring their exceptional research and impact in the field.

James Comer Award for Best Contribution to Sales Theory

Winner: Riley Dugan, alongside Valentina Ortiz Ubal and Maura L. Scott, earned this accolade for their paper titled, "Sales well-being: A salesperson-focused framework for individual, organizational, and societal well-being" (Dugan, Ortiz Ubal, & Scott, 2023). This work presents a comprehensive framework addressing the well-being of salespeople, emphasizing its importance at various levels.

Marvin Jolson Award for Best Contribution to Sales Practice

Winner: Scott Friend, with co-authors Peter Nguyen, Kevin Chase, and Jeff Johnson, were honored for their paper, "Analyzing sales proposal rejections via machine learning" (Nguyen, Friend, Chase, & Johnson, 2023). This research leverages machine learning to dissect the reasons behind sales proposal rejections, providing practical insights for sales managers.

USCA/JPSSM Award for Best Conceptual Paper

Runner-up: Riley Dugan, together with Nawar N. Chaker, Edward Nowlin, Dawn Deeter-Schmelz, Deva Rangarajan, Raj Agnihotri, and Omar S. Itani, was recognized for their paper, "Preparing for, withstanding, and learning from sales crises: Implications and a future research agenda" (Dugan et al., 2023). This paper outlines strategies for managing and learning from sales crises, setting the stage for future research in this domain. Additionally, It was featured in the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Research Database.

Runner-up: Another paper co-authored by Riley Dugan, titled "Sales technology research: a review and future research agenda" (Agnihotri et al., 2023), also secured the runner-up position. Co-authored with Raj Agnihotri, Nawar N. Chaker, John M. Galvan, and Edward Nowlin, this work provides a thorough review and a forward-looking agenda for research on sales technology.

Faculty Highlights

Dr. Scott B. Friend holds the Lucille M. Schaefer and Norman M. Schaefer Endowed Chair in Marketing at the University of Dayton. His research is guided by helping organizations improve sales team performance. Specific topics of interest include value co-creation in buyer-seller relationships, intra-organizational relationships, sales failure analysis, and key account management.

Dr. Riley Dugan is Professor and Chairperson for the Department of Management and Marketing at the School of Business Administration. His research interests span sales well-being, sales crises management, and sales technology, reflecting his significant contributions to the field through both theory and practice.

The University of Dayton's School of Business Administration continues to make significant strides in the realm of sales and sales management research, as demonstrated by the recent achievements of its faculty members in the JPSSM awards. Their innovative work not only advances academic knowledge but also provides valuable insights for practitioners in the field.

“I love conducting research that has practical application both for students and real-world sales professionals. Bridging the gap between theory and practice is very important to me, and I am appreciative that I work at a University that emphasizes this.” - Dr. Riley Dugan

Congratulations to Riley Dugan, Scott Friend, and their collaborators for their exceptional contributions and well-deserved recognition!

Dr. Riley Dugan

Professor and Chairperson for the Department of Management and Marketing at the School of Business Administration.

Dr. Riley Dugan was awarded the James Comer Award for Best Contribution to Sales Theory and was the runner-up for the USCA/JPSSM Award for Best Conceptual Paper.

Dr. Scott Friend

Lucille M. Schaefer and Norman M. Schaefer Endowed Chair in Marketing

Dr/ Scott Friend was awarded the Marvin Jolson Award for Best Contribution to Sales Practice.

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UD Business Students Excel in Ohio Export Program

Students are contributing to Ohio's export growth with hands-on internships, equipping them for successful careers in global business.

• Open access
• Published: 04 July 2024

Bibliometric analysis of the application of deep learning in cancer from 2015 to 2023

• Ruiyu Wang 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Shu Huang 3 , 4   na1 ,
• Ping Wang 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Xiaomin Shi 1 , 2 ,
• Shiqi Li 1 , 2 ,
• Yusong Ye 1 , 2 ,
• Wei Zhang 1 , 2 ,
• Lei Shi 1 , 2 ,
• Xian Zhou 1 , 2 &
• Xiaowei Tang 1 , 2  

Cancer Imaging volume  24 , Article number:  85 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Recently, the application of deep learning (DL) has made great progress in various fields, especially in cancer research. However, to date, the bibliometric analysis of the application of DL in cancer is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the research status and hotspots of the application of DL in cancer.

We retrieved all articles on the application of DL in cancer from the Web of Science database Core Collection database. Biblioshiny, VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to perform the bibliometric analysis through analyzing the numbers, citations, countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords.

We found 6,016 original articles on the application of DL in cancer. The number of annual publications and total citations were uptrend in general. China published the greatest number of articles, USA had the highest total citations, and Saudi Arabia had the highest centrality. Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institution. Tian, Jie published the greatest number of articles, while He Kaiming was the most co-cited author. IEEE Access was the most popular journal. The analysis of references and keywords showed that DL was mainly used for the prediction, detection, classification and diagnosis of breast cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer.

Conclusions

Overall, the number of articles on the application of DL in cancer is gradually increasing. In the future, further expanding and improving the application scope and accuracy of DL applications, and integrating DL with protein prediction, genomics and cancer research may be the research trends.

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI), an important branch of computer science, involves algorithms capable of analyzing complex data, which was first introduced by McCarthy in 1956 [ 1 ]. AI has experienced rapid development from machine learning (ML) to deep learning (DL) [ 2 , 3 ]. DL, a sub-branch of AI and ML, was first introduced by Hinton in 2006 [ 4 ]. In 2012, Krichevsky designed a new ImageNet in the ILSVRC-2012 competition, and won the first place with an error rate nearly 10% lower than the second place, marking the entry of AI into a new phase of DL [ 5 ]. DL forms complex layers through layer-by-layer training, using the upper layer's training result as an initialization parameter for the lower layer training process, thereby obtaining more representative feature data [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Currently, commonly used algorithms for DL include convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) [ 9 ]. To date, DL has made outstanding progress in computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, and biomedicine [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. In biomedicine, the application of DL spans electronic information file management, medical imaging, disease analysis, genomics, and robotic-assisted surgery [ 13 , 14 , 15 ].

Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the world, with its incidence increasing annually and affecting younger populations. The extensive research on DL has led to the wide application of DL in cancer prediction, detection, classification, diagnosis, and prognosis, particularly due to its significant advantages in medical imaging. At present, DL has been applied to various cancers including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, despite the application of DL in cancer has achieved some achievements, there are still challenges. The application scope, accuracy, and optimal algorithms of DL still need to be further explored and improved [ 21 , 22 ]. Therefore, it is necessary and important to conduct a bibliometric analysis to summarize the current research status and hotspots, which will further strengthen the research on the application of DL in cancer.

Bibliometric analysis uses mathematical and statistical methods to quantitatively analyze the publications in a field, and can explore research status, hotspots, and trends through co-occurrence analysis, cluster analysis, timeline graph, and burst detection. To our knowledge, bibliometric analysis has been used in various fields, including the application of DL in specific cancer types such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal cancer [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. However, a bibliometric analysis on the application of DL across all cancer types at an overall level has not yet been conducted. To address this gap, we planned to perform a bibliometric analysis of the application of DL in all cancer types, followed by specific analyses of individual cancer types. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the research status and hotspots of the application of DL in cancer through bibliometric analysis, providing researchers with landmark articles and key topics, high-impact institutions and influential authors, and even inspire some new inspiration. More importantly, we hoped to reveal which cancer areas have received more attention and which cancer areas have been overlooked at the overall level, so as to provide directions for subsequent research.

Materials and methods

Data source and search strategy.

We retrieved the articles on the application of DL in cancer form the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. While other databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar are available, the WoSCC database offers several advantages. The WoSCC database is the largest scientific citation database in the world, known for its extensive coverage of scholarly literature across all disciplines, including biomedical sciences, while covering a variety of journal types such as peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and scholarly publications. The WoSCC database is also recognized for its rigorous selection criteria and quality control measures, ensuring reputable and high-impact article source. In addition, the WoSCC database provides standardized metadata and indexing terminology to facilitate systematic data retrieval and analysis. Therefore, we selected the WoSCC database for our literature search. To avoid the bias due to characteristic of daily updating of the WoSCC database, we completed the literature searches on 16 September 2023. Meanwhile, to comprehensively capture the latest articles and better explore the research trends and hotspots, we included some articles with a publication date later than the search date, mainly including some early access. The specific search strategy was detailed in Fig.  1 : First, the title, abstract, or author keywords included “deep learning” and “cancer”. Then, without limiting the timespan, we retrieved all the articles up to 16 September 2023. The document type included only original articles, excluding retracted articles. Only articles in English were included. Two researchers independently examined the title, abstract, and author keywords of each article to determine its relevance to DL and cancer, excluding non-medical uses or irrelevant articles. In cases of disagreement between the two researchers, a third person made the final decision. Finally, we found 6,016 relevant original articles from the WoSCC database, and no duplicate articles were found by the deduplication from CiteSpace.

The flowchart of the specific search strategy of the application of deep learning in cancer from the Web of Science Core Collection database

Bibliometric and visualization analysis

We exported all records of the above 6016 related articles in plain text files and Excel forms for bibliometric and visualization analysis. We extracted information such as numbers, citations, countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords. In our study, the analysis of numbers, citations, countries, institutions, authors, journals, and references was based on the extracted raw data. For the analysis of keywords, we merged the original keywords with their respective synonyms to ensure consistency. Then, we conducted bibliometric analysis using the Bibliometric Analysis Platform ( bibliometric.com ), Biblioshiny, VOSviewer (VOSviewer_1.6.18) and CiteSpace (CiteSpace_6.2. R4). During the analysis, the column and line charts were used to analyze the trends of annual publications and total citations. The Bibliometric Analysis Platform and Biblioshiny mapped publication output in two different forms. VOSviewer and CiteSpace, the two main software that used for bibliometric analysis, were used to conduct co-occurrence analysis, cluster analysis, co-cited analysis, timeline graph, and burst detection. In visualization maps, each node represents a country, institution, author, journal, reference, or keyword. The lines between nodes represent cooperative relationships between the elements, the thicker the line, the closer the cooperative relationships between them. The purple ring on the outside of the node represents centrality, and centrality above 0.1 is considered as high centrality, indicating the central node and high influential. In addition, we obtained the IF 2022 and JCR division data form the Journal Citation Reports.

The general global trends

The number of publications and total citations reflect the development and growing interest in the application of DL in cancer research. We found a total of 6,016 original articles on the application of DL in cancer. From 2015 to 2023, there was a rapid growth in both the number of publications and total citations. As shown in Fig.  2 , the number of articles increased from 5 in 2015 to 1,830 in 2022, while total citations increased from 2 in 2015 to 37,045 in 2022, indicating a significant increasing interest in the application of DL in cancer globally. The development stage was roughly divided into three stages: early stage (2015), growth stage (2016–2021), and prosperity stage (2022–2023). There were 1,557 articles and 28,151 total citations in the first nine months of 2023. Based on this data, we forecasted that the total number of articles and total citations in 2023 will continue to grow and eventually surpass those in 2022.

The annual change trends in the number of articles and total citations of application of deep learning in cancer from 2015 to 2023

Analysis of countries

112 countries/regions published relevant articles on the application of DL in cancer. Table 1 listed the top ten countries by publication volume. More than half of these articles published by China and the USA (57.83%). China was the most productive country with 2,066 articles, followed by USA (1,413), India (676), South Korea (442), and Saudi Arabia (346). USA had the highest total citations (46,820), followed by China (31,072), Netherlands (12,684), England (10,992) and Germany (8,639). Next, we conducted a visualization analysis of the countries. Figure  3 a showed the countries/regions that have published articles in blue, and indicated the number of articles by the depth of blue. The pink lines represent the cooperative relationships between countries. Figure  3 b also showed the cooperation of countries, with different colored areas representing different countries, region sizes representing the number of articles, and lines representing cooperative relationships. Figure  3 c and d was formed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace, respectively. In Fig.  3 c, 58 countries/regions were divided into five clusters when the minimum number of a document of a country was ten. In Fig.  3 d, Saudi Arabia (0.22), England (0.16), India (0.13) and Pakistan (0.13) showed high centrality, indicating that these countries played more significant roles in the development of the application of DL in cancer. However, although Pakistan had higher centrality, neither its publication volume (194) nor total citations (3,683) were in the top ten.

The visualization analysis of countries. a  The map of country distribution. b  The cooperation relationships map of countries. c  The network visualization map of countries. d  The visualization map of countries. Each node represents a country/region

Analysis of institutions

6,417 institutions published relevant articles on the application of DL in cancer. Table 2 listed the top ten institutions by publication volume. Chinese Academy of Sciences published the greatest number of articles (207), followed by University of Texas System (174), Egyptian Knowledge Bank (151), Sun Yat Sen University (144) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (135). Interestingly, the top ten institutions only affiliated three countries, with five from China, four from USA, and one from Egypt. Subsequently, the visualization analysis of institutions was performed. The active cooperation relationships between the different institutions were shown in Fig.  4 a. However, only Radboud University Nijmegen (centrality = 0.1, from Netherlands) exhibited high centrality, none of the top ten institutions mentioned above showed high centrality. Figure  4 b showed the cluster analysis of institutions and the cluster was significant and convincing (Q = 0.53, S = 0.86. It was generally thought that Q > 0.3 meant the cluster structure was significant, S > 0.5 meant clustering was reasonable, and S > 0.7 was convincing.). The seven clusters were #0 multicenter study; #1 chest radiograph; #2 diagnostic assessment; #3 superior skin cancer classification; #4 breast cancer detection; #5 reader study; #6 did not display an obvious cluster label.

The visualization analysis of institutions. a  The cooperation relationships network of institutions. b  The cluster analysis of institutions

Analysis of authors

28,979 authors contributed to these 6,016 articles. The top ten authors by publication volume were listed in Table  2 . Tian, Jie published the greatest number of articles (39), followed by Wang, Jing (27), Wang, Wei (27), Lei, Yang (26) and Liu, Tian (26). Tian, Jie also had the highest total citations (1,008), but Khan, Muhammad Attique had the highest mean citations (39.13). Figure  5 a showed the visualization analysis of authors. 75 authors were divided into ten clusters when the minimum number of a document of an author was ten. But in fact, 108 authors published more than ten articles. This discrepancy was because some authors were not connected to each other, indicating a relative lack of cooperation relationships between authors. In addition, the co-citation of authors was also analyzed in Fig.  5 b. The co-citation meant the authors, journals, or references of two or more articles were cited by another article at the same time. 499 co-cited authors were divided into five cluster when the minimum of citations of an author was fifty, and He Kaiming ranked first with 1,201 times co-citations.

The visualization analysis of authors and co-cited authors. a  The visualization analysis of authors. b  The visualization analysis of co-cited authors

Analysis of journals

These 6,016 articles were distributed across 821 journals. Table 3 listed the top ten journals by publication volume. IEEE Access ranked first with 228 articles, followed by Frontiers in Oncology (224), Scientific Reports (210), Cancers (195), and Medical Physics (178). The top ten journals were all classified in JCR Q1 or Q2, and Computers in Biology and Medicine had the highest IF 2022(7.7). These journals included not only medical, but also included physics, computer science, and biomedical imaging. The visualization analysis of journals was performed. Figure  6 a showed that 220 journals were divided into ten clusters when the minimum of documents of a journal was five. Figure  6 b showed the dual-map overlay of journals generated by Citespace, providing a comprehensive view of the temporal and interdisciplinary evolution of the applications of DL in cancer, underscoring the dynamic and interconnected nature of this field. This visualization depicted two distinct datasets, with the left side representing earlier research publications and the right side corresponding to more recent publications. The left side captured the initial integration of DL across various subject areas, reflecting early theoretical foundations, clinical applications, and molecular research that laid the foundation for subsequent advances, such as “Mathematics, Systems, Mathematical” (Cluster 1), “Medicine, Medical, Clinical” (Cluster 2), and “Molecular Biology, Immunology” (Cluster 4). On the right side, it illustrated the evolution and current state of the applications of DL in cancer. Significant clusters included “Systems, Computing, Computer” (Cluster 1), highlighting advanced computational techniques and system-level analyses; “Health, Nursing, Medicine” (Cluster 5), focusing on the clinical applications and healthcare implications of DL; and “Molecular Biology, Genetics” (Cluster 8), delving into genetic research and its integration with DL technologies.

The visualization analysis of journals. a  The visualization analysis of journals. b  The analysis of the dual-map overlay of journals

Analysis of references

The times of citations can reflect the influence of an article, the more citations, the more important it was considered. Table 4 listed the top ten most cited articles. The most cited article was “ Computational Radiomics System to Decode the Radiographic Phenotype ” published in 2017 by Griethuysen , which has been cited 2,570 times. In addition, the co-citation of references was also an important indicator to reflect the impact of an article and the basis of the research. Table 5 listed the top ten co-cited references. The most co-cited reference was “ ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Network ” published in 2017 by Krizhevsky , with 565 co-citations. Interesting, the article published by Coudray entitled “ Classification and mutation prediction from non-small cell lung cancer histopathology images using deep learning ” was both one of the top ten cited article and one of the top ten co-cited reference. Then, the visualization map of co-citation of references was shown in Fig.  7 a, where the references were divided into six clusters. The timeline graph of references was in Fig.  7 b, which clustered references and spread them out in chronological order, showing the change of cluster over time. From Fig.  7 b, we can identify the most co-cited references (with larger nodes), references with high centrality (purple rings on the outside of the node), and the clustering label. The seven clusters were: #0 mitosis detection; #1 microsatellite instability; #2 polyp segmentation; #3 skin cancer; #4 lung cancer; #5 breast cancer diagnosis; #6 breast cancer classification.

The visualization analysis of references. a  The visualization analysis of co-cited of references. b  The timeline graph of references

Analysis of keywords

Keywords can directly express the topic of an article, and analysis of keywords can reveal the research hotspots and trends in a certain field. After extracting and merging the keywords, the top thirty keywords with the most frequency were listed in Table  6 . “Deep learning” was the most frequent keyword, followed by “convolution neural network”, “breast cancer”, “artificial intelligence”, “machine learning”, “lung cancer”, “cancer”, “transfer learning”, “computed tomography”, “classification”. Among these keywords, six keywords were directly related to cancer: “breast cancer”, “lung cancer”, “prostate cancer”, “skin cancer”, “cervical cancer”, and “colorectal cancer”. Then, the visualization analysis was performed using VOSviewer. The network visualization map (Fig.  8 a) showed 276 keywords were divided into nine clusters when the minimum number of occurrences of a keyword was ten. The red cluster including “deep learning” was the largest cluster, with 78 keywords. The overlay visualization map (Fig.  8 b) added the time factor into the analysis, with lighter colors indicating earlier occurrences and redder colors indicating later occurrences. It is evident that DL has been studied earlier in breast cancer, skin cancer, and lung cancer, while colorectal cancer and oral cancer have been studied relatively late. The visualization analysis was also performed using CiteSpace. The timeline graph (Fig.  8 c) clustered keywords and expanded them in chronological order to show the change of hotspots and the process of development. The six clusters were #0 deep learning; #1 breast cancer; #2 cervical cancer; #3 convolutional neural network; #4 lung cancer; #5 thyroid cancer. The burst detection was shown in Fig.  8 d, where listed the top twenty keywords with the strongest citation bursts. “Computer aided detection” was the keyword with the strongest citation bursts appearing in 2015. “Predictive models”, “resection”, and “protein” were among the recent keywords with stronger citation bursts.

The visualization analysis of keywords. a  The network visualization map of keywords. b  The overlay visualization map of keywords. c  The timeline graph of keywords. (Dd) The top twenty keywords with the strongest citation bursts

Recently, DL has attracted much attention from the academic community. By building different various models and algorithms, DL has been applied to the prediction, detection, classification, diagnosis, prognosis of cancer, and the discovery of cancer biomarkers, achieving accuracy comparable or even higher than that of clinicians [ 26 , 27 ]. The application of DL in cancer has not only continuously improved medical diagnosis and medical quality, but also promoted the development of precision medicine [ 28 ]. However, with the increasing application of DL in cancer, it is important to understand its current research status and identify the emerging research hotspots. Therefore, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to provide researchers with introductory guidance, an overview of the research status and hotspots and new inspiration of the application of DL in cancer.

Overall, from 2015 to 2023, the number of publications on the application of DL in cancer has increased year by year, and in 2022 it entered a prosperity stage. China, USA, and India are the top three countries that have published articles on the application of DL in cancer, meanwhile China and USA are also the main sources of the top ten institutions, indicating their significant contribution to this field. As one of the most developed country in the world, USA has shown unique advantages in many fields, the rapid development of China in recent years is also well recognized. At the same time, both China and USA proposed relevant strategies to strengthen the development of AI, so it is not surprising that China and USA have performed well in the application of DL in cancer. But why is India in third place? This can be attributed to the high priority of Indian government on AI. The Indian government released “ Digital India Strategy ” in 2015 and “ National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence ” in 2018. In addition to drawing up a blueprint at strategic level, the Indian government has invested heavily in supporting the development of AI [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. This series of measures has enabled India to develop rapidly in AI, including DL. Therefore, to further promote the application of DL in cancer, the support of government policy and financial are very important.

In addition, the cooperation relationships between countries and institutions are extensive. China and USA are the countries with the closest cooperation, and they also cooperate most extensively with other countries. From the cluster analysis of institutions, it can be seen that breast cancer and skin cancer are the cancers that are studied more collaboratively across institutions, and their research is mainly on the diagnosis, classification and detection of cancer. However, the cooperation relationships between authors are relatively lacking. We all known that the identity of authors includes doctors and scientists. Because of their different identities, the perspective of the same problem may also be different, and further exploring the collaboration between doctors and scientists may bring us more surprises. But unfortunately, the lack of cooperation between authors and corresponding data support, this study is very difficult and requires further efforts. In short, cooperation is one of the effective ways to achieve breakthroughs and win–win, although some achievements have been made in the application of DL in cancer, more extensive and in-depth cooperation is still needed.

Analysis of journals shows that the top ten journals cover medicine, computer science, and biomedicine, while medical journals are mainly concentrated in the fields of oncology and medical imaging. This gives researchers a preliminary impression of the application of DL in cancer: DL is a subfield of ML, the application of DL in cancer is an interdisciplinary field involving medicine and computer science. The application of DL in cancer builds on earlier research in mathematics, computer science, and molecular biology, utilizing complex algorithms such as CNNS and RNNS to play an important role in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis assessment, discovery of new biomarkers of modern medicine. At the same time, analysis of journals provides researchers with follow-up research direction and the selection of journals. Researchers can determine their research priorities based on the thematic direction of high-impact journals and select appropriate journals for submission. In addition, the interdisciplinary landscape displayed in dual-map overlay of journals reveals major applications of DL in cancer: 1) Tumor detection and classification: using DL technology to detect and classify tumors early and improve diagnostic accuracy. 2) Medical imaging: using DL technology in medical imaging technology such as CT and MRI to achieve more accurately identify the lesion. 3) Cancer prognosis prediction: using DL technology to predict the progression and prognosis of cancer by analyzing clinical data and genetic information of patients. 4) Biomarker discovery: using DL technology to discover new cancer biomarkers and promote the development of precision medicine [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].

Co-citation of references is a reliable indicator to indicate the research basis, which can identify the landmark references and the evolution of research topics. In this study, the most cited reference is the “ ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks ” authored by Krichevsky [ 5 ]. In 2012, Krichevsky won the first place in the ILSVRC-2012 competition, which marked the arrival of the era of DL and laid the foundation for the further application of DL. Further analysis of cluster analysis of co-cited references, which indicates the evolution of the application of DL in cancer. In #0 “mitosis detection” cluster, researchers proposed different DL models for mitotic detection of breast cancer. In 2016, Albarqouni proposed an additional crowdsourcing layer ( AggNet ) for mitosis of breast cancer histological images, the data aggregation is processed directly through the AggNet and as part of CNNs [ 37 ]. In 2018, Li proposed a multi-stage DL framework to accurately detect mitotic cells in pathological sections [ 38 ]. Next, as shown in #5 “breast cancer diagnosis” and #6 “breast cancer classification” clusters, more and more DL models were applied to the diagnosis and classification of the breast cancer. In 2019, Ragab proposed a new computer aided detection (CAD) systema for the classification of benign and malignant breast mass. The CAD system used two segmentation methods and achieved the highest area under the curve compared to the previous ones [ 39 ]. Shen also proposed a DL algorithm in 2019 for breast cancer diagnosis, which used a DL algorithm with an “end-to-end” training method, reducing the reliance on rarely available lesion annotations [ 40 ]. In 2020, Liu applied a DL method based on Bilinear Convolutional Neural Networks to fine-grained classification of breast cancer and achieved an accuracy rate of more than 95% [ 41 ]. At the same time, different DL algorithms are also used for the classification, prediction, detection, diagnosis of skin cancer and lung cancer [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. Recently, DL algorithms have even been used to predict genetic mutations. In 2021, a multi-channel and multi-task DL model proposed by Dong was used to predict EGFR and KRAS mutations in non-small cell lung cancer, with a prediction accuracy of about 70% [ 46 ].

Keywords are important index to reflect the research topic. The frequency of keywords can reflect the current research status and hotspots, while the burst detection of keyword can reflect the evolution of research. In our study, by analyzing the burst detection of keywords, we notice that the earliest burst keyword is “convolutional neural network”. CNNs is a class of DL models specifically designed to process data with a grid structure, it is mainly composed of convolutional layer, activation function, pooling layer and fully connected layer. Because of its automatic feature extraction, parameter sharing and spatial invariance, CNNs is widely used in various image processing tasks and in DL [ 47 , 48 ]. Other common used DL networks and reasoning models also include RNNs, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) [ 49 , 50 ]. Besides, other keywords are related to imaging, pathology, and specific cancer names. Therefore, we concluded that the application of DL in cancer is mainly related to imaging. Combined with radiomics and DL, DL models are used for cancer prediction, detection, classification, diagnosis, and prognosis [ 51 ]. For example, Paul used DL to predict the benign and malignant pulmonary nodules [ 52 ], Heuvelmans retrospectively verified the accuracy of DL in identify the benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, confirming that DL can be used as an effective tool for classifying and differentiating pulmonary malignant nodules [ 53 ]. In addition, analysis of keywords shows that the application of DL in breast cancer, skin cancer, and lung cancer has been relatively mature, while the application of oral cancer and thyroid cancer has been some study [ 54 , 55 ], but it is still in its infancy. The burst detection of keywords can find the keywords with strongest citation bursts in a certain period of time, and indicate research hotspots and trends. The application of DL in cancer has experienced early research on DL models and algorithms. With the gradual maturity of various algorithms, DL technology has begun to be applied in practice, various DL algorithms have been widely used in the diagnosis, classification, and prediction of lung nodules and breast masses. In 2023, the main keywords with strongest citation bursts are “predictive models”, “resection”, and “protein”. This indicates that in addition to further expanding the application scope of and accuracy of DL models, protein structure prediction and genomics based on DL will be another research hotspots [ 56 , 57 , 58 ]. To sum up, based on our research, we summarized the application of DL in cancer as follows: first, to achieve early detection and diagnosis of cancer in combination with medical imaging technology; second, to perform prognostic analysis based on clinical data and genetic data; third, to improve the efficiency and accuracy of image processing by using automatic image segmentation and processing; fourth, to discover new cancer biomarkers through extensive biological data and promote the development of precision medicine. In the future, the application of DL in cancer is to integrate DL, protein prediction, genomics and cancer through interdisciplinary cooperation to further realize precision medicine [ 59 ].

However, this study still had some limitations. First, the search process may have led to the omission of some important articles. This omission could be attributed to two main reasons. Firstly, DL is a sub-branch of AI and ML, and some AI and ML articles may include studies related to DL. Since we aimed to analyze this small sub-branch of DL, some relevant articles may have been inadvertently excluded. Secondly, while the WoSCC database is a large and comprehensive citation database, it may still miss some important articles that only included in other databases. Second, the study included only English-language articles, but some important non-English literatures may have been overlooked. Finally, bibliometric analysis is a descriptive study that only analyzes the current state of research at a specific time. But medical science is constantly evolving, various new articles are published every day, so time constraints should be taken into account when analyzing. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that new and constantly improving research is still needed in the future to compensate for the current limitations.

In this study, we used bibliometric analysis to explore the research basis, research status, research hotspots and future research trends of DL in cancer. Overall, the application of DL in cancer is a highly promising research area that has attracted the interest of many researchers in recent years. Presently, DL has been widely used in the prediction, detection, classification, diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, while the application of oral cancer and thyroid cancer is still in its infancy. In the future, further expanding the application scope of DL and improving the accuracy of DL models will be hotspots. At the same time, integrating DL with protein prediction, genomics and cancer will be another future research trends. Continuous advancements in these areas will further enhance the capabilities and impact of DL in cancer research.

Availability of data and materials

The data for this study were obtained from the Web of Science database ( http://webofknowledge.com ).

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Ruiyu Wang, Shu Huang and Ping Wang these authors contributed equally to this study.

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Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Street Taiping No.25, Region Jiangyang, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646099, China

Ruiyu Wang, Ping Wang, Xiaomin Shi, Shiqi Li, Yusong Ye, Wei Zhang, Lei Shi, Xian Zhou & Xiaowei Tang

Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China

Department of Gastroenterology, Lianshui County People’ Hospital, Huaian, China

Department of Gastroenterology, Lianshui People’ Hospital of Kangda CollegeAffiliated to, Nanjing Medical University , Huaian, China

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Study conception and design: Xiaowei Tang and Ruiyu Wang. Drafting of manuscript: Ruiyu Wang, Shu Huang, Ping Wang. Acquisition of data and critical revision: Xiaomin Shi, Shiqi Li, Yusong Ye, Wei Zhang and Lei Shi. Revision of manuscript, and final approval of manuscript: Xiaowei Tang and Xian Zhou.

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Wang, R., Huang, S., Wang, P. et al. Bibliometric analysis of the application of deep learning in cancer from 2015 to 2023. Cancer Imaging 24 , 85 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40644-024-00737-0

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Received : 21 February 2024

Accepted : 27 June 2024

Published : 04 July 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s40644-024-00737-0

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