Amoe

ear rationale.
exist in the literature?What questions remain? Relate s~c'tassuw to your
i
own proposed study and its specdic aims.What questions w11l p y invescigate? HOW will your work enlarge, clar*, o r complement eds~@fnowledge of the subject? Discussion of your own objectives can ~ $ a t the
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value of your work.

Summarize your methods.

Create a specific and idormative title.
Afocused title suggests a well-thought-out project. Titles such as "A
Study of Stream Ecology" or "Nutrient Uptake in Seaweeds" convey little
sense of drection or purpose; compare them with more specific versions:
"The Effect of Open and Closed Canopy on the Diversity of Macroinvertebrates in Morrisville Creek"; "Ammonia Uptake by Uloa cuwata Growwell-received proposal.

Next explainspecifically how the research will be co
kinds of data you will collect, and how those data will be
level of detail, and thus the amount of space devoted to the
tion, will depend on the type of proposal you are submitting
ence for whom it is intended. Remember that even the m
research question will fill flat if you can't devise a practical an
c d y valid way to investigate it. Think through yourmethods
and become thoroughly familiar with the procedures used in s
lar to yours. If you want to convince your readers to commit
and/or money to your project, then it must sound feasible.

a Provide a budget, if necessary.

Start with an overview of the general
scientific issue.
Before proposing your own study, you need to introduce the broader
topic to which your work relates. Mostresearch proposa$ begin with an
Introduction (or Background to the Study) section, whlch presents a theoretical context for the proposed investigation by summarizing and integrating the work of others in the field. Doing a good job on this part involves a thorough literature search and c arell, selective use of primary
sources, which are cited in your text and then listed later in a Literature
Citedsection.Your introductory discussion should glso reflect a sensitivity
to the scientific background of your readers. Typically, you'll be submitting
your proposal to other scientists; however, if it will be ~ udged y nonscienb
tific readers (for example, a multidisciplinary committee), then keep speo
cialized vocabulary c a minimum and use a less ecchnical style.

each; 1 D-&me aquatic net,$39.95. . . ." This task m&y
d effort; however, it d ensure that you consider f6W
caremy. Moreover, your proposal will more likely be
ow that you can do what you propose within the budget

Pollow application instructions carefdyB
aad submit your proposal 0n t m .
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stressed conditions despite a
morphologicaladaptations. This s
work will also serve as a basis for e o n - J
trolled experiments in a plant growth
chamber on the individual effects of temperature, light intensity, soil water
availability, and other environmental
factors on photosynthesis and transpiration rates. These experiments are planned
for the coming fall semester.
METHODS
Briefly describe
your methodolSimultaneous measurements ofphotoOWsynthesis and transpiration rates will
indicate the balance C m inus has
.
achieved in acquiring the energy it needs
while retaining the water available to
it. These measurements will be taken
daily at field sites in the Hamilton. NY.
area, using an LIr6220 portable photosynthesis system (LICOR. Inc.. Lincoln, NE).
Basic methodology and use of correction
factors will be similar tothat described
in related studies 5 - 7 . Data will be collected at regular intervals throughout
the daylight hours and will be related to
measurements of ambient air temperature.
leaf temperature, relative humidity.
light intensity, wind velocity, and cloud
cover.
BUDGET

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p'

I f a budget is
mquired,be
as specific as
possible.

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k gsOdalime
(for absorption of...