Chemistry 500 Proposal: The second year proposal requirement is an exercise in idea generation and prepares you for the more formal proposal to be given at the oral exam.
You are required to write one proposal for a research project that can be loosely based on some aspect of a seminar or colloquium attended. You will receive a grade for this proposal (1 credit of CHEM 500). You should fulfill this requirement either in the Fall Semester or in the Spring semester if you are giving your Chem 500 seminar in the Fall. You can fulfill both requirements in the Fall semester if you so wish.
Guidelines for Preparing the CHEM 500 Proposal
The seminar-based proposal should contain original ideas for research projects that can derive from topics discussed in departmental seminars and colloquia. They should not be merely statements of how to extend the speaker's research with the next logical step. This written exercise is intended to help you learn to produce ideas for viable research projects. It should provide useful practice for the original proposal you will defend in your comprehensive exam. The proposal is to be short – no more than four pages 1. Guidelines are similar to those for the CHEM 500 reports and are as follows:
- In agreement with your preceptor, choose a seminar or topic on which to base your proposal.
- Prepare the proposal according to the format below:
- Describe briefly how the proposed work is related to the content of the seminar. (The connection need not be very direct - you can use seminars merely as a springboard for idea generation.)
- Next should be a statement of the proposed project, stating why the results obtained would be significant, along with a brief description of any background needed to provide an adequate explanation of the significance.
- Then describe what instrumentation, stating materials, computer time, etc. would be required in order to carry out the research proposed. Include some discussion of the estimated difficulty (in terms of time and expense) involved in such a project).
- Finally, most new ideas have potential obstacles to success that may be more or less evident from the beginning. Some discussion of what these obstacles might be should be part of the proposal. Even better, discuss possible alternatives to circumvent the more obvious difficulties that might arise.
Obtain the cover page from the web site. Fill in and turn in with your draft to the Chemistry Graduate Office at least 6 weeks before the end of the semester. On the cover page, suggest the names of three faculty members who could serve as additional graders.
- As for the report, iterate with your preceptor for ideas, implementation, and writing.
- Turn in the final version to the Chemistry Graduate Office at least 3 weeks before the end of the semester. The final version will be forwarded to your preceptor and a second faculty member for grading. You should include the graded proposal with the documents you hand out to your committee at orals' time. Note that you are not allowed to use the same specific topic for your original comprehensive proposal.
1This page limit includes single-spaced text (12 point or greater font) with 1” margins. Figures and references (size 10 font permissible) should not exceed three additional pages.