Successful progression into candidacy for the Ph.D. demands mastery of research approaches and relevant scientific literature. To this end, graduate students in Genome Sciences are required to write the plan of their dissertation research in the format similar to that required for an NIH F31 fellowship application federal grant proposal. This requirement is intended to encourage thoughtful design of an effective research strategy and comprehensive understanding of the relevant issues at an early stage of the overall research effort.

The proposal should be feasible, reveal a command of the concepts and literature, and show evidence of work toward the goals of the project.

The format of the application is described in detail in the SF424 fellowship application guide. Students are expected to write only the specific aims page (1 page) and the research strategy section (6 pages, not including bibliography). Key requirements are summarized here:

• The dissertation proposal should be printed in 11 point Arial or Helvetica font using ½” margins.

• The specific aims page should state concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcomes, including the impact that the results of the proposed research will have on the research field(s) involved.

• The research plan is limited to 6 pages, including figures but not including the bibliography. The plan should be divided into two sections: “Significance” and “Approach.” 

• The Significance section is typically brief and provides background for the project, explaining the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress that the proposed project addresses.

• The Approach section should be divided into subsections, one per specific aim. This section should describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Be sure to include information about how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted as well as any resource sharing plans as appropriate. Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.

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