Appendix A: Requirements for concept paper
The concept paper must be a brief description of the intended research topic. It will form the basis for assessing the application. It should be written in a clear and concise manner. The main body of the concept paper (excluding the bibliography) must not exceed 1000 words.
Please also note that reviewers of this concept paper will include those outside of your discipline.
The concept paper MUST include the following sections:
- Overview
General introduction that succinctly sets out exactly what the project seeks to explore. This should also include the overall aim of the project and the research question(s) to be addressed. - Context
Situate the research within the relevant literature/s. This should include a brief summary of research already taken in the field, addressing key works and scholars. Specific attention should be paid to problems in the existing literature and ways in which your proposed research challenges/addresses these problems. You should also give an account of the theoretical issues relevant to your research, and whether you intend to test existing theories or develop new ones. - Methodology
Provide a brief account of the methodology and/or methods that will be used. Specific attention should be paid, where relevant, to any innovative aspects of the proposed methodology. - Ethical considerations
An indication of ethical issues associated with this proposal (including those that may impact on formal ethics committee approval and those requiring ongoing consideration in the field/during analysis) and proposed actions to mitigate these. - Impact
A brief discussion of the implications of the proposed research for the broader discipline, any practical applications, and/or any policy relevance. - Risk Assessment
Please set out the aspects of your proposal that are at particular risk of non-implementation and indicate the approaches that you will take to manage such risks to ensure that your timely submission is not compromised. (250 words max) - Provisional Timeline
This section must only include an indicative timeline for your research. Any substantive discussion of your research in this box will not be considered by reviewers. Please note, your timetable should take account of the expectation that your PhD will be submitted at the end of your 3 year funded period. - Reference List
References in the concept paper and reference list should be Harvard Style. Please only include references referred to in the concept paper.