8: What are the guidelines for a research proposal?
When applying for a PhD position at ASCoR by submitting your own proposal, the research proposal should preferably have a maximum length of 5-6 pages A4. The proposal should contain the following:

• A clear title page that includes your name and contact information.
• A theoretical framework – including a literature review - to explain the relevance and motivation for the research project. Suitable literature is academic, recent and research-oriented.
• A clearly defined research question.
• A well-defined section on the proposed methodology. The proposed methodology should, of course, pertain to the research question. Please be specific: It does not suffice to indicate that you will do 'several interviews'. That is NOT a proposed methodology. A proposed methodology sets out clearly which method(s) will be used, why, and how this will be done.
• A time frame. That is to say, a preliminary plan for the project – including writing up the PhD thesis – on a month to month (first year), or year to year (consecutive years) basis.
• A list of references to the literature that was used in the proposal. Do not include literature that is not referred to in the proposal.