1. Your audience
2. Outlining the proposal
3. Format and goals of the proposal
   1. Introduction
   2. The experiment
   3. Discussion
   4. References

A. Your audience
The proposal should be directed to an audience consisting of your peers prior to the beginning of this course. Explain what is necessary so that every one of them would understand the proposal. No need to explain what is common knowledge for all.

B. Outlining the proposal
Every section should have a goal. Every paragraph should have a goal that serves the purposes of its section. Every sentence in a paragraph should have a goal that serves the purposes of its paragraph. It is often helpful to make these goals explicit, and that is the purpose of an outline.

An outline may accomplish its proper goal if its organization directs the organization of the proposal. It might look something like this:

1. Introduction
   1. [Goal of paragraph 1]
      [shell of logic]
   2. [Goal of paragraph 2]
      [shell of logic]
     . . .
2. The Experiment
     . . .

C. Format and goals of the proposal
The format below is one that will get the job done. If you believe your proposal calls for a format that accomplishes the same ends but in a different and better way, fine. Then use your own format. It's always OK to add quality (but first consider the possibility that you might be wrong). The length of the proposal should be sufficient to justify and present one experiment.

Here's an example of a research proposal.

C.1. Introduction

1. The purpose of this section is to engage a general audience and to bring that audience to the specific question you intend to address. This question should be the climax of the section, and it should feel like a climax.
    
2. An Introduction should not threaten the reader. Begin with a general question that is well within the grasp of anyone in your intended audience.
    
3. The Introduction should feel like a logical journey from the general question to your experiment. Connect the two with steps that follow one to the next.
    
4. Explain what is necessary for us to understand each step, particularly previous results that led to the asking of the question.
    
5. Don't explain what we don't need to understand, even if the topic may be important in other contexts.
    
6. Cite one or more references to support every claim you make that is not obvious.
    
7. Take the time to give a good explanation of one experiment in a key research article closely related to your proposal.
    
8. However, it is impractical to do this with every result you cite.
    
9. End the Introduction with a clear statement of the specific question you are addressing. By this time the question should seem almost obvious, springing to the minds of your readers, even as you ask it yourself.
    

C.2. The Experiment

1. Begin with a brief description of the overall strategy for one experiment you will use to answer the question posed in the Introduction.
    
2. Proceed to flesh out that strategy, citing articles that have done the elements of the strategy you describe.
    
3. It is not necessary to give the experimental details, by which I mean things like recipes for growth media or how long you centrifuge some cells, but you should explain the experiment to the extent that your reader can understand the relevant experimental conditions and the principles underlying all pertinent methods.
    

C.3. Discussion

1. Describe what results (welcome and not so welcome) might result from the proposed experiments and how they might address both the experimental and general questions you raised in the Introduction.
    
2. Discuss pitfalls you might encounter and how you might address them.
    
3. Discuss the limitations of the experiment. For example, you might mention closely related experiments you might have also described if the proposal were more expansive.
    

C.4. References

1. It goes without saying that you will refer to the results of others, both in justifying the question you're asking and the methods you're using.
    
2. This proposal need not serve as an exhaustive review of the field, however. Give those key references that are sufficient to justify any claim you make.
    
3. References may be in any format, so long as the following information is provided: (for journal articles) Authors, year, title, journal citation (volume and inclusive pages); (for chapters in books) Authors, year, title of chapter, title of book, editors, publisher, city, and inclusive pages; (for books) Authors, year, title, publisher, and city.