Scholarship

Do you endeavor to find a grant for your study? These are the gates. Check it out! Underneath, I inherently attach the tips to attain the fellowship. You apparently need to read the tips below or just straight forward go to Scholarships info as listed within the “Categories” tab (on the side bar). Whichever you choose, Gut lak!

Top Ten Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications

 

Before you submit your scholarship application, check out these tips, provided by scholarship sponsors nationwide.

 

• Tip #1: Apply only if you are eligible.
  Read all the scholarship requirements and directions carefully to make sure you’re eligible before you send in your application.
• Tip #2: Complete the application in full.
  If a question doesn’t apply, note that on the application. Don’t just leave a blank. Supply all additional supporting material, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation and essays.
• Tip #3: Follow directions.
  Provide everything that’s required, but don’t supply things that aren’t requested—you could be disqualified.
• Tip #4: Neatness counts.
  Always type your application, or if you must print, do so neatly and legibly. Make a couple of photocopies of all the forms before you fill them out. Use the copies as working drafts as you develop your application packet.
• Tip #5: Write an essay that makes a strong impression.
  The key to writing a strong essay is to be personal and specific. Include concrete details to make your experience come alive: the who, what, where, and when of your topic. The simplest experience can be monumental if you present honestly how you were affected.
• Tip #6: Watch all deadlines.
  To help keep yourself on track, impose your own deadline that is at least two weeks prior to the official deadline. Use the buffer time to make sure everything is ready on time. Don’t rely on extensions—very few scholarship providers allow them at all.
• Tip #7: Make sure your application gets where it needs to go.
  Put your name (and Social Security number, if applicable) on all pages of the application. Pieces of your application may get lost unless they are clearly identified.
• Tip #8: Keep a back-up file in case anything goes wrong.
  Before sending the application, make a copy of the entire packet. If your application goes astray, you’ll be able to reproduce it quickly.
• Tip #9: Give it a final “once-over.”
  Proofread the entire application carefully. Be on the lookout for misspelled words or grammatical errors. Ask a friend, teacher or parent to proofread it as well.
• Tip #10: Ask for help if you need it.
  If you have problems with the application, don’t hesitate to call the funding organization.

How to Write a Research Proposal

Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Research Director, Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology
Trinity Western University
Langley, BC, Canada

 

Most students and beginning researchers do not fully understand what a research proposal means, nor do they understand its importance. To put it bluntly, one’s research is only as a good as one’s proposal. An ill-conceived proposal dooms the project even if it somehow gets through the Thesis Supervisory Committee. A high quality proposal, on the other hand, not only promises success for the project, but also impresses your Thesis Committee about your potential as a researcher.

 

A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work-plan to complete it. Generally, a research proposal should contain all the key elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for the readers to evaluate the proposed study.

Regardless of your research area and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions: What you plan to accomplish, why you want to do it and how you are going to do it.The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your readers that you have an important research idea, that you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound.The quality of your research proposal depends not only on the quality of your proposed project, but also on the quality of your proposal writing. A good research project may run the risk of rejection simply because the proposal is poorly written. Therefore, it pays if your writing is coherent, clear and compelling.

 

This paper focuses on proposal writing rather than on the development of research ideas.

 

Title:

 

It should be concise and descriptive. For example, the phrase, “An investigation of . . .” could be omitted. Often titles are stated in terms of a functional relationship, because such titles clearly indicate the independent and dependent variables. However, if possible, think of an informative but catchy title. An effective title not only pricks the reader’s interest, but also predisposes him/her favourably towards the proposal.

 

Abstract:

 

It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should include the research question, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any), the method and the main findings. Descriptions of the method may include the design, procedures, the sample and any instruments that will be used.

 

Introduction:

 

The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is perhaps the biggest problem in proposal writing.

 

If the research problem is framed in the context of a general, rambling literature review, then the research question may appear trivial and uninteresting. However, if the same question is placed in the context of a very focused and current research area, its significance will become evident.

 

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules on how to frame your research question just as there is no prescription on how to write an interesting and informative opening paragraph. A lot depends on your creativity, your ability to think clearly and the depth of your understanding of problem areas.

 

However, try to place your research question in the context of either a current “hot” area, or an older area that remains viable. Secondly, you need to provide a brief but appropriate historical backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporary context in which your proposed research question occupies the central stage. Finally, identify “key players” and refer to the most relevant and representative publications. In short, try to paint your research question in broad brushes and at the same time bring out its significance.

 

The introduction typically begins with a general statement of the problem area, with a focus on a specific research problem, to be followed by the rational or justification for the proposed study. The introduction generally covers the following elements:

 

• State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study.
• Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to show its necessity and importance.
• Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.
• Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research.
• Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment. Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study.
• State your hypothesis or theory, if any. For exploratory or phenomenological research, you may not have any hypotheses. (Please do not confuse the hypothesis with the statistical null hypothesis.)
• Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus.
• Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)

Literature Review:

 

Sometimes the literature review is incorporated into the introduction section. However, most professors prefer a separate section, which allows a more thorough review of the literature.

 

The literature review serves several important functions:

 

• Ensures that you are not “reinventing the wheel”.
• Gives credits to those who have laid the groundwork for your research.
• Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem.
• Demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and research issues related to your research question.
• Shows your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature information.
• Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature.
• Provides new theoretical insights or develops a new model as the conceptual framework for your research.
• Convinces your reader that your proposed research will make a significant and substantial contribution to the literature (i.e., resolving an important theoretical issue or filling a major gap in the literature).

Most students’ literature reviews suffer from the following problems:

 

• Lacking organization and structure
• Lacking focus, unity and coherence
• Being repetitive and verbose
• Failing to cite influential papers
• Failing to keep up with recent developments
• Failing to critically evaluate cited papers
• Citing irrelevant or trivial references
• Depending too much on secondary sources

Your scholarship and research competence will be questioned if any of the above applies to your proposal.

 

There are different ways to organize your literature review. Make use of subheadings to bring order and coherence to your review. For example, having established the importance of your research area and its current state of development, you may devote several subsections on related issues as: theoretical models, measuring instruments, cross-cultural and gender differences, etc.

 

It is also helpful to keep in mind that you are telling a story to an audience. Try to tell it in a stimulating and engaging manner. Do not bore them, because it may lead to rejection of your worthy proposal. (Remember: Professors and scientists are human beings too.)

 

Methods:
The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of your project.

 

The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient information for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound. Some even argue that a good proposal should contain sufficient details for another qualified researcher to implement the study.

 

You need to demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make the case that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to address your research question.

 

Please note that your research question may be best answered by qualitative research. However, since most mainstream psychologists are still biased against qualitative research, especially the phenomenological variety, you may need to justify your qualitative method.

 

Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in qualitative analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborate than what is required for traditional quantitative research. More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has a far greater impact on the results as compared to quantitative research. That is another reason for greater care in describing how you will collect and analyze your data. (How to write the Method section for qualitative research is a topic for another paper.)

 

For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the following sections:

 

• Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kind of design do you choose?
  Subjects or participants – Who will take part in your study ? What kind of sampling procedure do you use?
  Instruments – What kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires do you use? Why do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable?
  Procedure – How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities are involved? How long does it take?

Results:
Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However, you need to have some idea about what kind of data you will be collecting, and what statistical procedures will be used in order to answer your research question or test you hypothesis.

 

Discussion:
It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of your proposed research. You need to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and confidence without exaggerating the merits of your proposal. That is why you also need to mention the limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research, which may be justified by time and financial constraints as well as by the early developmental stage of your research area.

 

Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing

 

• Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question.
• Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research.
• Failure to cite landmark studies.
• Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by other researchers.
• Failure to stay focused on the research question.
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.
• Too much rambling — going “all over the map” without a clear sense of direction. (The best proposals move forward with ease and grace like a seamless river.)
• Too many citation lapses and incorrect references.
• Too long or too short.
• Failing to follow the APA style.
• Slopping writing.

Source: http://www.meaning.ca

 

Personal Statement Writing Tips

 

Compiled from: Essay Writing Tips, Office of Undergradaute Grants and Awards, Villanova UniversityWhile writing your personal statement is usually the most challenging part of your application, it presents you with an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates. It gives the selection committee a glimpse of your thoughts, priorities, dreams, fears, and inner voice that a transcript just can’t convey. For that reason, you have to make your personal statement exactly what the name implies: personal. Your personal statement should not be your resume in paragraph form; it should be a compelling and intriguing invitation for a selection committee to get to know you better.Before you start writing, do some thinking. Who you are and and who you want to be? Where have you been and where you are going? Why and how do you want to get there? This is naturally going to involve thinking about your academic and career experiences. While you shouldn’t shy away from them, you do want to place them in the broader context of you as a person. It’s wonderful if you can articulate your goals to study medieval literature at Princeton with Dr. X; it’s more wonderful if you can articulate which particular aspects of your personality and life experience draw you to medieval literature, Princeton, or Dr. X. Some intriguing prompts for this kind of thinking include Dr. Jane Curlin’s Willamette website and the Proust Questionnaire. If you keep a journal, you might want to review it to glean some insights and ideas. If you don’t keep a journal, consider starting one.

Give yourself plenty of time to write. No matter how well it may work for you in some of your classes, a personal statement is not something to dash off a few days before deadline. As Ernest Hemmingway famously noted, “The first draft of anything is **%#.” Assuming this is true, you probably do not want to hand a selection committee your first draft. You shouldn’t even hand them a second or third draft for that matter. The longer you let yourself write and revise, the more compelling and revealing your personal statement will become. Write early and often.That said, don’t be hard on yourself as you first set down to write. Even Hemmingway didn’t get it perfect the first time around. Since it’s only your first draft, you don’t need to worry about making mistakes, sounding stupid, or even spelling correctly. Let your thoughts roam and shut that imposing childhood grammar teacher’s voice out of your head for the moment. Just write.Once you’ve got your ideas down on paper, run it by some trusted readers. Professors (particularly those who are writing your recommendation letters), advisors, and Jane Morris are all excellent resources. Try to solicit feedback about the ideas, structure, and coherency of your essay rather than simple proofreading. Having other people rewrite and rethink for you is not the idea; having other people ask you questions that push you to think more broadly is. If you’re going to do this, however, be ready act upon such questioning and thinking. At this stage in the game revising often means more than inserting commas and adding a paragraph here and there; it sometimes means rethinking and revising an entire essay. You may have to give your personal statement a complete overhaul because you suddenly discover a better structure, focal point, or slant. This is normal. Do not despair.

 

As your thoughts become more and more polished, your writing should too. Check out a writing manual for guidance. Strunk and White’s eminently readable The Elements of Style is an excellent (and concise) starting point. Kurt Vonnegut’s short essay “How to Write with Style” frankly and humorously speaks to what he sees as the essential components of good writing. Call that imposing childhood grammar teacher if you need help with the mechanics of your essay, or find a friend with a particularly good grasp of the English language. However you accomplish it, your final draft must be free of grammatical and spelling errors, and should be as compelling and insightful as you can make it. It sounds like a tall order, but you are more than capable of doing it. Give yourself plenty of time, plenty of reflection, plenty of revisions, and plenty of help from trusted advisors, and your personal essay will do its job: present an intriguing glimpse into your mind and person.

 

Happy writing!

 

Other Sources

 

The following links provide further guidelines for brainstorming, drafting, revising, and completing a magnificent personal statement. Also be sure to check out the website of the individual scholarships to which you apply; many have tips more specific to their competitions.

 

• Lynne Curry’s Essay Tips (1993 Villanova grad and Rhodes Scholarship Finalist)
• Mary Tolar’s Definition of a Personal Statement (Executive Secretary, Truman Scholarship Foundation)
• Kansas State University Scholarship Advising: Essay Content
• Kansas State University Scholarship Advising: Essay Style
• Willamette University Student Academic Grants & Awards: Personal Statements
• Ohio State University’s Sample Fulbright Research Proposals
• Ohio State University’s Sample Fulbright Curriculum Vitae (Personal Statements)

posted by: by Kay Peterson, Ph.D