The document provides guidelines for writing a proposal, recommending including sections for purpose, summary, introduction, proposed program, qualifications and experience, task schedule, and references. The purpose section should clearly state the objective. The summary should briefly cover the key points. Subsequent sections should describe the problem in detail, explain the proposed solution, provide background on the topic, and outline the plan and schedule.

2.  If you have no guidelines on how your
proposal is to be written consider using
the following structure:
› Purpose
› Summary
› Introduction
› Proposed Program
› Qualifications and Experience
› Task Schedule
› References

3.  In this section you should state the
purpose of the proposal clearly and
concisely. Use a phrase like,
“The purpose of this proposal is…”
 Also state your recommendation for the
proposed program or course of action

4.  Summarize the major points of your
proposal
 Be concise, using only a few sentences
to cover each point
 Write the summary last, once you’ve
finished writing the main content of the
proposal

5.  Your summary should
› Define the problem
› Describe the proposed program
› State your qualifications and experience
 If desired, also include:
› The completion date
› The final budget figure

6.  Describe the problem or opportunity in
detail
 Explain what you want to do
 Provide background information of the
problem or opportunity
 Discuss the research you’ve done on the
topic
 Explain the organization of the proposal

7.  Explain what you want to do and how
you are going to do it
 Describe the research you have already
done of your subject
 State the criteria you will use to evaluate
the outcome

8.  In order to establish your credibility and
ensure the readers you are capable of
succeeding, you should:
› Describe your technical credentials
› Describe any projects you have successfully
completed which are similar or related to
the project you are now proposing
› Describe any papers you have written or
research you have conducted in the past
that relates to your subject

9.  Provide a table, bar chart, or network
diagram depicting the dates each task
will be started and completed

10.  If you referred to any of your previous
research be sure to provide a references
section to cite your sources