Class Introduction and Logistics

• Greeting to students and acknowledgment of prior session being postponed.

  • Reason for postponement: Personal emergency due to son's injury requiring surgery.

  • Students expressed understanding and concern.

• Planning for upcoming presentations in weeks 8 and 9.

  • Additional room to facilitate group presentations in week 9.

  • Rationale for this schedule change to avoid back-to-back sessions.

Course Updates and Assignments

• Revision of week 10 session focused on research co-design.

  • Guest speaker Dr. Lawrence McCook to guide a workshop on careers beyond academia.

  • Background on Dr. McCook's qualifications and experience in coral reef studies.

• Discussion of ongoing student engagement with online research integrity modules.

  • Importance of completing modules ahead of schedule.

  • Upcoming module on conducting literature reviews.

• Overview of today's focus: Writing research proposals.

  • Reference to a previous diagram discussed about pathway to impact.

  • Workshop activities planned for the session, including critique of mini research proposals.

Research Proposals: Purpose and Importance

• Definition of research proposals:

  • Driven by a knowledge gap or impact goal.

  • Connections to real-world applications and significance.

• Importance of finding appropriate funding bodies:

  • Overview of various funding agencies (examples provided later).

  • Importance of adhering to eligibility criteria in applications.

Preparing a Successful Research Proposal

• Assembling a multidisciplinary research team.

  • Collaboration is essential in modern scientific research.

• Writing the proposal:

  • Importance of a clear pathway to impact.

  • Use of the CARS framework (Creating a Research Space) in structuring proposals:

    • Framework includes:

    1. Establishing territory (context & significance).

    2. Establishing niche (identifying the research gap).

    3. Occupying the niche (proposing the research).

• Attention to detail in formatting:

  • Compliance with funding agency requirements, as even minor errors can disqualify submissions.

Critique of Research Proposals Activity

• Overview of the upcoming workshop exercise:

  • Students to critique and compare two mini research proposals regarding funding potential.

    • Proposals include topics such as carbon translocation and microplastics.

    • Focus on criteria: quality, feasibility, and innovation.

  • Importance of constructive feedback from peers.

Funding Agencies and Grants

• Examples of notable funding bodies:

  • Herman Slade Foundation (funding up to $35,000 for PhD projects).

  • Save Our Seas Foundation (focus on sharks and related species).

  • Australian Coral Reef Society (offers student grants).

  • Government agencies include ARC, NSF, NRCS, ANR, etc.

• Including references to national research priorities in proposals:

  • Importance for funders to see alignment with national goals.

Funding Proposal Evaluation Criteria

• General assessment criteria used by funding agencies:

  1. Project quality and innovation.

     • Need for originality and relevance to the current field.

  2. Feasibility and benefit.

     • Clear budget and timeline.

  3. Team's relevant track record.

     • Measured by previous publications and collaborative experiences.

Workshop Tasks

• Split students into pairs for practical exposure:

  • Review mini proposals, score them based on shared criteria, and decide on preferred proposals.