what are the typical parts of a research proposal

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Components of a research proposal.

In general, the proposal components include:

Introduction: Provides reader with a broad overview of problem in context.

Statement of problem: Answers the question, “What research problem are you going to investigate?”

Literature review: Shows how your approach builds on existing research; helps you identify methodological and design issues in studies similar to your own; introduces you to measurement tools others have used effectively; helps you interpret findings; and ties results of your work to those who’ve preceded you.

Research design and methods: Describes how you’ll go about answering your research questions and confirming your hypothesis(es). Lists the hypothesis(es) to be tested, or states research question you’ll ask to seek a solution to your research problem. Include as much detail as possible: measurement instruments and procedures, subjects and sample size.

The research design is what you’ll also need to submit for approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) if your research involves human or animal subjects, respectively.

Timeline: Breaks your project into small, easily doable steps via backwards calendar.

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Chapter 14: The Research Proposal

14.3 Components of a Research Proposal

Krathwohl (2005) suggests and describes a variety of components to include in a research proposal. The following sections – Introductions, Background and significance, Literature Review; Research design and methods, Preliminary suppositions and implications; and Conclusion present these components in a suggested template for you to follow in the preparation of your research proposal.

Introduction

The introduction sets the tone for what follows in your research proposal – treat it as the initial pitch of your idea. After reading the introduction your reader should:

• understand what it is you want to do;
• have a sense of your passion for the topic; and
• be excited about the study’s possible outcomes.

As you begin writing your research proposal, it is helpful to think of the introduction as a narrative of what it is you want to do, written in one to three paragraphs. Within those one to three paragraphs, it is important to briefly answer the following questions:

• What is the central research problem?
• How is the topic of your research proposal related to the problem?
• What methods will you utilize to analyze the research problem?
• Why is it important to undertake this research? What is the significance of your proposed research? Why are the outcomes of your proposed research important? Whom are they important?

Note : You may be asked by your instructor to include an abstract with your research proposal. In such cases, an abstract should provide an overview of what it is you plan to study, your main research question, a brief explanation of your methods to answer the research question, and your expected findings. All of this information must be carefully crafted in 150 to 250 words. A word of advice is to save the writing of your abstract until the very end of your research proposal preparation. If you are asked to provide an abstract, you should include 5 to 7 key words that are of most relevance to your study. List these in order of relevance.

Background and significance

The purpose of this section is to explain the context of your proposal and to describe, in detail, why it is important to undertake this research. Assume that the person or people who will read your research proposal know nothing or very little about the research problem. While you do not need to include all knowledge you have learned about your topic in this section, it is important to ensure that you include the most relevant material that will help to explain the goals of your research.

While there are no hard and fast rules, you should attempt to address some or all of the following key points:

• State the research problem and provide a more thorough explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction.
• Present the rationale for the proposed research study. Clearly indicate why this research is worth doing. Answer the “so what?” question.
• Describe the major issues or problems to be addressed by your research. Do not forget to explain how and in what ways your proposed research builds upon previous related research.
• Explain how you plan to go about conducting your research.
• Clearly identify the key or most relevant sources of research you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic.
• Set the boundaries of your proposed research, in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you will study, but what will be excluded from your study.
• Provide clear definitions of key concepts and terms. Since key concepts and terms often have numerous definitions, make sure you state which definition you will be utilizing in your research.

Literature review

This key component of the research proposal is the most time-consuming aspect in the preparation of your research proposal. As described in Chapter 5 , the literature review provides the background to your study and demonstrates the significance of the proposed research. Specifically, it is a review and synthesis of prior research that is related to the problem you are setting forth to investigate. Essentially, your goal in the literature review is to place your research study within the larger whole of what has been studied in the past, while demonstrating to your reader that your work is original, innovative, and adds to the larger whole.

As the literature review is information dense, it is essential that this section be intelligently structured to enable your reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your study. However, this can be easier to state and harder to do, simply due to the fact there is usually a plethora of related research to sift through. Consequently, a good strategy for writing the literature review is to break the literature into conceptual categories or themes, rather than attempting to describe various groups of literature you reviewed. Chapter 5   describes a variety of methods to help you organize the themes.

Here are some suggestions on how to approach the writing of your literature review:

• Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methods they used, what they found, and what they recommended based upon their findings.
• Do not be afraid to challenge previous related research findings and/or conclusions.
• Assess what you believe to be missing from previous research and explain how your research fills in this gap and/or extends previous research.

It is important to note that a significant challenge related to undertaking a literature review is knowing when to stop. As such, it is important to know when you have uncovered the key conceptual categories underlying your research topic. Generally, when you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations, you can have confidence that you have covered all of the significant conceptual categories in your literature review. However, it is also important to acknowledge that researchers often find themselves returning to the literature as they collect and analyze their data. For example, an unexpected finding may develop as you collect and/or analyze the data; in this case, it is important to take the time to step back and review the literature again, to ensure that no other researchers have found a similar finding. This may include looking to research outside your field.

This situation occurred with one of this textbook’s authors’ research related to community resilience. During the interviews, the researchers heard many participants discuss individual resilience factors and how they believed these individual factors helped make the community more resilient, overall. Sheppard and Williams (2016) had not discovered these individual factors in their original literature review on community and environmental resilience. However, when they returned to the literature to search for individual resilience factors, they discovered a small body of literature in the child and youth psychology field. Consequently, Sheppard and Williams had to go back and add a new section to their literature review on individual resilience factors. Interestingly, their research appeared to be the first research to link individual resilience factors with community resilience factors.

Research design and methods

The objective of this section of the research proposal is to convince the reader that your overall research design and methods of analysis will enable you to solve the research problem you have identified and also enable you to accurately and effectively interpret the results of your research. Consequently, it is critical that the research design and methods section is well-written, clear, and logically organized. This demonstrates to your reader that you know what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. Overall, you want to leave your reader feeling confident that you have what it takes to get this research study completed in a timely fashion.

Essentially, this section of the research proposal should be clearly tied to the specific objectives of your study; however, it is also important to draw upon and include examples from the literature review that relate to your design and intended methods. In other words, you must clearly demonstrate how your study utilizes and builds upon past studies, as it relates to the research design and intended methods. For example, what methods have been used by other researchers in similar studies?

While it is important to consider the methods that other researchers have employed, it is equally, if not more, important to consider what methods have not been but could be employed. Remember, the methods section is not simply a list of tasks to be undertaken. It is also an argument as to why and how the tasks you have outlined will help you investigate the research problem and answer your research question(s).

Tips for writing the research design and methods section:

Specify the methodological approaches you intend to employ to obtain information and the techniques you will use to analyze the data.

Specify the research operations you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results of those operations in relation to the research problem.

Go beyond stating what you hope to achieve through the methods you have chosen. State how you will actually implement the methods (i.e., coding interview text, running regression analysis, etc.).

Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers you may encounter when undertaking your research, and describe how you will address these barriers.

Explain where you believe you will find challenges related to data collection, including access to participants and information.

Preliminary suppositions and implications

The purpose of this section is to argue how you anticipate that your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the area of your study. Depending upon the aims and objectives of your study, you should also discuss how your anticipated findings may impact future research. For example, is it possible that your research may lead to a new policy, theoretical understanding, or method for analyzing data? How might your study influence future studies? What might your study mean for future practitioners working in the field? Who or what might benefit from your study? How might your study contribute to social, economic or environmental issues? While it is important to think about and discuss possibilities such as these, it is equally important to be realistic in stating your anticipated findings. In other words, you do not want to delve into idle speculation. Rather, the purpose here is to reflect upon gaps in the current body of literature and to describe how you anticipate your research will begin to fill in some or all of those gaps.

The conclusion reiterates the importance and significance of your research proposal, and provides a brief summary of the entire proposed study. Essentially, this section should only be one or two paragraphs in length. Here is a potential outline for your conclusion:

Discuss why the study should be done. Specifically discuss how you expect your study will advance existing knowledge and how your study is unique.

Explain the specific purpose of the study and the research questions that the study will answer.

Explain why the research design and methods chosen for this study are appropriate, and why other designs and methods were not chosen.

State the potential implications you expect to emerge from your proposed study,

Provide a sense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship currently in existence, related to the research problem.

Citations and references

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your research proposal. In a research proposal, this can take two forms: a reference list or a bibliography. A reference list lists the literature you referenced in the body of your research proposal. All references in the reference list must appear in the body of the research proposal. Remember, it is not acceptable to say “as cited in …” As a researcher you must always go to the original source and check it for yourself. Many errors are made in referencing, even by top researchers, and so it is important not to perpetuate an error made by someone else. While this can be time consuming, it is the proper way to undertake a literature review.

In contrast, a bibliography , is a list of everything you used or cited in your research proposal, with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem. In other words, sources cited in your bibliography may not necessarily appear in the body of your research proposal. Make sure you check with your instructor to see which of the two you are expected to produce.

Overall, your list of citations should be a testament to the fact that you have done a sufficient level of preliminary research to ensure that your project will complement, but not duplicate, previous research efforts. For social sciences, the reference list or bibliography should be prepared in American Psychological Association (APA) referencing format. Usually, the reference list (or bibliography) is not included in the word count of the research proposal. Again, make sure you check with your instructor to confirm.

Research Methods for the Social Sciences: An Introduction Copyright © 2020 by Valerie Sheppard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Home » How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write a Research Proposal

Writing a Research proposal involves several steps to ensure a well-structured and comprehensive document. Here is an explanation of each step:

1. Title and Abstract

• Choose a concise and descriptive title that reflects the essence of your research.
• Write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. It should provide a brief overview of your proposal.

2. Introduction:

• Provide an introduction to your research topic, highlighting its significance and relevance.
• Clearly state the research problem or question you aim to address.
• Discuss the background and context of the study, including previous research in the field.

3. Research Objectives

• Outline the specific objectives or aims of your research. These objectives should be clear, achievable, and aligned with the research problem.

4. Literature Review:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
• Summarize key findings, identify gaps, and highlight how your research will contribute to the existing knowledge.

5. Methodology:

• Describe the research design and methodology you plan to employ to address your research objectives.
• Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques you will use.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate and suitable for your research.

6. Timeline:

• Create a timeline or schedule that outlines the major milestones and activities of your research project.
• Break down the research process into smaller tasks and estimate the time required for each task.

7. Resources:

• Identify the resources needed for your research, such as access to specific databases, equipment, or funding.
• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources to carry out your research effectively.

8. Ethical Considerations:

• Discuss any ethical issues that may arise during your research and explain how you plan to address them.
• If your research involves human subjects, explain how you will ensure their informed consent and privacy.

9. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

• Clearly state the expected outcomes or results of your research.
• Highlight the potential impact and significance of your research in advancing knowledge or addressing practical issues.

10. References:

• Provide a list of all the references cited in your proposal, following a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

11. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, or data analysis plans.

Research Proposal Format

The format of a research proposal may vary depending on the specific requirements of the institution or funding agency. However, the following is a commonly used format for a research proposal:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your research proposal, your name, your affiliation or institution, and the date.

2. Abstract:

• Provide a brief summary of your research proposal, highlighting the research problem, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.

3. Introduction:

• Introduce the research topic and provide background information.
• State the research problem or question you aim to address.
• Explain the significance and relevance of the research.
• Review relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
• Summarize key findings and identify gaps in the existing knowledge.
• Explain how your research will contribute to filling those gaps.

5. Research Objectives:

• Clearly state the specific objectives or aims of your research.
• Ensure that the objectives are clear, focused, and aligned with the research problem.

6. Methodology:

• Describe the research design and methodology you plan to use.
• Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate for your research.

7. Timeline:

8. Resources:

• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources effectively.

9. Ethical Considerations:

• If applicable, explain how you will ensure informed consent and protect the privacy of research participants.

10. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

11. References:

12. Appendices:

Research Proposal Template

Here’s a template for a research proposal:

1. Introduction:

2. Literature Review:

3. Research Objectives:

4. Methodology:

5. Timeline:

6. Resources:

7. Ethical Considerations:

8. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

9. References:

10. Appendices:

Research Proposal Sample

Title: The Impact of Online Education on Student Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Study

1. Introduction

Online education has gained significant prominence in recent years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes by comparing them with traditional face-to-face instruction. The study will explore various aspects of online education, such as instructional methods, student engagement, and academic performance, to provide insights into the effectiveness of online learning.

2. Objectives

The main objectives of this research are as follows:

• To compare student learning outcomes between online and traditional face-to-face education.
• To examine the factors influencing student engagement in online learning environments.
• To assess the effectiveness of different instructional methods employed in online education.
• To identify challenges and opportunities associated with online education and suggest recommendations for improvement.

3. Methodology

3.1 Study Design

This research will utilize a mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The study will include the following components:

3.2 Participants

The research will involve undergraduate students from two universities, one offering online education and the other providing face-to-face instruction. A total of 500 students (250 from each university) will be selected randomly to participate in the study.

3.3 Data Collection

The research will employ the following data collection methods:

• Quantitative: Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted to measure students’ learning outcomes. Data on student demographics and academic performance will also be collected from university records.
• Qualitative: Focus group discussions and individual interviews will be conducted with students to gather their perceptions and experiences regarding online education.

3.4 Data Analysis

Quantitative data will be analyzed using statistical software, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression analysis. Qualitative data will be transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns and themes.

4. Ethical Considerations

The study will adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Informed consent will be obtained, and participants will have the right to withdraw from the study at any time.

5. Significance and Expected Outcomes

This research will contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the impact of online education on student learning outcomes. The findings will help educational institutions and policymakers make informed decisions about incorporating online learning methods and improving the quality of online education. Moreover, the study will identify potential challenges and opportunities related to online education and offer recommendations for enhancing student engagement and overall learning outcomes.

6. Timeline

The proposed research will be conducted over a period of 12 months, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.

The estimated budget for this research includes expenses related to data collection, software licenses, participant compensation, and research assistance. A detailed budget breakdown will be provided in the final research plan.

8. Conclusion

This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes through a comparative study with traditional face-to-face instruction. By exploring various dimensions of online education, this research will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and challenges associated with online learning. The findings will contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational practices and help shape future strategies for maximizing student learning outcomes in online education settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on 30 October 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on 13 June 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organised and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, frequently asked questions.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: ‘A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management’
• Example research proposal #2: ‘ Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use’

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesise prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasise again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement.

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

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Writing a research proposal

How to write a research proposal.

For many subjects, writing a research proposal is a key part of your postgraduate research degree application. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and how you want to contribute to the subject.  

We use the proposal to match your interest with an appropriate supervisor to make sure you have the best support during your degree. We are looking for originality and relevance when assessing the overall quality of your application, including your suitability for this level of study.  

We highly recommend that you explore which academic researchers are working in your subject area and contact them first with any questions, this is a good opportunity to firm up your ideas, further explore the topic and talk with others in your field.  

What is a research proposal?  

A research proposal is a concise and coherent document, usually between 1500 – 2000 words, maximum 4 x A4 pages. You should outline your proposed research project, why it is of relevance (rationale), what research questions are you going to ask, what you hope to achieve (aims and objectives) and how you plan to carry out your research (methodology).   

Step-by-step 

This page is your comprehensive guide to writing a research proposal and will cover seven key elements of a proposal:  

Working title

You should include a title for your thesis in the proposal.

Your title may change as you further your research, but at this stage it's important to state succinctly what your research will cover.

Introduction

Briefly identify your idea, what is your ‘research question’?

It could be the theory you want to test, or a more open question. It would be useful to give examples, 3-5 research questions from recently completed PhDs in a relevant field. You should discuss the context around your research topic, such as current debates and issues. The important thing here is that you introduce your research project with clarity and in a way that stimulates your reader’s interest.

Demonstrate the significance of your research project.

To do this, explain why your research is important, what makes it original and how it will contribute to existing knowledge within its field.

Aims and objectives

What are you hoping to achieve with your research?

Try and produce four or five bullet points of objectives for each aim, which demonstrate your understanding of how to meet your research aims. You can use the SMART acronym to support you in creating objectives, which involves making your objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time specific.

Literature Review

Demonstrate your knowledge and awareness of relevant literature

A literature review is a discussion and evaluation of academic literature or a relevant body of knowledge (for practice-based research). You should use this section of your proposal to show that you are familiar with work in your chosen topic area and that your research will contribute something new and/or meaningful to it.

Methodology

Explain how you plan to carry out your research

The methodology section of your research proposal is where you explain how you plan to carry out your research. This should include the research techniques and methods you will use, why these are most appropriate and how you will implement them. You should also include a discussion of the research strategy (general approach) you will adopt, with appropriate justification, including the analytical approach. The section should also contain the range of research findings that will be gathered from the research and how you will analyse or evaluate this. For practice based research, include how will your portfolio of artefacts, code, software, compositions, computer games etc. articulate the originality of your research?

Reference all the materials you used in the preparation your proposal

You may also list references that you didn't directly draw upon, to demonstrate awareness of literature relating to your proposed material.

Support from academic staff in drafting your research proposal

Your research proposal will be read by academics with an interest in your field of research. You are therefore encouraged to contact members of academic staff informally prior to submitting your application to discuss to your research proposal. This can often speed up the applications process, as you can identify the member(s) of staff you have spoken to on your research degree application form.

Use the Huddersfield Research Portal to browse academic staff profiles and search using key words to find staff members who share your research interests.

Changing aspects of your research proposal after gaining a place as a research student

Your research proposal is your starting point, and we understand that as your idea develop s , your proposed research is likely to change. As such, you will not be obliged to adhere to the specifics of your proposal if you are offered a place as a research degree candidate at Huddersfield. However, as the proposal is the foundation of your working relationship with your supervisor(s), you will need to discuss any changes with them first. 

Useful tips for writing a research proposal

• Maintain a focus in your proposal: Your research proposal should be clear and concise, outlining your research idea and its benefits to your chosen field of study, in a way that the reader can clearly understand. Remember, your proposal is just the starting point and an outline and does not need to be overly complicated.
• Share your proposal: Ask someone you trust (a friend, family member, tutor) to read your proposal and provide some feedback. Do they understand what your research is about? Do they think your aims and objectives are achievable? Does your research engage them?
• Align your proposal topic with University research themes: Whilst it is important to choose a research topic that you are passionate about, your proposal will be assessed (in part) on its fit with our University research themes. You therefore need to choose a topic which aligns with topics of interest to the University or academic school you hoping to work within and make it clear how your project matches up with them.
• Be realistic in your proposal: Your proposal is assessed not only on its quality, originality and fit with our research themes but also the likelihood of completion, so make sure that the scope of your research project is reasonable and realistic .
• Take your time when writing your proposal: There are a lot of elements to a high-quality research proposal, so take the time to ensure that you meet them all. At the University of Huddersfield, there are three opportunities for enrolling onto a research degree programme during the academic year (October, January, and April), meaning less time pressure when working on your proposal and application.

Once you have written your proposal, what next?

Once you have written your research proposal you will need to complete an application form. Look at our how to apply webpage for more information.

How to apply for a research degree

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Write a Research Proposal

Structure and content, introduction (to topic and problem), research question (or hypothesis, thesis statement, aim), proposed methodology, anticipated findings, contributions - impact and significance, tables and figures (if applicable).

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The structure and content of a research proposal can vary depending upon the discipline, purpose, and target audience. For example, a graduate thesis proposal and a Tri-Council grant proposal will have different guidelines for length and required sections.

Before you begin writing, be sure to talk with your supervisor to gain a clear understanding of their specific expectations, and continually check in with them throughout the writing process.

• Organizing your Research Proposal - Template This 6-page fillable pdf handout provides writers with a template to begin outlining sections of their own research proposal.

This template can be used in conjunction with the sections below.

What are some keywords for your research?

• Should give a clear indication of your proposed research approach or key question
• Should be concise and descriptive

Writing Tip: When constructing your title, think about the search terms you would use to find this research online.

Important: Write this section last, after you have completed drafting the proposal. Or if you are required to draft a preliminary abstract, then remember to rewrite the abstract after you have completed drafting the entire proposal because some information may need to be revised.

The abstract should provide a brief overview of the entire proposal. Briefly state the research question (or hypothesis, thesis statement, aim), the problem and rationale, the proposed methods, and the proposed analyses or expected results.

The purpose of the introduction is to communicate the information that is essential for the reader to understand the overall area of concern. Be explicit. Outline why this research must be conducted and try to do so without unnecessary jargon or overwhelming detail.

Start with a short statement that establishes the overall area of concern. Avoid too much detail. Get to the point. Communicate only information essential for the reader’s comprehension. Avoid unnecessary technical language and jargon. Answer the question, "What is this study about?"

Questions to consider:

• What is your topic area, and what is the problem within that topic?
• What does the relevant literature say about the problem? – Be selective and focused.
• What are the critical, theoretical, or methodological issues directly related to the problem to be investigated?
• What are the reasons for undertaking the research? – This is the answer to the "so what?" question.

The following sections - listed as part of the introduction - are intended as a guide for drafting a research proposal. Most introductions include these following components. However, be sure to clarify with your advisor or carefully review the grant guidelines to be sure to comply with the proposal genre expectations of your specific discipline.

Broad topic and focus of study

• Briefly describe the broad topic of your research area, and then clearly explain the narrowed focus of your specific study.

Importance of topic/field of study

• Position your project in a current important research area.
• Address the “So what?” question directly, and as soon as possible.
• Provide context for the reader to understand the problem you are about to pose or research question you are asking.

Problem within field of study

• Identify the problem that you are investigating in your study.

Gap(s) in knowledge

• Identify something missing from the literature.
• What is unknown in this specific research area? This is what your study will explore and where you will attempt to provide new insights.
• Is there a reason this gap exists? Where does the current literature agree and where does it disagree? How you fill this gap (at least partially) with your research?
• Convince your reader that the problem has been appropriately defined and that the study is worth doing. Be explicit and detailed.
• Develop your argument logically and provide evidence.
• Explain why you are the person to do this project. Summarize any previous work or studies you may have undertaken in this field or research area.

Research question or hypothesis

• Foreshadow outcomes of your research. What is the question you are hoping to answer? What are the specific hypotheses to be tested and/or issues to be explored?
• Use questions when research is exploratory.
• Use declarative statements when existing knowledge enables predictions.
• List any secondary or subsidiary questions if applicable.

Purpose statement

• State the purpose of your research. Be succinct and simple.
• Why do you want to do this study?
• What is your research trying to find out?

Goals for proposed research

• Write a brief, broad statement of what you hope to accomplish and why (e.g., Improve something… Understand something… ). Are there specific measurable outcomes that you will accomplish in your study? 
• You will have a chance to go into greater detail in the research question and methodology sections.

Background or context (or literature review)

• What does the existing research on this topic say?
• Briefly state what you already know and introduce literature most relevant to your research.
• Indicate main research findings, methodologies, and interpretations from previous related studies.
• Discuss how your question or hypothesis relates to what is already known.
• Position your research within the field’s developing body of knowledge.
• Explain and support your choice of methodology or theoretical framework.

The research question is the question you are hoping to answer in your research project. It is important to know how you should write your research question into your proposal. Some proposals include

• a research question, written as a question
• or, a hypothesis as a potential response to the research question
• or, a thesis statement as an argument that answers the research question
• or, aims and objects as accomplishment or operational statements

Foreshadow the outcomes of your research. Are you trying to improve something? Understand something? Advocate for a social responsibility?

Research question

What is the question you are hoping to answer?

Subsidiary questions (if applicable)

• Does your major research question hinge on a few smaller questions? Which will you address first?

Your hypothesis should provide one (of many) possible answers to your research question.

• What are the specific hypotheses to be tested and/or issues to be explored?
• What results do you anticipate for this experiment?

Usually a hypothesis is written to show the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Your hypothesis must be

• An expected relationship between variables
• Falsifiable
• Consistent with the existing body of knowledge

Thesis statement

Your thesis statement is a clear, concise statement of what you are arguing and why it is important. For more support on writing thesis statements, check out these following resources:

• 5 Types of Thesis Statements - Learn about five different types of thesis statements to help you choose the best type for your research.
• Templates for Writing Thesis Statements - This template provides a two-step guide for writing thesis statements.
• 5 Questions to Strengthen Your Thesis Statement - Follow these five steps to strengthen your thesis statements.

Aims and objectives

Aims are typically broader statements of what you are trying to accomplish and may or may not be measurable. Objectives are operational statements indicating specifically how you will accomplish the aims of your project.

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• How are you going to address the research question?

Be specific and make sure your aims or objectives are realistic. You want to convey that it is feasible to answer this question with the objectives you have proposed.

Make it clear that you know what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and why it will work by relating your methodology to previous research. If there isn’t much literature on the topic, you can relate your methodology to your own preliminary research or point out how your methodology tackles something that may have been overlooked in previous studies.

Explain how you will conduct this research. Specify scope and parameters (e.g., geographic locations, demographics). Limit your inclusion of literature to only essential articles and studies.

• How will these methods produce an answer to your research question?
• How do the methods relate to the introduction and literature review?
• Have you done any previous work (or read any literature) that would inform your choices about methodology?
• Are your methods feasible and adequate? How do you know?
• What obstacles might you encounter in conducting the research, and how will you overcome them?

This section should include the following components that are relevant to your study and research methodologies:

Object(s) of study / participants / population

Provide detail about your objects of study (e.g., literary texts, swine, government policies, children, health care systems).

• Who/what are they?
• How will you find, select, or collect them?
• How feasible is it to find/select them?
• Are there any limitations to sample/data collection?
• Do you need to travel to collect samples or visit archives, etc.?
• Do you need to obtain Research Ethics Board (REB) approval to include human participants?

Theoretical frame or critical methodology

• Explain the theories or disciplinary methodologies that your research draws from or builds upon.

Materials and apparatus

• What are your survey or interview methods? (You may include a copy of questionnaires, etc.)
• Do you require any special equipment?
• How do you plan to purchase or construct or obtain this equipment?

Procedure and design

What exactly will you do? Include variables selected or manipulated, randomization, controls, the definition of coding categories, etc.

• Is it a questionnaire? Laboratory experiment? Series of interviews? Systematic review? Interpretative analysis?
• How will subjects be assigned to experimental conditions?
• What precautions will be used to control possible confounding variables?
• How long do you expect to spend on each step, and do you have a backup plan?

Data analysis and statistical procedures

• How do you plan to statistically analyze your data?
• What analyses will you conduct?
• How will the analyses contribute to the objectives?

What are the expected outcomes from your methods? Describe your expected results in relation to your hypothesis. Support these results using existing literature.

• What results would prove or disprove your hypotheses and validate your methodology, and why?
• What obstacles might you encounter in obtaining your results, and how will you deal with those obstacles?
• How will you analyze and interpret your results?

This section may be the most important part of your proposal. Make sure to emphasize how this research is significant to the related field, and how it will impact the broader community, now and in the future.

Convince your reader why this project should be funded above the other potential projects. Why is this research useful and relevant? Why is it useful to others? Answer the question “so what?”

Specific contributions

• How will your anticipated results specifically contribute to fulfilling the aims, objectives, or goals of your research?
• Will these be direct or indirect contributions? – theoretical or applied?
• How will your research contribute to the larger topic area or research discipline?

Impact and significance

• How will your research contribute to the research field of study?
• How will your research contribute to the larger topic addressed in your introduction?
• How will this research extend other work that you have done?
• How will this contribution/significance convince the reader that this research will be useful and relevant?
• Who else might find your research useful and relevant? (e.g., other research streams, policy makers, professional fields, etc.)

Provide a list of some of the most important sources that you will need to use for the introduction and background sections, plus your literature review and theoretical framework. 

What are some of the most important sources that you will need to use for the intro/background/lit review/theoretical framework? 

• Find out what style guide you are required to follow (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
• Follow the guidelines in our Cite Your Sources  Libguide to format citations and create a reference list or bibliography.

Attach this list to your proposal as a separate page unless otherwise specified.

This section should include only visuals that help illustrate the preliminary results, methods, or expected results.

• What visuals will you use to help illustrate the methods or expected results?
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11.2 Steps in Developing a Research Proposal

Learning objectives.

• Identify the steps in developing a research proposal.
• Choose a topic and formulate a research question and working thesis.
• Develop a research proposal.

Writing a good research paper takes time, thought, and effort. Although this assignment is challenging, it is manageable. Focusing on one step at a time will help you develop a thoughtful, informative, well-supported research paper.

Your first step is to choose a topic and then to develop research questions, a working thesis, and a written research proposal. Set aside adequate time for this part of the process. Fully exploring ideas will help you build a solid foundation for your paper.

Choosing a Topic

When you choose a topic for a research paper, you are making a major commitment. Your choice will help determine whether you enjoy the lengthy process of research and writing—and whether your final paper fulfills the assignment requirements. If you choose your topic hastily, you may later find it difficult to work with your topic. By taking your time and choosing carefully, you can ensure that this assignment is not only challenging but also rewarding.

Writers understand the importance of choosing a topic that fulfills the assignment requirements and fits the assignment’s purpose and audience. (For more information about purpose and audience, see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content” .) Choosing a topic that interests you is also crucial. You instructor may provide a list of suggested topics or ask that you develop a topic on your own. In either case, try to identify topics that genuinely interest you.

After identifying potential topic ideas, you will need to evaluate your ideas and choose one topic to pursue. Will you be able to find enough information about the topic? Can you develop a paper about this topic that presents and supports your original ideas? Is the topic too broad or too narrow for the scope of the assignment? If so, can you modify it so it is more manageable? You will ask these questions during this preliminary phase of the research process.

Identifying Potential Topics

Sometimes, your instructor may provide a list of suggested topics. If so, you may benefit from identifying several possibilities before committing to one idea. It is important to know how to narrow down your ideas into a concise, manageable thesis. You may also use the list as a starting point to help you identify additional, related topics. Discussing your ideas with your instructor will help ensure that you choose a manageable topic that fits the requirements of the assignment.

In this chapter, you will follow a writer named Jorge, who is studying health care administration, as he prepares a research paper. You will also plan, research, and draft your own research paper.

Jorge was assigned to write a research paper on health and the media for an introductory course in health care. Although a general topic was selected for the students, Jorge had to decide which specific issues interested him. He brainstormed a list of possibilities.

If you are writing a research paper for a specialized course, look back through your notes and course activities. Identify reading assignments and class discussions that especially engaged you. Doing so can help you identify topics to pursue.

• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) in the news
• Sexual education programs
• Hollywood and eating disorders
• Americans’ access to public health information
• Media portrayal of health care reform bill
• Depictions of drugs on television
• The effect of the Internet on mental health
• Popularized diets (such as low-carbohydrate diets)
• Fear of pandemics (bird flu, HINI, SARS)
• Electronic entertainment and obesity
• Advertisements for prescription drugs
• Public education and disease prevention

Set a timer for five minutes. Use brainstorming or idea mapping to create a list of topics you would be interested in researching for a paper about the influence of the Internet on social networking. Do you closely follow the media coverage of a particular website, such as Twitter? Would you like to learn more about a certain industry, such as online dating? Which social networking sites do you and your friends use? List as many ideas related to this topic as you can.

Narrowing Your Topic

Once you have a list of potential topics, you will need to choose one as the focus of your essay. You will also need to narrow your topic. Most writers find that the topics they listed during brainstorming or idea mapping are broad—too broad for the scope of the assignment. Working with an overly broad topic, such as sexual education programs or popularized diets, can be frustrating and overwhelming. Each topic has so many facets that it would be impossible to cover them all in a college research paper. However, more specific choices, such as the pros and cons of sexual education in kids’ television programs or the physical effects of the South Beach diet, are specific enough to write about without being too narrow to sustain an entire research paper.

A good research paper provides focused, in-depth information and analysis. If your topic is too broad, you will find it difficult to do more than skim the surface when you research it and write about it. Narrowing your focus is essential to making your topic manageable. To narrow your focus, explore your topic in writing, conduct preliminary research, and discuss both the topic and the research with others.

Exploring Your Topic in Writing

“How am I supposed to narrow my topic when I haven’t even begun researching yet?” In fact, you may already know more than you realize. Review your list and identify your top two or three topics. Set aside some time to explore each one through freewriting. (For more information about freewriting, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” .) Simply taking the time to focus on your topic may yield fresh angles.

Jorge knew that he was especially interested in the topic of diet fads, but he also knew that it was much too broad for his assignment. He used freewriting to explore his thoughts so he could narrow his topic. Read Jorge’s ideas.

Conducting Preliminary Research

Another way writers may focus a topic is to conduct preliminary research . Like freewriting, exploratory reading can help you identify interesting angles. Surfing the web and browsing through newspaper and magazine articles are good ways to start. Find out what people are saying about your topic on blogs and online discussion groups. Discussing your topic with others can also inspire you. Talk about your ideas with your classmates, your friends, or your instructor.

Jorge’s freewriting exercise helped him realize that the assigned topic of health and the media intersected with a few of his interests—diet, nutrition, and obesity. Preliminary online research and discussions with his classmates strengthened his impression that many people are confused or misled by media coverage of these subjects.

Jorge decided to focus his paper on a topic that had garnered a great deal of media attention—low-carbohydrate diets. He wanted to find out whether low-carbohydrate diets were as effective as their proponents claimed.

Writing at Work

At work, you may need to research a topic quickly to find general information. This information can be useful in understanding trends in a given industry or generating competition. For example, a company may research a competitor’s prices and use the information when pricing their own product. You may find it useful to skim a variety of reliable sources and take notes on your findings.

The reliability of online sources varies greatly. In this exploratory phase of your research, you do not need to evaluate sources as closely as you will later. However, use common sense as you refine your paper topic. If you read a fascinating blog comment that gives you a new idea for your paper, be sure to check out other, more reliable sources as well to make sure the idea is worth pursuing.

Review the list of topics you created in Note 11.18 “Exercise 1” and identify two or three topics you would like to explore further. For each of these topics, spend five to ten minutes writing about the topic without stopping. Then review your writing to identify possible areas of focus.

Set aside time to conduct preliminary research about your potential topics. Then choose a topic to pursue for your research paper.

Collaboration

Please share your topic list with a classmate. Select one or two topics on his or her list that you would like to learn more about and return it to him or her. Discuss why you found the topics interesting, and learn which of your topics your classmate selected and why.

A Plan for Research

Your freewriting and preliminary research have helped you choose a focused, manageable topic for your research paper. To work with your topic successfully, you will need to determine what exactly you want to learn about it—and later, what you want to say about it. Before you begin conducting in-depth research, you will further define your focus by developing a research question , a working thesis, and a research proposal.

Formulating a Research Question

In forming a research question, you are setting a goal for your research. Your main research question should be substantial enough to form the guiding principle of your paper—but focused enough to guide your research. A strong research question requires you not only to find information but also to put together different pieces of information, interpret and analyze them, and figure out what you think. As you consider potential research questions, ask yourself whether they would be too hard or too easy to answer.

To determine your research question, review the freewriting you completed earlier. Skim through books, articles, and websites and list the questions you have. (You may wish to use the 5WH strategy to help you formulate questions. See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information about 5WH questions.) Include simple, factual questions and more complex questions that would require analysis and interpretation. Determine your main question—the primary focus of your paper—and several subquestions that you will need to research to answer your main question.

Here are the research questions Jorge will use to focus his research. Notice that his main research question has no obvious, straightforward answer. Jorge will need to research his subquestions, which address narrower topics, to answer his main question.

Using the topic you selected in Note 11.24 “Exercise 2” , write your main research question and at least four to five subquestions. Check that your main research question is appropriately complex for your assignment.

Constructing a Working ThesIs

A working thesis concisely states a writer’s initial answer to the main research question. It does not merely state a fact or present a subjective opinion. Instead, it expresses a debatable idea or claim that you hope to prove through additional research. Your working thesis is called a working thesis for a reason—it is subject to change. As you learn more about your topic, you may change your thinking in light of your research findings. Let your working thesis serve as a guide to your research, but do not be afraid to modify it based on what you learn.

Jorge began his research with a strong point of view based on his preliminary writing and research. Read his working thesis statement, which presents the point he will argue. Notice how it states Jorge’s tentative answer to his research question.

One way to determine your working thesis is to consider how you would complete sentences such as I believe or My opinion is . However, keep in mind that academic writing generally does not use first-person pronouns. These statements are useful starting points, but formal research papers use an objective voice.

Write a working thesis statement that presents your preliminary answer to the research question you wrote in Note 11.27 “Exercise 3” . Check that your working thesis statement presents an idea or claim that could be supported or refuted by evidence from research.

Creating a Research Proposal

A research proposal is a brief document—no more than one typed page—that summarizes the preliminary work you have completed. Your purpose in writing it is to formalize your plan for research and present it to your instructor for feedback. In your research proposal, you will present your main research question, related subquestions, and working thesis. You will also briefly discuss the value of researching this topic and indicate how you plan to gather information.

When Jorge began drafting his research proposal, he realized that he had already created most of the pieces he needed. However, he knew he also had to explain how his research would be relevant to other future health care professionals. In addition, he wanted to form a general plan for doing the research and identifying potentially useful sources. Read Jorge’s research proposal.

Before you begin a new project at work, you may have to develop a project summary document that states the purpose of the project, explains why it would be a wise use of company resources, and briefly outlines the steps involved in completing the project. This type of document is similar to a research proposal. Both documents define and limit a project, explain its value, discuss how to proceed, and identify what resources you will use.

Writing Your Own Research Proposal

Now you may write your own research proposal, if you have not done so already. Follow the guidelines provided in this lesson.

Key Takeaways

• Developing a research proposal involves the following preliminary steps: identifying potential ideas, choosing ideas to explore further, choosing and narrowing a topic, formulating a research question, and developing a working thesis.
• A good topic for a research paper interests the writer and fulfills the requirements of the assignment.
• Defining and narrowing a topic helps writers conduct focused, in-depth research.
• Writers conduct preliminary research to identify possible topics and research questions and to develop a working thesis.
• A good research question interests readers, is neither too broad nor too narrow, and has no obvious answer.
• A good working thesis expresses a debatable idea or claim that can be supported with evidence from research.
• Writers create a research proposal to present their topic, main research question, subquestions, and working thesis to an instructor for approval or feedback.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Writing a Research Proposal

• Parts of a Research Proposal

Structure of a Research Proposal

Writing style.

• Common Proposal Writing Mistakes
• Proposal Writing Resources

Your research proposal should flow similarly to a research paper.  This is the general order of how content should be structured in a research proposal (McCombes, 2019):

• Cover Page: Contains your project title, your name, your supervisor's name, program/department, institution or affiliation, and date.
• Table of Contents: Outlines the contents of your entire proposal with respective page numbers.
• Introduction: Contains background and context, a problem statement, research questions, and the rationale behind the study.
• Literature review: Contains key concepts and theories that serve as the framework for your study as well as any gaps in research.
• Research design and methods: Contains research objectives, method, and potential limitations
• Implications: Explains how the study can be applied to the existing field of knowledge on the topic.
• Reference list: A list of references used to write the proposal.
• Research schedule: A timeline of research phases and how they will achieve the objective and meet deadlines.

In compliance with APA style, you can use these sections as headings for your document as well.  Using section headings makes information more organized for the reader and allows them to follow the author's thoughts more clearly.

Besides the contents of your proposal, you also need to pay attention to your writing style.  It is going to be different from other papers or documents you may have had to write in the past.  According to Academic Writer (n.d.), the following are some of the main elements of writing style.  These are important to making your proposal sound respectful and professional.

Instead of using common language, which is the type of language we use in normal conversations, you want to use the "language of research" or the "language of science."  This means that if a term has two meanings, you should only use the term for the meaning that is the most relevant to your research.  For example, if a chemist uses the word "element" in a proposal, they use it only in the context of its scientific definition.  This prevents the reader from getting confused throughout the document.  Avoid creating new terms in your proposal and be sure to clearly define unfamiliar words at the beginning of the proposal  (Locke et al., 2007).  Lastly, you also want to avoid using first person in your proposal ("I will...") as it does not demonstrate professionalism in writing.

The tone of your writing should be professional and serious.  In other words, use "academic voice" in your proposal writing.  Academic voice is meant to convey your thoughts and distinguish them from other authors (Robbins, 2016).  It is comprised of three elements ("What are the three elements," n.d.):

• Making declarative statements
• Avoiding casual language
• Demonstrating authority

These elements make your academic writing unique from other writers and present your thoughts in a professional manner.

You want to ensure that your writing is precise so that readers have a clear understanding of your project.  Proposals should exclude excessive jargon (technical terms), slang, and abbreviations.  They should also make logical comparisons between ideas to prevent readers from getting confused or lost ("Academic Writer," n.d.).  Here are some general tips for ensuring clarity in your writing:

• Using a term consistently throughout your paper (it refers to the same meaning throughout the document).
• Do not use excessive jargon or technical terms, and make sure you define any new terms.
• Draw comparisons between concepts to avoid ambiguity.  This requires using proper word choice and sentence structure.

Conciseness

• Do not overuse passive voice
• Describe things precisely and "to the point."
• Assign one argument or idea per paragraph.
• Locate areas in your document to break up text into different paragraphs.
• Use a variety of sentence lengths.
• Be mindful of how you use punctuation marks.  This includes commas, dashes, and hyphens.
• Use transitional words (and, or, therefore, etc.)  to maintain flow.
• Avoid using creative writing techniques, such as similes, metaphors, figurative language, and poetic devices.
• Do not use contractions in your proposal (can't, don't, etc.).
• Use words that reflect your involvement in research in your field.
• When writing about people, use respectful language.
• Use appropriate verb tenses to reflect series of events and timelines in your proposal.

For more in-depth content on writing style in academic writing, you can view quick guides and tutorials about scholarly writing on Academic Writer.  If you are new to using Academic Writer, we also have a database tutorial for new users.  The links to the database and tutorial are below.

Compose papers in pre-formatted APA templates. Manage references in forms that help craft APA citations. Learn the rules of APA style through tutorials and practice quizzes.

Academic Writer will continue to use the 6th edition guidelines until August 2020. A preview of the 7th edition is available in the footer of the resource's site. Previously known as APA Style Central.

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How to Write a PhD Research Proposal

• Applying to a PhD
• A research proposal summarises your intended research.
• Your research proposal is used to confirm you understand the topic, and that the university has the expertise to support your study.
• The length of a research proposal varies. It is usually specified by either the programme requirements or the supervisor upon request. 1500 to 3500 words is common.
• The typical research proposal structure consists of: Title, Abstract, Background and Rationale, Research Aims and Objectives, Research Design and Methodology, Timetable, and a Bibliography.

What is a Research Proposal?

A research proposal is a supporting document that may be required when applying to a research degree. It summarises your intended research by outlining what your research questions are, why they’re important to your field and what knowledge gaps surround your topic. It also outlines your research in terms of your aims, methods and proposed timetable .

What Is It Used for and Why Is It Important?

A research proposal will be used to:

• Confirm whether you understand the topic and can communicate complex ideas.
• Confirm whether the university has adequate expertise to support you in your research topic.
• Apply for funding or research grants to external bodies.

How Long Should a PhD Research Proposal Be?

Some universities will specify a word count all students will need to adhere to. You will typically find these in the description of the PhD listing. If they haven’t stated a word count limit, you should contact the potential supervisor to clarify whether there are any requirements. If not, aim for 1500 to 3500 words (3 to 7 pages).

Your title should indicate clearly what your research question is. It needs to be simple and to the point; if the reader needs to read further into your proposal to understand your question, your working title isn’t clear enough.

Directly below your title, state the topic your research question relates to. Whether you include this information at the top of your proposal or insert a dedicated title page is your choice and will come down to personal preference.

2. Abstract

If your research proposal is over 2000 words, consider providing an abstract. Your abstract should summarise your question, why it’s important to your field and how you intend to answer it; in other words, explain your research context.

Only include crucial information in this section – 250 words should be sufficient to get across your main points.

3. Background & Rationale

First, specify which subject area your research problem falls in. This will help set the context of your study and will help the reader anticipate the direction of your proposed research.

Following this, include a literature review . A literature review summarises the existing knowledge which surrounds your research topic. This should include a discussion of the theories, models and bodies of text which directly relate to your research problem. As well as discussing the information available, discuss those which aren’t. In other words, identify what the current gaps in knowledge are and discuss how this will influence your research. Your aim here is to convince the potential supervisor and funding providers of why your intended research is worth investing time and money into.

Last, discuss the key debates and developments currently at the centre of your research area.

4. Research Aims & Objectives

Identify the aims and objectives of your research. The aims are the problems your project intends to solve; the objectives are the measurable steps and outcomes required to achieve the aim.

In outlining your aims and objectives, you will need to explain why your proposed research is worth exploring. Consider these aspects:

• Will your research solve a problem?
• Will your research address a current gap in knowledge?
• Will your research have any social or practical benefits?

If you fail to address the above questions, it’s unlikely they will accept your proposal – all PhD research projects must show originality and value to be considered.

5. Research Design and Methodology

The following structure is recommended when discussing your research design:

• Sample/Population – Discuss your sample size, target populations, specimen types etc.
• Methods – What research methods have you considered, how did you evaluate them and how did you decide on your chosen one?
• Data Collection – How are you going to collect and validate your data? Are there any limitations?
• Data Analysis – How are you going to interpret your results and obtain a meaningful conclusion from them?
• Ethical Considerations – Are there any potential implications associated with your research approach? This could either be to research participants or to your field as a whole on the outcome of your findings (i.e. if you’re researching a particularly controversial area). How are you going to monitor for these implications and what types of preventive steps will you need to put into place?

6. Timetable

We’ve outlined the various stages of a PhD and the approximate duration of a PhD programme which you can refer to when designing your own research study.

7. Bibliography

Plagiarism is taken seriously across all academic levels, but even more so for doctorates. Therefore, ensure you reference the existing literature you have used in writing your PhD proposal. Besides this, try to adopt the same referencing style as the University you’re applying to uses. You can easily find this information in the PhD Thesis formatting guidelines published on the University’s website.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Questions & Answers

Here are answers to some of the most common questions we’re asked about the Research Proposal:

Can You Change a Research Proposal?

Yes, your PhD research proposal outlines the start of your project only. It’s well accepted that the direction of your research will develop with time, therefore, you can revise it at later dates.

Can the Potential Supervisor Review My Draft Proposal?

Whether the potential supervisor will review your draft will depend on the individual. However, it is highly advisable that you at least attempt to discuss your draft with them. Even if they can’t review it, they may provide you with useful information regarding their department’s expertise which could help shape your PhD proposal. For example, you may amend your methodology should you come to learn that their laboratory is better equipped for an alternative method.

How Should I Structure and Format My Proposal?

Ensure you follow the same order as the headings given above. This is the most logical structure and will be the order your proposed supervisor will expect.

Most universities don’t provide formatting requirements for research proposals on the basis that they are a supporting document only, however, we recommend that you follow the same format they require for their PhD thesis submissions. This will give your reader familiarity and their guidelines should be readily available on their website.

Last, try to have someone within the same academic field or discipline area to review your proposal. The key is to confirm that they understand the importance of your work and how you intend to execute it. If they don’t, it’s likely a sign you need to rewrite some of your sections to be more coherent.

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What are the Sections of a Research Proposal?

Research proposals that are written by graduate students or academic researchers typically follow a similar format consisting of headings and sections that explain the purpose of the research, specify the scope and scale of the study, and argue for its importance in contributing to the scientific literature. Knowing how to write a research proposal checklist  is crucial to getting your dissertation or thesis project accepted.

Although the research proposal sections may vary depending on whether it is a grant,  doctoral dissertation , conference paper, or professional project, there are certainly some sections in common. This article will cover sections you will often see in research proposals, explain their purpose, and provide a sample research proposal template.

What are the sections of a research proposal?

Let’s take a look at each section of a research proposal:

• Overall purpose
• Background literature
• Research question
• Definitions of terms and nomenclature
• Research methodology
• Problems and limitations
• Required resources and budget
• Ethical considerations
• Proposed timetable

What is the purpose of each research proposal section?

The research proposal sections and headings above resemble a fully edited and published academic journal article, which you probably can recognize if you are a new PhD or master’s graduate student who is just starting out reading peer-reviewed academic journal articles. 

However, the purpose of each heading in a research proposal is quite different from that of a final article. 

Purpose : To explain briefly, in a few words, what the research will be about.

What you should do:  Give your research proposal a concise and accurate title. Include the name of your faculty mentor (and his/her academic department).

Note : Title pages for research proposals are generally standardized or specified and provide or summarize basic administrative information‌, such as the university or research institution. Titles should be concise and brief enough to inform the reader of the purpose and nature of the research.

Related Article:  How to choose the best title for your research manuscript

Purpose:  To provide an overview of the study, which you will expand on in detail in later sections of the research proposal.

What you should do:  Provide a brief overview of your project. Include the goals of your research proposal and clearly specify the research questions you want to address. Explain the hypotheses you want to test.

Note : A good summary should emphasize the problems the applicant intends to solve, identify the solution to the problems, and specify the objectives and design‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌research. It should also describe the applicant’s qualifications and budget requirements.

Check out a webinar on how to write an effective research introduction

Overall purpose.

Purpose:  To state the overall goal of the work in a clear, concise manner.

What you should do : Summarize your problem for someone who is scientifically knowledgeable but potentially uninformed regarding your specific research topic.

Note : The aim or purpose of a research proposal should be results-oriented as opposed to process-oriented. For example, the result of a research study may be “To determine the enzyme involved in X” while the process is “to perform a protein electrophoresis study on mice expressing Y gene.” There should be at least three objectives per proposal. 

Background Literature Review

Purpose : To demonstrate the relationship between the goals of the proposed study and what has already been established in the relevant field of study.

What you should do : Selectively and critically analyze the literature. Explain other researchers’ work so that your professor or project manager has a clear understanding of how you will address past research and progress the literature.

Note : One of the most effective ways to support your research’s purpose and importance is to address gaps in the literature, controversies in your research field, and current trends in research. This will put into context how your dissertation or study will contribute to general scientific knowledge. Learn  how to write a literature review  before writing this section.

Research Question or Hypothesis

Purpose : To state precisely what the study will investigate or falsify.

What you should do : Clearly distinguish the dependent and independent variables and be certain the reader understands them. Make sure you use your terms consistently. Whenever possible, use the same nomenclature.

Note : A research question presents the relationship between two or more variables in the form of a question, whereas a hypothesis is a declarative statement of the relationship between two or more variables. Knowing  where to put the research question in a science paper  is also crucial to writing a strong Introduction section.

Definition of Terms

Purpose : To define the meanings of the key terms used in the research.

What you should do:  Align your term and nomenclature usage throughout your entire research proposal. Clearly define abbreviations and make sure they are understandable to scientists from other disciplines.

Note : Different scientific fields of study often use different terms for the same thing. Further, there are language consistency issues that should be considered. In organic chemistry, there are international standards for naming compounds, but common names are still regularly used, e.g., acetic acid versus ethanoic acid.

Research Methodology

Purpose:  To break down the steps of your research proposal.

What you should do:   Explain how you will achieve‌ ‌your research goals ‌specified‌ ‌earlier using terms that a general reader can understand. Explain your approach, design, and methods.

Note : Your research proposal should explain the broad scope of your research to other researchers‌ ‌in‌ ‌your‌ ‌field. This section represents the most important part of a research proposal and is therefore ‌the‌ ‌primary‌ ‌concern‌ ‌of‌ ‌reviewers. Knowing  how to explain research methodology for reproducibility  is important to explaining your methodology to dissertation or thesis advisors and committees. 

Problems and Limitations

Purpose:  To demonstrate awareness of any study limitations, potential problems, and barriers to answering the research question, and how to deal with them

What you should do:  Thoroughly head off any criticisms before they can torpedo your research proposal. Explain that any limitations or potential conflicts will only delay your research or alter/narrow its scope; they will not fundamentally degrade the importance of your research.

Note : Any research proposal or scientific study will have limitations in its scope and execution. Sometimes it may be a key procedure that is problematic or a material you cannot readily obtain. Discussing limitations is key to demonstrating you are an adept and experienced researcher worth approving.

Related Article:  How to present study limitations and alternatives

Required resources and budget.

Purpose:  To list what resources your research may require and what costs and timelines may affect your completion.

What you should do:  Think as a businessperson. Breakdown what resources are available at your institution or university as well as the required resources you still need. These can be materials, machinery, lab equipment, and computers. Resources can also be human: expertise to perform a procedure and other kinds of collaboration. 

Note : This section underscores why your funding institution or academic committee should fund your university, laboratory team, or yourself for this particular research. 

Ethical Considerations

Purpose:  To state how participants will be advised of

the overall nature and purpose of the study and how informed consent will

be obtained.

What you should do:  Consult with your academic institution, PhD advisor, and laboratory colleagues. Do not gloss over this part since it has legal consequences.

Note : Often, these types of legal disclaimers are well established and readily available in template format from your research institution or university. Just obtain the proper clearance and permission and have the legal authority at your institution check it over.

Read about how  conflicts of interest  should be disclosed in research proposals

Proposed timeline.

Purpose:  To give a projected timeline for planning, completing, verifying, and reporting your research.

What you should do:  Approach this part with a project management style. In an organized fashion, set out a specific timeline for how long each part of your research will take. Identify bottlenecks and specify them.

Note:  Savvy time management is something that comes with lots of research experience. Ask your professor or colleagues if you have questions about how long certain procedures will take.

Purpose:  To provide detailed bibliographic and reference citations.

What you should do:  Use an online citation machine ( APA citation machine , MLA citation machine , Chicago citation machine , Vancouver citation machine ) that can instantly organize your references in any format. Make sure you do this as you go, not saving it for the last when you have lost track.

Note:  The bibliographic format used varies according to the research discipline. Consistency is the main consideration; whichever style is chosen should be followed carefully throughout the entire paper. 

Related Article:  How many references to include in a research proposal?

Purpose : To include any extra materials or information.

What you should do:  Add letters of endorsement or collaboration and reprints of relevant articles if they are not available electronically. In addition to the above, you may want to include data tables, surveys, questionnaires, data collection procedures, clinical protocols, and informed consent documents.

Notes : Many writers tend to attach supporting documents to support their research proposal. But remember, more is not always better. Be sure to only include information that strengthens your case, not simply make it longer.

Note : Savvy time management is something that comes with lots of research experience. Ask your professor or colleagues if you have questions about how long certain procedures will take.

The Bottom Line

Whether your research is academic (PhD or master’s graduate student) or professional (competing for government or private funding), how you organize your research proposal sections is one of the first things evaluators will notice. Many academic reviewers will simply scan and check for key section headings. If any headings are missing or strangely written, they may instantly give the reviewer a bad impression of your proposal. 

One tip before submitting or even writing your research proposal is to search for the best journal to publish your research in and follow the guidelines in the Guide for Authors section, as well as read as many articles from that journal as possible to gain an understanding of the appropriate style and formatting.

Preparing Your Research Proposal for Publication

So make sure to use some of our resources, such as our  FREE APA citation generator  and  research proposal checklist , or contact us to ask about  professional proofreading services , including academic editing and manuscript editing for academic documents.

And check our guide on the  editing process  to learn more about how language editing for manuscripts can enhance your writing and increase your chances of publication.

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What Are The Elements Of A Good Research Proposal?

by  Antony W

March 10, 2023

The key to writing a great research proposal for your upcoming research project is to make sure the document has the right structure.

Your paper must include all the components that your professor expects to see. So in this guide, we’ll outline all the elements of a good research proposal and explain why they’re important.

The elements of a good research proposal are the title, the introduction, literature review, aims and objectives, methodology, scope of the research, outline and timetable, and bibliography.

It’s important to include these elements in your research proposal exactly in the order in which they appear in the list above.

Why The Key Elements Of A Research Proposal Matter

The basic elements of a research proposal are important because they communicate your thought process, present the originality of your ideas, and demonstrate that you’re passionate about the subject in question.

If you structure and write your research proposal well, your paper can convince your professor that your project is feasible and you have what it takes to take   your research project to the next level.

Have no time to read this guide and would rather get quick writing help? Let us write your research proposal for you! 

7 Key Elements of a Research Proposal 

While developing a detailed and comprehensive research proposal requires a lot of planning, attention to details, and academic writing skills , understanding the core elements of the paper is the first step to getting your proposal accepted.

So here are the elements that you should include in your research proposal.

It sounds somewhat obvious when we say that your research proposal with a title. To say the least, you already know you should.

But perhaps the most common mistake that many students make is to write general titles that lack focus.

Instead of writing a long title that’s hard to read or a short title that fails to highlight the theme of your research, write a clear and concise headline that tells your reader what your research proposal is about at a first glance.

2. Introduction

The starting paragraph to a research project is one of the elements of a good research proposal because it introduces the subject you wish to address or a research problem you wish to analyze.

Because the introduction of a research proposal is what sets the tone for the rest of the paper, it’s important to start with a hook and then organize your thoughts in a logical and organized manner.

The introduction to your research proposal should give background information and explain why you believe a research question is worth exploring. While not mandatory, you can briefly describe your methodologies in the introduction and then expand them later on.

Your introduction should be clear and concise. Make sure you include only the most relevant information in this section so you don’t make it unnecessarily too long.

3. Literature Review

Although a research proposal doesn’t include a full literature review , it’s important to include an overview of the most significant studies in your field.

The section should feature evidence and statistical data to demonstrate the significance of your research.

Through the literature review, you can easily draw your reader’s attention to existing research, identify gaps in existing studies, and make your reader understand how your proposal will contribute to the already existing research.

4. Aims and Objectives

Aims and objectives are what you wish your research proposal to accomplish. Your aims will be your overall outcome or what you want the research to achieve.

Objectives tend to be narrower and more focused. More often than not, you need to provide an explanation for each of your objectives to show how they will help to meet the aims of your study.

Unless required, you don’t really have to include a hypothesis that your research proposal looks forward to test.

5. Research Methodology

Methodologies are simply the research methods you will use to conduct your study and they must appear in your research proposal whether or not you’re conducting an experimental research.

The methodologies include analysis and sampling techniques equipment, research approaches, and ethical concerns.

Make sure your explanation for each methodology is clear and precise. It helps to justify why you’ve chosen to use a certain methodology over an alternative. This will go a long way to show that you took your time to think about your methodologies before picking them.

It’s important to explain how you will collect data, the sample size you plan to consider for your research investigation, and the techniques you consider the most appropriate to analyze the data.

6. Scope of the Research

Because you’ll be working with limited time and resource, it’s reasonable to include a section on the scope of the research in your proposal. In other words, you have to show your reader that you can start and complete your research within the constraints of these two resources.

Remember, your research will more than likely have limits, and addressing them in this section not only shows that you have given them a thought but also makes your research proposal strong and authentic.

Don’t just focus on the challenges that you’re likely to come across during your studies. You should also propose alternative solutions that you can use and why they might help.

7. Outline and Timetable

Your professor expects to see an outline and a timetable in your research proposal so it’s important that you include them in your research proposal.

The purpose of the outline is to show how you plan to structure your dissertation . Briefly note what each section will cover and explain how it all fits into the argument of your research project.

The purpose of the timetable is to show how much time you’ll need to complete your research. In particular, you need to make sure you mention exactly how long you expect each stage of your study to take.

Don’t just mention how long the research process will take. Make sure you also indicate how long you’ll take to compile your research.

Get Help with Research Proposal Writing

Knowing the elements of a good research proposal is one thing. Writing the proposal is where there’s a lot of work. If you don’t have the time to complete the work yourself, feel free to take advantage of our research proposal writing and get the paper done on time.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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How to Write a Research Proposal: A Step-by-Step

By Danesh Ramuthi , Nov 29, 2023

A research proposal is a structured outline for a planned study on a specific topic. It serves as a roadmap, guiding researchers through the process of converting their research idea into a feasible project. 

The aim of a research proposal is multifold: it articulates the research problem, establishes a theoretical framework, outlines the research methodology and highlights the potential significance of the study. Importantly, it’s a critical tool for scholars seeking grant funding or approval for their research projects.

Crafting a good research proposal requires not only understanding your research topic and methodological approaches but also the ability to present your ideas clearly and persuasively. Explore Venngage’s Proposal Maker and Research Proposals Templates to begin your journey in writing a compelling research proposal.

What to include in a research proposal?

In a research proposal, include a clear statement of your research question or problem, along with an explanation of its significance. This should be followed by a literature review that situates your proposed study within the context of existing research. 

Your proposal should also outline the research methodology, detailing how you plan to conduct your study, including data collection and analysis methods.

Additionally, include a theoretical framework that guides your research approach, a timeline or research schedule, and a budget if applicable. It’s important to also address the anticipated outcomes and potential implications of your study. A well-structured research proposal will clearly communicate your research objectives, methods and significance to the readers.

How to format a research proposal?

Formatting a research proposal involves adhering to a structured outline to ensure clarity and coherence. While specific requirements may vary, a standard research proposal typically includes the following elements:

• Title Page: Must include the title of your research proposal, your name and affiliations. The title should be concise and descriptive of your proposed research.
• Abstract: A brief summary of your proposal, usually not exceeding 250 words. It should highlight the research question, methodology and the potential impact of the study.
• Introduction: Introduces your research question or problem, explains its significance, and states the objectives of your study.
• Literature review: Here, you contextualize your research within existing scholarship, demonstrating your knowledge of the field and how your research will contribute to it.
• Methodology: Outline your research methods, including how you will collect and analyze data. This section should be detailed enough to show the feasibility and thoughtfulness of your approach.
• Timeline: Provide an estimated schedule for your research, breaking down the process into stages with a realistic timeline for each.
• Budget (if applicable): If your research requires funding, include a detailed budget outlining expected cost.
• References/Bibliography: List all sources referenced in your proposal in a consistent citation style.

How to write a research proposal in 11 steps?

Writing a research proposal in structured steps ensures a comprehensive and coherent presentation of your research project. Let’s look at the explanation for each of the steps here:  

Step 1: Title and Abstract Step 2: Introduction Step 3: Research objectives Step 4: Literature review Step 5: Methodology Step 6: Timeline Step 7: Resources Step 8: Ethical considerations Step 9: Expected outcomes and significance Step 10: References Step 11: Appendices

Step 1: title and abstract.

Select a concise, descriptive title and write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology and expected outcomes​​. The abstract should include your research question, the objectives you aim to achieve, the methodology you plan to employ and the anticipated outcomes. 

Step 2: Introduction

In this section, introduce the topic of your research, emphasizing its significance and relevance to the field. Articulate the research problem or question in clear terms and provide background context, which should include an overview of previous research in the field.

Step 3: Research objectives

Here, you’ll need to outline specific, clear and achievable objectives that align with your research problem. These objectives should be well-defined, focused and measurable, serving as the guiding pillars for your study. They help in establishing what you intend to accomplish through your research and provide a clear direction for your investigation.

Step 4: Literature review

In this part, conduct a thorough review of existing literature related to your research topic. This involves a detailed summary of key findings and major contributions from previous research. Identify existing gaps in the literature and articulate how your research aims to fill these gaps. The literature review not only shows your grasp of the subject matter but also how your research will contribute new insights or perspectives to the field.

Step 5: Methodology

Describe the design of your research and the methodologies you will employ. This should include detailed information on data collection methods, instruments to be used and analysis techniques. Justify the appropriateness of these methods for your research​​.

Step 6: Timeline

Construct a detailed timeline that maps out the major milestones and activities of your research project. Break the entire research process into smaller, manageable tasks and assign realistic time frames to each. This timeline should cover everything from the initial research phase to the final submission, including periods for data collection, analysis and report writing. 

It helps in ensuring your project stays on track and demonstrates to reviewers that you have a well-thought-out plan for completing your research efficiently.

Step 7: Resources

Identify all the resources that will be required for your research, such as specific databases, laboratory equipment, software or funding. Provide details on how these resources will be accessed or acquired. 

If your research requires funding, explain how it will be utilized effectively to support various aspects of the project. 

Step 8: Ethical considerations

Address any ethical issues that may arise during your research. This is particularly important for research involving human subjects. Describe the measures you will take to ensure ethical standards are maintained, such as obtaining informed consent, ensuring participant privacy, and adhering to data protection regulations. 

Here, in this section you should reassure reviewers that you are committed to conducting your research responsibly and ethically.

Step 9: Expected outcomes and significance

Articulate the expected outcomes or results of your research. Explain the potential impact and significance of these outcomes, whether in advancing academic knowledge, influencing policy or addressing specific societal or practical issues. 

Step 10: References

Compile a comprehensive list of all the references cited in your proposal. Adhere to a consistent citation style (like APA or MLA) throughout your document. The reference section not only gives credit to the original authors of your sourced information but also strengthens the credibility of your proposal.

Step 11: Appendices

Include additional supporting materials that are pertinent to your research proposal. This can be survey questionnaires, interview guides, detailed data analysis plans or any supplementary information that supports the main text. 

Appendices provide further depth to your proposal, showcasing the thoroughness of your preparation.

Research proposal FAQs

1. how long should a research proposal be.

The length of a research proposal can vary depending on the requirements of the academic institution, funding body or specific guidelines provided. Generally, research proposals range from 500 to 1500 words or about one to a few pages long. It’s important to provide enough detail to clearly convey your research idea, objectives and methodology, while being concise. Always check

2. Why is the research plan pivotal to a research project?

The research plan is pivotal to a research project because it acts as a blueprint, guiding every phase of the study. It outlines the objectives, methodology, timeline and expected outcomes, providing a structured approach and ensuring that the research is systematically conducted. 

A well-crafted plan helps in identifying potential challenges, allocating resources efficiently and maintaining focus on the research goals. It is also essential for communicating the project’s feasibility and importance to stakeholders, such as funding bodies or academic supervisors.

Mastering how to write a research proposal is an essential skill for any scholar, whether in social and behavioral sciences, academic writing or any field requiring scholarly research. From this article, you have learned key components, from the literature review to the research design, helping you develop a persuasive and well-structured proposal.

Remember, a good research proposal not only highlights your proposed research and methodology but also demonstrates its relevance and potential impact.

For additional support, consider utilizing Venngage’s Proposal Maker and Research Proposals Templates , valuable tools in crafting a compelling proposal that stands out.

Whether it’s for grant funding, a research paper or a dissertation proposal, these resources can assist in transforming your research idea into a successful submission.

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Proposal Guide: Sections of a Typical Proposal

The elements outlined in this page are generally required on all proposals. However, not all of the elements are necessary for every proposal and the list is not exhaustive. Always review and understand the sponsor guidelines for instructions on proposal preparation.

Some agencies include specific title pages in their application packages. If the sponsoring agency does not supply a formal title page, it is suggested that the title page should, at a minimum, include the following:

• The title of the project (Some agencies limit the number of characters allowed);
• The full name of the institution: University of Houston;
• The PI’s name, email address, university phone and fax numbers, and the university address, including the appropriate 4-digit mail code found after the zip code;
• The names of any co-PIs and their contact information;
• The name of the agency to which the proposal is being submitted;
• The duration of the project;
• The amount of funding that is being requested;
• The PI’s signature and date signed; and
• The signature of the Director of Office of Contracts and Grants and the date signed.

The abstract, or summary, should be a condensed version of the proposal, usually ranging from 250 words to one page of text. The abstract should concisely state the significance of the research, what is to be accomplished, and the time span of the project. It should generally be written in a manner that is understandable both to a layman and to the scientific community. The abstract is extremely important in creating a favorable first impression of the proposal and could be used by the sponsor to create a permanent public record of proposals that have been submitted and/or funded.

Table of Contents

The table of contents should list the major sections of the proposal and give the specific page where each different section of the proposal begins. It is not necessary to include all subheadings in the table of contents, but it should be detailed enough for reviewers to easily locate the section or sections they are interested in without having to search through the entire proposal.

Project Description/Statement of Work

The project description, also called the statement of work, is the heart of the proposal. The PI should go into as much technical detail as necessary to explain the intent of the project and how it will be accomplished. This section will be thoroughly reviewed by experts in the field. The project description might include the following items:

• The objectives, or the intended outcomes, of the project. These may be presented as general or specific accomplishments, but it is imperative that they be thoroughly considered and well defined. Poorly defined objectives may result in not having enough time to complete the objectives or in not budgeting enough money to complete the project.
• The procedures, or how the PI will carry out the project. These may be organized in several different ways: By activities tied to specific procedures; by functional categories such as planning, development, and implementation; or by major time blocks. The sequence and timing for each part of the project should be clearly stated, and the PI should be sure that there is enough time allowed at the conclusion of the project for preparation of the final report for the agency. The PI should be realistic about how much he or she can accomplish in the period of time reserved for each part of the project and should remember that the individuals reviewing the proposal will recognize an overly optimistic timetable. If applicable, the procedures should address how any participants in the project will be chosen and what their role in the project will be. If the project is large, the PI also may include an explanation of how it will be administered and define the responsibilities of any advisory groups or organizations with which he or she plans to work. A proposal can be greatly strengthened if letters of agreement to participate from cooperating organizations or consultants are included, and many sponsors actually require such letters.
• A description of the evaluation design, if required. The evaluation, which is usually carried out both during the project and at its conclusion, can be done in a number of ways. Its basic intent is to determine if the project successfully met its objectives.
• A statement of how the research results will be disseminated. For example, dissemination of results may take the form of publication in professional journals, a conference or workshop, a project newsletter, production of audiovisual materials, travel to a meeting to present the results to interested parties. See information on the NIH Data Sharing Plan .
• An introductory statement indicating the name of the PI, the names of other researchers involved in the project, and the number of graduate students and support staff available to the project. If applicable, it may be helpful to indicate the full range of support staff available to the PI (laboratory technicians, glass blowers, and/or machine operators, for example), both within the PI’s department and at the University in general. It is important to remember, however, that if a commitment is made of a specific level of effort that will be provided for the project at no cost to the sponsor, it must be documented and approved on a Cost Share Commitment Form.

Proposals should include a list of the currently available references to pertinent literature in the field but the reference section of the proposal does not need to be an exhaustive list of all publications on the topic. The list must include any resources referenced in the abstract or project description/statement of work. Some sponsors have a specific format in which the references must be supplied.

Budget and Budget Justification

Preparing the budget is one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of proposal preparation. A PI needs to calculate with reasonable accuracy the major costs associated with performing the research outlined in the body of the proposal. An underestimated budget might lead reviewers to conclude that the PI does not understand the extent and complexity of the research and should therefore not receive funding. Conversely, an extreme overestimate of the funds required to complete the project could lead to disapproval for the same reasons. See Proposal Budgets.

Biographical Sketch/Curriculum Vitae

Biographical data should be included with every proposal to convey information such as the educational background, areas of interest, research capabilities, and publications of the PI and the other researchers associated with the project. Many agencies have specific formats and page limits for Bio Sketches.

Equipment and Facilities

Proposals should include a section on the equipment and facilities to be used on the research project. These may be items of equipment that the PI is requesting to purchase with funds received from the sponsor, or they may be items currently at the university which will be available for use on the project. It is critical that major items of equipment – whether they are being requested from the sponsor or being made available by the university – be clearly identified so that reviewers will not question whether or not the PI will have the materials necessary to perform the research described in the proposal.

Current and Pending Support

Agencies usually require that PIs and other senior personnel on the project disclose all of their research that is currently funded or pending review. The format of this section and the information required vary among agencies, so specific program or agency guidelines should always be consulted for guidance.

Appendices may be used to indicate data of peripheral benefit to the research, such as reprints of articles, subcontract data, letters of support from collaborating institutions, etc. However, many sponsors severely restrict the use of appendices, so the specific program or agency guidelines should always be consulted when preparing this section of the proposal.

Sponsor Certifications

The Director of the Office of Contracts and Grants is the authorized signatory for the University of Houston. FACULTY MEMBERS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, DEANS, DIRECTORS, AND/OR DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATORS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO SIGN PROPOSALS AND THEREBY OBLIGATE THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.

The OCG Director’s signature certifies that the proposal has been properly reviewed, is complete and accurate, has the appropriate prior approvals, and meets the requirements of the sponsoring agency as well as the University. This endorsement also certifies that the University of Houston is recovering the maximum allowable F&A costs except in those cases where the sponsor has limited the University's F&A cost recovery or acceptance of a lower indirect cost rate has been justified in writing by the Principal Investigator, and approved by the Vice President for Research, as being in the best interest of the University. In addition, the endorsement of the Director of the Office of Contracts and Grants certifies, on behalf of the University, that the certifications required from the Principal Investigator have been obtained.

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Foundation Relations

Basic components of a proposal.

Private foundation proposals differ greatly from most federal proposals. While foundations often outline the general format that they prefer, there is more latitude regarding the structure of the narrative. Always frame your proposal to align as closely as possible to the funders programs' stated mission, without going so far that you are compromising your research interests.

Further, if there is a published  list of judges/reviewers available, as is usually the case for scientific applications, try to compose your proposal so that it piques the interest of one or more of the judges' expertise.

1.  Abstract/Summary

• The abstract is the most important component of the proposal. Spend time developing the best possible title. If the length is not mandated, it should be no longer than one half to one page maximum. 
• Use bolded subheadings. Include highlights in the topic sentence in each section of the proposal. 
• What will be done, by whom, how, over what period of time? What is the problem/need? Who will the outcomes benefit? 

2. Statement of Need

• What is the issue that you are addressing and why does it matter?
• Why is what you propose necessary? What is the void in Knowledge? 
• Who benefits? Indicate the public good, not just the effect on campus. 
• Why hasn't this issue been addressed sufficiently in the past? Who else is working in this field, what have they done, and why isn't that enough? Demonstrate your knowledge of the field.
• Provide convincing evidence that what you are proposing does not duplicate other work. Replication of someone else's work in a new environment or larger scale may be fundable.

3. Project Activity, Methodology and Outcomes

• Why did you choose to address the issue in the manner that you have? Are there other approaches? If so, why aren't they appropriate to the situation?
• What are the specific activities involved? Who will do them? 
• Present a timeline of activities. Tables and charts work best here. They crystallize data, break up pages of narrative, and convey extensive information well in a limited space.
• What specific outcomes will be achieved? What will change? 
• Why are you/your organization the best one to do what you propose to do? Is it an extension of successful, innovative work or a pilot project you already completed?

4. Evaluation

• Essential piece that should be both quantitative and qualitative, if feasible. 
• Outline clearly the methodology that you will use to assess the projects success.

5. Dissemination

• Dissemination should be linked to your project goals and objectives. If you are trying to affect policy, your dissemination plan should target policy-makers, media, and affected populations.
• Describe your communication strategy.
• Be creative. Sending an article to a professional journal is only one of many options. Consider submitting op-ed pieces to newspapers and articles to more popular periodicals; work with University Relations to obtain newspaper coverage and interviews on local radio stations; engage in conference presentations, community outreach activities, presentations to policy-makers and community groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce; launch a web site or blog; convene work groups of your peers; create briefing papers, press releases, videos; and, list yourself on speakers bureaus.

6. Budget and Continuation Funding

• Show your budget in table form and use a budget narrative to explain each item.
• Only Include other sources of funding if the funder mandates it's inclusion. UMass policy does not allow including in-kind or outside contributions unless it is required, as it adds administrative burden and costs.
• Indicate how the project will be funded or be sustainable after the grant funds have run out.
• The Office of Grants and Contract Administration (OGCA) makes available all university policies covering all legal, fiscal, human resources and intellectual property issues. 

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Chapter 4: Economic Growth for Every Generation

On this page:, 4.1 boosting research, innovation, and productivity, 4.2 attracting investment for a net-zero economy, 4.3 growing businesses to create more jobs.

• 4.4 A Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy

Impacts report

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in Chapter 4: Economic Growth for Every Generation

To ensure every Canadian succeeds in the 21 st century, we must grow our economy to be more innovative and productive. One where every Canadian can reach their full potential, where every entrepreneur has the tools they need to grow their business, and where hard work pays off. Building the economy of the future is about creating jobs: jobs in the knowledge economy, jobs in manufacturing, jobs in mining and forestry, jobs in the trades, jobs in clean energy, and jobs across the economy, in all regions of the country.

To do this, the government's economic plan is investing in the technologies, incentives, and supports critical to increasing productivity, fostering innovation, and attracting more private investment to Canada. This is how we'll build an economy that unlocks new pathways for every generation to earn their fair share.

The government is targeting investments to make sure Canada continues to lead in the economy of the future, and these are already generating stronger growth and meaningful new job opportunities for Canadians. New jobs—from construction to manufacturing to engineering—in clean technology, in clean energy, and in innovation, are just the start. All of this, helping to attract further investment to create more opportunities, will raise Canada's productivity and competitiveness. This will create more good jobs, and in turn, raise the living standards of all Canadians.

We are at a pivotal moment where we can choose to renew and redouble our investments in the economy of the future, to build an economy that is more productive and more competitive—or risk leaving an entire generation behind. We will not make that mistake. We owe it to our businesses, to our innovators, and most of all, to the upcoming generations of workers, to make sure that the Canadian economy is positioned to thrive in a changing world.

Canada has the best-educated workforce in the world. We are making investments to ensure every generation of workers has the skills the job market, and the global economy, are looking for—and this will help us attract private investment to grow the economy (Chart 4.1). Building on our talented workforce, we are delivering, on a priority basis, our $93 billion suite of major economic investment tax credits to drive growth, secure the future of Canadian businesses in Canada, and create good jobs for generations to come.

In the first three quarters of 2023, Canada had the highest level of foreign direct investment (FDI) on a per capita basis among G7 countries, and ranked third globally in total FDI, after the U.S. and Brazil (Chart 4.2).

The Canadian economy is adding new, high-paying jobs, in high-growth sectors, like clean tech, clean electricity, and scientific research and development (Chart 4.4). Budget 2024 will continue this momentum by making strategic investments that create opportunities for workers today—driving productivity and economic growth for generations to come.

Canada's skilled hands and brilliant minds are our greatest resource. Capitalizing on their ideas, innovations, and hard work is an essential way to keep our place at the forefront of the world's advanced economies. Our world-class innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, and researchers are solving the most pressing challenges of today, and their discoveries help launch the businesses of tomorrow.

Canadian researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies are the driving force of this progress—from scientific discovery to bringing new solutions to market. They also train and hire younger Canadians who will become the next generation of innovators. New investments to boost research and innovation, including enhancing support for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, will ensure Canada remains a world leader in science and new technologies, like artificial intelligence.

By making strategic investments today in innovation and research, and supporting the recruitment and development of talent in Canada, we can ensure Canada is a world leader in new technologies for the next generation. In turn, this will drive innovation, growth, and productivity across the economy.

Key Ongoing Actions

• Supporting scientific discovery, developing Canadian research talent, and attracting top researchers from around the planet to make Canada their home base for their important work with more than $16 billion committed since 2016.
• Supporting critical emerging sectors, through initiatives like the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the National Quantum Strategy, the Pan-Canadian Genomics Strategy, and the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.
• Nearly $2 billion to fuel Canada's Global Innovation Clusters to grow these innovation ecosystems, promote commercialization, support intellectual property creation and retention, and scale Canadian businesses.
• Investing $3.5 billion in the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to strengthen the innovation, competitiveness, and resiliency of the agriculture and agri-food sector.
• Flowing up to $333 million over the next decade to support dairy sector investments in research, product and market development, and processing capacity for solids non-fat, thus increasing its competitiveness and productivity.

Strengthening Canada's AI Advantage

Canada's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem is among the best in the world. Since 2017, the government has invested over $2 billion towards AI in Canada. Fuelled by those investments, Canada is globally recognized for strong AI talent, research, and its AI sector.

Today, Canada's AI sector is ranked first in the world for growth of women in AI, and first in the G7 for year-over-year growth of AI talent. Every year since 2019, Canada has published the most AI-related papers, per capita, in the G7. Our AI firms are filing patents at three times the average rate in the G7, and they are attracting nearly a third of all venture capital in Canada. In 2022-23, there were over 140,000 actively engaged AI professionals in Canada, an increase of 29 per cent compared to the previous year. These are just a few of Canada's competitive advantages in AI and we are aiming even higher.

To secure Canada's AI advantage, the government has already:

• Established the first national AI strategy in the world through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy;
• Supported access to advanced computing capacity, including through the recent signing of a letter of intent with NVIDIA and a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.K. government; and,
• Scaled-up Canadian AI firms through the Strategic Innovation Fund and Global Innovation Clusters program.

AI is a transformative economic opportunity for Canada and the government is committed to doing more to support our world-class research community, launch Canadian AI businesses, and help them scale-up to meet the demands of the global economy. The processing capacity required by AI is accelerating a global push for the latest technology, for the latest computing infrastructure.

Currently, most compute capacity is located in other countries. Challenges accessing compute power slows down AI research and innovation, and also exposes Canadian firms to a reliance on privately-owned computing, outside of Canada. This comes with dependencies and security risks. And, it is a barrier holding back our AI firms and researchers.

We need to break those barriers to stay competitive in the global AI race and ensure workers benefit from the higher wages of AI transformations; we must secure Canada's AI advantage. We also need to ensure workers who fear their jobs may be negatively impacted by AI have the tools and skills training needed in a changing economy.

To secure Canada's AI advantage Budget 2024 announces a monumental increase in targeted AI support of $2.4 billion, including:

• $2 billion over five years, starting in 2024-25, to launch a new AI Compute Access Fund and Canadian AI Sovereign Compute Strategy, to help Canadian researchers, start-ups, and scale-up businesses access the computational power they need to compete and help catalyze the development of Canadian-owned and located AI infrastructure. 
• $200 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to boost AI start-ups to bring new technologies to market, and accelerate AI adoption in critical sectors, such as agriculture, clean technology, health care, and manufacturing. This support will be delivered through Canada's Regional Development Agencies.
• $100 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for the National Research Council's AI Assist Program to help Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses and innovators build and deploy new AI solutions, potentially in coordination with major firms, to increase productivity across the country.
• $50 million over four years, starting in 2025-26, to support workers who may be impacted by AI, such as creative industries. This support will be delivered through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, which will provide new skills training for workers in potentially disrupted sectors and communities.

The government will engage with industry partners and research institutes to swiftly implement AI investment initiatives, fostering collaboration and innovation across sectors for accelerated technological advancement.

Safe and Responsible Use of AI

AI has tremendous economic potential, but as with all technology, it presents important considerations to ensure its safe development and implementation. Canada is a global leader in responsible AI and is supporting an AI ecosystem that promotes responsible use of technology. From development through to implementation and beyond, the government is taking action to protect Canadians from the potentially harmful impacts of AI.

The government is committed to guiding AI innovation in a positive direction, and to encouraging the responsible adoption of AI technologies by Canadians and Canadian businesses. To bolster efforts to ensure the responsible use of AI:

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $50 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to create an AI Safety Institute of Canada to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI. The AI Safety Institute will help Canada better understand and protect against the risks of advanced and generative AI systems. The government will engage with stakeholders and international partners with competitive AI policies to inform the final design and stand-up of the AI Safety Institute.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $5.1 million in 2025-26 to equip the AI and Data Commissioner Office with the necessary resources to begin enforcing the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act .
• Budget 2024 proposes $3.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to advance Canada's leadership role with the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, securing Canada's leadership on the global stage when it comes to advancing the responsible development, governance, and use of AI technologies internationally.

Using AI to Keep Canadians Safe

AI has shown incredible potential to toughen up security systems, including screening protocols for air cargo. Since 2012, Transport Canada has been testing innovative approaches to ensure that air cargo coming into Canada is safe, protecting against terrorist attacks. This included launching a pilot project to screen 10 to 15 per cent of air cargo bound for Canada and developing an artificial intelligence system for air cargo screening.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $6.7 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to Transport Canada to establish the Pre-Load Air Cargo Targeting Program to screen 100 per cent of air cargo bound for Canada. This program, powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence, will increase security and efficiency, and align Canada's air security regime with those of its international partners.

Incentivizing More Innovation and Productivity

Businesses that invest in cutting-edge technologies are a key driver of Canada's economic growth. When businesses make investments in technology—from developing new patents to implementing new IT systems—it helps ensure Canadian workers put their skills and knowledge to use, improves workplaces, and maximizes our workers' potential and Canada's economic growth.

The government wants to encourage Canadian businesses to invest in the capital—both tangible and intangible—that will help them boost productivity and compete productively in the economy of tomorrow.

• To incentivize investment in innovation-enabling and productivity-enhancing assets, Budget 2024 proposes to allow businesses to immediately write off the full cost of investments in patents, data network infrastructure equipment, computers, and other data processing equipment. Eligible investments, as specified in the relevant capital cost allowance classes, must be acquired and put in use on or after Budget Day and before January 1, 2027. The cost of this measure is estimated at $725 million over five years, starting in 2024-25.

Boosting R&D and Intellectual Property Retention

Research and development (R&D) is a key driver of productivity and growth. Made-in-Canada innovations meaningfully increase our gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, create good-paying jobs, and secure Canada's position as a world-leading advanced economy.

To modernize and improve the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentives, the federal government launched consultations on January 31, 2024, to explore cost-neutral ways to enhance the program to better support innovative businesses and drive economic growth. In these consultations, which closed on April 15, 2024, the government asked Canadian researchers and innovators for ways to better deliver SR&ED support to small- and medium-sized Canadian businesses and enable the next generation of innovators to scale-up, create jobs, and grow the economy.

• Budget 2024 announces the government is launching a second phase of consultations on more specific policy parameters, to hear further views from businesses and industry on specific and technical reforms. This includes exploring how Canadian public companies could be made eligible for the enhanced credit. Further details on the consultation process will be released shortly on the Department of Finance Canada website.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $600 million over four years, starting in 2025-26, with $150 million per year ongoing for future enhancements to the SR&ED program. The second phase of consultations will inform how this funding could be targeted to boost research and innovation.

On January 31, 2024, the government also launched consultations on creating a patent box regime to encourage the development and retention of intellectual property in Canada. The patent box consultation closed on April 15, 2024. Submissions received through this process, which are still under review, will help inform future government decisions with respect to a patent box regime.

Enhancing Research Support

Since 2016, the federal government has committed more than $16 billion in research, including funding for the federal granting councils—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

This research support enables groundbreaking discoveries in areas such as climate change, health emergencies, artificial intelligence, and psychological health. This plays a critical role in solving the world's greatest challenges, those that will have impacts for generations.

Canada's granting councils already do excellent work within their areas of expertise, but more needs to be done to maximize their effect. The improvements we are making today, following extensive consultations including with the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System, will strengthen and modernize Canada's federal research support.

• To increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $1.8 billion over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $748.3 million per year ongoing to SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR.
• To provide better coordination across the federally funded research ecosystem, Budget 2024 announces the government will create a new capstone research funding organization. The granting councils will continue to exist within this new organization, and continue supporting excellence in investigator-driven research, including linkages with the Health portfolio. This new organization and structure will also help to advance internationally collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and mission-driven research. The government is delivering on the Advisory Panel's observation that more coordination is needed to maximize the impact of federal research support across Canada's research ecosystem.
• To help guide research priorities moving forward, Budget 2024 also announces the government will create an advisory Council on Science and Innovation. This Council will be made up of leaders from the academic, industry, and not-for-profit sectors, and be responsible for a national science and innovation strategy to guide priority setting and increase the impact of these significant federal investments.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide a further $26.9 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $26.6 million in remaining amortization and $6.6 million ongoing, to the granting councils to establish an improved and harmonized grant management system.

The government will also work with other key players in the research funding system—the provinces, territories, and Canadian industry—to ensure stronger alignment, and greater co-funding to address important challenges, notably Canada's relatively low level of business R&D investment.

More details on these important modernization efforts will be announced in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement.

World-Leading Research Infrastructure

Modern, high-quality research facilities and infrastructure are essential for breakthroughs in Canadian research and science. These laboratories and research centres are where medical and other scientific breakthroughs are born, helping to solve real-world problems and create the economic opportunities of the future. World-leading research facilities will attract and train the next generation of scientific talent. That's why, since 2015, the federal government has made unprecedented investments in science and technology, at an average of $13.6 billion per year, compared to the average from 2009-10 to 2015-16 of just $10.8 billion per year. But we can't stop here.

To advance the next generation of cutting-edge research, Budget 2024 proposes major research and science infrastructure investments, including:

• $399.8 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, to support TRIUMF, Canada's sub-atomic physics research laboratory, located on the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus. This investment will upgrade infrastructure at the world's largest cyclotron particle accelerator, positioning TRIUMF, and the partnering Canadian research universities, at the forefront of physics research and enabling new medical breakthroughs and treatments, from drug development to cancer therapy.
• $176 million over five years, starting in 2025‑26, to CANARIE, a national not-for-profit organization that manages Canada's ultra high-speed network to connect researchers, educators, and innovators, including through eduroam. With network speeds hundreds of times faster, and more secure, than conventional home and office networks, this investment will ensure this critical infrastructure can connect researchers across Canada's world-leading post-secondary institutions.
• $83.5 million over three years, starting in 2026-27 to extend support to Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon. Funding will continue the important work at the only facility of its kind in Canada. A synchrotron light source allows scientists and researchers to examine the microscopic nature of matter. This specialized infrastructure contributes to breakthroughs in areas ranging from climate-resistant crop development to green mining processes.
• $45.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to support the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, a network of universities and institutes that coordinate astroparticle physics expertise. Headquartered at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, the institute builds on the legacy of Dr. McDonald's 2015 Nobel Prize for his work on neutrino physics. These expert engineers, technicians, and scientists design, construct, and operate the experiments conducted in Canada's underground and underwater research infrastructure, where research into dark matter and other mysterious particles thrives. This supports innovation in areas like clean technology and medical imaging, and educates and inspires the next wave of Canadian talent.
• $30 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support the completion of the University of Saskatchewan's Centre for Pandemic Research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon. This investment will enable the study of high-risk pathogens to support vaccine and therapeutic development, a key pillar in Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. Of this amount, $3 million would be sourced from the existing resources of Prairies Economic Development Canada.

These new investments build on existing federal research support:

• The Strategic Science Fund, which announced the results of its first competition in December 2023, providing support to 24 third-party science and research organizations starting in 2024-25;
• Canada recently concluded negotiations to be an associate member of Horizon Europe, which would enable Canadians to access a broader range of research opportunities under the European program starting this year; and,
• The steady increase in federal funding for extramural and intramural science and technology by the government which was 44 per cent higher in 2023 relative to 2015.

Investing in Homegrown Research Talent

Canada's student and postgraduate researchers are tackling some of the world's biggest challenges. The solutions they come up with have the potential to make the world a better place and drive Canadian prosperity. They are the future Canadian academic and scientific excellence, who will create new innovative businesses, develop new ways to boost productivity, and create jobs as they scale-up companies—if they get the support they need.

To build a world-leading, innovative economy, and improve our productive capacity, the hard work of top talent must pay off; we must incentivize our top talent to stay here.

Federal support for master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral students and fellows has created new research opportunities for the next generation of scientific talent. Opportunities to conduct world-leading research are critical for growing our economy. In the knowledge economy, the global market for these ideas is highly competitive and we need to make sure talented people have the right incentives to do their groundbreaking research here in Canada.

• To foster the next generation of research talent, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $825 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $199.8 million per year ongoing, to increase the annual value of master's and doctoral student scholarships to $27,000 and $40,000, respectively, and post-doctoral fellowships to $70,000. This will also increase the number of research scholarships and fellowships provided, building to approximately 1,720 more graduate students or fellows benefiting each year. To make it easier for students and fellows to access support, the enhanced suite of scholarships and fellowship programs will be streamlined into one talent program.
• To support Indigenous researchers and their communities, Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $30 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support Indigenous participation in research, with $10 million each for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit partners.

Boosting Talent for Innovation

Advanced technology development is a highly competitive industry and there is a global race to attract talent and innovative businesses. Canada must compete to ensure our economy is at the forefront of global innovation.

To spur rapid growth in innovation across Canada's economy, the government is partnering with organizations whose mission it is to train the next generation of innovators. This will ensure innovative businesses have the talent they need to grow, create jobs at home, and drive Canada's economic growth.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intention to work with Talent for Innovation Canada to develop a pilot initiative to build an exceptional research and development workforce in Canada. This industry-led pilot will focus on attracting, training, and deploying top talent across four key sectors: bio-manufacturing; clean technology; electric vehicle manufacturing; and microelectronics, including semiconductors.

Advancing Space Research and Exploration

Canada is a leader in cutting-edge innovation and technologies for space research and exploration. Our astronauts make great contributions to international space exploration missions. The government is investing in Canada's space research and exploration activities.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $8.6 million in 2024-25 to the Canadian Space Agency for the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program to support Canada's world-class space industry and help accelerate the development of new technologies. This initiative empowers Canada to leverage space to solve everyday challenges, such as enhancing remote health care services and improving access to healthy food in remote communities, while also supporting Canada's human space flight program.
• Budget 2024 announces the establishment of a new whole-of-government approach to space exploration, technology development, and research. The new National Space Council will enable the level of collaboration required to secure Canada's future as a leader in the global space race, addressing cross-cutting issues that span commercial, civil, and defence domains. This will also enable the government to leverage Canada's space industrial base with its world-class capabilities, workforce, and track record of innovation and delivery.

Accelerating Clean Tech Intellectual Property Creation and Retention

Canadian clean technology companies are turning their ideas into the solutions that the world is looking for as it races towards net-zero. Encouraging these innovative companies to maintain operations in Canada and retain ownership of their intellectual property secures the future of their workforce in Canada, helping the clean economy to thrive in Canada.

As part of the government's National Intellectual Property Strategy, the not-for-profit organization Innovation Asset Collective launched the patent collective pilot program in 2020. This pilot program is helping innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises in the clean tech sector with the creation and retention of intellectual property.

• To ensure that small- and medium-sized clean tech businesses benefit from specialized intellectual property support to grow their businesses and leverage intellectual property, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $14.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for the Innovation Asset Collective.

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.1 Boosting Research, Innovation, and Productivity

In the 21 st century, a competitive economy is a clean economy. There is no greater proof than the $2.4 trillion worth of investment made around the world, last year, in net-zero economies. Canada is at the forefront of the global race to attract investment and seize the opportunities of the clean economy, with the government announcing a net-zero economic plan that will invest over $160 billion. This includes an unprecedented suite of major economic investment tax credits, which will help attract investment through $93 billion in incentives by 2034-35.

All told, the government's investments will crowd in more private investment, securing Canadian leadership in clean electricity and innovation, creating economic growth and more good-paying jobs across the country.

Investors at home and around the world are taking notice of Canada's plan. In defiance of global economic headwinds, last year public markets and private equity capital flows into Canada's net-zero economy grew—reaching $14 billion in 2023, according to RBC. Proof that Canada's investments are working—driving new businesses to take shape, creating good jobs, and making sure that we have clean air and clean water for our kids, grandkids, and for generations to come.

Earlier this year, BloombergNEF ranked Canada's attractiveness to build electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chains first in the world, surpassing China which has held the top spot since the ranking began. From resource workers mining the critical minerals for car batteries, to union workers on auto assembly lines, to the truckers that get cars to dealerships, Canada's advantage in the supply chain is creating high-skilled, good-paying jobs across the country, for workers of all ages.

This first place ranking of Canada's EV supply chains is underpinned by our abundant clean energy, high labour standards, and rigorous standards for consultation and engagement with Indigenous communities. That's what Canada's major economic investment tax credits are doing—seizing Canada's full potential, and doing it right.

By 2050, clean energy GDP could grow fivefold—up to $500 billion, while keeping Canada on track to reach net-zero by 2050. Proof, once again, that good climate policy is good economic policy.

Helping innovative Canadian firms scale-up is essential to increasing the pace of economic growth in Canada. Already, the Cleantech Group's 2023 list of the 100 most innovative global clean technology companies featured 12 Canadian companies, the second highest number of any country, behind only the U.S. The government is investing in clean technology companies to ensure their full capabilities are unlocked.

Budget 2024 announces the next steps in the government's plan to attract even more investment to Canada to create good-paying jobs and accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy and clean technology.

• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage investment tax credit;
• Clean Technology investment tax credit;
• Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit;
• Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit; and
• Clean Electricity investment tax credit.
• Since the federal government launched the Canada Growth Fund last year, $1.34 billion of capital has been committed to a world-leading geothermal energy technology company, the world's first of its kind carbon contract for difference; and to clean tech entrepreneurs and innovators through a leading Canadian-based climate fund.
• Working with industry, provinces, and Indigenous partners to build an end-to-end electric vehicle battery supply chain, including by securing major investments in 2023.
• Building major clean electricity and clean growth infrastructure projects with investments of at least $20 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• $3.8 billion for Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy, to secure our position as the world's supplier of choice for critical minerals and the clean technologies they enable.
• $3 billion to recapitalize the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, which builds more clean, affordable, and reliable power, and to support innovation in electricity grids and spur more investments in Canadian offshore wind.

A New EV Supply Chain Investment Tax Credit

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation. As more and more electric vehicles are being produced worldwide, it is essential that Canada's automotive industry has the support it needs to retool its assembly lines and build new factories to seize the opportunities of the global switch to electric vehicles. With our world-class natural resource base, talented workforce, and attractive investment climate, Canada will be an electric vehicle supply chain hub for all steps along the manufacturing process. This is an opportunity for Canada to secure its position today at the forefront of this growing global supply chain and secure high-quality jobs for Canadian workers for a generation to come.

Businesses that manufacture electric vehicles and their precursors would already be able to claim the 30 per cent Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit on the cost of their investments in new machinery and equipment, as announced in Budget 2023. Providing additional support to these businesses so they choose Canada for more than one stage in the manufacturing process would secure more jobs for Canadians and help cement Canada's position as a leader in this sector.

• electric vehicle assembly;
• electric vehicle battery production; and,
• cathode active material production.

For a taxpayer's building costs in any of the specified segments to qualify for the tax credit, the taxpayer (or a member of a group of related taxpayers) must claim the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit in all three of the specified segments, or two of the three specified segments and hold at least a qualifying minority interest in an unrelated corporation that claims the Clean Technology Manufacturing tax credit in the third segment. The building costs of the unrelated corporation would also qualify for the new investment tax credit.

The EV Supply Chain investment tax credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after January 1, 2024. The credit would be reduced to 5 per cent for 2033 and 2034, and would no longer be in effect after 2034.

The EV Supply Chain investment tax credit is expected to cost $80 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and an additional $1.02 billion from 2029-30 to 2034-35.

The design and implementation details of the EV Supply Chain investment tax credit will be provided in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement . Its design would incorporate elements of the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, where applicable.

Delivering Major Economic Investment Tax Credits

To seize the investment opportunities of the global clean economy, we are delivering our six major economic investment tax credits. These will provide businesses and other investors with the certainty they need to invest and build in Canada. And they are already attracting major, job-creating projects, ensuring we remain globally competitive.

From new clean electricity projects that will provide clean and affordable energy to Canadian homes and businesses, to carbon capture projects that will decarbonize heavy industry, our major economic investment tax credits are moving Canada forward on its track to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050.

In November 2023, the government introduced Bill C-59 to deliver the first two investment tax credits and provide businesses with the certainty they need to make investment decisions in Canada today. Bill C-59 also includes labour requirements to ensure workers are paid prevailing union wages and apprentices have opportunities to gain experience and succeed in the workforce. With the support and collaboration of Parliamentarians, the government anticipates Bill C-59 receiving Royal Assent before June 1, 2024.

• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage investment tax credit: would be available as of January 1, 2022;
• Clean Technology investment tax credit: would be available as of March 28, 2023; and,
• Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit; and,

The government will soon introduce legislation to deliver the next two investment tax credits:

• Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit: available as of March 28, 2023; and,
• Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit: available as of January 1, 2024.

As a priority, the government will work on introducing legislation for the remaining investment tax credits, including the new EV Supply Chain investment tax credit, as well as proposed expansions and enhancements:

• Clean Electricity investment tax credit: would be available as of the day of Budget 2024, for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023;
• The expansion of the Clean Technology investment tax credit would be available as of November 21, 2023; and,
• The expansion of the Clean Electricity investment tax credit would be available from the day of Budget 2024, for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023.
• Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit enhancements to provide new clarity and improve access for critical minerals projects. Draft legislation will be released for consultation in summer 2024 and the government targets introducing legislation in fall 2024.
• The EV Supply Chain investment tax credit : would be available as of January 1, 2024.

Given that the major economic investment tax credits will be available, including retroactively, from their respective coming into force dates, businesses are already taking action to break ground on projects that will reduce emissions, create jobs, and grow the economy. Passing the major economic investment tax credits into law will secure a cleaner, more prosperous future for Canadians today, and tomorrow.

Implementing the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit

As the economy grows, Canada's electricity demand is expected to double by 2050 (Chart 4.7). To meet this increased demand with a clean, reliable, and affordable grid, our electricity capacity must increase by 1.7 to 2.2 times compared to current levels (Chart 4.8). Investing in clean electricity today will reduce Canadians' monthly energy costs by 12 per cent (Chart 4.9) and create approximately 250,000 good jobs by 2050 (Chart 4.10).

Canada already has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world, with 84 per cent of electricity produced by non-emitting sources of generation. Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Yukon are already clean electricity leaders and generate nearly all of their electricity from non-emitting hydropower—and have more untapped clean electricity potential. Other regions of Canada will require major investments to ensure clean, reliable electricity grids, and the federal government is stepping up to support provinces and territories with these investments.

In Budget 2023, the government announced the new Clean Electricity investment tax credit to deliver broad-based support to implement clean electricity technologies and accelerate progress towards a Canada-wide net-zero electricity grid.

• Low-emitting electricity generation systems using energy from wind, solar, water, geothermal, waste biomass, nuclear, or natural gas with carbon capture and storage.
• Stationary electricity storage systems that do not use fossil fuels in operation, such as batteries and pumped hydroelectric storage.
• Transmission of electricity between provinces and territories.
• The Clean Electricity investment tax credit would be available to certain taxable and non-taxable corporations, including corporations owned by municipalities or Indigenous communities, and pension investment corporations.
• Provided that a provincial and territorial government satisfies additional conditions, outlined below, the tax credit would also be available to provincial and territorial Crown corporations investing in that province or territory.
• Robust labour requirements to pay prevailing union wages and create apprenticeship opportunities will need to be met to receive the full 15 per cent tax credit.

The Clean Electricity investment tax credit is expected to cost $7.2 billion over five years starting in 2024-25, and an additional $25 billion from 2029-30 to 2034-35.

The Clean Electricity investment tax credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after the day of Budget 2024 for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023. The credit would no longer be in effect after 2034. Similar rules would apply for provincial and territorial Crown corporations, with modifications outlined below.

Provincial and Territorial Crown Corporations

The federal government is proposing that, for provincial and territorial Crown corporations to access to the Clean Electricity investment tax credit within a jurisdiction, the government of that province or territory would need to:

• Work towards a net-zero electricity grid by 2035; and,
• Provincial and territorial Crown corporations passing through the value of the Clean Electricity investment tax credit to electricity ratepayers in their province or territory to reduce ratepayers' bills.
• Direct provincial and territorial Crown corporations claiming the credit to publicly report, on an annual basis, on how the tax credit has improved ratepayers' bills.

If a provincial or territorial government satisfies all the conditions by March 31, 2025, then provincial or territorial Crown corporations investing in that jurisdiction would be able to access the Clean Electricity investment tax credit for property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after the day of Budget 2024 for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023.

If a provincial or territorial government does not satisfy all the conditions by March 31, 2025, then provincial or territorial Crown corporations investing in that jurisdiction would not be able to access the Clean Electricity investment tax credit until all the conditions have been satisfied. In this case, the Clean Electricity investment tax credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use from the date when the conditions are deemed to have been satisfied for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023.

The Department of Finance Canada will consult with provinces and territories on the details of these conditions before legislation is introduced this fall.

Additional design and implementation details for the tax credit can be found in the Budget Tax Measures Supplementary Information, under "Clean Electricity investment tax credit."

Delivering Clean Electricity with Indigenous, Northern, and Remote Communities

The government has announced significant measures to advance clean electricity projects nationwide. These initiatives include the Clean Electricity investment tax credit, the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, and strategic financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Understanding the energy goals and challenges in Indigenous, Northern, and remote communities—such as moving away from diesel—the government has offered unique assistance for projects in these areas, including for planning and feasibility stages. Recent federal investments to support projects with these communities include:

• Up to $535 million in Canada Infrastructure Bank financing and $50 million in funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program for the 250-MW Oneida Energy storage project in Ontario, which is the largest battery storage project in the country.
• $173 million in Canada Infrastructure Bank financing and $50 million in funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program for the Bekevar Wind Power project, an Indigenous-led wind power project in Saskatchewan.
• $14.4 million in funding to explore the feasibility of the Kivalliq Hydro Fibre Link, an innovative project that would connect northern Manitoba to southeastern Nunavut to provide electricity and internet access to five communities and one existing mine, helping to transition Northern communities off of diesel and connect them to the rest of Canada.
• $9 million in funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program for the Salay Prayzaan Solar project, which is 100 per cent owned by the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Implementing the Major Economic Investment Tax Credits

The government's suite of major economic investment incentives is unprecedented in Canadian history, and the government is delivering these supports on a priority basis to attract investment, create good-paying jobs, and grow the economy, while continuing to make progress in the fight against climate change.

To deliver the major economic investment tax credits, without delay, the government is boosting resources to the Canada Revenue Agency, Natural Resources Canada, and the Department of Finance Canada, which each have a role to play in delivering these support measures. To this end:

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide the Canada Revenue Agency up to $90.9 million over 11 years, starting in 2024-25, to administer the new major economic investment tax credits.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide Natural Resources Canada $7.4 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to provide expert technical advice on engineering and scientific matters related to the major economic investment tax credits and to support the administration of certain investment tax credits with the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide the Department of Finance Canada $21.4 million over 11 years, starting in 2024-25, to complete the implementation, including legislation, of the major economic investment tax credits, ensure ongoing evaluation and response to emerging issues, and propose appropriate legislative amendments to the Income Tax Act and Income Tax Regulations .

The Canada Growth Fund

The Canada Growth Fund is a $15 billion arm's length public investment vehicle launched by the federal government to attract private capital and invest in Canadian projects and businesses, which is led by Canada's world-leading public sector pension professionals. The Canada Growth Fund investments in clean energy and clean technology are already building Canada's strong, clean economy and creating good-paying jobs across the country:

• On October 25, 2023, the Canada Growth Fund made its first investment—a $90 million investment in a groundbreaking geothermal energy company, Calgary's Eavor Technologies Inc., that is creating meaningful employment opportunities for Albertans and securing the Canadian future of a company at the leading-edge of the global economy. 
• The Canada Growth Fund's second investment was announced on December 20, 2023—a $200 million direct investment, plus complementary carbon contract offtake agreement, in a world-leading carbon capture and sequestration company, Calgary's Entropy Inc. to support the reduction of up to one million tonnes of carbon per year. This major investment will support 1,200 good jobs for Albertans and grow the company's Canadian-based activities.
• The Canada Growth Fund's third investment was announced on March 25, 2024—a $50 million commitment into the Idealist Climate Impact Fund, a clean tech investment fund led by the Montréal-based Idealist Capital. The clean tech fund will manage equity investments into innovative entrepreneurs and businesses that are creating good-paying jobs and accelerating the energy transition.

Carbon Contracts for Difference

A price on pollution is the foundation of Canada's plan to build a prosperous net-zero economy. It is a system that is fair and that promotes market-driven solutions. The government recognizes the substantial demand from industry and other stakeholders for carbon contracts for difference (CCFDs) as a tool to accelerate investment in decarbonization and clean growth technologies by providing certainty around carbon pricing.

The 2023 Fall Economic Statement announced that the Canada Growth Fund will be the principal federal entity to issue CCFDs, including allocating, on a priority basis, up to $7 billion to issue all forms of contracts for difference and offtake agreements. The Canada Growth Fund is fulfilling this important role as a federal issuer of CCFDs. Building on its initial success, the Canada Growth Fund is assessing the opportunity to expand its carbon contract offerings and is developing approaches that can best serve the different carbon credit markets across Canada:

• Budget 2024 announces that the Canada Growth Fund is developing an expanded range of CCFD offerings tailored to different markets and their unique risks and opportunities. The Canada Growth Fund will continue offering bespoke CCFDs and carbon offtake agreements, with a focus on provinces contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
• Building on the insights gained from these transactions, Budget 2024 announces the Canada Growth Fund will explore ways to broaden its approach, for example, by developing off-the-shelf contracts for certain jurisdictions and ways to offer these contracts on a competitive basis for a set amount of emissions reductions.
• The Canada Growth Fund has around $6 billion remaining to continue issuing, on a priority basis, all forms of CCFDs and carbon offtake agreements. Budget 2024 announces the government will ensure that the Canada Growth Fund continues to have the resources it needs to fulfill its role as federal issuer of CCFDs. The government is also evaluating options to enhance the Canada Growth Fund's capacity to offer CCFDs, including by exploring the possibility of a government backstop of certain CCFD liabilities of the Canada Growth Fund.

CCFDs can help develop robust carbon credit markets, and the federal government has taken action to ensure their success. For example, in 2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada worked with Alberta to ensure that their TIER market was sufficiently stringent so that the projected demand for carbon credits exceeded projected supply, ensuring robust credit demand even as more major decarbonization projects get built and more credits are generated.

Credit markets are largely the responsibility of provinces, and there are opportunities to improve how these markets function. For example, commitments to maintain their industrial carbon pricing systems over the long-term, tighten the stringency of systems as necessary to avoid an oversupply of credits, publishing the price of carbon credits, and recommitting to maintain a price signal of $170 per tonne by 2030 could help improve carbon price expectations for investors. Increased credit price transparency would greatly improve market functioning and provide greater investment certainty, unlocking more decarbonization projects. It would also facilitate the Canada Growth Fund's efforts to develop off-the-shelf CCFDs and deliver more deals, much quicker across provincial carbon markets.

• Budget 2024 announces that Environment and Climate Change Canada will work with provinces and territories to improve the functioning of carbon credit markets, in order to help unlock additional decarbonization projects throughout Canada.

Getting Major Projects Done

Putting Canada on a path to net-zero requires significant and sustained private sector investment in clean electricity, critical minerals, and other major projects. For these investments to be made, Canada's regulatory system must be efficient and quicker—it shouldn't take over a decade to open a new mine and secure our critical minerals supply chains.

To that end, Budget 2023 announced an intention to develop a plan to improve the efficiency of the impact assessment and permitting processes for major projects. The Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects was launched to coordinate this work, and drive positive, pro-growth culture change throughout government, to ensure major project approvals come quicker. New major projects create thousands of new, good-paying jobs for Canadians, and the government is focused on getting more done.

• Provide $9 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Privy Council Office's Clean Growth Office to implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Working Group and reduce interdepartmental inefficiencies, including preventing fixation on well-studied and low-risk impacts, ensuring new permitting timelines are upheld throughout departments, and improving data sharing between departments to reduce redundant studies.
• Launch work to establish a new Federal Permitting Coordinator within the Privy Council Office's Clean Growth Office.
• Set a target of five years or less to complete federal impact assessment and permitting processes for federally designated projects, and a target of two years or less for permitting of non-federally designated projects;
• Issue a Cabinet Directive to drive culture change , achieve new targets, and set out clear federal roles and responsibilities within and across departments with the objective of getting clean growth projects built in a timely and predictable manner;
• Build a Federal Permitting Dashboard that reports on the status of large projects which require permits, to improve predictability for project proponents, and increase the federal government's transparency and accountability to Canadians; and,
• Set a three-year target for nuclear project reviews , by working with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, and consider how the process can be better streamlined and duplications reduced between the two agencies.
• Amend the Impact Assessment Act to respond to the October 2023 Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled that elements of the Act are unconstitutional. The proposed amendments will ensure the Act is constitutionally sound, facilitating efficient project reviews while advancing Canada's clean growth and protecting the environment. An amended Act will provide certainty for businesses and investors through measures that include increasing flexibility in substitution of assessments to allow for collaboration and avoid interjurisdictional duplication, clarifying when joint federal-provincial review panels are possible, and allowing for earlier Agency screening decisions as to whether a full impact assessment is required after the Planning phase. The amended Act will remain consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act ;
• Enhance coordination across orders of government using the tools available under the Impact Assessment Act and permitting coordination mechanisms, to reduce duplication and minimize the burden of regulatory processes on project proponents and Indigenous groups; and,
• Engage Northern Premiers, Indigenous communities, industry, and other partners to discuss transformative changes to their unique project review frameworks, to ensure the North is also prepared to assess and build clean growth projects.
• Advance Indigenous participation in major projects, through the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program detailed in Chapter 6, which will provide more opportunities for Indigenous communities to benefit from the significant number of natural resource and energy projects proposed to take place in their territories;
• Work to establish a Crown Consultation Coordinator to ensure efficient and meaningful Crown consultation with Indigenous peoples on the issuance of federal regulatory permits to projects that do not undergo federal impact assessments. The government will consult First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self-Governing Indigenous partners on the design of the Crown Consultation Coordinator. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will continue to be the Crown consultation body for all federal decisions related to projects that undergo federal impact assessments; and,
• Improve Indigenous capacity for consultation by advancing the co-development and implementation of consultation protocol agreements and resource centres, led by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

More details on the Ministerial Working Group's recommendations will be published in an Action Plan in spring 2024. Additionally, further analysis of opportunities for improving the efficiency of the impact assessment process will be undertaken as part of the five-year review of the Impact Assessment Act's designated project list, which will occur later this year, following coming into force of the amended Act. This review will be undertaken in consultation with the public, including with Indigenous partners.

Getting major projects built means more jobs, in more regions across Canada, and more opportunities for the next generation of workers.

Securing the Canadian Biofuels Industry

Biofuels and biogas are renewable energy sources sustainably made from plants or biowaste, such as canola crops and landfill emissions. Not only do they generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, they also represent a unique opportunity for the Canadian economy. The industry supports agriculture and forestry jobs and can help decarbonize key sectors like marine, aviation, rail, and heavy industry. Canada's Clean Fuel Regulations , in place since 2022, are helping drive the production and adoption of specific biofuels in Canada.

The government is proposing new measures to support biofuels production in Canada, with a focus on renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and renewable natural gas, aiming to capitalize on the increasing demand for these fuels and strengthen Canada's position in the market. Budget 2024 announces:

• The government's intention to disburse up to $500 million per year from Clean Fuel Regulations compliance payment revenues to support biofuels production in Canada, subject to sufficient compliance payments being made to the federal government. More details will be announced in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement .
• The government will also retool the Clean Fuels Fund to deliver funding faster, and extend the Fund for an additional four years, until 2029-30. With reprofiled funding proposed through this extension, a total of $776.3 million will be available to be deployed from 2024-25 to 2029-30 to support clean fuel projects. The program will shift to a continuous intake process, and streamlined negotiations and decision-making processes will expedite delivery. By the end of this year, Natural Resources Canada will launch another call for proposals under the extended Clean Fuels Fund.
• The Canada Infrastructure Bank will invest at least $500 million in biofuels production under its green infrastructure investment stream.

Advancing Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Research, and Environmental Remediation

Non-emitting, nuclear energy is one of the key tools in helping the world reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada stands out as one of the few countries to have developed and deployed its own nuclear technology, the CANDU. And the robust Canadian supply chains built around CANDU not only generate high-skilled jobs and foster research and development but also play a role in creating affordable and clean electricity. Canada's nuclear sector also produces medical isotopes essential for radiation therapy and diagnosing heart disease.

Canada is a Global Nuclear Energy Leader

Over the last few years, the government has announced significant investments and action to advance nuclear energy:

Large Reactors:

• Canada has committed up to $3 billion in export financing to Romania to support the construction of two new CANDU reactors, reducing Romania's reliance on Russian energy while boosting their own energy security and their neighbours', all while supporting Canadian jobs. Canadian supply chains will participate in the construction and maintenance of these reactors over their multi-decade operating life.
• The government announced $50 million in funding to support Bruce Power's large nuclear expansion.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs):

• The Canada Infrastructure Bank announced a $970 million investment to support Ontario Power Generation in building the first grid-scale SMR among G7 nations at Darlington.
• The Strategic Innovation Fund has committed $94.7 million to accelerate the development of three different next generation SMR designs.
• The government announced $74 million in funding to support SaskPower's SMR development.
• The government announced $120.6 million to enable the deployment of SMRs through various activities such as building regulatory capacity.

Major Economic Investment Tax Credits:

• The Clean Electricity and Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credits announced in Budget 2023 would support investments in nuclear electricity generation, nuclear power supply chains, and nuclear fuel production, which are part of the solution for a clean economy transition.

 Sustainable Finance:

• The government updated its Green Bond Framework to make certain nuclear energy expenditures eligible.

Budget 2024 is announcing new measures to help get nuclear projects built in a timely, predictable, and responsible fashion.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories conducts nuclear science research that helps advance clean energy and medical technologies, as well as environmental remediation and waste management of historic nuclear sites. This work is overseen by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, a Crown corporation responsible for enabling nuclear science and technology and ensuring environmental protection at nuclear sites.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $3.1 billion over 11 years, starting in 2025-26, with $1.5 billion in remaining amortization, to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to support Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' ongoing nuclear science research, environmental protection, and site remediation work.

Canada-U.S. Energy Transformation Task Force

On March 24, 2023, the Canada-U.S. Energy Transformation Task Force was launched by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden, as a one-year joint initiative to support our collective energy security and economic growth as we transition to a clean energy future. Canada is pleased to announce the renewal of the Energy Transformation Task Force for an additional year.

Since its creation, the Energy Transformation Task Force has driven significant progress towards more secure and resilient Canada-U.S. supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear fuels, and green steel and aluminum.

Canada is a global leader in the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals. The government is investing $3.8 billion through the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to further develop Canadian value chains for critical minerals needed for our green and digital economy, including the new Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit. The Strategy will be further enabled by enhancements to the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, and Canada's new Electric Vehicle Supply Chain investment tax credit.

Canada is building on our strong partnership with the U.S. on critical minerals, underpinned by the Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration. Under the Energy Transformation Task Force, we have redoubled efforts to address issues of mutual concern such as bolstering supply security for critical minerals. Our government will continue to work in close collaboration with industry partners and our allies to support cross-border priority critical mineral projects that advance our shared interests.

Nuclear energy will play a key role in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is a Tier-1 nuclear nation with over 70 years of technological leadership, including our own national reactor technology, and a strong domestic supply chain that includes the world's largest deposit of high-grade natural uranium. Our government is taking action to support the growth of nuclear energy, including through the Clean Electricity investment tax credit, the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, the Strategic Innovation Fund, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and an updated Green Bond Framework that includes certain nuclear expenditures.

At COP28, the government and likeminded partners reaffirmed their commitment to triple nuclear energy capacity and promote public-private investment to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on non-allied countries for nuclear fuel needed for advanced and conventional nuclear energy. Through the Energy Transformation Task Force, Canada will continue to engage industry and international partners with a view to announcing concrete measures later this spring to bolster North American nuclear fuel supply chains.

Canadian steel and aluminum—among the greenest in the world—are important pillars of integrated North American manufacturing supply chains and key products to support the net-zero transition. We have invested significantly to further decarbonize our steel and aluminum sectors and to maintain their competitiveness in the green economy. As well, earlier this year, our government announced actions to increase the transparency of steel import data that will help provide more details on the origins of imported steel and align our practice with the U.S. We will continue to collaborate with the U.S. to promote common approaches for trade in low emissions green steel and aluminum goods.

Canada will continue to advance its work in partnership with the U.S., to reduce our shared exposure to production and supply chains controlled by non-likeminded countries, including by attracting investment in EV supply chains, solar, and more.

Clean Growth Hub

The Clean Growth Hub is the federal government's main source of information and advice on federal funding and other supports for clean technology projects in Canada. It directly supports up to 1,100 companies and organizations every year, ranging from emerging small businesses to Canada's world-leading clean tech companies.

Together, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Natural Resources Canada partner with 16 other departments and agencies to offer this one-stop shop to help businesses seeking to invest in Canada and create net-zero growth navigate the federal government's numerous clean economy programs and incentives—unlocking new investment and creating good jobs for Canadian workers.

• To continue supporting clean technology stakeholders to identify and access relevant support and advice, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $6.1 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, for the Clean Growth Hub.

Made-in-Canada Sustainable Investment Guidelines

The government recognizes the importance of promoting credible climate investment and combating greenwashing, to protect the integrity and fairness of the clean economy. This is critical for fostering investor confidence and mobilizing the private investment that Canada needs to help achieve a net-zero by 2050 economy.

As announced in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, the Department of Finance Canada is working with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada to undertake next steps, in consultation with regulatory agencies, the financial sector, industry, and independent experts, to develop a taxonomy that is aligned with reaching net-zero by 2050. 

This work is being informed by the Sustainable Finance Action Council's Taxonomy Roadmap Report, which provided the government with recommendations on the design of a taxonomy to identify economic activities that the financial sector could label as "green" or "transition."  The government will provide an update on the development of a Canadian taxonomy later this year.

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.2 Attracting Investment for a Net-Zero Economy

Small- and medium-sized businesses are an integral engine of Canada's economy, and they employ about 64 per cent of Canadian workers. Entrepreneurs, local small business, start-ups, growing medium-sized businesses—everywhere in Canada, there are people with good ideas, ready to grow their businesses and create good jobs. The government is ensuring Canada's investment climate sets businesses up for success.

For economic growth to reach the pace that is needed, existing businesses need support to stay competitive and scale-up. The government is taking action to help businesses scale-up their technological innovations, and implement productivity-raising technology across the economy. By cutting red tape, new and existing businesses can grow faster. Boosting access to financing from financial Crown corporations and encouraging Canada's large public pension funds to put their investments to work here at home will unlock new growth opportunities for Canadian businesses.

Through Budget 2024, the government is making it easier for new businesses to start-up and for existing businesses to grow by cutting red tape, and providing the tools businesses need to scale-up. The government is also taking steps to have Canadian public institutions and Crown corporations put their capital to work here at home and seize opportunities to increase Canada's growth and productivity.

The federal government has set up a range of programs and initiatives to help small and medium businesses thrive, and foster economic growth, including:

• Supporting small- and medium-sized businesses to hire 55,000 first year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal Trades through a grant of $5,000 towards upfront costs, such as salaries and training.
• Maintaining the lowest marginal effective tax rate (METR) in the G7, and a 5.2 percentage point competitive advantage over the average U.S. METR, to ensure Canada is a competitive place to do business.
• Secured commitments with Visa and Mastercard to lower credit card interchange fees for small businesses while protecting reward programs for consumers. These reductions are expected to save eligible Canadian small businesses approximately $1 billion over five years.
• Budget 2022 cut taxes for Canada's growing small businesses by more gradually phasing out their access to the small business tax rate.
• Ongoing support for small- and medium-sized businesses through Canada's seven Regional Development Agencies, including over $3.7 billion since 2018 to help businesses scale-up and innovate through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.
• Almost $7 billion since 2018 for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to help women-owned businesses access the financing, networks, and expertise they need to start-up, scale-up, and access new markets.
• Enhancements to the Canada Small Business Financing Program, increasing annual financing to small businesses by an estimated $560 million.
• Up to $265 million for the Black Entrepreneurship Program to help Black business owners and entrepreneurs succeed and grow their businesses.
• $150 million investment in the Indigenous Growth Fund, to help recruit other investors, and in turn provide a long-term source of capital to support continued success for Indigenous businesses.
• $49 billion in interest-free, partially forgivable loans of up to $60,000 to nearly 900,000 small businesses and not-for-profit organizations through the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).

National Regulatory Alignment

Barriers to internal trade are preventing Canada from reaching its economic potential. These barriers, most commonly the 13 different sets of regulations for each province and territory, hold back businesses from trading across provincial and territorial borders, restrict workers from moving between provinces and territories, and can increase costs for businesses as they work to overcome regulatory hurdles.

By addressing barriers to internal trade, including harmonizing regulations between provinces and territories, we can create more opportunities for Canadian businesses to grow and make life more affordable for all Canadians through greater competition and consumer choice. According to the International Monetary Fund, Canada could increase its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by as much as 4 per cent—or $2,900 per capita estimated in 2023 dollars through the reduction of internal trade barriers for interprovincial trade of goods.

In 2022, the federal government launched the Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade , which is guiding work with the provinces and territories to cut red tape. This includes a rigorous assessment of remaining federal exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and important investments in trade data and research.

Two significant milestones have now been reached, with further actions upcoming in 2024:

• The removal and streamlining of one third of all federal exceptions in the CFTA. This means the removal of 14 exceptions related to procurement that will provide Canadian businesses more opportunities to compete to deliver government goods and services. By the end of 2024, the federal government will publicly release the rationale for all remaining exceptions, and encourages provinces and territories to do the same.
• The launch of the new Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub on April 3, 2024. The Hub is an open and accessible data platform that will provide governments, businesses, and workers with timely, free information to help them make choices about where to invest and where to work. The Hub will help shine a light on where labour mobility barriers are highest and where unnecessary red tape costs businesses time and money.

The federal government is committed to working with provinces and territories to ensure goods, services, and workers move seamlessly across the country by advancing the mutual recognition of regulatory standards and eliminating unnecessary red tape for full labour mobility in the construction, health, and child care sectors.

• Budget 2024 announces that the government will launch the first-ever Canadian Survey on Interprovincial Trade in June 2024, to engage thousands of Canadian businesses on the challenges they face when buying, selling, and investing across provincial and territorial borders. The survey's insights will help identify top interprovincial barriers so that they can be eliminated.

As detailed in Chapter 1, the federal government is also leveraging federal housing financing to encourage provinces and territories to align their building codes, including to support modular housing construction, to make it easier to build more homes, faster.

The federal government will announce further progress to align the regulatory environment across the country in due course.

The New Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses

Canada's small- and medium-sized businesses keep main streets flourishing across the country, create jobs, and deliver the dream of entrepreneurship. It is essential that these businesses thrive so they can continue being the bedrock of our communities and our economy.

Pollution has a cost, one which will only rise this century as climate change causes intensifying natural disasters and more severe health effects, as detailed in Chapter 5. Canada's carbon pricing system includes a federal backstop for provinces and territories that don't put their own system in place. It's a system designed to be fair and affordable—for households, Indigenous communities, farmers, and businesses—while reducing the pollution that is causing climate change.

The government is delivering on its commitment to return proceeds from the price on pollution to small- and medium-sized businesses, by announcing an accelerated and automated return process to provide direct refunds to small- and medium-sized businesses in the provinces where the federal fuel charge applies—the new Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses.

• Proceeds would be returned directly to eligible corporations through direct payments from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), separately from CRA tax refunds.
• To receive their proceed return for each fuel charge year, corporations would be required to have filed their tax return for 2023 by July 15, 2024.
• The proposal would return proceeds for future fuel charge years, including 2024-25, in a similar manner each year.

Environment and Climate Change Canada continues to consult with Indigenous governments on how best to directly return fuel charge proceeds to their communities, and will announce next steps soon. The share of fuel charge proceeds allocated to Indigenous governments will double to 2 per cent of direct proceeds beginning this year.

Unlocking New Opportunity Through Financial Crown Corporations

Canada's financial Crown corporations support economic growth by helping businesses get the financing they need to grow; helping farmers and agri-businesses invest in new equipment and technology and support their operations; and helping companies sell their products around the world.

Canadians expect the government to make the most of their tax dollars. That is why in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement the government announced it would be reviewing the operations of the Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, and Farm Credit Canada. Based on this review:

• The amended Framework has also introduced a target solvency rating for financial Crown corporations in cases where the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has no legislative supervisory role. The amended Framework can be found in the: Capital and Dividend Policy Framework for Financial Crown Corporations .
• The Business Development Bank of Canada should increase financing for promising new and high-growth businesses and accelerate reorientation of its venture capital investments toward emerging and higher-risk sectors to help attract more private capital.
• Export Development Canada should leverage its full toolkit and authorities, including by updating internal risk management guidance to facilitate greater risk taking across its portfolio. Recognizing that success for Canadian exporters in highly competitive markets and sectors at times requires additional targeted support, Export Development Canada should also create a new stretch capital envelope to maximize potential for exporters in areas of strategic importance for Canada by taking on greater risk in deploying its capital. Having Export Development Canada take on more higher-risk, higher-impact transactions itself will reduce the need for direct support through the Canada Account. Further implementation details, including the scale and scope of the envelope, will be identified over the coming months.
• Farm Credit Canada should continue to pursue opportunities to support agri-food and agribusiness, including through venture capital investment, and further deployment of technologies to mitigate climate change. The government intends to amend the Farm Credit Canada Act to require regular legislative reviews that ensure Farm Credit Canada's activities are aligned with the sector's needs.

In focusing their mandate on driving economic growth and productivity, these Crown corporations are also expected to prioritize new financing, insurance, and advisory support to under-financed business owners, as well as increase their public reporting and engagement with Canadians. The performance incentives of senior leaders are expected to align with their organizations taking on increased risk appetite in support of economic growth objectives. For Export Development Canada, performance incentives should also encourage alignment of business activities with countries that have free trade agreements with Canada.

Investing in Canadian Start-Ups

Venture capital financing gives Canadian entrepreneurs the resources they need to start-up, scale-up, and become the next generation of Canadian anchor companies. Financing can help take new ideas from lab to market, while creating high-quality, middle-class jobs.

The Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI) strengthens Canada's venture capital ecosystem by co-investing with the private market, discovering and nurturing the next generation of globally recognized Canadian companies, and generating returns for private and public investors alike. Since 2016, the government has invested $821 million through VCCI, delivering support to over 300 companies across Canada.

• Building on this momentum, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $200 million over two years, starting 2026-27, on a cash basis, to increase access to venture capital for equity-deserving entrepreneurs, and to invest in underserved communities and outside key metropolitan hubs. 

Encouraging Pension Funds to Invest in Canada

Keeping Canada's vibrant economy strong for future generations of Canadians requires significant capital investments in our businesses, industries, and communities. Attracting higher levels of investment into Canada from all sources, including foreign and domestic private and institutional investors will raise Canada's productivity and increase living standards for all Canadians.

Pension plans are a critical pillar in Canada's retirement income system that ensures Canadians can enjoy a secure and dignified retirement. Canadian pension funds hold over $3 trillion in assets, which are invested both at home and abroad to provide secure retirement income for plan members and retirees.

The government believes that encouraging pension funds to invest in Canada more would help grow the Canadian economy and provide the stable long-term returns needed to deliver strong pensions for Canadians. In the 2023 Fall Economic Statement , the government committed to improving transparency around pension funds' investments and to working collaboratively with Canadian pension funds to create an environment that encourages and identifies more domestic investment opportunities for pension funds and other responsible institutional investors.

Canadian pension funds rely on their strong governance practices and diversified portfolios to deliver Canadians' pensions, with assets including public and private equity, infrastructure, real estate, and bonds. Canada's own economy is full of investment opportunities in these asset classes that could provide valuable contributions to pension fund portfolios. Opening up more opportunities for investment by pension funds in these domestic assets would help one of Canada's largest pools of savings contribute to the growth of the Canadian economy.

Further engagement with industry experts and pension funds will guide the government's way forward on ways to make more domestic investments available that meet the needs of pension funds.

• digital infrastructure and AI investment;
• physical infrastructure;
• airport facilities;
• venture capital investments;
• building more homes, including on public lands; and,
• the removal of the 30 per cent rule for domestic investments.

To support investments in airport facilities, the Minister of Transport will release a policy statement this summer that highlights existing flexibilities under the governance model for Canada's National Airport System airports to attract capital, including from pension funds.

• Following up on the 2023 Fall Economic Statement , Budget 2024 also proposes to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 to enable and require the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to publicly release information related to the plan investments of large federally regulated pension plans.

The information to be disclosed would be set out in regulations and would include the distribution of plan investments by jurisdiction and, within each jurisdiction, by asset class.

The government will continue to engage with provinces and territories to discuss similar disclosures by Canada's largest pension plans in a simple and uniform format.

Boosting Regional Economic Growth

To build a brighter future for communities across the country, Canada's Regional Development Agencies help businesses and innovators grow to fuel economic growth and create good middle class jobs. Through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program, businesses can access funding to scale-up, implement new technologies, improve productivity, and find new markets, helping to develop prosperous and inclusive communities across the country.

• To create jobs and boost regional economic growth, Budget 2024 proposes to provide an additional $158.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, on a cash basis, to Canada's Regional Development Agencies for the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program. A portion of this funding will be dedicated to housing innovation.

This support builds on the $200 million that Regional Development Agencies will deliver to businesses for AI adoption.

Cutting Red Tape to Boost Innovation

For innovative businesses to scale-up new ideas, they need certainty that they will be able to bring their product to market. But existing regulation can often be too outdated to fit the needs of new technologies.

To ensure regulation keeps pace with the speed of new innovations, rather than hold innovation back, the government is advancing work on regulatory "sandboxes" to create temporary rules to enable testing of products, services, or new regulatory approaches.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intent to introduce amendments to the Red Tape Reduction Act to broaden the use of regulatory sandboxes across government. The changes will enable innovation by offering limited exemptions to existing legislation and regulations, streamlining the regulatory system, and reforming regulations to modern business realities.

Supporting the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab

Since 2022, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has collaborated with Statistics Canada to provide Canadian businesses with insights and information through the Business Data Lab. This initiative provides access to real-time information and analysis, that helps Canadian businesses stay informed, and make decisions that help them stay strong and support workers.

• To advance this work, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $7.2 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab.  

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.3 Growing Businesses to Create More Jobs

4.4 A Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy 

Building an economy that is fair for everyone means making sure that every generation can seize the opportunities of the government's investments to grow the economy and create jobs.

Investing in new jobs and skills support for younger Canadians will help them get that first good job or start their first business. Strengthening labour laws and safeguarding the rights of workers will help ensure more jobs are good jobs. Skills and education investments for the next generation of workers will lead to higher productivity and benefit businesses in Canada and looking to invest in Canada who can tap into a robust, highly skilled workforce.

The federal government's generational job-creating investments today lay the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow, where good job opportunities are available to everyone.

• Helping over one million Canadians each year upgrade their skills or find new jobs by investing nearly $3 billion annually in Canada's Labour Market Development Agreements and Workforce Development Agreements with provinces and territories.
• Supporting a trades workforce that is skilled, inclusive, certified, and productive through the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy.
• Equipping close to 105,000 Canadian workers with the skills they need by increasing access to union-led training through the Union Training and Innovation Program since 2019-20, and supporting over 45,000 apprentices through interest-free Canada Apprentice Loans since 2018-19.
• Introducing labour requirements for prevailing union wages and apprenticeship opportunities in most major economic investment tax credits to ensure Canadian workers thrive in the growing clean economy.
• Ensuring workers have time to recover when they get sick, by providing ten days of paid sick leave for all federally regulated workers.
• Banning the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout in federally regulated workplaces to protect workers' right to strike and support a fairer collective bargaining process during labour disputes.

Empowering Young Entrepreneurs 

Futurpreneur Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that provides young entrepreneurs with access to financing, mentorship, and other business supports to help them launch and grow their business. For over two decades, Futurpreneur Canada's programs and offerings, supported by $161.5 million in federal funding, have helped over 17,700 young entrepreneurs to launch more than 13,900 businesses across the country, supporting thousands of jobs since its inception.

• To empower young entrepreneurs, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $60 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for Futurpreneur Canada. Futurpreneur Canada will match this federal investment with funding received from other orders of government and private sector partners.

By 2029, Futurpreneur Canada estimates this investment will enable an estimated 6,250 additional youth-owned businesses to launch and scale-up their businesses.

Futurpreneur Helps Young Entrepreneurs Scale-up Their Businesses

Sarah is a recent university graduate who wants to launch a sustainable clothing manufacturing company, but is unsure where to begin. She learns about Futurpreneur Canada. After visiting their website, she finds resources to help develop and test her business model, write a business plan and even attends a webinar to answer her questions. Now, Sarah feels confident and prepared to launch her business, but is having difficulty securing financing.

She decides to apply to Futurpreneur's Startup Program to take advantage of their financing and mentorship offering. Futurpreneur helps her finalize her business plan and cash flow, collects the necessary documentation, reviews her application and determines her business is a good fit, and provides her with financing and mentoring to help launch her business and start making sales.

Sarah is matched with an experienced business mentor who will provide her with guidance and reassurance over the next two years and receives financing of up to $20,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $40,000 from BDC to help start her business. She is also connected to various networking events with experts and other young entrepreneurs to build her business network and gain peer advice.

Investing in a Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy

Investments since Budget 2017 in skills training measures include:

Labour Market Transfer Agreements: Annual investment of nearly $3 billion enabling provinces and territories to deliver training and employment supports tailored to their unique labour market needs.

Union-based training: Over $200 million through Budget 2022 and Fall Economic Statement 2022 to expand the Union Training and Innovation Program to train more than 30,000 additional apprentices and journeypersons.

Employer-led training: Budget 2021 announced the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program to help key sectors of the economy, including the construction sector, implement solutions to address their current and emerging workforce needs. Budget 2021 also announced $250 million for the Upskilling for Industry Initiative to support more than 15,000 workers. Budget 2024 proposes $50 million over four years to provide skills training for workers in sectors disrupted by AI, and $10 million over two years to train more early childhood educators, building up the talent needed for the expansion of affordable, high-quality child care.

Apprenticeship Service: Launched the Apprenticeship Service to help first year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers. Budget 2024 proposes to provide $90 million over two years for the Apprenticeship Service to help create placements in the residential construction sector.

Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program:   Budget 2018 announced the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program to help Canadians explore the trades and make informed career choices. Budget 2024 proposes $10 million over two years to continue to encourage Canadians to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades.

Sustainable Jobs Training Fund:   Recently launched the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund to help workers upgrade or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy.

Indigenous-led training: $99.4 million per year through the co-developed Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program to help Indigenous people improve their skills and find employment.

Financial support for adult learners: About $250 million per year for the Canada Training Credit, which covers up to 50 per cent of eligible training fees.

Affordability for Apprentices: Eliminated Elimination of interest on Canada Apprentice Loans, which provides up to $4,000 per period of technical training for tuition, tools, equipment, living expenses and forgone wages.

Apprenticeship Requirements for Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits: to access the highest tax credit rates, projects must dedicate at least 10 per cent of labour hours performed by covered workers to apprentices. This provides apprentices with the crucial hours they need to complete their training.

Establishing a Right to Disconnect

Everyone needs some downtime; it is essential for well-being and mental health. As the nature of work in many industries has become increasingly digital, workers are finding it increasingly difficult to disconnect from their devices and inboxes after hours and on weekends. This has particularly impacted Millennial and Gen Z workers, many of whom have worked their whole careers without firm separation between work and personal time. 

The government is taking action to restore work-life balance for the many workers in federally regulated industries, including but not limited to financial services, telecommunications, and transportation, by moving forward with a right disconnect from work, outside of their working hours.

• This is expected to benefit up to 500,000 employees in federally regulated sectors.

Further, on the topic of worker misclassification, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency will enter into necessary data-sharing agreements to facilitate inspections and enforcement.

Modernizing the Employment Equity Act

Through the Employment Equity Act , the government promotes and improves equality and diversity in federally regulated workplaces. Since the introduction of the Employment Equity Act , continued progress has been made to address inequalities, but some workers are still facing barriers to employment and many federal workplaces fail to reflect the full diversity of Canada's population. That is why, in 2021, the government launched an arm's length Task Force to review the Act and advise on how to modernize the federal employment equity framework.

• Following the recommendations of the Task Force, Budget 2024 announces the government's intention to propose legislative amendments to modernize the Employment Equity Act , including by expanding designated equity groups.

Examining Critical Port Operations

Labour disputes and work stoppages at Canadian ports can lead to serious economic impacts by disrupting supply chains. To protect port workers and resolve the structural issues underlying port labour disputes, in 2023, the government launched the first phase of a formal review in collaboration with industrial relations experts.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $3.1 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to enable the Labour Program at Employment and Social Development Canada to complete the second phase of its review, which will explore long-term solutions to minimize labour disputes, respect the collective bargaining process, and secure the stability of Canada's supply chains. This funding would be sourced from existing departmental resources.

Extending Temporary Support for Seasonal Workers

Many seasonal workers—including in fishing and tourism sectors in Atlantic Canada and Quebec—rely on Employment Insurance for the support they need between work seasons. To address gaps in Employment Insurance support between seasons, the government introduced temporary rules in 2018 to provide up to five additional weeks—for a maximum of 45 weeks—to eligible seasonal workers in 13 economic regions. This support is set to expire in October 2024.

• Budget 2024 proposes to extend this support for seasonal workers in targeted regions until October 2026. The cost of this measure is estimated at $263.5 million over four years, starting in 2024-25. 

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.4 A Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy

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What the New Overtime Rule Means for Workers

One of the basic principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Simply put, every worker’s time has value. A cornerstone of that promise is the  Fair Labor Standards Act ’s (FLSA) requirement that when most workers work more than 40 hours in a week, they get paid more. The  Department of Labor ’s new overtime regulation is restoring and extending this promise for millions more lower-paid salaried workers in the U.S.

Overtime protections have been a critical part of the FLSA since 1938 and were established to protect workers from exploitation and to benefit workers, their families and our communities. Strong overtime protections help build America’s middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.

Some workers are specifically exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime protections, including bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees. This exemption, typically referred to as the “EAP” exemption, applies when: 

1. An employee is paid a salary,  

2. The salary is not less than a minimum salary threshold amount, and 

3. The employee primarily performs executive, administrative or professional duties.

While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• overtime rule

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