-Project title: Chose one of research project titles supplied.
1. Investigation of the role of transgenerational epigenetics in a mammalian model.
2.Identifying ncRNAs involved in regulating growth and development in a plant model.
3.Epigenetic reprogramming in colorectal cancer.
-Please provide a lay abstract for your proposed research, which will be used to inform a general, non-expert audience. (Max 300 words)
-Please provide details of your proposed research to include
(a) aims, objectives and central research questions of the project,
(b) how existing literature on the topic has been used to inform the proposal and
(c) how the project will advance state of the art and make a contribution to existing knowledge. (Max 600 words)
-Please detail the research design and methodologies to be employed in carrying out your project which should include expected outcomes upon completion
of the proposed research. Should also contain a gantt chart highlighting key milestones. (Max 600 words)
-Please provide a list of references used in your proposal.

Research guidelines
• Project title: Chose one of research project titles supplied. (Titles options for the research plan FILE)

• Please provide a lay abstract for your proposed research, which will be used to inform a general, non-expert audience. (Max 300 words).

• Please provide details of your proposed research to include:
(a) aims, objectives and central research questions of the project,
(b) how existing literature on the topic has been used to inform the proposal and
(c) how the project will advance state of the art and make a contribution to existing knowledge. (Max 600 words).

• Please detail the research design and methodologies to be employed in carrying out your project which should include expected outcomes upon completion of the proposed research. Should also contain a gantt chart highlighting key milestones. (Max 600 words).

• Please provide a list of references used in your proposal.

What is a research plan?
A research plan is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address.
It begins by outlining the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic.
It will then outline the original aspect of your proposed research.
Next it will explain the methods that will be used to investigate your chosen research question, make clear the realistic timelines and describe the expected outcomes.
A research plan is a document that proposes a certain project to be undertaken in the future. These can be used to:
• – Apply for funding for a particular project
• – Persuade collaborators / donors of the validity of your research idea
• – Demonstrate your knowledge of the methodology in the field
• – Develops your ability to critically evaluate a research topic

What is required in the ‘lay abstract’?

-A lay summary is a brief summary of a research project or a research proposal that has been written for members of the public, rather than researchers or professionals. It should be written in plain English, avoid the use of jargon and explain any technical terms that have to be included.
-A lay audience is diverse and includes:
members of the general public – people living with a particular disease – venture capitalists/donors
researchers in different disciplines that could be potential research collaborators
-A lay summary is intended to explain:
1. Why the research is being suggested
2. What you aim to achieve
3. How the work may impact the rest of the research community and/or the quality of life of people with a particular disease
Why are lay summaries important?
 Demonstrates accountability to tax payers/donors for the use of funds
 Can attract funding from venture capitalists / donors for research area
 Explains research to wider community to demonstrate how research is helping to meet the needs of society
 Helps attract the support and confidence of the public
 Increases participation in research by people living with diseases that researchers wish to study

How to write a lay summary:

• Word usage: The text should be written in an easily readable style. Use short, clear sentences broken up into paragraphs for readability, and avoid complex grammatical structures where possible. Avoid jargon and technical terms, wherever possible – if you have to use them provide a clear explanation.
• Structure: Break your text up into sections and avoid really long paragraphs. The text should be ordered logically and flow naturally.
A lay summary should contain the following:
• Brief background/context
• Aim of study
• How you will go about the research
• The information the research will provide.
• Express ideas in the active voice: Text should be written in the active voice (“I… you..”). i.e. “I will investigate xxxx” rather than “xxxxx will be investigated”.
• Straightforward to read: The writer should limit the memory load on readers – don’t ask them to remember too much jargon/abstract information. The first sentence should offer a concise introduction to the text. Keep sentences short and avoid complicated sentence structure (e.g. lots of semicolons)
Examples:
Bad: Pathogenic research to date has focused on the ~1.5% of the genome that codes for protein, but the remainder is now known to be rich in functional elements that regulate protein production or encode small, non-protein molecules.
Better: Scientists looking for possible genetic causes of this disease are beginning to study many more genes – even some previously dismissed as ‘junk’ that are now known to be important.
Bad: Lower back pain is a chronic problem affecting many millions of people.
Better: The latest data from the HSE show that the leading cause of disability in Ireland is now lower back pain: three out of four people will suffer from it at some point in their lives
Bad: Blood macrophages play a crucial role in atherosclerosis due to scavenging oxidised LDL. CD36 receptors bind and internalise OxLDL. We will use whole genome microarrays to evaluate the transcriptional profile of macrophages after stimulation of CD36 with OxLDL. Better: White blood cells known as macrophages are important in the process of fatty build- up in the artery wall, called atherosclerosis. A specialized protein receptor, CD36, on the macrophage surface sticks to ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and brings the fatty deposit into the cell. Using ‘gene chip’ technology, we will study the changes that occur inside macrophages when CD36 recognises and interacts with cholesterol.

What is required in the ‘details of your proposed research’ ?

(a) aims, objectives and central research questions of the project: (A statement of the problem)
The context and background of the research topic, as well as the rationale for undertaking the research, should be outlined in this section. Reference to key literature should be included to strengthen the rationale for conducting the research. This will enable the reader to understand what the research will be about and why it is important. The aims of the research relate to the purpose of conducting the research and what you specifically want to achieve.
(b) how existing literature on the topic has been used to inform the proposal: (A summary of the literature and a description of the gap in the literature)
This should expand on the key literature referred to above. The review of the literature will need to go further than listing individual studies or theories. You will need to demonstrate an awareness of the current state of knowledge and an understanding of key lines of argument and debates on the topic / issue. The literature will need to be critically analysed and evaluated rather than just described. This means demonstrating how studies, arguments and debates are linked and how the existing body of research links to your own research area.
(c) how the project will advance state of the art and make a contribution to existing knowledge: (A purpose statement)
The research questions should be formulated to show how you will achieve the aims of the research and what you want to find out.

What is required in the ‘research design and methodologies?
Research design and methodologies:
In this section you should explain how you plan to conduct your research, what are the methods that you will employ to collect information for your project, and how you might analyse the data.
It’s a good idea to have separate subsections for each aim so that the work to be done for each is clearly stated.
If there are any challenges that you might expect to experience (e.g. lots of data analysis or optimisation of a new technique required) then be sure to mention these and how you plan to overcome them. It’s good to show that you’ve thought about potential problems!

xpected outcomes:
Referring back to your aims, what do you think that this research will achieve.
These should be realistic… you do not need to expect to ‘cure a disease’ with one project. Instead, suggest the new knowledge / technique / resource that will be generated by this work.
Examples:
– This work will identify the role of DNA methylation in regulation of gene expression in xxxxx
– These findings will allow for comparison of differential histone modification during development of xxxxx
– This will provide a catalogue of novel ncRNAs expressed in xxxxxx

Gantt chart
Gantt chart highlighting key milestones: A Gantt chart is a visual view of tasks scheduled over time. Gantt charts are used for planning projects of all sizes and they are a useful way of showing what work is scheduled to be done and when. They also help you view the start and end dates of a project in one simple view.

How to make a simple Gantt chart:
1. List your activities. Make a list of everything that you plan to do in the project. Take your
methodology and turn it into a step-by-step plan.
2. Estimate the time required. Estimate how long you think different components on the
project (sample acquisition, technique optimisation, analysis) will take.
3. Put activities in order. What is the first thing that you are going to do? What will you do
next? What will you do after that?
4. Divide up the time. Research projects are usually 3-4 years so you can break the time up
into 6 month blocks.
5. Put it together as an image using powerpoint, excel, word etc.

What is required in the ‘references’?
Please provide a list of references used in your proposal.
The reference list should include all sources cited in the research proposal. There is no prescribed style but choose one and use it throughout!
(CHECK Guidelines to referencing FILE)