Generally, research proposals fall into these three classifications: academic research proposal, solicited proposal, and unsolicited proposal.
-
Academic research proposal: This category of proposal is written by students, prepared prior to taking their final project, thesis, or dissertation. Such a research proposal serves the function of seeking approval to later execute the proposed plan. An academic proposal is commonly submitted to supervisors or individuals who authorize research in the respective academic setting.
-
Solicited research proposal: Solicited proposals are formulated as a response of an invitation or request made by individuals, institutions, organizations, or funding agencies. It is submitted because there is a party who explicitly asks for it. In this type of research proposal, the interested researchers are requested to follow specific requirements, instructions, or criteria provided by the requesting party.
-
Unsolicited research proposal: As opposed to solicited proposals, unsolicited proposals are prepared and submitted by researchers without specific invitation or request. It is typically coming from researchers’ individual interest and initiatives. Unsolicited proposal is proposed with the aim of getting financial support for the execution of their research plan.