I wrote my first formal research proposal for a software fellowship offered by The Molecular Sciences Software Institute(MolSSI). MolSSI invited two-page proposals on developing software for challenging computational chemistry problems. My proposal was not recommended for funding, but there were some valuable lessons I learned from this experience.

My first lesson had less to do with the content of the proposal and more with the importance of proper planning. I did not start writing well ahead of time and, hence, missed out on getting comprehensive feedback. A proposal is rarely polished after only a few iterations of feedback and corrections. One should have a first draft ready a couple of months in advance to get feedback from people with different levels of exposure to the topic. This would help ensure that the proposal is clear and convincing to a broad audience.

Secondly, as I saw in the reviews, a successful proposal is not just about the importance of the research question. The reviewers look at various aspects of the candidate’s profile, like the nature and the outcome of previous projects. They need to be confident in the candidate’s ability to deliver. For this particular application, my GitHub profile was scrutinized. My repos fell short of basic best practices, and two reviewers clearly pointed that out. Another area where I likely lost points was the lack of peer-reviewed publications from my previous work.

Thirdly, it is essential to propose a realistic timeline on top of a great idea. My reviewers weren’t convinced that what I was proposing could be completed in the timeframe of the fellowship, even though some agreed it was an interesting direction to pursue.

Aside from learning what I could improve for next time, I enjoyed the experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of literature I could digest and the new ideas I could come up with. Moreover, a few reviewers did find merit in my proposal, with one comment being “well-written,” which was encouraging.

I look forward to my first successful proposal where I can refer back to this post about incorporating these lessons :)