ARGUS Proposal Criteria

The ARGUS proposal will be reviewed by several faculty members. The objectives and general approach of your proposal should be clear to all of them. They will evaluate your proposal using the criteria below.

If your proposal is not funded, you may receive a collation of the comments of the reviewers. They will indicate the areas of your proposal that need improvement, and will give you specific suggestions on how to improve them. Overall, proposals will be evaluated for intellectual merit, originality, creativity, and the potential for advancing your field. Specifically, reviewers will evaluate the following:

Abstract

  • Is there an abstract?
  • Is the project clearly defined?

Introduction

  • Does the introduction provide a context for the problem/project?
  • Does the introduction acknowledge or refer to other work in the field/discipline (for example, library references, and references to other media)?
  • Is the underlying question which prompted the research topic identified?
  • Are some of the possible answers/predictions to the question provided?

Methods

  • Is there a feasible plan or process to answer the question?
  • For the more scientific and analytic projects, is it clear how the data will be analyzed?
  • For the more creative projects, is it clear what kind of activities will be undertaken?
  • Is it clear how the results will be organized and presented?

Schedule

  • Is there a specific timeline?
  • Are deadlines clear and reasonable?
  • Can progress be easily monitored by the ARGUS sponsor?

Budget

  • Is there a realistic estimate for consumables and equipment (travel, photocopying, interlibrary loan, software, supplies, chemicals)?