Download the template. It is modeled after the format for an NIH grant proposal.

You’ll see it has a Title Page, a Project Summary (a one-paragraph abstract) on the second page, and then Significance, Innovation, and Approach sections. NIH has specific guidelines for these sections, which I provide below, revised for brevity. Not all these guidelines are applicable to every study.

Significance:
¥ Explain the importance of the problem that the proposed project addresses.
¥ Describe the scientific premise for the proposed project, including consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of published research or preliminary data crucial to the support of your application.
¥ Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge.

Innovation:
¥ Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current knowledge.
¥ Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s) to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or intervention(s).

Approach:
¥ Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe the experimental design and methods proposed and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results.
¥ Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.
¥ Explain how relevant variables such as age, sex, or background are factored into research designs and analyses for your studies.
¥ Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You must propose an original, empirical study involving data collection.
On : plasticity in learning and cortical development

Make sure your References are all cited in the proposal, and that the formatting is consistent throughout (APA) at least 7 sources (articles)