Required Sections and Content for the Research Project Proposal Memo
I. Problem, Issue, or Controversy; Current Situation Caused by this Problem; and Need or
Importance of Making a Change
Provide any general background information necessary for the reader to understand the
how the problem, issue, or controversy has developed.
Describe the problem, issue, or controversy.
Explain how the problem, issue, or controversy is negatively affecting professionals in
your chosen career field as well as their employers and clients to prove that the problem,
issue, or controversy needs to be addressed immediately. You can achieve this by
stressing any negative consequences, missed opportunities, limitations, misconceptions,
or unsatisfactory alternatives associated with allowing the current situation to remain as it
stands.
Support your discussion using documented evidence, statistics, examples, case studies,
expert testimony, researched facts, and/or personal experience.
II. Recommendation and Explanation of the Best Possible Solution
State the solution to the problem, issue, or controversy you discussed in Section I by
formulating an active recommendation statement that states, “Agent should perform
Action.” The agent should be the group of professionals in your chosen career field who
can do something to resolve the situation. The action will be the implementation of the
new process or method, state-of-the-art technology, advanced piece of equipment, or
opportunity for improvement that you have chosen to study for the remainder of the
semester. Use this statement as a topic sentence.
Include any background information, definitions, and explanations that I will need to
understand why this solution is the best approach to resolving the problem, issue, or
controversy. However, remember that your purpose is not to tell me all about the subject;
at this point, you just need to get me interested and convince me that the recommendation
makes sense.
Provide documented evidence that the improvement is feasible.
III. Future Benefits and Results of Enacting the Proposed Solution
Discuss how resolving the current problem, issue, or controversy using your proposed
solution would benefit professionals in your chosen career field as well as their
employers and clients, both directly and indirectly.
Predict possible future improvements in safety, cost, efficiency, quality, the nation’s
economy, social conditions, environmental health, etc., that could occur if this problem,
issue, or controversy is resolved using your proposed solution.
Support these claims with some documented evidence.
