Writing a PhD research proposal? You’ll need these three sentences

The research proposals that get people onto PhD programmes - the ones that have reviewers thinking “Finally, someone who can actually write!” - they all have one thing in common:

They are clear.

It’s obvious from the first page what the person wants to do, why it matters, how they plan to do it, and why that’s the right approach. No guesswork. No decoding hieroglyphics.

Honestly, the ones that land best are actually enjoyable to read. Yes, even for tired academics who’ve read 12 proposals that week already.

I say this as someone who’s read a lot of PhD proposals. I’ve seen the ones that made me want to cry... and the ones that felt like the sun coming out after three weeks of drizzle. Those great ones? I still remember them years later.

So how do you write a research proposal that feels like a breath of fresh air? Start by including these three sentences. They're deceptively simple, but they will make your proposal easier to read, easier to follow, and far more persuasive.

Let’s go.

“Despite existing research on X, there remains…”

This one goes in your background or literature review section, and it’s where you spell out what’s missing from current research.

Not hint at. Not vaguely allude to. Spell out.

PhD supervisors and reviewers aren’t just looking for an interesting topic, they want to know it’s needed. That it fills a gap. That it moves things forward.

You’re not saying “I have an idea.” You’re saying, “I’ve read the literature, and here’s what still needs doing.”

Try one of these templates:

“Despite existing research on [TOPIC], there remains a lack of understanding about [GAP].”

“While several studies have examined [TOPIC], few have focused on [YOUR SPECIFIC ANGLE].”

“The existing literature has prioritised [X], but less attention has been paid to [Y].”

Example: “Despite existing research on nurse burnout, there remains a lack of understanding about how early-career nurses in emergency departments develop resilience strategies.”

Get specific. Be clear. Make it easy for the reader to see the gap, don’t make them guess. Because a confused reviewer? Always says no.

“This project aims to…”

Put this in your introduction. Make it loud and proud.

This is the line that tells the reader exactly what your research is going to do. Not what you’re thinking about doing. Not what you might explore. What you are actually doing.

You’d be surprised how many proposals lose the plot right here. You don’t want a reviewer squinting at your third paragraph, still wondering what your study is actually about.

Use one of these templates:

“This project aims to [DO WHAT] by [HOW] in order to [WHY].”

“The aim of this study is to explore [WHAT] through [METHOD].”

“This research will investigate [TOPIC] using [METHOD] to understand [PURPOSE].”

Example: “This project aims to explore how early-career nurses develop resilience in high-pressure environments by conducting semi-structured interviews with staff in three UK hospitals.”

Try it with your own topic. It doesn’t have to be perfectly worded right away. Start messy, tidy up later.

“This research will contribute to…”

Now we’re into the so what. This is your contribution sentence, the one that shows your project has value beyond just being “interesting.”

Funders, reviewers, and supervisors want to know: Why does this matter? Who benefits?

This is where you show that your research has a purpose. That it contributes to knowledge, to practice, to policy, to someone, somewhere.

Try one of these:

“This research will contribute to [FIELD] by [DOING WHAT].”

“The findings are expected to inform [POLICY/THEORY/PRACTICE] in [AREA].”

“This study seeks to advance understanding of [ISSUE] and support [GROUP/STAKEHOLDER].”

Example: “This research will contribute to nursing practice by providing insights into how resilience is cultivated and sustained in early-career professionals working in acute settings.”

Keep it grounded. Keep it real. Think about the shelf your research will sit on, which debates it joins, which conversations it moves forward.

If you remember nothing else from this post, remember this: Clarity beats cleverness. Every single time.

You can have the most brilliant idea in the world, but if your proposal leaves the reviewer confused, it won’t get the green light.

Plug your own ideas into the templates, try them out, and see how they sound.

And if you want more help with the whole research proposal thing, how detailed it needs to be, how much lit review to include, how to frame your method, check out my Research Proposal Guide. It’s step-by-step, zero-fluff, and made to walk you through this whole process without the panic.