Research and innovation are two of the most important pieces of any successful research program. The subject matter of the project does not matter. Any kind of research has the potential to bring the right results, if combined with innovation.
Of course, European research projects are made up of several pillars. At the same time, they are affected by many different parameters. As a result, every move that is taking place and contributing to the creation of a European research project must be careful and focused on achieving its goal.
A very important step that can help to create a strong research project is the creation of a research idea. Research ideas enable researchers to make steady moves following a certain flow. That’s why it’s always good for European projects to rely on research ideas rather than the opposite. You will notice that a project that has been built to implement a particular idea has far greater chances of success than a project without research ideas as a basis.
In this article, we will give you the most important steps that one has to take in order to write a good research idea that will be funding worthy. Here are the 5 most basic steps to write a successful research idea.
STEP 1
Write about a subject you are familiar with. It is common for many researchers to try to write about things they do not know, in an effort to link them to their own scientific field. Sometimes this is fateful because it is not easy for someone to write about a subject they are not familiar with. Let alone a research idea!
You must ensure that your research idea affects your field of expertise. This way, you will be able to focus on creating a research idea that you can support using both your own experience and the tools you use in your field.
Step 2
Look for scientific research that can help you support the research idea. No research idea will have the prestige that suits it if there is no suitable evidence to support it. There will surely be studies that can support your idea. You have to find them.
It does not matter if you include your sources in the presentation of the idea. What is important is to be able to support your idea, if asked to do so, and know that the information you use is scientifically valid.
Step 3
Spot the need. Find your target groups. It is very important to know who the research idea is for. This will help you identify the need for change. At the same time, if you have already spotted the need then finding the target group is going to be easier.
As a result, you will be able not only to present a well-written idea but also suggest good practices and actions that will, in the best circumstances, change current situations for the better.
Step 4
What is it that will make your idea stand out? When there is a need for improvement, there is always more than one idea, trying to meet that need. This means that there will be many ideas with the same theme, just like yours. Ideas that will try to solve the same problem. All these ideas will compete for the same funding. So what makes your idea better than the rest?
Innovation is always a very good idea. By adding innovation into a research idea, you automatically make it much more interesting. The aim is to attract the interest of all possible partners that could include your research idea to their proposal and also for it to be good enough to receive funding. What kinds of innovative practices could your research idea support? How can it bring substantial change?
Step 5
What will the impact of the idea be? If there is one thing in every proposal that is of interest to the National Agency and can be a focal point for the possible funding of the proposal, then that is the impact the proposal will have, both short and the long term.
A research idea must have a very strong impact that will surely be as long-term as possible. The impact should be substantial and indeed solve major problems that may have arisen. The impact should be visible both in the proposal and in the description of the idea. It is not easy for a proposal to receive European funding, especially not when its information is not clear.
These 5 Steps are the most important steps that you need to take to be able to write a good research idea. Of course, depending on the subject of the idea might see the need to add more steps. Still, you will notice that these 5 will always be in the very center of the entire process of writing your research idea.
No matter how much experience someone might have in writing proposals for the implementation of European projects, every new proposal is also a new challenge. A solid research idea can make that challenge a lot easier!
