subject: Choosing a Topical Question for Receiving a Scientific Grant [print this page] Planning the research project Most researchers start planning their researches beforehand. They weigh all pros and cons of working on a particular project and try to estimate its possible consequences for their future professional growth. It is needless to say that the appropriate measures should be imposed for the purpose of solving the problem of funding. Unfortunately, the researchers' enthusiasm is insufficient for conducting a good research. Funding could enhance the effectiveness of the research process significantly. For example, it would be possible to implement better technologies and methods while the members of the research team who receive certain monetary compensation for their efforts would demonstrate better commitment to the investigation. One should bear in mind the financial side of the issue from the very beginning of the research. The choice of the topic plays an important role in receiving the government's financial support. It is almost impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of the project before it is started. For this reason, formulating the topic and hypothesis is almost the only opportunity to persuade the commission that the project deserves the grant. The government's commissions give preference to the most topical problems because their solution would be beneficial for the society in the first place. It is advisable to find the gap in the existing scientific knowledge and try to fill it with the results of one's research. Hints for choosing a topical question 1. Having chosen several topics, a researcher should evaluate the significance of each issue for the community. It should be noted that environmental, health care and information security questions are of primary importance nowadays. 2. One should strike the balance between one's personal interests and the topicality of the question. 3. It is preferable to avoid researching too broad theoretical issues because it would reduce the effectiveness of the investigation and minimize chances for receiving a grant.
Choosing a Topical Question for Receiving a Scientific Grant
