Taken together, the third year proposals, the fourth year original research proposal, and the proposal writing course provide scholars with a solid foundation in creating and communicating original research. The original research proposal is the penultimate outgrowth of these efforts, followed by the dissertation.

All fourth year scholars must present and defend an original research proposal in the first semester of the fourth year. It is essential that the proposal not overlap significantly with any ongoing research at Emory. 

The Original Research Proposal must be completed by November 30 of the fourth year. The written component is due to the committee at least one week before the oral presentation.

Guidelines

• Scholars should use the NIH Research Training Proposal requirements as a guideline for the written proposal.
• The oral presentation should:
  • Clearly define the proposed problem and how the proposed research would be accomplished
  • Include approximately one dozen PowerPoint slides or other visual aids

The scholar is responsible for scheduling a date, time, and location for the oral defense with their committee and for ensuring the location meets any technology needs.

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