Guidelines for Writing Research Proposals - Mechanical Engineering Faculty

The following are the guidelines for writing graduate research proposals. They are designed to guide, and not restrict, advisors and students.

Two weeks before the due date, all the required documents (in PDF format) must be emailed to the Office of Graduate Studies. Following the Faculty’s recommendation for approval, the material will be sent to the Graduate School for approval.

Research Proposal for a Master’s Degree

1-2 pages.

Structure: The proposal must include the research title in Hebrew and English, the student’s name and ID number, the names of the advisors and their roles (head advisor, additional advisor*, consultant), a brief overview of the research topic, reference to existing work on the subject in the literature (with several important references), the purpose of the work and its novelty, and details of the research methods.

Attach the Research Proposal for a Master’s Degree Form to the proposal, completed and signed by the student and advisor.

*If another advisor or consultant is appointed, indicate the area of expertise of each advisor/consultant and how that area relates to the research topic and complements the area of expertise of the head advisor. In addition, if the additional advisor/consultant does not have a Technion appointment, their resume must be attached to the research proposal.

Research Proposal with a Request for Admission to a PhD Program (Standard Research Track)

3-5 pages.

Structure: The research proposal must include the advisor’s name, research area, scientific background (including a brief literature review), research objectives, research plan (including a brief technical description) and a bibliography.

Research Proposal with a Request to Transfer to the Direct PhD Track

3-5 pages.

Structure: The proposal must include the research title in Hebrew and English, the student’s name and ID number, the names and roles of all the advisors (head advisor, additional advisor*, consultant), and two main sections as follows:

An abstract of the MSc thesis up to that date. If an article about the research was written, it can be attached instead of part of the abstract.
The research plan for the PhD, emphasizing its novelty and adapting the work and its scope to the framework of a doctorate. Also specify the proposed research methods for the expanded research. This second part must also include a convincing explanation for switching to a doctoral program (the subject matter has the potential for being expanded into a PhD).

Research Proposals for PhD Exams (Concise Description)

25-30 pages (according to the Technion’s regulations).

Structure: The research proposal must include the research title in Hebrew and English, the student’s name and ID number, and the names and roles of all advisors (head advisor, additional advisor*, consultant).

In addition, the proposal should include an abstract, a review of the research background (including a literature review), the objectives and novelty of the study, details of the research methods, and preliminary results (which may be limited). In the case of a transition from a master’s degree in a direct track, instead of the preliminary results, the description must include a summary of the research carried out up to that point.

Attach the Research Proposal for a PhD Degree Form to the proposal, completed and signed by the student and the advisor.

The material must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. Following the Faculty’s recommendation for approval, it will be sent to the Graduate School for approval.