LTRC GUIDE TO PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT 


PROPOSAL FORM AND CONTENT 
(An excerpt from the LTRC Research Manual, 2003 Edition, Chapter 2, 
Pages 14-19) 


This section provides the basic requirements for the form, sequence and 
content of the research proposal. The proposal shall contain, but is not 
limited to, the following essential elements (figure 2-4 shows required 
forms): 

A. 
PART I- IDENTIFICATION - The title sheet, which includes the 
amount of funding requested; duration of the project in months with 
beginning and ending dates indicated; a concise descriptive title for 
the proposed study; the name and business address of the 
organization which will conduct the work; the major subdivision of 
that organization responsible for the research and the name, title, 
mailing address and telephone number of the principal investigator. 
B. 
PART II - APPROVAL - For LTRC use in the process of 
modification and/or approval of the proposal. 
A. 
PART III - AMOUNTS REQUESTED FOR PROJECT - This part of 
the proposal requires an itemized list of the funds requested for the 
proposed research by types of expense and fiscal year (July 1 
through June 30). 
(1) 
PERSONNEL - List the names, positions and percentage of 
time (based on a 40-hour work week) to be spent on the 
project for all persons involved in the research, including PI, 
Co-PI, and graduate students, if applicable. When the 
percent time spent on the project varies with a given period 
(e.g. spring, fall, summer) the individual periods and 
appropriate percent time shall be listed separately for each. 
The amounts requested for each person listed must not 
exceed the proportion of total salary computed from the 
percent time spent on the project for that person. The 
salaries used as the basis for computing individual personnel 
costs shall be exclusive of the cost of employee benefits; 
however, that percentage used by the contracting agency to 
compute employee benefits shall be shown where indicated 
on the form and costs computed and included in totals. 
(2) 
NON-EXPENDABLE EQUIPMENT- Itemize only non-
expendable equipment which is to be purchased specifically 
for the performance of the study. Non-expendable 

equipment includes any items having a useful life of more 
than one year and an acquisition cost of more than $1000 
per unit. 

(3) 
CONSUMABLE SUPPLIES- This item includes the 
estimated cost of all expendable equipment, materials and 
supplies. Any item for which the cost exceeds $300 must be 
listed individually. 
(4) 
TRAVEL - Itemize expenses for trips to be made in 
connection with the research project and state the purpose 
of the trip. Expenses incurred for out-of-state travel should 
be listed separately from those for in-state travel. When 
travel expenses are requested for conferences, conventions 
and seminars in connection with the research, each instance 
must be separately identified and justified. 
(5) 
OTHER EXPENSES – Itemize all miscellaneous expenses 
associated with the project which is not included in the 
agency’s computation of indirect cost, such as those 
required for reference materials, copying, computer time and 
software, photography, etc. All costs to be incurred for 
equipment rental or use of subcontractors/consultants 
associated with the project should be listed in this section. 
(6) 
TOTAL DIRECT COST - The summation of total estimated 
costs for items (1) through (5). 
(7) 
TOTAL INDIRECT COST - This item is intended to provide 
reimbursement for general and research administration and 
overhead expenses incurred by the contracting agency in 
the prosecution of the research project for which no charge 
is made elsewhere in the study. The total indirect costs shall 
not exceed 25 percent of the total direct costs, excluding 
costs for non-expendable equipment. The actual percentage 
used and method of application shall be described in the 
proposal and shall be verifiable through audits by DOTD, 
FHWA and their representative. 
(8) 
TOTAL COSTS - The summation of total estimated costs for 
items (6) and (7). 
D. 
PART IV - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - Provide brief 
biographical sketches for the professional personnel indicated by 
Part III, Section (1), to be actively engaged in the study such that 
required expertise can be determined. 

E. 
PART V - TITLE VI STATEMENT - This portion of the proposal 
shall include a statement that the agency or contractor will comply 
with the provisions contained in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964. 
F. 
PART VI - PROPOSED RESEARCH - This portion of the proposal 
is the basic guide to the study containing the detailed description of 
the approach the PI intends to employ to complete the study and its 
potential for implementation. This portion shall contain the 
following elements in the sequence indicated: 
(1) 
PROBLEM STATEMENT – Proposer’s understanding of the 
problem to be solved through research. 
(2) 
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH - Provide concise statements 
to describe the specific aims of the work proposed and relate 
them to long-term goals. 
(3) 
METHODOLOGY - This section should describe the details 
of the researcher's approach to solving the problem: 
(a) WORK PLAN - For each phase of the proposed 
research, itemize and discuss the tasks necessary to fulfill 
the objectives. A preliminary literature search should be 
accomplished and demonstrated in the discussion. The 
discussion should include principles or theories to be used; 
devices, processes, materials or systems to be developed; 
possible solutions to the problems; critical experiments to 
test the applicability of the theory, the type and range of 
variables to be used or considered; and the methods of data 
analysis to be used including statistical methods. The 
preparation of the final report should be acknowledged. A 
draft final report should be scheduled for delivery at least 90 
days prior to the project completion date to permit time and 
charges for revisions. 
(b) WORK SCHEDULE - A time chart in the format 
shown in figure 2-5 shall indicate the proposed time 
schedule of completion for each task (and subtask when 
applicable) discussed in part (a). This should include 
periodic PRC meetings, preparation of progress, interim (if 
applicable) and final reports and other deliverables. 
(c) STAFFING PLAN - The responsibilities and time 
allocation of personnel to the required tasks should be briefly 

stated for each fiscal year for the duration of the project. 
Also include a table or chart indicating personnel by task 
with hours or percent of time and cost per task. 

(d) DELIVERABLES - A list of all deliverables along with a 
brief statement describing each one should be presented in 
this section. 
(4) 
FACILITIES AVAILABLE - The general facilities at the 
disposal of the proposing agency which are relevant to the 
study should be described, along with major items of 
permanent equipment to be used. 
(5) 
STATE OF THE KNOWLEDGE 
(a) PREVIOUS WORK BY RESEARCHERS - The 
researchers should list and describe briefly any previous 
work they have done pertinent to the proposed study. 
Personal publication on the subject area or closely related 
work should be cited. (List no more than five). It should be 
demonstrated that previous work has not attempted to solve 
the problem using the same approach. 
(b) RESULTS OBTAINED BY OTHERS - Describe the 
results of literature search for information on the findings of 
others pertinent to the proposed study. The findings 
available through TRIS are required for all studies. 
(c) SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH - The importance of 
the proposed work should be explained in this section. 
Adequate explanation must be given about how the 
proposed research will extend, modify, or refine the previous 
work of others. 
(6) 
IMPLEMENTATION - An assessment by the researcher of 
the areas of potential application of anticipated research 
findings. The form in which the findings might be reported 
(mathematical model or formula, test procedure, 
specification, design procedure, etc.) should be described. 
The specific area of practice that would be changed by the 
findings and those organizations or groups that might benefit 
from the new technology should be identified. The 
responsibility for and means of technology transfer relative to 
the study should be proposed when possible. 

(7) 
AMOUNTS REQUESTED - Provide justification for the 
itemized amounts shown in Part III for nonexpendable 
equipment, equipment rental, travel, and other items. It is 
required that the manner in which indirect costs are 
calculated and applied be stated. 
G. PART VII - LIST OF REFERENCES - A numerical list of references 
used in the text of the proposal should be included in the order referred 
to in the text.