RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Proposal

A proposal from Northwind Studio outlining the research question, method, timeline, and budget for the study.

PREPARED FOR

Acme Co

PREPARED BY

Northwind Studio

DATE

August 18, 2026

Northwind Studio

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Overview

This proposal describes the study Northwind Studio will conduct for Acme Co. It covers the research question, method, participants, timeline, and budget.

DURATION

12 weeks

From kickoff to final report.

PARTICIPANTS

40 people

Recruited and screened by our team.

DELIVERABLES

3 outputs

Research report, data set, and readout.

Research Question

Describe the primary question this study will answer, and any secondary questions that shape the design. Keep it specific enough that the method below is a clear response to it.

Objectives

Answer the primary research question with defensible evidence.
Deliver a data set your team can revisit for future analysis.
Surface implications your team can act on directly.
Leave a documented method so the study can be repeated.

Northwind Studio

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Method

The study runs in three phases. Each closes with a written deliverable your team signs off before the next begins.

PHASE 1 · DESIGN

Research design and recruitment

Refine the question, choose the method, draft the protocol, and recruit and screen participants. Closes with a signed protocol and a recruitment plan.

PHASE 2 · FIELDWORK

Data collection

Interviews, surveys, observations, or the methods agreed in Phase 1. Written progress notes each week and a mid-study check-in with your team.

PHASE 3 · ANALYSIS AND REPORT

Analysis, report, and readout

Analyze the data, write the report, share the data set, and present the findings to your team with implications and recommendations.

What is included

Research protocol and recruitment plan
Fieldwork and participant incentives
Written research report and cleaned data set
Live readout with your team

Not included: ethics board fees beyond the standard submission, third-party tools or panels beyond the recruitment allowance, and any additional analysis outside the scope above. New scope can be added in writing.

Northwind Studio

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Budget

The study is a fixed fee. Line items below map to the phases in the method.

Item	Rate	Qty	Amount
Phase 1: Design and recruitment	$7,500	1	$7,500
Phase 2: Fieldwork and data collection	$14,000	1	$14,000
Phase 3: Analysis and report	$8,500	1	$8,500
Participant incentives (40 x $50)	$50	40	$2,000
Total			$32,000

Payment Schedule

Milestone	Share	Amount
On signature	40%	$13,600
Phase 2 completion	35%	$11,900
Final report delivery	25%	$8,500

Invoices are due within 15 days. Kickoff is scheduled within 2 weeks of signature, subject to the kickoff date you provide on the acceptance page.

Northwind Studio

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Acceptance

To proceed, complete the fields below and sign. This proposal is valid for 30 days from the date on the cover.

PROJECT REFERENCE NUMBER

Enter your project or PO number

PREFERRED KICKOFF DATE

e.g. September 15, 2026

I confirm I am authorized to approve this research study.

CLIENT

Sign here

Acme Co

RESEARCHER

Sign here

Northwind Studio

About this template

The Research Proposal template is a five-page document for pitching a study. It frames the research overview with duration, participant, and deliverable stat cards, states the research question and objectives, describes the method across three phases — design and recruitment, data collection, analysis and readout — budgets the work in a table with a computed total, and ends with an acceptance page.

Define your study in Bonsai: sharpen the research question, set the participant counts, and budget each phase separately. Merge fields fill in the sponsor and date, and the acceptance page collects a project number, start date, and both signatures.

Details

Format: Doc · 5 pages

Recipients: Client + Provider

Signature: Required

Merge fields: Sender, Receiver, Date