Faculty Development

Practical issues such as the timetable or project schedule, defining who will be carrying out various tasks, what equipment or materials might be required and the project budget all need to be agreed before the research begins. One of the tasks of the researcher, working with either a research team or supervisor, is to develop milestones once the research has been designed. This type of project planning is usually necessary if you are seeking a grant, and involves breaking down the whole research project into very small steps with a timetable for each one. If you are applying for grant funding then this will need to be included in your proposal, often in great detail.

The small steps – appointing staff, searching the literature, agreeing measures, etc. – often involve much more work than people think, and so it is rewarding to see them set out and achieved rather than simply as background to the main task of gathering and analysing data. Having clear milestones helps the researcher and supervisor to assess progress and identify slippage and problems early. Software packages such as Microsoft Excel or Project Manager are useful tools to help in planning projects that are very complex, as well as for recording data.