TÜBİTAK 2209-A Application Guide: Writing a Research Project Proposal

TÜBİTAK’s 2209-A University Students Research Projects Support Programme funds undergraduate students in Türkiye to carry out their own research projects under a supervisor. A well-prepared proposal increases your chances of funding and gives you your first serious research experience.

Eligibility, form templates, funding limits and deadlines may change with every call. Always read TÜBİTAK’s current call announcement and application form before applying.

Main sections of the proposal

TÜBİTAK proposals usually include:

Summary and keywords

Briefly describe the aim, method and expected outputs. Write the summary last.

Originality and scientific value

One of the most decisive sections in evaluation.

• Show the importance and timeliness of the topic with the literature.
• State clearly what existing studies leave open.
• Explain how your project addresses this gap.
• Write the research question or hypothesis and measurable objectives.

Methods

• Explain step by step what you will do to reach the objectives.
• Justify methods with the literature.
• Map each method to the objective it serves.

Project management

• Work plan: work packages (WP1, WP2…), responsible people, durations and success criteria in a table
• Risk management: possible risks and fallback plans for each critical work package
• Research facilities: laboratories, equipment and software to be used

Broader impact

Describe realistic scientific (conference papers, articles), economic and social outputs.

Budget

Justify every item by the task in the method it serves. Base amounts on current quotes and check which items the programme does not fund.

What evaluators look for

• Clear, measurable objectives
• Methods consistent with objectives
• A realistic timeline
• A justified, proportionate budget
• Planned ethics approval where needed

Common mistakes

• Claims like "for the first time" without literature support
• Vague, unmeasurable objectives
• An empty risk table
• An unjustified or inflated budget

Proposals with Academiana

Choose the "TÜBİTAK / BAP proposal" work type in Academiana and select your programme (2209-A, 2209-B, 1001, 3501, BAP or a scholarship) to get summary, originality, methods, project management, impact and budget sections. The assistant helps you show the literature gap with real sources and drafts the work plan and risk table as tables. It never invents budget amounts or programme rules; you enter them and check the call announcement.