development of research plan

How to write a research plan: Step-by-step guide

Last updated

30 January 2024

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Today’s businesses and institutions rely on data and analytics to inform their product and service decisions. These metrics influence how organizations stay competitive and inspire innovation. However, gathering data and insights requires carefully constructed research, and every research project needs a roadmap. This is where a research plan comes into play.

Read this step-by-step guide for writing a detailed research plan that can apply to any project, whether it’s scientific, educational, or business-related.

• What is a research plan?

A research plan is a documented overview of a project in its entirety, from end to end. It details the research efforts, participants, and methods needed, along with any anticipated results. It also outlines the project’s goals and mission, creating layers of steps to achieve those goals within a specified timeline.

Without a research plan, you and your team are flying blind, potentially wasting time and resources to pursue research without structured guidance.

The principal investigator, or PI, is responsible for facilitating the research oversight. They will create the research plan and inform team members and stakeholders of every detail relating to the project. The PI will also use the research plan to inform decision-making throughout the project.

• Why do you need a research plan?

Create a research plan before starting any official research to maximize every effort in pursuing and collecting the research data. Crucially, the plan will model the activities needed at each phase of the research project .

Like any roadmap, a research plan serves as a valuable tool providing direction for those involved in the project—both internally and externally. It will keep you and your immediate team organized and task-focused while also providing necessary definitions and timelines so you can execute your project initiatives with full understanding and transparency.

External stakeholders appreciate a working research plan because it’s a great communication tool, documenting progress and changing dynamics as they arise. Any participants of your planned research sessions will be informed about the purpose of your study, while the exercises will be based on the key messaging outlined in the official plan.

Here are some of the benefits of creating a research plan document for every project:

Project organization and structure

Well-informed participants

All stakeholders and teams align in support of the project

Clearly defined project definitions and purposes

Distractions are eliminated, prioritizing task focus

Timely management of individual task schedules and roles

Costly reworks are avoided

• What should a research plan include?

The different aspects of your research plan will depend on the nature of the project. However, most official research plan documents will include the core elements below. Each aims to define the problem statement , devising an official plan for seeking a solution.

Specific project goals and individual objectives

Ideal strategies or methods for reaching those goals

Required resources

Descriptions of the target audience, sample sizes , demographics, and scopes

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Project background

Research and testing support

Preliminary studies and progress reporting mechanisms

Cost estimates and change order processes

Depending on the research project’s size and scope, your research plan could be brief—perhaps only a few pages of documented plans. Alternatively, it could be a fully comprehensive report. Either way, it’s an essential first step in dictating your project’s facilitation in the most efficient and effective way.

• How to write a research plan for your project

When you start writing your research plan, aim to be detailed about each step, requirement, and idea. The more time you spend curating your research plan, the more precise your research execution efforts will be.

Account for every potential scenario, and be sure to address each and every aspect of the research.

Consider following this flow to develop a great research plan for your project:

Define your project’s purpose

Start by defining your project’s purpose. Identify what your project aims to accomplish and what you are researching. Remember to use clear language.

Thinking about the project’s purpose will help you set realistic goals and inform how you divide tasks and assign responsibilities. These individual tasks will be your stepping stones to reach your overarching goal.

Additionally, you’ll want to identify the specific problem, the usability metrics needed, and the intended solutions.

Know the following three things about your project’s purpose before you outline anything else:

What you’re doing

Why you’re doing it

What you expect from it

Identify individual objectives

With your overarching project objectives in place, you can identify any individual goals or steps needed to reach those objectives. Break them down into phases or steps. You can work backward from the project goal and identify every process required to facilitate it.

Be mindful to identify each unique task so that you can assign responsibilities to various team members. At this point in your research plan development, you’ll also want to assign priority to those smaller, more manageable steps and phases that require more immediate or dedicated attention.

Select research methods

Once you have outlined your goals, objectives, steps, and tasks, it’s time to drill down on selecting research methods . You’ll want to leverage specific research strategies and processes. When you know what methods will help you reach your goals, you and your teams will have direction to perform and execute your assigned tasks.

Research methods might include any of the following:

User interviews : this is a qualitative research method where researchers engage with participants in one-on-one or group conversations. The aim is to gather insights into their experiences, preferences, and opinions to uncover patterns, trends, and data.

Field studies : this approach allows for a contextual understanding of behaviors, interactions, and processes in real-world settings. It involves the researcher immersing themselves in the field, conducting observations, interviews, or experiments to gather in-depth insights.

Card sorting : participants categorize information by sorting content cards into groups based on their perceived similarities. You might use this process to gain insights into participants’ mental models and preferences when navigating or organizing information on websites, apps, or other systems.

Focus groups : use organized discussions among select groups of participants to provide relevant views and experiences about a particular topic.

Diary studies : ask participants to record their experiences, thoughts, and activities in a diary over a specified period. This method provides a deeper understanding of user experiences, uncovers patterns, and identifies areas for improvement.

Five-second testing: participants are shown a design, such as a web page or interface, for just five seconds. They then answer questions about their initial impressions and recall, allowing you to evaluate the design’s effectiveness.

Surveys : get feedback from participant groups with structured surveys. You can use online forms, telephone interviews, or paper questionnaires to reveal trends, patterns, and correlations.

Tree testing : tree testing involves researching web assets through the lens of findability and navigability. Participants are given a textual representation of the site’s hierarchy (the “tree”) and asked to locate specific information or complete tasks by selecting paths.

Usability testing : ask participants to interact with a product, website, or application to evaluate its ease of use. This method enables you to uncover areas for improvement in digital key feature functionality by observing participants using the product.

Live website testing: research and collect analytics that outlines the design, usability, and performance efficiencies of a website in real time.

There are no limits to the number of research methods you could use within your project. Just make sure your research methods help you determine the following:

What do you plan to do with the research findings?

What decisions will this research inform? How can your stakeholders leverage the research data and results?

Recruit participants and allocate tasks

Next, identify the participants needed to complete the research and the resources required to complete the tasks. Different people will be proficient at different tasks, and having a task allocation plan will allow everything to run smoothly.

Prepare a thorough project summary

Every well-designed research plan will feature a project summary. This official summary will guide your research alongside its communications or messaging. You’ll use the summary while recruiting participants and during stakeholder meetings. It can also be useful when conducting field studies.

Ensure this summary includes all the elements of your research project . Separate the steps into an easily explainable piece of text that includes the following:

An introduction: the message you’ll deliver to participants about the interview, pre-planned questioning, and testing tasks.

Interview questions: prepare questions you intend to ask participants as part of your research study, guiding the sessions from start to finish.

An exit message: draft messaging your teams will use to conclude testing or survey sessions. These should include the next steps and express gratitude for the participant’s time.

Create a realistic timeline

While your project might already have a deadline or a results timeline in place, you’ll need to consider the time needed to execute it effectively.

Realistically outline the time needed to properly execute each supporting phase of research and implementation. And, as you evaluate the necessary schedules, be sure to include additional time for achieving each milestone in case any changes or unexpected delays arise.

For this part of your research plan, you might find it helpful to create visuals to ensure your research team and stakeholders fully understand the information.

Determine how to present your results

A research plan must also describe how you intend to present your results. Depending on the nature of your project and its goals, you might dedicate one team member (the PI) or assume responsibility for communicating the findings yourself.

In this part of the research plan, you’ll articulate how you’ll share the results. Detail any materials you’ll use, such as:

Presentations and slides

A project report booklet

A project findings pamphlet

Documents with key takeaways and statistics

Graphic visuals to support your findings

• Format your research plan

As you create your research plan, you can enjoy a little creative freedom. A plan can assume many forms, so format it how you see fit. Determine the best layout based on your specific project, intended communications, and the preferences of your teams and stakeholders.

Find format inspiration among the following layouts:

Written outlines

Narrative storytelling

Visual mapping

Graphic timelines

Remember, the research plan format you choose will be subject to change and adaptation as your research and findings unfold. However, your final format should ideally outline questions, problems, opportunities, and expectations.

• Research plan example

Imagine you’ve been tasked with finding out how to get more customers to order takeout from an online food delivery platform. The goal is to improve satisfaction and retain existing customers. You set out to discover why more people aren’t ordering and what it is they do want to order or experience. 

You identify the need for a research project that helps you understand what drives customer loyalty . But before you jump in and start calling past customers, you need to develop a research plan—the roadmap that provides focus, clarity, and realistic details to the project.

Here’s an example outline of a research plan you might put together:

Project title

Project members involved in the research plan

Purpose of the project (provide a summary of the research plan’s intent)

Objective 1 (provide a short description for each objective)

Objective 2

Objective 3

Proposed timeline

Audience (detail the group you want to research, such as customers or non-customers)

Budget (how much you think it might cost to do the research)

Risk factors/contingencies (any potential risk factors that may impact the project’s success)

Remember, your research plan doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel—it just needs to fit your project’s unique needs and aims.

Customizing a research plan template

Some companies offer research plan templates to help get you started. However, it may make more sense to develop your own customized plan template. Be sure to include the core elements of a great research plan with your template layout, including the following:

Introductions to participants and stakeholders

Background problems and needs statement

Significance, ethics, and purpose

Research methods, questions, and designs

Preliminary beliefs and expectations

Implications and intended outcomes

Realistic timelines for each phase

Conclusion and presentations

How many pages should a research plan be?

Generally, a research plan can vary in length between 500 to 1,500 words. This is roughly three pages of content. More substantial projects will be 2,000 to 3,500 words, taking up four to seven pages of planning documents.

What is the difference between a research plan and a research proposal?

A research plan is a roadmap to success for research teams. A research proposal, on the other hand, is a dissertation aimed at convincing or earning the support of others. Both are relevant in creating a guide to follow to complete a project goal.

What are the seven steps to developing a research plan?

While each research project is different, it’s best to follow these seven general steps to create your research plan:

Defining the problem

Identifying goals

Choosing research methods

Recruiting participants

Preparing the brief or summary

Establishing task timelines

Defining how you will present the findings

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Write Your Research Plan

In this part, we give you detailed information about writing an effective Research Plan. We start with the importance and parameters of significance and innovation.

We then discuss how to focus the Research Plan, relying on the iterative process described in the Iterative Approach to Application Planning Checklist shown at Draft Specific Aims  and give you advice for filling out the forms.

You'll also learn the importance of having a well-organized, visually appealing application that avoids common missteps and the importance of preparing your just-in-time information early.

While this document is geared toward the basic research project grant, the R01, much of it is useful for other grant types.

Table of Contents

Research plan overview and your approach, craft a title, explain your aims, research strategy instructions, advice for a successful research strategy, graphics and video, significance, innovation, and approach, tracking for your budget, preliminary studies or progress report, referencing publications, review and finalize your research plan, abstract and narrative.

Your application's Research Plan has two sections:

• Specific Aims —a one-page statement of your objectives for the project.
• Research Strategy —a description of the rationale for your research and your experiments in 12 pages for an R01.

In your Specific Aims, you note the significance and innovation of your research; then list your two to three concrete objectives, your aims.

Your Research Strategy is the nuts and bolts of your application, where you describe your research rationale and the experiments you will conduct to accomplish each aim. Though how you organize it is largely up to you, NIH expects you to follow these guidelines.

• Organize using bold headers or an outline or numbering system—or both—that you use consistently throughout.
• Start each section with the appropriate header: Significance, Innovation, or Approach.
• Organize the Approach section around your Specific Aims.

Format of Your Research Plan

To write the Research Plan, you don't need the application forms. Write the text in your word processor, turn it into a PDF file, and upload it into the application form when it's final.

Because NIH may return your application if it doesn't meet all requirements, be sure to follow the rules for font, page limits, and more. Read the instructions at NIH’s Format Attachments .

For an R01, the Research Strategy can be up to 12 pages, plus one page for Specific Aims. Don't pad other sections with information that belongs in the Research Plan. NIH is on the lookout and may return your application to you if you try to evade page limits.

Follow Examples

As you read this page, look at our Sample Applications and More  to see some of the different strategies successful PIs use to create an outstanding Research Plan.

Keeping It All In Sync

Writing in a logical sequence will save you time.

Information you put in the Research Plan affects just about every other application part. You'll need to keep everything in sync as your plans evolve during the writing phase.

It's best to consider your writing as an iterative process. As you develop and finalize your experiments, you will go back and check other parts of the application to make sure everything is in sync: the "who, what, when, where, and how (much money)" as well as look again at the scope of your plans.

In that vein, writing in a logical sequence is a good approach that will save you time. We suggest proceeding in the following order:

• Create a provisional title.
• Write a draft of your Specific Aims.
• Start with your Significance and Innovation sections.
• Then draft the Approach section considering the personnel and skills you'll need for each step.
• Evaluate your Specific Aims and methods in light of your expected budget (for a new PI, it should be modest, probably under the $250,000 for NIH's modular budget).
• As you design experiments, reevaluate your hypothesis, aims, and title to make sure they still reflect your plans.
• Prepare your Abstract (a summary of your Specific Aims).
• Complete the other forms.

Even the smaller sections of your application need to be well-organized and readable so reviewers can readily grasp the information. If writing is not your forte, get help.

To view writing strategies for successful applications, see our Sample Applications and More . There are many ways to create a great application, so explore your options.

Within the character limit, include the important information to distinguish your project within the research area, your project's goals, and the research problem.

Giving your project a title at the outset can help you stay focused and avoid a meandering Research Plan. So you may want to launch your writing by creating a well-defined title.

NIH gives you a 200 character limit, but don’t feel obliged to use all of that allotment. Instead, we advise you to keep the title as succinct as possible while including the important information to distinguish your project within the research area. Make your title reflect your project's goals, the problem your project addresses, and possibly your approach to studying it. Make your title specific: saying you are studying lymphocyte trafficking is not informative enough.

For examples of strong titles, see our Sample Applications and More .

After you write a preliminary title, check that

• My title is specific, indicating at least the research area and the goals of my project.
• It is 200 characters or less.
• I use as simple language as possible.
• I state the research problem and, possibly, my approach to studying it.
• I use a different title for each of my applications. (Note: there are exceptions, for example, for a renewal—see Apply for Renewal  for details.)
• My title has appropriate keywords.

Later you may want to change your initial title. That's fine—at this point, it's just an aid to keep your plans focused.

Since all your reviewers read your Specific Aims, you want to excite them about your project.

If testing your hypothesis is the destination for your research, your Research Plan is the map that takes you there.

You'll start by writing the smaller part, the Specific Aims. Think of the one-page Specific Aims as a capsule of your Research Plan. Since all your reviewers read your Specific Aims, you want to excite them about your project.

For more on crafting your Specific Aims, see Draft Specific Aims .

Write a Narrative

Use at least half the page to provide the rationale and significance of your planned research. A good way to start is with a sentence that states your project's goals.

For the rest of the narrative, you will describe the significance of your research, and give your rationale for choosing the project. In some cases, you may want to explain why you did not take an alternative route.

Then, briefly describe your aims, and show how they build on your preliminary studies and your previous research. State your hypothesis.

If it is likely your application will be reviewed by a study section with broad expertise, summarize the status of research in your field and explain how your project fits in.

In the narrative part of the Specific Aims of many outstanding applications, people also used their aims to

• State the technologies they plan to use.
• Note their expertise to do a specific task or that of collaborators.
• Describe past accomplishments related to the project.
• Describe preliminary studies and new and highly relevant findings in the field.
• Explain their area's biology.
• Show how the aims relate to one another.
• Describe expected outcomes for each aim.
• Explain how they plan to interpret data from the aim’s efforts.
• Describe how to address potential pitfalls with contingency plans.

Depending on your situation, decide which items are important for you. For example, a new investigator would likely want to highlight preliminary data and qualifications to do the work.

Many people use bold or italics to emphasize items they want to bring to the reviewers' attention, such as the hypothesis or rationale.

Detail Your Aims

After the narrative, enter your aims as bold bullets, or stand-alone or run-on headers.

• State your plans using strong verbs like identify, define, quantify, establish, determine.
• Describe each aim in one to three sentences.
• Consider adding bullets under each aim to refine your objectives.

How focused should your aims be? Look at the example below.

Spot the Sample

Read the Specific Aims of the Application from Drs. Li and Samulski , "Enhance AAV Liver Transduction with Capsid Immune Evasion."

• Aim 1. Study the effect of adeno-associated virus (AAV) empty particles on AAV capsid antigen cross-presentation in vivo .
• Aim 2. Investigate AAV capsid antigen presentation following administration of AAV mutants and/or proteasome inhibitors for enhanced liver transduction in vivo .
• Aim 3. Isolate AAV chimeric capsids with human hepatocyte tropism and the capacity for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) evasion.

After finishing the draft Specific Aims, check that

• I keep to the one-page limit.
• Each of my two or three aims is a narrowly focused, concrete objective I can achieve during the grant.
• They give a clear picture of how my project can generate knowledge that may improve human health.
• They show my project's importance to science, how it addresses a critical research opportunity that can move my field forward.
• My text states how my work is innovative.
• I describe the biology to the extent needed for my reviewers.
• I give a rationale for choosing the topic and approach.
• I tie the project to my preliminary data and other new findings in the field.
• I explicitly state my hypothesis and why testing it is important.
• My aims can test my hypothesis and are logical.
• I can design and lead the execution of two or three sets of experiments that will strive to accomplish each aim.
• As much as possible, I use language that an educated person without expertise can understand.
• My text has bullets, bolding, or headers so reviewers can easily spot my aims (and other key items).

For each element listed above, analyze your text and revise it until your Specific Aims hit all the key points you'd like to make.

After the list of aims, some people add a closing paragraph, emphasizing the significance of the work, their collaborators, or whatever else they want to focus reviewers' attention on.

Your Research Strategy is the bigger part of your application's Research Plan (the other part is the Specific Aims—discussed above.)

The Research Strategy is the nuts and bolts of your application, describing the rationale for your research and the experiments you will do to accomplish each aim. It is structured as follows:

• Significance
• You can either include this information as a subsection of Approach or integrate it into any or all of the three main sections.
• If you do the latter, be sure to mark the information clearly, for example, with a bold subhead.
• Possible other sections, for example, human subjects, vertebrate animals, select agents, and others (these do not count toward the page limit).

Though how you organize your application is largely up to you, NIH does want you to follow these guidelines:

• Add bold headers or an outlining or numbering system—or both—that you use consistently throughout.
• Start each of the Research Strategy's sections with a header: Significance, Innovation, and Approach.

For an R01, the Research Strategy is limited to 12 pages for the three main sections and the preliminary studies only. Other items are not included in the page limit.

Find instructions for R01s in the SF 424 Application Guide—go to NIH's SF 424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission Information for the generic SF 424 Application Guide or find it in your notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).

For most applications, you need to address Rigor and Reproducibility by describing the experimental design and methods you propose and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results. The requirement applies to research grant, career development, fellowship, and training applications.

If you're responding to an institute-specific program announcement (PA) (not a parent program announcement) or a request for applications (RFA), check the NIH Guide notice, which has additional information you need. Should it differ from the NOFO, go with the NIH Guide .

Also note that your application must meet the initiative's objectives and special requirements. NIAID program staff will check your application, and if it is not responsive to the announcement, your application will be returned to you without a review.

When writing your Research Strategy, your goal is to present a well-organized, visually appealing, and readable description of your proposed project. That means your writing should be streamlined and organized so your reviewers can readily grasp the information. If writing is not your forte, get help.

There are many ways to create an outstanding Research Plan, so explore your options.

What Success Looks Like

Your application's Research Plan is the map that shows your reviewers how you plan to test your hypothesis.

It not only lays out your experiments and expected outcomes, but must also convince your reviewers of your likely success by allaying any doubts that may cross their minds that you will be able to conduct the research.

Notice in the sample applications how the writing keeps reviewers' eyes on the ball by bringing them back to the main points the PIs want to make. Write yourself an insurance policy against human fallibility: if it's a key point, repeat it, then repeat it again.

The Big Three

So as you write, put the big picture squarely in your sights. When reviewers read your application, they'll look for the answers to three basic questions:

• Can your research move your field forward?
• Is the field important—will progress make a difference to human health?
• Can you and your team carry out the work?

Add Emphasis

Savvy PIs create opportunities to drive their main points home. They don't stop at the Significance section to emphasize their project's importance, and they look beyond their biosketches to highlight their team's expertise.

Don't take a chance your reviewer will gloss over that one critical sentence buried somewhere in your Research Strategy or elsewhere. Write yourself an insurance policy against human fallibility: if it's a key point, repeat it, then repeat it again.

Add more emphasis by putting the text in bold, or bold italics (in the modern age, we skip underlining—it's for typewriters).

Here are more strategies from our successful PIs:

• While describing a method in the Approach section, they state their or collaborators' experience with it.
• They point out that they have access to a necessary piece of equipment.
• When explaining their field and the status of current research, they weave in their own work and their preliminary data.
• They delve into the biology of the area to make sure reviewers will grasp the importance of their research and understand their field and how their work fits into it.

You can see many of these principles at work in the Approach section of the Application from Dr. William Faubion , "Inflammatory cascades disrupt Treg function through epigenetic mechanisms."

• Reviewers felt that the experiments described for Aim 1 will yield clear results.
• The plans to translate those findings to gene targets of relevance are well outlined and focused.
• He ties his proposed experiments to the larger picture, including past research and strong preliminary data for the current application. 

Anticipate Reviewer Questions

Our applicants not only wrote with their reviewers in mind they seemed to anticipate their questions. You may think: how can I anticipate all the questions people may have? Of course you can't, but there are some basic items (in addition to the "big three" listed above) that will surely be on your reviewers' minds:

• Will the investigators be able to get the work done within the project period, or is the proposed work over ambitious?
• Did the PI describe potential pitfalls and possible alternatives?
• Will the experiments generate meaningful data?
• Could the resulting data prove the hypothesis?
• Are others already doing the work, or has it been already completed?

Address these questions; then spend time thinking about more potential issues specific to you and your research—and address those too.

For applications, a picture can truly be worth a thousand words. Graphics can illustrate complex information in a small space and add visual interest to your application.

Look at our sample applications to see how the investigators included schematics, tables, illustrations, graphs, and other types of graphics to enhance their applications.

Consider adding a timetable or flowchart to illustrate your experimental plan, including decision trees with alternative experimental pathways to help your reviewers understand your plans.

Plan Ahead for Video

If you plan to send one or more videos, you'll need to meet certain standards and include key information in your Research Strategy now.

To present some concepts or demonstrations, video may enhance your application beyond what graphics alone can achieve. However, you can't count on all reviewers being able to see or hear video, so you'll want to be strategic in how you incorporate it into your application.

Be reviewer-friendly. Help your cause by taking the following steps:

• Caption any narration in the video.
• Choose evocative still images from your video to accompany your summary.
• Write your summary of the video carefully so the text would make sense even without the video.

In addition to those considerations, create your videos to fit NIH’s technical requirements. Learn more in the SF 424 Form Instructions .

Next, as you write your Research Strategy, include key images from the video and a brief description.

Then, state in your cover letter that you plan to send video later. (Don't attach your files to the application.)

After you apply and get assignment information from the Commons, ask your assigned scientific review officer (SRO) how your business official should send the files. Your video files are due at least one month before the peer review meeting.

Know Your Audience's Perspective

The primary audience for your application is your peer review group. Learn how to write for the reviewers who are experts in your field and those who are experts in other fields by reading Know Your Audience .

Be Organized: A B C or 1 2 3?

In the top-notch applications we reviewed, organization ruled but followed few rules. While you want to be organized, how you go about it is up to you.

Nevertheless, here are some principles to follow:

• Start each of the Research Strategy's sections with a header: Significance, Innovation, and Approach—this you must do.

The Research Strategy's page limit—12 for R01s—is for the three main parts: Significance, Innovation, and Approach and your preliminary studies (or a progress report if you're renewing your grant). Other sections, for example, research animals or select agents, do not have a page limit.

Although you will emphasize your project's significance throughout the application, the Significance section should give the most details. Don't skimp—the farther removed your reviewers are from your field, the more information you'll need to provide on basic biology, importance of the area, research opportunities, and new findings.

When you describe your project's significance, put it in the context of 1) the state of your field, 2) your long-term research plans, and 3) your preliminary data.

In our Sample Applications , you can see that both investigators and reviewers made a case for the importance of the research to improving human health as well as to the scientific field.

Look at the Significance section of the Application from Dr. Mengxi Jiang , "Intersection of polyomavirus infection and host cellular responses," to see how these elements combine to make a strong case for significance.

• Dr. Jiang starts with a summary of the field of polyomavirus research, identifying critical knowledge gaps in the field.
• The application ties the lab's previous discoveries and new research plans to filling those gaps, establishing the significance with context.
• Note the use of formatting, whitespace, and sectioning to highlight key points and make it easier for reviewers to read the text.

After conveying the significance of the research in several parts of the application, check that

• In the Significance section, I describe the importance of my hypothesis to the field (especially if my reviewers are not in it) and human disease.
• I also point out the project's significance throughout the application.
• The application shows that I am aware of opportunities, gaps, roadblocks, and research underway in my field.
• I state how my research will advance my field, highlighting knowledge gaps and showing how my project fills one or more of them.
• Based on my scan of the review committee roster, I determine whether I cannot assume my reviewers will know my field and provide some information on basic biology, the importance of the area, knowledge gaps, and new findings.

If you are either a new PI or entering a new area: be cautious about seeming too innovative. Not only is innovation just one of five review criteria, but there might be a paradigm shift in your area of science. A reviewer may take a challenge to the status quo as a challenge to his or her world view.

When you look at our sample applications, you see that both the new and experienced investigators are not generally shifting paradigms. They are using new approaches or models, working in new areas, or testing innovative ideas.

After finishing the draft innovation section, check that

• I show how my proposed research is new and unique, e.g., explores new scientific avenues, has a novel hypothesis, will create new knowledge.
• Most likely, I explain how my project's research can refine, improve, or propose a new application of an existing concept or method.
• Make a very strong case for challenging the existing paradigm.
• Have data to support the innovative approach.
• Have strong evidence that I can do the work.

In your Approach, you spell out a few sets of experiments to address each aim. As we noted above, it's a good idea to restate the key points you've made about your project's significance, its place in your field, and your long-term goals.

You're probably wondering how much detail to include.

If you look at our sample applications as a guide, you can see very different approaches. Though people generally used less detail than you'd see in a scientific paper, they do include some experimental detail.

Expect your assigned reviewers to scrutinize your approach: they will want to know what you plan to do and how you plan to do it.

NIH data show that of the peer review criteria, approach has the highest correlation with the overall impact score.

Look at the Application from Dr. Mengxi Jiang , "Intersection of polyomavirus infection and host cellular responses," to see how a new investigator handled the Approach section.

For an example of an experienced investigator's well-received Approach section, see the Application from Dr. William Faubion , "Inflammatory cascades disrupt Treg function through epigenetic mechanisms."

Especially if you are a new investigator, you need enough detail to convince reviewers that you understand what you are undertaking and can handle the method.

• Cite a publication that shows you can handle the method where you can, but give more details if you and your team don't have a proven record using the method—and state explicitly why you think you will succeed.
• If space is short, you could also focus on experiments that highlight your expertise or are especially interesting. For experiments that are pedestrian or contracted out, just list the method.

Be sure to lay out a plan for alternative experiments and approaches in case you get negative or surprising results. Show reviewers you have a plan for spending the four or five years you will be funded no matter where the experiments lead.

See the Application from Drs. Li and Samulski , "Enhance AAV Liver Transduction with Capsid Immune Evasion," for a strong Approach section covering potential. As an example, see section C.1.3.'s alternative approaches.

Here are some pointers for organizing your Approach:

• Enter a bold header for each Specific Aim.
• Under each aim, describe the first set of experiments.
• If you get result X, you will follow pathway X; if you get result Y, you will follow pathway Y.
• Consider illustrating this with a flowchart.

Trim the fat—omit all information not needed to make your case. If you try to wow reviewers with your knowledge, they'll find flaws and penalize you heavily. Don't give them ammunition by including anything you don't need.

As you design your experiments, keep a running tab of the following essential data on a separate piece of paper:

• Who. A list of people who will help you for your Key Personnel section later.
• What. A list of equipment and supplies for the experiments you plan.
• Time. Notes on how long each step takes. Timing directly affects your budget as well as how many Specific Aims you can realistically achieve.

Jotting this information down will help you Create a Budget and complete other sections later.

After finishing a draft Approach section, check that

• I include enough background and preliminary data to give reviewers the context and significance of my plans.
• They can test the hypothesis (or hypotheses).
• I show alternative experiments and approaches in case I get negative or surprising results.
• My experiments can yield meaningful data to test my hypothesis (or hypotheses).
• As a new investigator, I include enough detail to convince reviewers I understand and can handle a method. I reviewed the sample applications to see how much detail to use.
• If I or my team has experience with a method, I cite it; otherwise I include enough details to convince reviewers we can handle it.
• I describe the results I anticipate and their implications.
• I omit all information not needed to state my case.
• I keep track of and explain who will do what, what they will do, when and where they will do it, how long it will take, and how much money it will cost.
• My timeline shows when I expect to complete my aims.

If you are applying for a new application, include preliminary studies; for a renewal or a revision (a competing supplement to an existing grant), prepare a progress report instead.

Describing Preliminary Studies

Your preliminary studies show that you can handle the methods and interpret results. Here's where you build reviewer confidence that you are headed in the right direction by pursuing research that builds on your accomplishments.

Reviewers use your preliminary studies together with the biosketches to assess the investigator review criterion, which reflects the competence of the research team.

Give alternative interpretations to your data to show reviewers you've thought through problems in-depth and are prepared to meet future challenges. If you don't do this, the reviewers will!

Though you may include other people's publications, focus on your preliminary data or unpublished data from your lab and the labs of your team members as much as you can.

As we noted above, you can put your preliminary data anywhere in the Research Strategy that you feel is appropriate, but just make sure your reviewers will be able to distinguish it. Alternatively, you can create a separate section with its own header.

Including a Progress Report

If you are applying for a renewal or a revision (a competing supplement to an existing grant), prepare a progress report instead of preliminary studies.

Create a header so your program officer can easily find it and include the following information:

• Project period beginning and end dates.
• Summary of the importance of your findings in relation to your Specific Aims.
• Account of published and unpublished results, highlighting your progress toward achieving your Specific Aims.

Note: if you submit a renewal application before the due date of your progress report, you do not need to submit a separate progress report for your grant. However, you will need to submit it, if your renewal is not funded.

After finishing the draft, check that

• I interpret my preliminary results critically.
• There is enough information to show I know what I'm talking about.
• If my project is complex, I give more preliminary studies.
• I show how my previous experience prepared me for the new project.
• It's clear which data are mine and which are not.

References show your breadth of knowledge of the field. If you leave out an important work, reviewers may assume you're not aware of it.

Throughout your application, you will reference all relevant publications for the concepts underlying your research and your methods.

Read more about your Bibliography and References Cited at Add a Bibliography and Appendix .

• Throughout my application I cite the literature thoroughly but not excessively, adding citations for all references important to my work.
• I cite all papers important to my field, including those from potential reviewers.
• I include fewer than 100 citations (if possible).
• My Bibliography and References Cited form lists all my references.
• I refer to unpublished work, including information I learned through personal contacts.
• If I do not describe a method, I add a reference to the literature.

Look over what you've written with a critical eye of a reviewer to identify potential questions or weak spots.

Enlist others to do that too—they can look at your application with a fresh eye. Include people who aren't familiar with your research to make sure you can get your point across to someone outside your field.

As you finalize the details of your Research Strategy, you will also need to return to your Specific Aims to see if you must revise. See Draft Specific Aims .

After you finish your Research Plan, you are ready to write your Abstract (called Project Summary/Abstract) and Project Narrative, which are attachments to the Other Project Information form.

These sections may be small, but they're important.

• All your peer reviewers read your Abstract and narrative.
• Staff and automated systems in NIH's Center for Scientific Review use them to decide where to assign your application, even if you requested an institute and study section.
• They show the importance and health relevance of your research to members of the public and Congress who are interested in what NIH is funding with taxpayer dollars.

Be sure to omit confidential or proprietary information in these sections! When your application is funded, NIH enters your title and Abstract in the public RePORTER database.

Think brief and simple: to the extent that you can, write these sections in lay language, and include appropriate keywords, e.g., immunotherapy, genetic risk factors.

As NIH referral officers use these parts to direct your application to an institute for possible funding, your description can influence the choice they make.

Write a succinct summary of your project that both a scientist and a lay person can understand (to the extent that you can).

• Use your Specific Aims as a template—shorten it and simplify the language.
• In the first sentence, state the significance of your research to your field and relevance to NIAID's mission: to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
• Next state your hypothesis and the innovative potential of your research.
• Then list and briefly describe your Specific Aims and long-term objectives.

In your Project Narrative, you have only a few sentences to drive home your project's potential to improve public health.

Check out these effective Abstracts and Narratives from our R01  Sample Applications :

• Application from Dr. Mengxi Jiang , "Intersection of polyomavirus infection and host cellular responses"
• Application from Dr. William Faubion , "Inflammatory cascades disrupt Treg function through epigenetic mechanisms"
• My Project Summary/Abstract and Project Narrative (and title) are accessible to a broad audience.
• They describe the significance of my research to my field and state my hypothesis, my aims, and the innovative potential of my research.
• My narrative describes my project's potential to improve public health.
• I do not include any confidential or proprietary information.
• I do not use graphs or images.
• My Abstract has keywords that are appropriate and distinct enough to avoid confusion with other terms.
• My title is specific and informative.

Previous Step

Have questions.

A program officer in your area of science can give you application advice, NIAID's perspective on your research, and confirmation that your proposed research fits within NIAID’s mission.

Find contacts and instructions at When to Contact an NIAID Program Officer .

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

11.2 Steps in Developing a Research Proposal

Learning objectives.

• Identify the steps in developing a research proposal.
• Choose a topic and formulate a research question and working thesis.
• Develop a research proposal.

Writing a good research paper takes time, thought, and effort. Although this assignment is challenging, it is manageable. Focusing on one step at a time will help you develop a thoughtful, informative, well-supported research paper.

Your first step is to choose a topic and then to develop research questions, a working thesis, and a written research proposal. Set aside adequate time for this part of the process. Fully exploring ideas will help you build a solid foundation for your paper.

Choosing a Topic

When you choose a topic for a research paper, you are making a major commitment. Your choice will help determine whether you enjoy the lengthy process of research and writing—and whether your final paper fulfills the assignment requirements. If you choose your topic hastily, you may later find it difficult to work with your topic. By taking your time and choosing carefully, you can ensure that this assignment is not only challenging but also rewarding.

Writers understand the importance of choosing a topic that fulfills the assignment requirements and fits the assignment’s purpose and audience. (For more information about purpose and audience, see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content” .) Choosing a topic that interests you is also crucial. You instructor may provide a list of suggested topics or ask that you develop a topic on your own. In either case, try to identify topics that genuinely interest you.

After identifying potential topic ideas, you will need to evaluate your ideas and choose one topic to pursue. Will you be able to find enough information about the topic? Can you develop a paper about this topic that presents and supports your original ideas? Is the topic too broad or too narrow for the scope of the assignment? If so, can you modify it so it is more manageable? You will ask these questions during this preliminary phase of the research process.

Identifying Potential Topics

Sometimes, your instructor may provide a list of suggested topics. If so, you may benefit from identifying several possibilities before committing to one idea. It is important to know how to narrow down your ideas into a concise, manageable thesis. You may also use the list as a starting point to help you identify additional, related topics. Discussing your ideas with your instructor will help ensure that you choose a manageable topic that fits the requirements of the assignment.

In this chapter, you will follow a writer named Jorge, who is studying health care administration, as he prepares a research paper. You will also plan, research, and draft your own research paper.

Jorge was assigned to write a research paper on health and the media for an introductory course in health care. Although a general topic was selected for the students, Jorge had to decide which specific issues interested him. He brainstormed a list of possibilities.

If you are writing a research paper for a specialized course, look back through your notes and course activities. Identify reading assignments and class discussions that especially engaged you. Doing so can help you identify topics to pursue.

• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) in the news
• Sexual education programs
• Hollywood and eating disorders
• Americans’ access to public health information
• Media portrayal of health care reform bill
• Depictions of drugs on television
• The effect of the Internet on mental health
• Popularized diets (such as low-carbohydrate diets)
• Fear of pandemics (bird flu, HINI, SARS)
• Electronic entertainment and obesity
• Advertisements for prescription drugs
• Public education and disease prevention

Set a timer for five minutes. Use brainstorming or idea mapping to create a list of topics you would be interested in researching for a paper about the influence of the Internet on social networking. Do you closely follow the media coverage of a particular website, such as Twitter? Would you like to learn more about a certain industry, such as online dating? Which social networking sites do you and your friends use? List as many ideas related to this topic as you can.

Narrowing Your Topic

Once you have a list of potential topics, you will need to choose one as the focus of your essay. You will also need to narrow your topic. Most writers find that the topics they listed during brainstorming or idea mapping are broad—too broad for the scope of the assignment. Working with an overly broad topic, such as sexual education programs or popularized diets, can be frustrating and overwhelming. Each topic has so many facets that it would be impossible to cover them all in a college research paper. However, more specific choices, such as the pros and cons of sexual education in kids’ television programs or the physical effects of the South Beach diet, are specific enough to write about without being too narrow to sustain an entire research paper.

A good research paper provides focused, in-depth information and analysis. If your topic is too broad, you will find it difficult to do more than skim the surface when you research it and write about it. Narrowing your focus is essential to making your topic manageable. To narrow your focus, explore your topic in writing, conduct preliminary research, and discuss both the topic and the research with others.

Exploring Your Topic in Writing

“How am I supposed to narrow my topic when I haven’t even begun researching yet?” In fact, you may already know more than you realize. Review your list and identify your top two or three topics. Set aside some time to explore each one through freewriting. (For more information about freewriting, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” .) Simply taking the time to focus on your topic may yield fresh angles.

Jorge knew that he was especially interested in the topic of diet fads, but he also knew that it was much too broad for his assignment. He used freewriting to explore his thoughts so he could narrow his topic. Read Jorge’s ideas.

Conducting Preliminary Research

Another way writers may focus a topic is to conduct preliminary research . Like freewriting, exploratory reading can help you identify interesting angles. Surfing the web and browsing through newspaper and magazine articles are good ways to start. Find out what people are saying about your topic on blogs and online discussion groups. Discussing your topic with others can also inspire you. Talk about your ideas with your classmates, your friends, or your instructor.

Jorge’s freewriting exercise helped him realize that the assigned topic of health and the media intersected with a few of his interests—diet, nutrition, and obesity. Preliminary online research and discussions with his classmates strengthened his impression that many people are confused or misled by media coverage of these subjects.

Jorge decided to focus his paper on a topic that had garnered a great deal of media attention—low-carbohydrate diets. He wanted to find out whether low-carbohydrate diets were as effective as their proponents claimed.

Writing at Work

At work, you may need to research a topic quickly to find general information. This information can be useful in understanding trends in a given industry or generating competition. For example, a company may research a competitor’s prices and use the information when pricing their own product. You may find it useful to skim a variety of reliable sources and take notes on your findings.

The reliability of online sources varies greatly. In this exploratory phase of your research, you do not need to evaluate sources as closely as you will later. However, use common sense as you refine your paper topic. If you read a fascinating blog comment that gives you a new idea for your paper, be sure to check out other, more reliable sources as well to make sure the idea is worth pursuing.

Review the list of topics you created in Note 11.18 “Exercise 1” and identify two or three topics you would like to explore further. For each of these topics, spend five to ten minutes writing about the topic without stopping. Then review your writing to identify possible areas of focus.

Set aside time to conduct preliminary research about your potential topics. Then choose a topic to pursue for your research paper.

Collaboration

Please share your topic list with a classmate. Select one or two topics on his or her list that you would like to learn more about and return it to him or her. Discuss why you found the topics interesting, and learn which of your topics your classmate selected and why.

A Plan for Research

Your freewriting and preliminary research have helped you choose a focused, manageable topic for your research paper. To work with your topic successfully, you will need to determine what exactly you want to learn about it—and later, what you want to say about it. Before you begin conducting in-depth research, you will further define your focus by developing a research question , a working thesis, and a research proposal.

Formulating a Research Question

In forming a research question, you are setting a goal for your research. Your main research question should be substantial enough to form the guiding principle of your paper—but focused enough to guide your research. A strong research question requires you not only to find information but also to put together different pieces of information, interpret and analyze them, and figure out what you think. As you consider potential research questions, ask yourself whether they would be too hard or too easy to answer.

To determine your research question, review the freewriting you completed earlier. Skim through books, articles, and websites and list the questions you have. (You may wish to use the 5WH strategy to help you formulate questions. See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information about 5WH questions.) Include simple, factual questions and more complex questions that would require analysis and interpretation. Determine your main question—the primary focus of your paper—and several subquestions that you will need to research to answer your main question.

Here are the research questions Jorge will use to focus his research. Notice that his main research question has no obvious, straightforward answer. Jorge will need to research his subquestions, which address narrower topics, to answer his main question.

Using the topic you selected in Note 11.24 “Exercise 2” , write your main research question and at least four to five subquestions. Check that your main research question is appropriately complex for your assignment.

Constructing a Working ThesIs

A working thesis concisely states a writer’s initial answer to the main research question. It does not merely state a fact or present a subjective opinion. Instead, it expresses a debatable idea or claim that you hope to prove through additional research. Your working thesis is called a working thesis for a reason—it is subject to change. As you learn more about your topic, you may change your thinking in light of your research findings. Let your working thesis serve as a guide to your research, but do not be afraid to modify it based on what you learn.

Jorge began his research with a strong point of view based on his preliminary writing and research. Read his working thesis statement, which presents the point he will argue. Notice how it states Jorge’s tentative answer to his research question.

One way to determine your working thesis is to consider how you would complete sentences such as I believe or My opinion is . However, keep in mind that academic writing generally does not use first-person pronouns. These statements are useful starting points, but formal research papers use an objective voice.

Write a working thesis statement that presents your preliminary answer to the research question you wrote in Note 11.27 “Exercise 3” . Check that your working thesis statement presents an idea or claim that could be supported or refuted by evidence from research.

Creating a Research Proposal

A research proposal is a brief document—no more than one typed page—that summarizes the preliminary work you have completed. Your purpose in writing it is to formalize your plan for research and present it to your instructor for feedback. In your research proposal, you will present your main research question, related subquestions, and working thesis. You will also briefly discuss the value of researching this topic and indicate how you plan to gather information.

When Jorge began drafting his research proposal, he realized that he had already created most of the pieces he needed. However, he knew he also had to explain how his research would be relevant to other future health care professionals. In addition, he wanted to form a general plan for doing the research and identifying potentially useful sources. Read Jorge’s research proposal.

Before you begin a new project at work, you may have to develop a project summary document that states the purpose of the project, explains why it would be a wise use of company resources, and briefly outlines the steps involved in completing the project. This type of document is similar to a research proposal. Both documents define and limit a project, explain its value, discuss how to proceed, and identify what resources you will use.

Writing Your Own Research Proposal

Now you may write your own research proposal, if you have not done so already. Follow the guidelines provided in this lesson.

Key Takeaways

• Developing a research proposal involves the following preliminary steps: identifying potential ideas, choosing ideas to explore further, choosing and narrowing a topic, formulating a research question, and developing a working thesis.
• A good topic for a research paper interests the writer and fulfills the requirements of the assignment.
• Defining and narrowing a topic helps writers conduct focused, in-depth research.
• Writers conduct preliminary research to identify possible topics and research questions and to develop a working thesis.
• A good research question interests readers, is neither too broad nor too narrow, and has no obvious answer.
• A good working thesis expresses a debatable idea or claim that can be supported with evidence from research.
• Writers create a research proposal to present their topic, main research question, subquestions, and working thesis to an instructor for approval or feedback.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

FLEET LIBRARY | Research Guides

Rhode island school of design, create a research plan: research plan.

• Research Plan
• Literature Review
• Ulrich's Global Serials Directory
• Related Guides

A research plan is a framework that shows how you intend to approach your topic. The plan can take many forms: a written outline, a narrative, a visual/concept map or timeline. It's a document that will change and develop as you conduct your research. Components of a research plan

1. Research conceptualization - introduces your research question

2. Research methodology - describes your approach to the research question

3. Literature review, critical evaluation and synthesis - systematic approach to locating,

    reviewing and evaluating the work (text, exhibitions, critiques, etc) relating to your topic

4. Communication - geared toward an intended audience, shows evidence of your inquiry

Research conceptualization refers to the ability to identify specific research questions, problems or opportunities that are worthy of inquiry. Research conceptualization also includes the skills and discipline that go beyond the initial moment of conception, and which enable the researcher to formulate and develop an idea into something researchable ( Newbury 373).

Research methodology refers to the knowledge and skills required to select and apply appropriate methods to carry through the research project ( Newbury 374) .

Method describes a single mode of proceeding; methodology describes the overall process.

Method - a way of doing anything especially according to a defined and regular plan; a mode of procedure in any activity

Methodology - the study of the direction and implications of empirical research, or the sustainability of techniques employed in it; a method or body of methods used in a particular field of study or activity *Browse a list of research methodology books  or this guide on Art & Design Research

Literature Review, critical evaluation & synthesis

A literature review is a systematic approach to locating, reviewing, and evaluating the published work and work in progress of scholars, researchers, and practitioners on a given topic.

Critical evaluation and synthesis is the ability to handle (or process) existing sources. It includes knowledge of the sources of literature and contextual research field within which the person is working ( Newbury 373).

Literature reviews are done for many reasons and situations. Here's a short list:

Sources to consult while conducting a literature review:

Online catalogs of local, regional, national, and special libraries

meta-catalogs such as worldcat , Art Discovery Group , europeana , world digital library or RIBA

subject-specific online article databases (such as the Avery Index, JSTOR, Project Muse)

digital institutional repositories such as Digital Commons @RISD ; see Registry of Open Access Repositories

Open Access Resources recommended by RISD Research LIbrarians

works cited in scholarly books and articles

print bibliographies

the internet-locate major nonprofit, research institutes, museum, university, and government websites

search google scholar to locate grey literature & referenced citations

trade and scholarly publishers

fellow scholars and peers

Communication                              

Communication refers to the ability to

• structure a coherent line of inquiry
• communicate your findings to your intended audience
• make skilled use of visual material to express ideas for presentations, writing, and the creation of exhibitions ( Newbury 374)

Research plan framework: Newbury, Darren. "Research Training in the Creative Arts and Design." The Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts . Ed. Michael Biggs and Henrik Karlsson. New York: Routledge, 2010. 368-87. Print.

About the author

Except where otherwise noted, this guide is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution license

source document

  Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts

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• Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 1:29 AM
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Driving Discovery: How to Create an Effective Research Plan

September 23, 2023 - 10 min read

When embarking on a research project , having a well-thought-out research plan is crucial to driving discovery and achieving your objectives. In this article, we will explore the importance of a research plan, the key benefits it offers, the essential components of an effective research plan, the steps to create one, and tips for implementing it successfully.

Understanding the Importance of a Research Plan

A research plan serves as a roadmap that guides your investigation and ensures that you stay focused and on track. It outlines the objectives, questions, and methods that will shape your research and enable you to make meaningful discoveries.

Imagine embarking on a research journey without a plan. You would be wandering aimlessly, unsure of where to focus your attention and resources. A research plan acts as a compass, guiding you towards the most promising avenues of exploration. It helps you formulate research questions that are relevant and meaningful, so that your study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in a significant way.

Key Benefits

A well-structured research plan offers several benefits besides guiding your investigation.

• Clarify your research goals and align them with your overarching research objectives. You want your study to remain focused and avoid unnecessary detours.
• Organize your research process, so that you cover all the necessary steps and avoid potential pitfalls. Break down your research into manageable tasks, allowing you to allocate your time and resources effectively. 
• Secure funding and gain the support of stakeholders. When applying for grants or seeking approval for your research project, a comprehensive and compelling research plan can make all the difference. It provides a clear overview of your study's objectives, methods, and expected outcomes, demonstrating the potential impact of your research.

Essential Components 

When creating a research plan, certain components should be included to ensure its effectiveness. These components serve as building blocks that shape the overall structure and content of your plan.

Defining Your Research Objectives

The first step in creating an effective research plan is to clearly define your research objectives. These objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). By setting SMART research objectives, you provide a clear purpose for your investigation and establish criteria by which you can evaluate its success.

Defining research objectives is crucial because it helps researchers stay focused and avoid getting lost in the vast sea of information. It provides a sense of direction and purpose, so that every step taken during the research process contributes to achieving the desired outcomes. Without well-defined objectives, researchers may find themselves overwhelmed and unable to make meaningful progress.

Identifying Your Research Questions

In addition to defining your research objectives, it is crucial to identify the research questions that will guide your investigation. These should be focused and address the specific aspects you aim to explore. By formulating precise research questions, you narrow down your research scope and provide a framework for gathering and analyzing data.

Remember that research questions serve as a compass, guiding researchers through the vast landscape of information. They help researchers stay on track and ensure that their efforts are aligned with the overall objectives of the study. Well-crafted research questions also enable them to delve deeper into specific areas of interest, uncovering valuable insights that contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Choosing the Right Research Methodology

The selection of an appropriate research methodology is another vital component of an effective research plan. The methodology you choose should be aligned with your research objectives and questions, enabling you to gather and analyze data effectively. Whether quantitative or qualitative, your chosen methodology should provide reliable and valid results that contribute to driving your research forward.

Choosing the right research methodology is like selecting the right tools for a construction project. Each methodology has its strengths and limitations, and understanding these nuances is crucial for conducting a successful study. The decision that researchers make will impact the data collection techniques, analysis methods, and overall validity of the study.

Steps to Create a Comprehensive Research Plan

Now that we understand the essential components of a research plan, let's dive into the steps to create a comprehensive one.

Setting Your Research Goals

The first step in creating a research plan is to set clear and concise research goals. These goals serve as the guiding principles of the research and provide a framework for the investigation. When setting research goals, align them with the research objectives, so that the plan remains focused and purposeful. 

Don't forget that research goals can vary depending on the nature of the study. They can be broad, encompassing the overall aims of the research, or specific, focusing on particular aspects or variables. Regardless of their scope, research goals play a vital role in shaping the research plan and determining the path to be followed.

Conducting a Literature Review

A comprehensive literature review is crucial for building a solid foundation for your research plan. During this process, researchers explore various sources such as academic journals, books, conference proceedings, and online databases to gather relevant information. They critically analyze and synthesize the findings from previous studies, to identify gaps, inconsistencies, and areas that require further investigation. This process helps researchers refine their research questions, develop hypotheses, and select appropriate research methods.

Moreover, a literature review allows researchers to identify key theories, concepts, and methodologies that are relevant to their research. It helps them establish the theoretical framework for their study, providing a solid basis for data collection and analysis. By conducting a thorough literature review, researchers guarantee that their research plan is grounded in existing knowledge and contributes meaningfully to the field.

Designing Your Research Strategy

Once you have set your research goals and conducted a thorough literature review, it's time to design your research strategy. This step involves making important decisions regarding research questions, research methods, and data collection and analysis procedures.

• Carefully consider various factors, such as the research goals, the nature of the research problem, the available resources, and ethical considerations. Determine the most appropriate research questions that align with the research goals and can be effectively addressed through the chosen research methods.
• Select the most suitable research methods to collect and analyze data. This can involve qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, or focus groups, or quantitative methods such as surveys or experiments. The choice of research methods depends on the research objectives, the nature of the research problem, and the available resources.
• Outline the data collection and analysis procedures. This means determining the sample size, developing data collection instruments, and devising data analysis techniques. A well-designed research strategy ensures that researchers gather the necessary data to address their research questions effectively and draw meaningful conclusions.

Tips for Implementing Your Research Plan

Creating a research plan is just the first step; successful implementation is equally important. Here are some tips to help you implement your research plan effectively.

Ensuring Flexibility 

While a research plan provides a structured roadmap, it is essential to remain flexible throughout the research process. Unexpected challenges and discoveries may require adjustments to your plan. By maintaining flexibility, you can adapt to changing circumstances and make the most of unforeseen opportunities.

Imagine you are conducting a research study on the impact of climate change on coral reefs. Your initial plan may involve collecting data from a specific location over a six-month period. However, during the course of your research, you may discover a new coral species that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. In such a scenario, being flexible allows you to modify your research plan to include a more in-depth investigation of this new species, potentially leading to groundbreaking findings.

Tracking Your Research Progress

Regularly tracking your research progress is crucial to ensuring that you stay on schedule and achieve your research objectives. Establish milestones and set aside dedicated time for progress evaluation. This will help you identify any deviations from the plan and take corrective measures promptly.

Suppose you are conducting a longitudinal study on the effects of a new teaching method on student performance. By tracking your research progress, you can analyze the data collected at various intervals and assess whether the teaching method is consistently improving student outcomes. If you notice any inconsistencies or unexpected trends, you can adjust your research plan accordingly, such as modifying the teaching method or expanding the sample size.

Evaluating and Refining Your Research Plan

Periodically evaluating and refining your research plan is vital for its effectiveness. Reflect on the progress of your research and assess whether your objectives and questions are still relevant. Take feedback from colleagues and stakeholders into account and make necessary adjustments to improve your research plan.

Let's say you are conducting a survey-based research study on consumer preferences for sustainable packaging. After analyzing the initial survey responses, you may realize that the questions you asked did not capture all the relevant factors influencing consumer choices. By evaluating and refining your research plan, you can modify the survey questions to include additional variables, such as price sensitivity or brand perception, thus enhancing the validity and comprehensiveness of your study.

Drive Your Discovery with Wrike

Creating an effective research plan to drive discovery is like having a detailed itinerary for an exploration journey. It guides your research efforts and ensures that you uncover valuable insights. However, managing these research plans across multiple projects can be challenging.

This is where Wrike steps in. Within Wrike, you can easily create folders for each project or research plan. These folders can serve as a place where you can store research methods, data collection plans, and even your research findings. This structured approach brings direction and discovery to your research, much like a detailed itinerary guides an exploration journey.

And when it comes to the other documents and workflows your business needs — whether it's data analysis or report writing — Wrike has you covered with robust project management features and ready-to-use templates. Ready to drive your discovery process? Start your free trial of Wrike today.

Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

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Mastering Production Scheduling: A Guide for Efficiency

In the world of manufacturing and production, efficiency is a key factor in achieving success. One essential aspect of efficient production is effective scheduling. By mastering production scheduling, businesses can streamline their operations, optimize resources, and meet customer demands in a timely manner. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the basics of production scheduling, the key elements involved, and the steps to master this vital process. Additionally, we will discuss the role of technology, specifically production scheduling software, in enhancing efficiency and maximizing productivity.  Understanding the Basics of Production Scheduling Production scheduling is the process of creating a detailed plan that determines the sequence and timing of tasks, resources, and materials required to fulfill production orders. It takes into account factors such as demand forecasts, resource availability, and time constraints. Importance of Efficient Production Scheduling Efficient production scheduling is vital for several reasons. Makes sure that customer orders are fulfilled in a timely manner, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. When production is well-scheduled, products are delivered on time, meeting customer expectations and building a positive reputation for the business. Enables businesses to make the most of their available resources, preventing over or underutilization. By carefully planning and optimizing the use of manpower, equipment, and materials, companies can maximize their productivity and minimize waste.  Minimizes production costs, optimizes inventory levels, and reduces lead times, resulting in improved profitability and competitiveness. By avoiding excessive inventory, companies can minimize storage costs and reduce the risk of obsolete or expired products. Moreover, shorter lead times enable businesses to respond quickly to changing market demands, gaining a competitive edge over their rivals.  Key Elements of Production Scheduling To effectively master production scheduling, several key elements must be taken into account. Let's explore these essential components: Demand Forecasting Accurate demand forecasting is crucial for production scheduling. By analyzing historical sales data, market trends, and customer feedback, businesses can estimate future demand levels. This information forms the basis for developing a production schedule that meets anticipated demand while avoiding overproduction or stockouts. For example, a clothing manufacturer may use data from previous years to predict the demand for different types of garments during different seasons. By considering factors such as changing fashion trends, consumer preferences, and economic conditions, they can make informed decisions about how much of each item to produce and when. Additionally, advancements in technology have made demand forecasting more accurate and efficient. Companies can now leverage sophisticated algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze large volumes of data and identify patterns and trends. This enables them to make more precise predictions and adjust their production schedules accordingly. Resource Allocation Resource allocation involves assigning the necessary resources, such as labor, machinery, and raw materials, to each production task. This ensures that the right resources are available at the right time, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity. When allocating resources, companies must consider various factors, such as the availability and skill level of their workforce, the capacity of their machinery, and the availability of raw materials. They must also take into account any potential bottlenecks or constraints that may impact the production process. For instance, a car manufacturer may need to allocate specific workers with specialized skills to perform certain tasks, such as welding or painting. They must also confirm that the necessary machinery and equipment are in good working condition and properly maintained to avoid any disruptions in the production schedule. Time Management Efficient time management plays a vital role in production scheduling. Time estimates for each task are essential for creating a realistic and achievable schedule. This includes considering factors such as setup time, processing time, and lead times for procuring materials. To effectively manage time, companies often use various techniques and tools. They may employ project management methodologies, such as the Critical Path Method (CPM) or the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), to analyze the sequence of tasks and identify the critical path that determines the project's overall duration. What's more, companies can leverage technology to streamline time management in production scheduling. They may use software systems that automate the scheduling process, allowing for real-time updates and adjustments. These systems can also provide visibility into the progress of each task, enabling managers to identify any potential delays or bottlenecks and take corrective actions. Steps to Master Production Scheduling Mastering production scheduling requires a systematic approach and adherence to certain steps. Let's explore each of these steps: Identifying the Production Needs The first step in production scheduling is to identify the production needs. This involves reviewing customer orders, sales forecasts, and inventory levels to determine the required production output. Remember to consider factors such as market demand, customer preferences, and production capacity. Additionally, involve key stakeholders such as sales teams, production managers, and supply chain experts in the process. This collaborative approach helps in gathering valuable insights and aligning production schedules with overall business objectives. Prioritizing Tasks Once the production needs are identified, it is essential to prioritize tasks based on various factors such as customer deadlines, order importance, and resource availability. This way, critical tasks will be completed on time and with the necessary resources. Prioritization plays a vital role in production scheduling as it helps in allocating resources effectively. By giving priority to high-value orders or time-sensitive projects, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Moreover, effective task prioritization requires a deep understanding of the production process, resource capabilities, and potential bottlenecks. By considering these factors, businesses can make informed decisions and optimize their production schedules. Scheduling Resources After prioritizing tasks, the next step is to schedule the required resources. This includes assigning manpower, equipment, and materials to each task in a way that optimizes their utilization and minimizes idle time. Resource scheduling involves careful consideration of factors such as skill sets, availability, and capacity. By matching the right resources to each task, businesses can ensure efficient production processes and minimize the risk of delays or inefficiencies. In addition to human resources, technology also plays a crucial role in resource scheduling. Advanced production planning software and automation tools can help in optimizing resource allocation, reducing manual errors, and improving overall productivity. Monitoring and Adjusting the Schedule Production scheduling is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment. It is crucial to regularly review the schedule, track progress, and make necessary adjustments to accommodate unforeseen events or changes in demand. Monitoring the production schedule involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as production output, cycle time, and resource utilization. By analyzing these KPIs, businesses can identify areas for improvement, address bottlenecks, and optimize their production schedules. Additionally, flexibility is essential in production scheduling. Businesses should be prepared to adapt their schedules based on market dynamics, customer demands, or unexpected disruptions. This adaptability allows businesses to maintain operational efficiency and meet customer expectations even in challenging circumstances. Implementing Technology in Production Scheduling Advancements in technology have revolutionized production scheduling. The introduction of production scheduling software has simplified and enhanced the efficiency of this critical process. Role of Production Scheduling Software Production scheduling software provides businesses with comprehensive tools and features to streamline and automate the scheduling process. It enables real-time visibility into production activities, resource availability, and order status, allowing for better decision-making and effective coordination. With production scheduling software, businesses can easily create and manage production schedules, assign tasks to specific resources, and track progress in real-time. The software also provides notifications and alerts so that production activities are completed on time and according to plan. This level of visibility and control helps businesses optimize their resources, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity. Benefits of Automated Scheduling Automated scheduling offers numerous benefits, including increased accuracy, reduced manual errors, and improved overall efficiency. It eliminates the need for manual calculations, reduces scheduling conflicts, and enables quick adjustments to accommodate changing priorities or production requirements. Overall, mastering production scheduling is a crucial aspect of running an efficient and successful manufacturing operation. Understanding the basics of production scheduling, incorporating key elements, and following a structured approach can help businesses optimize resources, meet customer demands, and achieve higher levels of productivity. By embracing technology, such as production scheduling software, businesses can further enhance efficiency and stay ahead in today's competitive marketplace. Master the art of production scheduling with Wrike's advanced scheduling tools. Sign up for a free trial today, enhance efficiency, optimize resource utilization, and maximize output. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Key Sales Pipeline Metrics to Monitor for Business Success

Every business should strive to have a clear understanding of their sales pipeline metrics. These metrics provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the sales process, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and drive business success. By monitoring key sales pipeline metrics, you can make data-driven decisions that ultimately lead to increased revenue and sustainable growth. Understanding the Importance of Sales Pipeline Metrics Sales pipeline metrics are quantitative measurements that track your sales activities and their corresponding outcomes. They provide a snapshot of your sales process, from lead generation to closing deals. These metrics can be categorized into various stages of the sales process, which include lead generation, sales activity, sales conversion, and revenue. Why Monitor Sales Pipeline Metrics? Monitoring sales pipeline metrics provides numerous benefits to your business: Identify Bottlenecks and Inefficiencies: Pinpoint areas where deals often get stuck or take longer to close. This allows you to address these bottlenecks and optimize your sales process. Forecasting Accuracy: Predict future sales with greater precision and plan your resources accordingly. Spotting Trends and Patterns: Identify trends and patterns in your sales process to adapt your strategies, replicate successful approaches, and avoid repeating ineffective practices. Align Sales and Marketing Efforts: Line up your sales and marketing efforts by flagging which marketing initiatives generate the highest-quality leads and result in the most closed deals. Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement within your sales organization and motivate your sales team to do better every day. Now, let's delve deeper into each category of sales pipeline metrics to gain a more comprehensive understanding. Lead Generation Metrics Lead generation metrics provide insights into the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts. These metrics help you evaluate the quantity and quality of leads entering your pipeline, enabling you to assess the success of your marketing campaigns and lead nurturing strategies. Here are a few of them: Number of leads generated: Gauges the total number of leads generated within a specific time period. It helps you measure the effectiveness of your marketing initiatives and identify potential areas for improvement. Lead conversion rate: Measures the percentage of leads that convert into opportunities or move to the next stage of the sales process. It refers to the quality of your leads and the effectiveness of your lead nurturing efforts. Cost per lead: Calculates the average cost incurred to generate a single lead. It helps you evaluate the efficiency of your lead generation strategies and allocate resources effectively. Sales Activity Metrics Sales activity metrics focus on measuring the activities carried out by your sales team. These metrics provide insights into the productivity and effectiveness of your sales representatives, helping you identify areas for improvement and optimize their performance. Here are several of them: Number of calls made: Tracks the total number of calls made by your sales team. It assists you in assessing their level of activity and the effort put into prospecting and engaging with potential customers. Number of meetings scheduled: Measures the total number of meetings scheduled with prospects or existing customers. It indicates the level of engagement and the effectiveness of your sales team in moving leads through the pipeline. Number of presentations delivered: Calculates the total number of presentations delivered by your sales representatives. It aids you in evaluating their ability to effectively communicate your product or service value proposition. Sales Conversion Metrics Sales conversion metrics assess how well your leads progress through each stage of the sales process and ultimately convert into closed deals. These metrics provide insights into the effectiveness of your sales strategies, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and optimize your conversion rates. Here are some examples: Opportunity-to-win ratio: Measures the percentage of opportunities that convert into closed deals. It helps you evaluate the efficiency of your sales process and the ability of your sales team to successfully close deals. Time to close: Calculates the average time it takes for a lead to progress through the sales pipeline and convert into a closed deal. It assists you in flagging bottlenecks and optimizing your sales process to reduce the time-to-close. Win rate: Records the percentage of opportunities that result in closed deals. It aids you in assessing the effectiveness of your sales strategies and the ability of your sales team to win deals. Revenue Metrics Revenue metrics track the financial impact of your sales efforts. These metrics provide insights into the overall performance and profitability of your sales organization, helping you make data-driven decisions to maximize revenue. Here are a few key ones: Deal size: Measures the average value of closed deals. It helps you understand the revenue potential of each deal and optimize your pricing strategies. Average revenue per customer: Calculates the average revenue generated per customer. It lets you assess the profitability of your customer base and identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling. Overall revenue generated: Tracks the total revenue generated by your sales team within a specific time period. It provides an overview of your sales performance so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of your sales strategies. Essential Sales Pipeline Metrics for Business Success Now that we understand the importance of sales pipeline metrics, let's explore some key metrics you should definitely monitor for business success: Lead Quantity and Quality The quantity of leads entering your pipeline is essential, but quality is equally important. Track the number of leads generated from various sources and assess their conversion rates. Identify patterns and characteristics that are common among your most valuable customers, as these can be useful in current and future marketing efforts. For example, you may find that leads generated from social media campaigns have a higher conversion rate compared to leads from email marketing. This insight allows you to invest more resources in social media campaigns and refine your email marketing strategy to improve its effectiveness. Sales Cycle Length The length of your sales cycle directly affects your revenue and cash flow. Measure the time it takes for a lead to move through each stage of the pipeline and convert into a paying customer. Identify areas where deals get delayed or stalled and take proactive measures to streamline the process. Remember to study the sales cycle length to predict revenue and manage your cash flow more effectively.  For instance, you may find that leads spend a significant amount of time in the negotiation stage, causing delays in closing deals. This insight prompts you to implement strategies to accelerate the negotiation process, such as providing clearer pricing options or offering additional incentives. Conversion Rates Conversion rates provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your sales efforts. Monitor the percentage of leads that successfully convert into customers at each stage of the pipeline. Track conversion rates to evaluate your sales team's performance. For example, you may notice that a significant number of leads drop off during the product demonstration stage. This observation prompts you to analyze the effectiveness of your demonstrations and make improvements, such as enhancing the presentation or addressing common objections more effectively. Deal Size and Revenue Monitor the average deal size and overall revenue generated from your sales efforts. Identify which types of deals have the greatest impact on your bottom line and focus your resources accordingly. Analyze the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing and sales activities. If you find that a particular marketing campaign consistently generates a high revenue, you can allocate more resources to scale that campaign and maximize its impact. For example, you may find that deals with larger companies tend to have a higher average deal size. Armed with this information, you can allocate more resources to target larger companies and tailor your sales approach to meet their specific needs. Tools and Techniques for Monitoring Sales Pipeline Metrics Now that you understand the essential metrics to monitor, let's explore some tools and techniques that can help you effectively track and analyze your sales pipeline: CRM Systems  A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a powerful tool that enables you to manage and track your sales pipeline metrics. CRM systems allow you to capture and analyze data related to leads, opportunities, and deals. They provide insights into each stage of the sales process and help you identify areas for improvement. By leveraging CRM systems, you can automate your sales workflow, streamline communication, and gain a holistic view of your sales pipeline. These systems provide real-time visibility into your sales performance, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and drive business success. Data Visualization Data visualization tools can help you transform complex data into intuitive visuals. By creating charts, graphs, and dashboards, you can easily interpret and communicate your sales pipeline metrics to stakeholders. Data visualization enables you to spot trends, identify patterns, and make informed decisions quickly and effectively. Regular Sales Pipeline Audits Conducting regular sales pipeline audits is crucial for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of your pipeline metrics. By thoroughly reviewing your pipeline, you can identify discrepancies, outdated information, and potential areas for improvement. Regular audits help verify that the data on which you base your decisions is reliable and up to date. How to Improve Your Sales Pipeline Metrics Monitoring your sales pipeline metrics is only the first step. To drive business success, you must continually improve these metrics and optimize your sales process. Here are some strategies to enhance your sales pipeline metrics: Enhancing Lead Generation Strategies Focusing on high-quality leads can significantly impact your sales pipeline metrics. Continuously review and refine your lead generation strategies to attract leads that are more likely to convert into customers. Consider leveraging data-driven marketing tactics, conducting thorough market research, and optimizing your website for lead generation. Streamlining the Sales Process Identify areas in your sales process that can be streamlined. Look for tasks that can be automated or eliminated to reduce the time it takes for leads to move through the pipeline. By removing unnecessary steps and improving efficiency, you can accelerate your sales cycle and increase conversion rates. Training and Development for Sales Teams Invest in training and development programs for your sales team to enhance their skills and knowledge. Provide them with the tools and resources they need to effectively engage with leads and close deals. By continually developing your sales team's capabilities, you can improve their performance and drive better sales pipeline metrics. Overall, monitoring key sales pipeline metrics is vital for your business's success. By understanding the importance of these metrics, utilizing the right tools and techniques, and implementing strategies to improve them, you can optimize your sales process, increase revenue, and achieve sustainable growth. Monitor key sales pipeline metrics using Wrike’s advanced analytical tools. Register for a free trial today and align your sales strategies with solid data for guaranteed business success. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Catalyzing Business Growth: Strategies for Expansion

Expanding a business is an exciting and challenging endeavor. It requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the market. In this article, we will explore the key strategies for business expansion and how to catalyze growth effectively. Whether you are a small startup or an established company, these strategies will provide valuable insights into achieving your growth goals. Understanding Business Expansion Business expansion offers numerous benefits, such as increased market share, higher revenues, and improved brand recognition. It allows businesses to tap into new markets, gain a competitive edge, and attract a larger customer base. However, expanding without a well-thought-out plan can be risky and may lead to financial instability. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider all aspects of expansion before embarking on this journey. The Importance of Business Growth Vital for long-term success and sustainability: Stay ahead of the competition, adapt to changing market trends, and take advantage of new opportunities. Attract potential investors and strategic partnerships.  Improves company culture: Boost employee morale and provide career advancement opportunities. Platform for innovation and creativity: With a larger customer base, you have the opportunity to gather valuable feedback and insights, enabling you to refine your products or services and meet the evolving needs of your target audience. Access to new markets and geographical locations: Diversify your customer base and reduce dependency on a single market. Establish a global presence and build a strong network of partners and suppliers, facilitating further growth and expansion. Key Factors in Business Expansion Several key factors play a crucial role in successful business expansion: Market Demand: Before expanding, assess the market demand for your products or services. Conduct market research and analyze customer preferences and buying patterns to confirm that there is a sustainable demand in the new market. Identify potential gaps in the market that your business can fill, offering unique value propositions to attract customers. Competitive Analysis: Understand the competitive landscape in the target market. Identify key competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis will help you position your organization and differentiate it from the competition. Develop a compelling value proposition that highlights your unique selling points and conveys why customers should choose your business over others. Operational Capacity: Evaluate your operational capacity to handle expansion. Verify that you have the necessary infrastructure, resources, and systems in place to meet the increased demand without compromising product quality or customer service. Consider factors such as production capacity, supply chain management, and distribution channels. Implement scalable processes and invest in technology that can support your growth objectives. Financial Planning: Expansion requires significant financial resources. Develop a comprehensive financial plan that includes projected revenues, expenses, and cash flow forecasts. Assess your funding options, such as internal sources (retained earnings) or external sources (loans, investments). Consider the potential risks and uncertainties associated with expansion and have contingency plans in place to mitigate them. Talent Acquisition and Development: Expanding your business may require additional workforce. Evaluate your current talent pool and identify any skill gaps that need to be filled. Develop a recruitment strategy to attract and hire qualified individuals who align with your company's values and objectives. Additionally, invest in training and development programs to upskill existing employees and ensure they are equipped to handle new responsibilities and challenges. Formulating a Strategic Plan for Growth Expanding a business requires careful planning and consideration of various factors. In order to oversee a smooth and successful expansion, it is important to set clear business objectives and conduct a thorough analysis of the internal and external environment. Setting Clear Business Objectives Clearly define your business objectives for expansion. Are you aiming to penetrate a new market, launch new products, or expand geographically? Remember to consider the current market conditions, customer demands, and competitive landscape. Conducting a SWOT Analysis Identify internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. This analysis will help you capitalize on your strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and mitigate potential risks. Remember to involve key stakeholders from different departments within your organization, for a holistic view of your business and access to diverse perspectives.  During the analysis, consider your company's strengths, such as a strong brand reputation, talented workforce, or innovative products. These strengths can be leveraged to gain a competitive advantage in the new market or industry segment you are targeting. Identifying weaknesses is equally important, as it allows you to address any internal limitations that may hinder your expansion efforts. This could include areas such as outdated technology, lack of skilled personnel, or inefficient processes.  Opportunities and threats in the external environment should also be carefully evaluated. This could include emerging market trends, changes in consumer behavior, or new technological advancements. Similarly, by recognizing potential threats, such as increased competition or economic downturns, you can develop strategies to mitigate their impact. Financial Considerations for Business Expansion Expanding a business requires sound financial planning to guarantee long-term viability and success. Consider the following financial aspects when formulating your expansion strategy: Budgeting for Growth Develop a detailed budget that accounts for all expansion-related expenses, such as marketing campaigns, additional staff recruitment and training, infrastructure investments, and increased operational costs. Verify that your projected revenue growth aligns with your planned expenses. When creating your budget, consider both short-term and long-term financial goals. Short-term goals may include immediate expenses related to the expansion, while long-term goals may involve planning for future growth and sustainability. Additionally, factor in potential risks and uncertainties that may impact your financial projections. Conducting a thorough risk assessment can help you identify and mitigate potential financial challenges, so that your budget remains realistic and achievable. Exploring Financing Options Consider various financing options to fund your expansion. These may include bank loans, venture capital, crowdfunding, or seeking partnerships with strategic investors. Carefully evaluate the pros and cons of each option to determine the most suitable financing strategy for your business. When exploring financing options, assess your business's current financial health and creditworthiness. Lenders and investors will evaluate your financial statements, credit history, and cash flow to determine the level of risk associated with providing funds. Furthermore, seek professional advice from financial experts, such as accountants or financial advisors, who can guide you through the process and help you make informed decisions. They can assist in analyzing the financial implications of different financing options and provide recommendations based on your specific business needs. Remember that securing financing for expansion is not just about obtaining the necessary funds; it also involves understanding the terms and conditions associated with each financing option. Consider factors such as interest rates, repayment terms, collateral requirements, and potential impact on your business's ownership and control. Lastly, maintaining open communication with potential lenders or investors is crucial. Clearly articulate your expansion plans, demonstrate your business's growth potential, and provide a comprehensive financial proposal that highlights the expected return on investment. Building trust and credibility with financial stakeholders can increase your chances of securing the necessary funds for your business expansion. Human Resources and Business Growth Efficiently managing human resources is crucial during business expansion, as shown by the factors below. Staffing for Expansion Assessing the current workforce is not only about identifying the need for additional staff members, but also about evaluating the existing employees' potential for growth and development. By recognizing the talent within the organization, businesses can provide opportunities for internal promotions and career advancement. This not only motivates employees but also fosters loyalty and commitment to the company. When hiring new employees, take into account diversity and inclusion. By creating a diverse workforce, businesses can benefit from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. This can lead to increased innovation, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities, which are essential for business growth. Training and Development for Growth Investing in training and development programs is crucial to making sure that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to support the expanded operations. By providing continuous learning opportunities, businesses can enhance the capabilities of their workforce, leading to higher productivity and better customer service. Training programs can include a variety of methods, such as workshops, seminars, online courses, and on-the-job training. These initiatives can focus on developing technical skills, leadership abilities, communication skills, and other competencies that are essential for business growth. Moreover, businesses can also consider partnering with external training providers or educational institutions to offer specialized programs tailored to their specific industry or market. By providing employees with access to industry-leading training, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and see to it that their workforce remains up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. Marketing Strategies for Business Expansion Effective marketing strategies are essential for creating brand awareness and driving customer acquisition during business expansion. Branding and Expansion Review and refine your brand strategy to align with the expanded market and target audience. Confirm that your brand positioning, messaging, and visual identity convey the unique value proposition of your business in a way that resonates with the new market. Digital Marketing for Growth Leverage the power of digital marketing channels to reach your target audience and generate leads. Invest in search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, and targeted online advertising to expand your reach and drive traffic to your website or physical location. Catalyze Your Business Growth with Wrike Business growth requires effective strategies and the right tools. With Wrike, you can easily manage your growth strategies. Wrike allows you to create individual folders for each growth initiative, serving as a central hub for all relevant information and updates, fostering effective growth management. Beyond just growth management, Wrike offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline your workflows, foster collaboration, and drive productivity. From real-time communication to intuitive task management features, Wrike provides everything you need to catalyze your business growth and drive expansion. Ready to catalyze your business growth and drive expansion? There's no better time to start than now. Get started with Wrike for free today. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

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Developing a Research Plan

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5StarEssays. (2020). Writing a research proposal—Outline, format and examples. In Complete guide to writing a research paper . Retrieved from https://www.5staressays.com/blog/writing-research-proposal

Walliman, N. (2011). Research methods: The basics . Routledge—Taylor and Francis Group.

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Ajimotokan, H.A. (2023). Developing a Research Plan. In: Research Techniques. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13109-7_4

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A Beginner's Guide to Starting the Research Process

When you have to write a thesis or dissertation , it can be hard to know where to begin, but there are some clear steps you can follow.

The research process often begins with a very broad idea for a topic you’d like to know more about. You do some preliminary research to identify a  problem . After refining your research questions , you can lay out the foundations of your research design , leading to a proposal that outlines your ideas and plans.

This article takes you through the first steps of the research process, helping you narrow down your ideas and build up a strong foundation for your research project.

Table of contents

Step 1: choose your topic, step 2: identify a problem, step 3: formulate research questions, step 4: create a research design, step 5: write a research proposal, other interesting articles.

First you have to come up with some ideas. Your thesis or dissertation topic can start out very broad. Think about the general area or field you’re interested in—maybe you already have specific research interests based on classes you’ve taken, or maybe you had to consider your topic when applying to graduate school and writing a statement of purpose .

Even if you already have a good sense of your topic, you’ll need to read widely to build background knowledge and begin narrowing down your ideas. Conduct an initial literature review to begin gathering relevant sources. As you read, take notes and try to identify problems, questions, debates, contradictions and gaps. Your aim is to narrow down from a broad area of interest to a specific niche.

Make sure to consider the practicalities: the requirements of your programme, the amount of time you have to complete the research, and how difficult it will be to access sources and data on the topic. Before moving onto the next stage, it’s a good idea to discuss the topic with your thesis supervisor.

>>Read more about narrowing down a research topic

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So you’ve settled on a topic and found a niche—but what exactly will your research investigate, and why does it matter? To give your project focus and purpose, you have to define a research problem .

The problem might be a practical issue—for example, a process or practice that isn’t working well, an area of concern in an organization’s performance, or a difficulty faced by a specific group of people in society.

Alternatively, you might choose to investigate a theoretical problem—for example, an underexplored phenomenon or relationship, a contradiction between different models or theories, or an unresolved debate among scholars.

To put the problem in context and set your objectives, you can write a problem statement . This describes who the problem affects, why research is needed, and how your research project will contribute to solving it.

>>Read more about defining a research problem

Next, based on the problem statement, you need to write one or more research questions . These target exactly what you want to find out. They might focus on describing, comparing, evaluating, or explaining the research problem.

A strong research question should be specific enough that you can answer it thoroughly using appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methods. It should also be complex enough to require in-depth investigation, analysis, and argument. Questions that can be answered with “yes/no” or with easily available facts are not complex enough for a thesis or dissertation.

In some types of research, at this stage you might also have to develop a conceptual framework and testable hypotheses .

>>See research question examples

The research design is a practical framework for answering your research questions. It involves making decisions about the type of data you need, the methods you’ll use to collect and analyze it, and the location and timescale of your research.

There are often many possible paths you can take to answering your questions. The decisions you make will partly be based on your priorities. For example, do you want to determine causes and effects, draw generalizable conclusions, or understand the details of a specific context?

You need to decide whether you will use primary or secondary data and qualitative or quantitative methods . You also need to determine the specific tools, procedures, and materials you’ll use to collect and analyze your data, as well as your criteria for selecting participants or sources.

>>Read more about creating a research design

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Finally, after completing these steps, you are ready to complete a research proposal . The proposal outlines the context, relevance, purpose, and plan of your research.

As well as outlining the background, problem statement, and research questions, the proposal should also include a literature review that shows how your project will fit into existing work on the topic. The research design section describes your approach and explains exactly what you will do.

You might have to get the proposal approved by your supervisor before you get started, and it will guide the process of writing your thesis or dissertation.

>>Read more about writing a research proposal

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

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Developing and executing an effective research plan

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Robert J. Weber, Daniel J. Cobaugh, Developing and executing an effective research plan, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy , Volume 65, Issue 21, 1 November 2008, Pages 2058–2065, https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp070197

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Purpose. Practical approaches to successful implementation of practice-based research are examined.

Summary. In order to successfully complete a research project, its scope must be clearly defined. The research question and the specific aims or objectives should guide the study. For practice-based research, the clinical setting is the most likely source to find important research questions. The research idea should be realistic and relevant to the interests of the investigators and the organization and its patients. Once the lead investigator has developed a research idea, a comprehensive literature review should be performed. The aims of the project should be new, relevant, concise, and feasible. The researchers must budget adequate time to carefully consider, develop, and seek input on the research question and objectives using the principles of project management. Identifying a group of individuals that can work together to ensure successful completion of the proposed research should be one of the first steps in developing the research plan. Dividing work tasks can alleviate workload for individual members of the research team. The development of a timeline to help guide the execution of the research project plan is critical. Steps that can be especially time-consuming include obtaining financial support, garnering support from key stakeholders, and getting institutional review board consent. One of the primary goals of conducting research is to share the knowledge that has been gained through presentations at national and international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed biomedical journals.

Conclusion. Practice-based research presents numerous challenges, especially for new investigators. Integration of the principles of project management into research planning can lead to more efficient study execution and higher-quality results.

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Illustration by James Round

How to plan a research project

Whether for a paper or a thesis, define your question, review the work of others – and leave yourself open to discovery.

by Brooke Harrington   + BIO

is professor of sociology at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Her research has won international awards both for scholarly quality and impact on public life. She has published dozens of articles and three books, most recently the bestseller Capital without Borders (2016), now translated into five languages.

Edited by Sam Haselby

Need to know

‘When curiosity turns to serious matters, it’s called research.’ – From Aphorisms (1880-1905) by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Planning research projects is a time-honoured intellectual exercise: one that requires both creativity and sharp analytical skills. The purpose of this Guide is to make the process systematic and easy to understand. While there is a great deal of freedom and discovery involved – from the topics you choose, to the data and methods you apply – there are also some norms and constraints that obtain, no matter what your academic level or field of study. For those in high school through to doctoral students, and from art history to archaeology, research planning involves broadly similar steps, including: formulating a question, developing an argument or predictions based on previous research, then selecting the information needed to answer your question.

Some of this might sound self-evident but, as you’ll find, research requires a different way of approaching and using information than most of us are accustomed to in everyday life. That is why I include orienting yourself to knowledge-creation as an initial step in the process. This is a crucial and underappreciated phase in education, akin to making the transition from salaried employment to entrepreneurship: suddenly, you’re on your own, and that requires a new way of thinking about your work.

What follows is a distillation of what I’ve learned about this process over 27 years as a professional social scientist. It reflects the skills that my own professors imparted in the sociology doctoral programme at Harvard, as well as what I learned later on as a research supervisor for Ivy League PhD and MA students, and then as the author of award-winning scholarly books and articles. It can be adapted to the demands of both short projects (such as course term papers) and long ones, such as a thesis.

At its simplest, research planning involves the four distinct steps outlined below: orienting yourself to knowledge-creation; defining your research question; reviewing previous research on your question; and then choosing relevant data to formulate your own answers. Because the focus of this Guide is on planning a research project, as opposed to conducting a research project, this section won’t delve into the details of data-collection or analysis; those steps happen after you plan the project. In addition, the topic is vast: year-long doctoral courses are devoted to data and analysis. Instead, the fourth part of this section will outline some basic strategies you could use in planning a data-selection and analysis process appropriate to your research question.

Step 1: Orient yourself

Planning and conducting research requires you to make a transition, from thinking like a consumer of information to thinking like a producer of information. That sounds simple, but it’s actually a complex task. As a practical matter, this means putting aside the mindset of a student, which treats knowledge as something created by other people. As students, we are often passive receivers of knowledge: asked to do a specified set of readings, then graded on how well we reproduce what we’ve read.

Researchers, however, must take on an active role as knowledge producers . Doing research requires more of you than reading and absorbing what other people have written: you have to engage in a dialogue with it. That includes arguing with previous knowledge and perhaps trying to show that ideas we have accepted as given are actually wrong or incomplete. For example, rather than simply taking in the claims of an author you read, you’ll need to draw out the implications of those claims: if what the author is saying is true, what else does that suggest must be true? What predictions could you make based on the author’s claims?

In other words, rather than treating a reading as a source of truth – even if it comes from a revered source, such as Plato or Marie Curie – this orientation step asks you to treat the claims you read as provisional and subject to interrogation. That is one of the great pieces of wisdom that science and philosophy can teach us: that the biggest advances in human understanding have been made not by being correct about trivial things, but by being wrong in an interesting way . For example, Albert Einstein was wrong about quantum mechanics, but his arguments about it with his fellow physicist Niels Bohr have led to some of the biggest breakthroughs in science, even a century later.

Step 2: Define your research question

Students often give this step cursory attention, but experienced researchers know that formulating a good question is sometimes the most difficult part of the research planning process. That is because the precise language of the question frames the rest of the project. It’s therefore important to pose the question carefully, in a way that’s both possible to answer and likely to yield interesting results. Of course, you must choose a question that interests you, but that’s only the beginning of what’s likely to be an iterative process: most researchers come back to this step repeatedly, modifying their questions in light of previous research, resource limitations and other considerations.

Researchers face limits in terms of time and money. They, like everyone else, have to pose research questions that they can plausibly answer given the constraints they face. For example, it would be inadvisable to frame a project around the question ‘What are the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict?’ if you have only a week to develop an answer and no background on that topic. That’s not to limit your imagination: you can come up with any question you’d like. But it typically does require some creativity to frame a question that you can answer well – that is, by investigating thoroughly and providing new insights – within the limits you face.

In addition to being interesting to you, and feasible within your resource constraints, the third and most important characteristic of a ‘good’ research topic is whether it allows you to create new knowledge. It might turn out that your question has already been asked and answered to your satisfaction: if so, you’ll find out in the next step of this process. On the other hand, you might come up with a research question that hasn’t been addressed previously. Before you get too excited about breaking uncharted ground, consider this: a lot of potentially researchable questions haven’t been studied for good reason ; they might have answers that are trivial or of very limited interest. This could include questions such as ‘Why does the area of a circle equal π r²?’ or ‘Did winter conditions affect Napoleon’s plans to invade Russia?’ Of course, you might be able to make the argument that a seemingly trivial question is actually vitally important, but you must be prepared to back that up with convincing evidence. The exercise in the ‘Learn More’ section below will help you think through some of these issues.

Finally, scholarly research questions must in some way lead to new and distinctive insights. For example, lots of people have studied gender roles in sports teams; what can you ask that hasn’t been asked before? Reinventing the wheel is the number-one no-no in this endeavour. That’s why the next step is so important: reviewing previous research on your topic. Depending on what you find in that step, you might need to revise your research question; iterating between your question and the existing literature is a normal process. But don’t worry: it doesn’t go on forever. In fact, the iterations taper off – and your research question stabilises – as you develop a firm grasp of the current state of knowledge on your topic.

Step 3: Review previous research

In academic research, from articles to books, it’s common to find a section called a ‘literature review’. The purpose of that section is to describe the state of the art in knowledge on the research question that a project has posed. It demonstrates that researchers have thoroughly and systematically reviewed the relevant findings of previous studies on their topic, and that they have something novel to contribute.

Your own research project should include something like this, even if it’s a high-school term paper. In the research planning process, you’ll want to list at least half a dozen bullet points stating the major findings on your topic by other people. In relation to those findings, you should be able to specify where your project could provide new and necessary insights. There are two basic rhetorical positions one can take in framing the novelty-plus-importance argument required of academic research:

• Position 1 requires you to build on or extend a set of existing ideas; that means saying something like: ‘Person A has argued that X is true about gender; this implies Y, which has not yet been tested. My project will test Y, and if I find evidence to support it, that will change the way we understand gender.’
• Position 2 is to argue that there is a gap in existing knowledge, either because previous research has reached conflicting conclusions or has failed to consider something important. For example, one could say that research on middle schoolers and gender has been limited by being conducted primarily in coeducational environments, and that findings might differ dramatically if research were conducted in more schools where the student body was all-male or all-female.

Your overall goal in this step of the process is to show that your research will be part of a larger conversation: that is, how your project flows from what’s already known, and how it advances, extends or challenges that existing body of knowledge. That will be the contribution of your project, and it constitutes the motivation for your research.

Two things are worth mentioning about your search for sources of relevant previous research. First, you needn’t look only at studies on your precise topic. For example, if you want to study gender-identity formation in schools, you shouldn’t restrict yourself to studies of schools; the empirical setting (schools) is secondary to the larger social process that interests you (how people form gender identity). That process occurs in many different settings, so cast a wide net. Second, be sure to use legitimate sources – meaning publications that have been through some sort of vetting process, whether that involves peer review (as with academic journal articles you might find via Google Scholar) or editorial review (as you’d find in well-known mass media publications, such as The Economist or The Washington Post ). What you’ll want to avoid is using unvetted sources such as personal blogs or Wikipedia. Why? Because anybody can write anything in those forums, and there is no way to know – unless you’re already an expert – if the claims you find there are accurate. Often, they’re not.

Step 4: Choose your data and methods

Whatever your research question is, eventually you’ll need to consider which data source and analytical strategy are most likely to provide the answers you’re seeking. One starting point is to consider whether your question would be best addressed by qualitative data (such as interviews, observations or historical records), quantitative data (such as surveys or census records) or some combination of both. Your ideas about data sources will, in turn, suggest options for analytical methods.

You might need to collect your own data, or you might find everything you need readily available in an existing dataset someone else has created. A great place to start is with a research librarian: university libraries always have them and, at public universities, those librarians can work with the public, including people who aren’t affiliated with the university. If you don’t happen to have a public university and its library close at hand, an ordinary public library can still be a good place to start: the librarians are often well versed in accessing data sources that might be relevant to your study, such as the census, or historical archives, or the Survey of Consumer Finances.

Because your task at this point is to plan research, rather than conduct it, the purpose of this step is not to commit you irrevocably to a course of action. Instead, your goal here is to think through a feasible approach to answering your research question. You’ll need to find out, for example, whether the data you want exist; if not, do you have a realistic chance of gathering the data yourself, or would it be better to modify your research question? In terms of analysis, would your strategy require you to apply statistical methods? If so, do you have those skills? If not, do you have time to learn them, or money to hire a research assistant to run the analysis for you?

Please be aware that qualitative methods in particular are not the casual undertaking they might appear to be. Many people make the mistake of thinking that only quantitative data and methods are scientific and systematic, while qualitative methods are just a fancy way of saying: ‘I talked to some people, read some old newspapers, and drew my own conclusions.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. In the final section of this guide, you’ll find some links to resources that will provide more insight on standards and procedures governing qualitative research, but suffice it to say: there are rules about what constitutes legitimate evidence and valid analytical procedure for qualitative data, just as there are for quantitative data.

Circle back and consider revising your initial plans

As you work through these four steps in planning your project, it’s perfectly normal to circle back and revise. Research planning is rarely a linear process. It’s also common for new and unexpected avenues to suggest themselves. As the sociologist Thorstein Veblen wrote in 1908 : ‘The outcome of any serious research can only be to make two questions grow where only one grew before.’ That’s as true of research planning as it is of a completed project. Try to enjoy the horizons that open up for you in this process, rather than becoming overwhelmed; the four steps, along with the two exercises that follow, will help you focus your plan and make it manageable.

Key points – How to plan a research project

• Planning a research project is essential no matter your academic level or field of study. There is no one ‘best’ way to design research, but there are certain guidelines that can be helpfully applied across disciplines.
• Orient yourself to knowledge-creation. Make the shift from being a consumer of information to being a producer of information.
• Define your research question. Your question frames the rest of your project, sets the scope, and determines the kinds of answers you can find.
• Review previous research on your question. Survey the existing body of relevant knowledge to ensure that your research will be part of a larger conversation.
• Choose your data and methods. For instance, will you be collecting qualitative data, via interviews, or numerical data, via surveys?
• Circle back and consider revising your initial plans. Expect your research question in particular to undergo multiple rounds of refinement as you learn more about your topic.

Good research questions tend to beget more questions. This can be frustrating for those who want to get down to business right away. Try to make room for the unexpected: this is usually how knowledge advances. Many of the most significant discoveries in human history have been made by people who were looking for something else entirely. There are ways to structure your research planning process without over-constraining yourself; the two exercises below are a start, and you can find further methods in the Links and Books section.

The following exercise provides a structured process for advancing your research project planning. After completing it, you’ll be able to do the following:

• describe clearly and concisely the question you’ve chosen to study
• summarise the state of the art in knowledge about the question, and where your project could contribute new insight
• identify the best strategy for gathering and analysing relevant data

In other words, the following provides a systematic means to establish the building blocks of your research project.

Exercise 1: Definition of research question and sources

This exercise prompts you to select and clarify your general interest area, develop a research question, and investigate sources of information. The annotated bibliography will also help you refine your research question so that you can begin the second assignment, a description of the phenomenon you wish to study.

Jot down a few bullet points in response to these two questions, with the understanding that you’ll probably go back and modify your answers as you begin reading other studies relevant to your topic:

• What will be the general topic of your paper?
• What will be the specific topic of your paper?

b) Research question(s)

Use the following guidelines to frame a research question – or questions – that will drive your analysis. As with Part 1 above, you’ll probably find it necessary to change or refine your research question(s) as you complete future assignments.

• Your question should be phrased so that it can’t be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
• Your question should have more than one plausible answer.
• Your question should draw relationships between two or more concepts; framing the question in terms of How? or What? often works better than asking Why ?

c) Annotated bibliography

Most or all of your background information should come from two sources: scholarly books and journals, or reputable mass media sources. You might be able to access journal articles electronically through your library, using search engines such as JSTOR and Google Scholar. This can save you a great deal of time compared with going to the library in person to search periodicals. General news sources, such as those accessible through LexisNexis, are acceptable, but should be cited sparingly, since they don’t carry the same level of credibility as scholarly sources. As discussed above, unvetted sources such as blogs and Wikipedia should be avoided, because the quality of the information they provide is unreliable and often misleading.

To create an annotated bibliography, provide the following information for at least 10 sources relevant to your specific topic, using the format suggested below.

Name of author(s):

Publication date:

Title of book, chapter, or article:

If a chapter or article, title of journal or book where they appear:

Brief description of this work, including main findings and methods ( c 75 words):

Summary of how this work contributes to your project ( c 75 words):

Brief description of the implications of this work ( c 25 words):

Identify any gap or controversy in knowledge this work points up, and how your project could address those problems ( c 50 words):

Exercise 2: Towards an analysis

Develop a short statement ( c 250 words) about the kind of data that would be useful to address your research question, and how you’d analyse it. Some questions to consider in writing this statement include:

• What are the central concepts or variables in your project? Offer a brief definition of each.
• Do any data sources exist on those concepts or variables, or would you need to collect data?
• Of the analytical strategies you could apply to that data, which would be the most appropriate to answer your question? Which would be the most feasible for you? Consider at least two methods, noting their advantages or disadvantages for your project.

Links & books

One of the best texts ever written about planning and executing research comes from a source that might be unexpected: a 60-year-old work on urban planning by a self-trained scholar. The classic book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) by Jane Jacobs (available complete and free of charge via this link ) is worth reading in its entirety just for the pleasure of it. But the final 20 pages – a concluding chapter titled ‘The Kind of Problem a City Is’ – are really about the process of thinking through and investigating a problem. Highly recommended as a window into the craft of research.

Jacobs’s text references an essay on advancing human knowledge by the mathematician Warren Weaver. At the time, Weaver was director of the Rockefeller Foundation, in charge of funding basic research in the natural and medical sciences. Although the essay is titled ‘A Quarter Century in the Natural Sciences’ (1960) and appears at first blush to be merely a summation of one man’s career, it turns out to be something much bigger and more interesting: a meditation on the history of human beings seeking answers to big questions about the world. Weaver goes back to the 17th century to trace the origins of systematic research thinking, with enthusiasm and vivid anecdotes that make the process come alive. The essay is worth reading in its entirety, and is available free of charge via this link .

For those seeking a more in-depth, professional-level discussion of the logic of research design, the political scientist Harvey Starr provides insight in a compact format in the article ‘Cumulation from Proper Specification: Theory, Logic, Research Design, and “Nice” Laws’ (2005). Starr reviews the ‘research triad’, consisting of the interlinked considerations of formulating a question, selecting relevant theories and applying appropriate methods. The full text of the article, published in the scholarly journal Conflict Management and Peace Science , is available, free of charge, via this link .

Finally, the book Getting What You Came For (1992) by Robert Peters is not only an outstanding guide for anyone contemplating graduate school – from the application process onward – but it also includes several excellent chapters on planning and executing research, applicable across a wide variety of subject areas. It was an invaluable resource for me 25 years ago, and it remains in print with good reason; I recommend it to all my students, particularly Chapter 16 (‘The Thesis Topic: Finding It’), Chapter 17 (‘The Thesis Proposal’) and Chapter 18 (‘The Thesis: Writing It’).

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• CREd Library , Planning, Managing, and Publishing Research

Developing a Five-Year Research Plan

Cathy binger and lizbeth finestack, doi: 10.1044/cred-pvd-path006.

The following is a transcript of the presentation videos, edited for clarity.

What Is a Research Plan, and Why Do You Need One?

Presented by Cathy Binger

First we’re going to talk about what a research plan is, why it’s important to write one, and why five years—why not one year, why not ten years. So we’ll do some of those basic things, then Liza is going to get down and dirty into the nitty-gritty of “now what” how do I go about writing that research plan.

First of all, what is a research plan? I’m sure some of you have taken a stab at these already. In case you haven’t, this is a real personalized map that relates your projects to goals. It’s exactly what it sounds like, it’s a plan of how you’re going to go about doing your research. It doesn’t necessarily just include research.

It’s something that you need to put a little time and effort into in the beginning. And then, if you don’t revisit it, it’s really a useless document. It’s something that you need to come back to repeatedly, at least annually, and you need to make it visible. So it’s not a document that sits around and once a year you pull it out and look at it.

It can and should be designed, especially initially, with the help of a mentor or colleague. And it does serve multiple purposes, with different lengths and different amounts of detail.

I forgot to say, too, getting started, the slides for this talk were started using as a jumping off point Ray Kent’s talk from last year. So some of the slides we’ve borrowed from him, so many thanks to him for that.

But why do we want to do a research plan? Well, to me the big thing is the vision. Dr. Barlow talked this morning about your line of research and really knowing where you want to go, and this is where that shows up with all the nuts and bolts in place.

What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to contribute? Most of you are at the stage in your career where maybe you have started out with that you want to change the world scenario and realized that whatever you wanted your first research project to be, really, is your entire career. You need to get that down to the point where it is manageable projects that you can do—this is where you map out what those projects are and set reasonable timelines for that.

You want to really demonstrate your independent thinking and your own creativity, whatever that is that you then establish as a PhD student, postdoc, and beyond—this is where you come back to, okay, here’s how I’m going to go about achieving all of that.

This next point, learning to realistically gauge how long it takes to achieve each goal, this for most of us is a phenomenally challenging thing to do. Most of us really overestimate what we can do in a certain amount of time, and we learn the hard way that you can’t, and that’s another reason why you keep coming back to these plans repeatedly and learning over time what’s really manageable, what’s really doable, so we can still reach our goals and be very strategic about how we do that.

When you’re not strategic, you just don’t meet the goals. Your time gets sucked into so many different things. We need to be really practical and strategic.

Everything we do is going to take longer than we think.

I think this last one is something that maybe we don’t talk about enough. Really being honest with ourselves about the role of research in our lives. Not all of you are at very high-level research universities. Some of you have chosen to go elsewhere, where research maybe isn’t going to be playing the same role as it is for other people. The research plan for someone at an R One research intensive university is going to look quite different from someone who is at a primary teaching university. We need to be open and practical about that.

Getting sidetracked. I love this picture, I just found this picture the other day. This feels like my life. You can get pulled in so many different directions once you are a professor. You will get asked to do a thousand different things. There are lots of great opportunities that are out there. Especially initially, it’s tempting to say yes to all of them. But if you’re going to be productive, you have to be very strategic. I’m going to be a little bit sexist against my own sex here for a minute, but my observation has been that women tend to fall into this a little bit more than men do in wanting to say yes and be people pleasers for everything that comes down the pike.

It is a professional skill to learn how to say no. And to do that in such a way that you are not burning bridges as you go down the path. That is a critical skill if you are going to be a successful researcher. I can’t tell you how many countless people I’ve seen who are very bright, very dedicated, have the skills that it takes in terms of doing the work—but then they are not successful because they’ve gotten sidetracked and they try to be too much of a good citizen, give too much service to the department, too much “sure I’ll take on that extra class” or whatever else comes down the line.

I just spoke with a professor recently who had something like five hours a week of office hours scheduled every single week for one class. Margaret is shaking her head like “are you kidding?” That’s crazy stuff. But he wanted to really support his students. His students loved him, but he was not going to get tenure. That’s the story.

So we have to be very thoughtful and strategic, and what can help you with this, and ASHA very firmly recognizes which is why we’re here—is that your mentors in your life should be there to help you learn these skills and learn what to say yes to, and learn what to say no to. I’ve learned to say things like, “Let me check with my mentor before I agree to that.” And it gives you a way out of that. The line that I use a lot is, “Let me check with my department head” or, I just said this to somebody last week, “I just promised my department head two weeks ago that I would only do X number of external workshops this year, so I’m going to have to turn this one down.” Those are really important skills to develop.

And having that research plan in place that you can go back to and say, know what, it’s not on my plan I can’t do it. If I do it—I have to go back to my research plan and figure out what I’m going to kick off in order to review this extra paper, in order to take on this extra task. The plan also helps me to know exactly what to say no to. And to be very direct and have a very strong visual.

I actually have my research plan up on a giant whiteboard in my office, so I can always go back to that and see where I am, and I can say, “Okay, what am I going to kick off of here? Nothing. Okay, I have to say no to whatever comes up.” Just be strategic. This is where I see most beginning professors really end up taking that wrong fork in the road—taking that right instead of that left, and ending up not being the successful researcher that they wanted to be.

What evidence supports research planning? This was something Ray Kent had found. That a recent analysis had found that postdoc scholars who developed a written plan with their postdoc advisers were much more productive than those who didn’t. And your performance during a postdoc—and I know many of you have either finished your postdoc or decided not to—so more simply, just during those first six years, the decisions you make really do establish the foundation for the rest of your professional life. It’s very important to get started and get off on the right foot.

I love this quote, I just found it the other day: “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”

What we see with productivity is that postdoc scholars who developed written productivity expectations with their advisers were more productive than those who didn’t. You see 23% more papers submitted, 30% more first-author papers, and more grant proposals as well.

So why five years? I’m going to start with number 5. It’s long enough to build a program of research, but short enough to deal with changing circumstances. That’s really the long and the short of the matter. As well as these other things as well that I won’t take the time to go through point by point.

What Should a Five-Year Plan Include?

Presented by Lizbeth Finestack

So, thinking about a five-year research plan, I like to think about it like your major “To Do List.” It’s what you’re going to accomplish in five years. Start thinking: What is going to be on my to do list?

You can also think about it like: Okay, I have research. I’ve got to do research. Maybe think about this as one big bucket, or maybe one humongous silo. I have some farm themes going on. Cathy was just on a farm, so I thought I’d tie that in.

So here’s your big silo. You can call that your research silo.

But more realistically, you need to think about it like separate buckets, separate silos, where research is just one of those. Just like Cathy indicated, there’s going to be lots of other things coming up that you’re going to have to manage. They are going to have to be on your to do list, you need to figure out how to fit everything in.

What all those other buckets or silos are, are really going to depend on your job. And maybe the size of the silos, and the size of the buckets are going to vary depending on where you are, what the expectations are at your institution.

That’s important to keep in mind, and Cathy said this too, it’s not going to be the same for everyone. The five-year plan has to be your plan, your to do list.

Here are some buckets or some silos that I have on my list and the way that I break it up, this is just one example, take it or leave it.

The first three are all very closely related, right? Thinking about grants, thinking about research, thinking about publications. I’m going to define grants as actual writing, getting the grant, getting the money.

Research is what you’re going to do once you get that money. Steps you need to take before you are getting the money. Any sorts of projects, the lab work, that’s why I have the lab picture there. Of course, publications are part of the product—what’s coming out of the research—but it also cycles in because you need publications to support that you are a researcher to apply for funding and show you have this line of research that you’ve established and you’ll be able to continue. So, those first three are really closely related. And that’s where I’ll go next. And then have teaching and service you see here at the bottom.

So thinking about research, in that broad sense. As you’re writing your five-year plan you’re going to want to think of, “What’s my long-term goal?” There’s lots of ways to think of long-term goals. You could think, before I die, this is what I want to accomplish. For me I kind of have that. My long-term goal is that I’m going to find the most effective and efficient interventions for kids with language impairment. Huge broad goal. But within that I can start narrowing it down.

Where am I within that? Within the next five years or maybe the next ten years, what is it I want to accomplish towards that goal. Then start thinking about: In order to accomplish that goal, what are the steps I need to take? Starting to break it down a little bit. Then it’s also going to be really important to think: where are you going to start? Where are you now? What do you need to have happen? And is it reasonable to accomplish this goal within five years? Is it going to take longer? Maybe you could do it in a couple years? Start thinking about the timeline that’s going to work for you.

Then thinking about your goals—and everyone’s program is going to be different, like I said, there’s going to be a lot of individual needs, preferences. So it might be the case that you have this one long-term goal that you’re aiming for. Long-term goal in the sense of, maybe, what you want to study in your R01, perhaps something like that. But in order to get to that point, you’re going to have several short-term goals that need to be accomplished.

Or maybe it’s the case that you have two long-term goals. And with each of those you’re going to have multiple short-term goals that you’re working on. Maybe the scope of each of these long-term goals is a little bit less than in that first scenario.

Start thinking about my research, what I want to do, and how it might fit into these different circumstances.

Also thinking about your goals, this is a slide from Ray Kent from last year, was thinking about the different types of projects you might want to pursue, and thinking about ones that are definitely well on your way. They are safe bets. You have some funding. They are going to lead directly into your longer-term plan.

Those are going to be your front burner—things you can easily focus on. That said, don’t put everything there.

You can also have things on the back burner. Things that really excite you, might have huge benefits, big pay. But you don’t want to spend all of your time there because they could be pretty risky.

Start thinking about where you’re putting your time. Are you putting it all on this high-risk thing that if it doesn’t pan out you’re going to be in big trouble? Or balancing that somewhat with your front burner. Making that steady progress that will lead directly to help fund an R01 or whatever the mechanism that you’re looking for.

Then, thinking about your goals—if you have multiple long-term goals, or thinking about your short-term goals, you could think about your process. Is it something where you need to do study 1 then study 2, then study 3—each of those building on each other, that’s leading to that long-term goal. In many cases, that is the case, where you have to get information from the first study which is going to lead directly to the second study and so forth.

Or is it the case that you can be working on these three short-term goals simultaneously? Spreading your resources at the same time. Maybe it will take longer for any one study, but across a longer period of time you’ll get the information that you need to reach that long-term goal.

Lots and lots of different ways to go about it. The important thing is to think about what your needs are and what makes the most sense for you.

Here’s my own little personal example. Starting over here, I have my dissertation study. My dissertation study was this early efficacy study looking at one treatment approach using novel forms that really can’t generalize to anything too useful, but it was important.

Then I did a follow up study, where I was taking that same paradigm, looking to see where kids with typical development perform on the task. So I have these two studies, and they served as my preliminary studies for an R03. So I just finished an R03 where I was looking at different treatment approaching for kids with primary language impairment. At the same time, while conducting my R03, I’m also looking at some different approaches that might help with language development. Also conducting surveys to see what current practices are.

I have these three projects going on simultaneously, that are going to lead to a bigger pilot study that are going to feed directly into my R01. All of this will serve as preliminary data to go into an R01.

Start thinking about your projects, what you have. Maybe starting with your dissertation project or work that you’re doing as a postdoc as seeing how that can feed into your long-term goal. And really utilizing it, building on it, to your benefit.

That’s all fine and dandy. You can draw these great pictures. But you still have to break it down some more. It’s not like, “Oh, I’m just going to do this project.” There are other steps involved, and lots of the time these steps are going to be just as time consuming.

Starting to think about: well, if you have the funding. Saying, “I want to do this study, but I have no money to do it.” What are the steps in order to get the money to do it? Do you have a pilot study? What do you need?

Start thinking about the resources? Do you need to develop stimuli, protocols, procedures? Start working on that. All of these can be very time consuming, and if you don’t jump on that immediately, it’s going to delay when you can start that project.

Thinking about IRB. Relationships for recruitment, if you’re working with special populations especially? Do you have necessary personnel, grad students, people to help you with the project? Do you need to train them? What’s the timeline of the study?

Start thinking about all these pieces, and how they are going to fit in that timeline.

This is one way that might help you start thinking about the resources that you need. This is online—Ray Kent had it in his talk, and when I was doing my searches I came across it too and I have the website at the end. Just different ways to think about the resources you might need.

Let’s talk about mapping it out. You have your long-term goal. You have your short-term goals. You’re breaking it down thinking about all those little steps that you need to accomplish. We gotta put it on a calendar. When is it going to happen?

This is an example—you might have your five years. Each month plugging in what are you going to accomplish by that time. Maybe it’s when are grant applications due? It’s going to be important to put those on there to go what do I need to do to make that deadline. Maybe it’s putting when you’re going to get publications out. Things like that.

Honestly, looking at this drives me a little bit crazy, it seems a bit overwhelming. But it’s important to get to these details.

This is an example from, I did Lessons for Success a few years ago and they had their format for doing your plan. I wrote out all my projects, started thinking about all the different aspects. So if something like this works for you, by all means you could use that type of procedure.

Here’s a grid that Ray Kent showed last year. We’re breaking it down by semester. Thinking about each of your semesters, what manuscripts you’re going to be working on, what data collection, your grant applications. Starting to get into some of those other buckets: course preparation, conference submissions.

We also need to include teaching and service.

You probably can’t see this very well. This is similar to that last slide Ray Kent had used last year.

I have my five year plan: what studies I want to accomplish, start thinking about breaking it down.

Then at the beginning of each semester, I fill in a grid like this. Where at the top, I have each of my buckets. I have my grant bucket, my writing bucket which is going to include publications. I also include doing article reviews in my writing bucket, because that’s my writing time. My teaching bucket, my research bucket. Then at the end, my service bucket.

At the beginning of the semester, I think about the big things I want to accomplish. I list those at the top. Then at the beginning of each month, I say, okay what are the things I’m going to accomplish this month, write those in. Then at the beginning of each week, I start looking at whether I’m dedicating any time to the things I said I was going to do that month. I start listing those out saying, this is the amount of time I’m going to spend on that. Of course, I have to take data on what I actually do, so I plug in how much time I’m spending on each of the tasks. Then I graph it, because that’s rewarding to see how much time you’re spending on things, and I get a little side-tracked sometimes.

Think about a system that will help you keep on track, to make sure you’re meeting the goals that you want to meet in terms of your research. But also getting the other things done that you need to get done in terms of teaching and service.

Discussion and Questions

Compiled from comments made during the Pathways 2014 and 2015 conferences. (Video unavailable.)

Building Flexibility into Your Five-Year Plan Comments by Ray Kent, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The five-year plan is not a contract. It’s a map or a compass. A general set of directions to help you plan ahead. It’s not even a contract with yourself, because it will inevitably be revised in some ways.

Sometimes cool things land in your lap. Very often it turns out that through serendipity or whatever else, you find opportunities that are very enticing. Some of those can be path to an entirely new line of research. Some of them can be a huge distraction and a waste of time. It’s a really cool part of science that new things come along. If we put on blinders and say, “I’m committed to my research plan,” and we don’t look to the left or the right, we’re really robbing ourselves of much of the richness of the scientific life. Science is full of surprises, and sometimes those surprises are going to appear as research projects. The problem is you don’t want to redirect all your time and resources to those until you’re really sure they are going to pay off. I personally believe, some of those high risk but really appealing projects are things you can nurse along. You can devote some time and build some collaborations – far enough to determine how realistic and viable they are. That’s important because those things can be the core of your next research program.

It’s very easy to get overcommitted. We all know people who always say “yes”—and we know those people, and they are often disappointing because they can’t get things done. It’s important to have new directions, but limit them. Don’t say, “I’m going to have 12 new directions this year.” Maybe one or two. Weigh them carefully. Talk about them with other people to get a judgment about how difficult it might be to implement them. It enriches science: not only our knowledge, but the way we acquire new knowledge. A psychologist, George Miller—this is the guy with the magic number 7 +- 2—when we interviewed him years ago at Boystown, he said, “My conviction is that everybody should be able to learn a new area of study within three months.” That’s what he thought for a scientist was a goal.

The idea is that you can learn new things. And that’s very important because when you think of it in terms of a 30-year career, how likely is it that the project that you’re undertaking at age 28 is the same project you’ll be working on at age 68? Not very likely. You’re going to be reinventing yourself as a scientist. And reinventing yourself is one of the most important things you can do, because otherwise you’re going to be dead wood. Some projects aren’t worth carrying beyond five or ten years. They have an expiration date.

Building Risk into Your Five-Year Plan Comments by Ray Kent, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Your doctoral study should generally be low-risk research. As you move into a postdoctoral fellowship, think about having two studies—one low-risk, one high-risk with a potential for high impact. At this time you can begin to play the risk factor a little bit differently.

When you are tenure-track you can have a mix of significance with low-risk and high-risk studies. And when you are tenured, then you can go for high risk, clinical trials, and collaborations. Because you have established your independence, so you do not need to worry about losing your visibility. You can be recognized as a legitimate member of the team.

As you plan your career, you should take risk into account. Just as you manage your money taking risk into account, we should manage our careers taking risk into account. I have met people who did not really think about that, and they embarked on some very risky procedures and wasted a lot of time and resources with very little to show for it. For example, don’t put everything into an untested technology basket. You want to be using state of the art technology, but you want to be sure it is going to give you what you need.

Other Formats and Uses of Your Research Plan Audience Comments

• If you do your job right with your job talk, there’s a lot of cross-pollination between your job talk and your research plan. Ideally your job talk tells your colleagues that this is the long-term plan that you have. And they shouldn’t be surprised when you submit a more detailed research plan. They should say, “okay this is very consistent with the job talk.” In my view, the job talk should be a crystal summary of the major aspects of that research program. Of course, much of the talk will be about a specific project or two—but it should always be embedded within the larger program. That helps the audience keep sight of the fact that you are looking at the program. You can say that this is one project that I’ve done, and I plan to do more of these, and this is how they are conceptually related. That’s a good example of why the research plan has multiple purposes – it can be a research statement, it can be the core of your job talk, it can be the nature of your elevator message, and it can be a version of your research plan for a K award application or R01 application or anything else of that nature.
• I think what’s useful is to actually draft your NIH biosketch. The new biosketch has a section called “contributions to science.” It’s really helpful to think about all your projects. It’s hard to start with a blank sheet of paper. But to have it in the format of a biosketch can be really helpful.

Avoiding Overcommitment Audience Comments

• One of the things that is amazing about planning is that if you put an estimate on the level of effort for each part of your plan, you’ll quickly find that you are living three or four lives. Some 300% of your time is spent. It’s helpful for those of us who might share my lack of ability to see constraints or limitations to reel it back and say, “I have a lot on my plate.” Which allows you to say no—which is not something we all do very well when it comes to those nice colleagues and those people you want to impress nationally and connect with. But it allows you to look at what’s planned and go, “I don’t know where I’d find the time to do that.” Which will hopefully help you stay on track.
• I keep a to do list, but I also keep a “to not do” list. One of the things I will keep on my plan is the maximum number of papers I will review in a year. If I hit that number in March, that’s it. I say no to every other paper that comes down the pike. That’s something to work out with your mentor as far as what’s realistic and what’s okay for you. Every time I get a request, I think, “That’s my reading and writing time, so what am I willing to give up. If it means I won’t be able to write on my own paper this week, am I willing to do this?”

Staying on Schedule with Reading, Writing, and Reviewing Audience Comments

• You have to do what works for you. Some people do wait for big blocks of time for writing—which are hard to come by. But the most important thing is to block off your time. Put it on your schedule, or it is the first thing that will get pushed aside.
• Another thing I’ve done with some of my colleagues is writing retreats. So maybe once a year, twice a year, we’ll get together. Usually we’ll go to a hotel or somewhere, and we’re just writing. It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on a project. Like, I need to sit down and start this manuscript, and you can keep going once you’ve got that momentum.
• My input would be that you really have to write all the time, every day. It’s a skill. I’ve found that if I take time off, my writing deteriorates. It’s something you need to keep up with.
• I would look at it like a savings account that you put money into on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. The flip side of writing is reading. I would read constantly, widely, and not just in the discipline. That will give you not only a breadth in terms of your understanding of your field and the world around you, but it will also give you an incentive to make your own contributions. I think we don’t talk enough about the comprehensive side to this, and being receptive to the reading. I have a book, or something, by my bedside every night. And I read that until I fall asleep every night. And it’s done me in good stead over the years.
• Reviewing articles can help advance your career, but it is something you need to weigh carefully as a draw on your time. You get a lot from it. You get to see what’s out there. You get to see what’s coming down the pipe before publication. To me that’s a huge benefit. You get to learn from other people’s writing, and that’s part of your reading you get to do. But it is time consuming. And it depends on the kinds of papers you get. Sometimes you’re lucky and sometimes you’re not.
• If someone else is reviewing your grants and your articles, at some point you owe it back. You should at least be in break-even mode. Now, pre-tenure or postdoc your mentor should be doing that or senior faculty in the department. But there are so many articles to review. I review so many articles, but I am also at the tail end of my career. The bottom line is, if you don’t put on your schedule that if you don’t put time on your schedule for reading, reviewing articles forces you to look at and think about the literature, so you can be accomplishing what you owe back to the field—and at the same time, staying one step ahead knowledge wise. It forces you to do what you should be doing all along, which is keeping up with the literature.

Further Reading: Web Resources

Golash-Boza, T. (2014). In Response to Popular Demand, More on the 5-Year Plan. The Professor Is In . Available at http://theprofessorisin.com/2014/05/09/in-response-to-popular-demand-more-on-the-5-year-plan

Kelsky, K. (2010). The Five-Year Plan for Tenure-Track Professors. Get a life, PhD . Available at http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2010/07/five-year-plan-for-tenure-track.html

National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT). (2012). Planning Worksheets . Planning your Research Program (Available from the Science Education Resource Center at Carelton College Website at http://serc.carleton.edu/).

Pfirman, S., Bell, R., Culligan, P., Balsam, P. & Laird, J. (2008) . Maximizing Productivity and Recognition , Part 3: Developing a Research Plan. Science Careers. Available at http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2008_10_10/caredit.a0800148

Cathy Binger University of New Mexico

Lizbeth Finestack University of Minnesota

Based on a presentation and slides originally developed by Ray Kent, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Presented at Pathways (2015). Hosted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Research Mentoring Network.

Pathways is sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a U24 grant awarded to ASHA.

Copyrighted Material. Reproduced by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in the Clinical Research Education Library with permission from the author or presenter.

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Center for Faculty Excellence

• Early Career Faculty Success Program

Creating a 5-Year Research Plan

A 5-year academic research plan is a strategic roadmap that outlines an academic researcher's goals, objectives, and activities over a five-year period. This plan is crucial for several reasons, contributing to the overall success and impact of the researcher's work. Research plans cover key elements such as defining research interests, setting realistic goals, establishing a timeline, and incorporating effective strategies for publication and dissemination of research findings. They are designed to be created with your network of mentors, are adaptable and flexible and should be updated regularly as a way to measure your progress and impact.

Why create a 5-year Research Plan (from ChatGPT)

• Long-Term Vision and Focus:
• A 5-year research plan helps researchers establish a clear and comprehensive vision for their work over an extended period. It provides a framework for maintaining focus and direction amid the complexities of academic research.
• Goal Setting and Milestones:
• The plan allows researchers to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. Breaking down the overarching research objectives into smaller milestones helps in tracking progress and maintaining motivation.
• Resource Allocation and Budgeting:
• Planning over a 5-year horizon enables researchers to allocate resources efficiently. This includes budgeting for funding, personnel, equipment, and other essential resources. Effective resource management enhances the chances of successfully completing projects.
• Grant Proposal Preparation:
• Many academic researchers rely on external funding for their projects. A well-thought-out 5-year research plan provides the foundation for compelling grant proposals. Funding agencies often require a detailed roadmap to evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of the proposed research.
• Collaboration and Networking:
• Long-term research plans often involve collaboration with other researchers, institutions, or industry partners. By outlining collaboration opportunities and networking strategies, researchers can enhance the impact of their work and foster mutually beneficial relationships.
• Publication Strategy:
• Planning for the dissemination of research findings is critical. A 5-year plan includes a publication strategy, outlining the intended journals, conferences, and other platforms for sharing research outcomes. This helps researchers build a publication record and contribute to the academic community.
• Career Development:
• For early-career researchers, a 5-year plan can serve as a roadmap for career development. It allows researchers to identify opportunities for professional growth, such as acquiring new skills, gaining teaching experience, or taking on leadership roles within academic or research institutions.
• Adaptability and Flexibility:
• While a plan provides structure, it should also allow for adaptability. Academic research is dynamic, and unforeseen challenges or opportunities may arise. A well-crafted plan includes mechanisms for adjusting goals and strategies in response to changing circumstances.
• Impact Assessment:
• The plan serves as a basis for assessing the impact of the research. By setting specific objectives and measurable outcomes, researchers can evaluate the success of their work and demonstrate the value of their contributions to various stakeholders, including funding agencies, institutions, and the wider community.

How to create a research plan

You can use these templates as a starting point:

• Montana State University Individual Development Plan template (Word template)
• 5-year Planning Template (Word template)
• Consult your Role & Scope documents
• Collaborate with your network of mentors (if you need help finding a mentor, reach out to [email protected] ).
• Think about your scholarship, teaching, service and create SMARTIE goals (The Management Center webpage).
• Think about what skills you need to achieve your goals
• Update it regularly with your progress and new goals if needed
• Planning Worksheets - Geosciences
• In Response to Popular Demand, More on the 5-Year Plan BY KAREN KELSKY | MAY 9, 2014
• Inclusive Meetings Guide (Harvard University)
• Every Semester Needs a Plan - Planning template
• mentoring network map
• Faculty Mentoring Program
• Goal setting excercise for starting a mentoring relationship
• Potential first meeting agenda

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Director: Michael Babcock [email protected]

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Research And Development Plan Template

What is a Research And Development Plan?

A research and development (R&D) plan outlines the strategy, timeline, and budget for researching, testing, and creating new products and services. It is essential for product and service innovation, and is often the first step in the product development process. R&D plans are critical for any business, organization, or institution that is looking to develop and introduce new products and services.

What's included in this Research And Development Plan template?

• 3 focus areas
• 6 objectives

Each focus area has its own objectives, projects, and KPIs to ensure that the strategy is comprehensive and effective.

Who is the Research And Development Plan template for?

This R&D plan template is designed to help teams identify, develop, and launch new products and services. It can be used by any business that wants to increase their product and service innovation. The template outlines a structured approach to setting objectives, implementing projects, and measuring progress to ensure that the R&D plan is successful.

1. Define clear examples of your focus areas

A focus area is the key concept, goal, or purpose of the research and development plan. It should define the desired outcome of the plan and provide a framework for the objectives, projects, and KPIs (key performance indicators). Examples of focus areas may include identifying new products and services, strengthening research and development capacity, or improving product performance.

2. Think about the objectives that could fall under that focus area

Objectives are the specific goals that need to be achieved to accomplish the focus area. They should be measurable and achievable, and they should be linked to the focus area. Examples of objectives may include increasing customer satisfaction, increasing product innovation, or increasing R&D team size.

3. Set measurable targets (KPIs) to tackle the objective

KPIs are measurable targets that can be used to track progress against the objectives. They should be linked to the objectives and should be specific and measurable. Examples of KPIs may include increasing customer loyalty, reducing response time to customer queries, or increasing the number of product tests conducted.

4. Implement related projects to achieve the KPIs

Projects, also known as actions, are specific activities that must be completed to achieve the objectives. They should be linked to the objectives and KPIs, and should be achievable in a reasonable timeframe. Examples of projects may include increasing customer loyalty programs, researching and evaluating potential new products and services, or increasing the R&D team size.

5. Utilize Cascade Strategy Execution Platform to see faster results from your strategy

Cascade is a strategy execution platform that helps teams easily create, manage, and measure their R&D plans. With Cascade, teams can set objectives, implement projects, and track progress in real-time. Cascade’s intuitive dashboard makes it easy to see progress and make adjustments as needed to ensure that the plan is successful.

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White House releases research strategy for PFAS

By Miranda Willson | 09/03/2024 01:34 PM EDT

The plan could inform regulations and enable agencies to group PFAS into classes based on their toxicity.

A scientist tests a sample of water for PFAS at EPA's Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Cincinnati, Ohio. Joshua A. Bickel/AP

The Biden-Harris administration aims to expand research into how Americans are exposed to harmful “forever chemicals” and how to safely dispose of the materials, according to a new plan that could inform future regulations.

The strategic plan from the White House National Science and Technology Council — shared first with POLITICO’s E&E News — outlines the administration’s research and development priorities for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The long-lasting man-made chemicals have become widespread in the environment, and some versions of them are linked to serious human health problems.

A focus of the plan is better understanding the toxicity of different kinds of PFAS, of which there are thousands. For example, it calls for developing “scientifically supported classification schemes” to categorize different PFAS based on how they affect human health and the environment.

That could eventually help agencies such as EPA set limits on “classes” of PFAS, rather than having to regulate each specific version of the chemical individually, White House officials said.

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Elizabeth votruba-drzal is the new director of pitt’s learning research and development center.

The University of Pittsburgh has named Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal as the next director of the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC), effective Sept. 1.

In her nearly 20 years at Pitt, the chair of the Department of Psychology has built a robust program of research that investigates how socioeconomic inequality shapes and structures human development over the life course. She is also a senior scientist at the LRDC and over the past seven years has helped build the developmental processes and outcomes research area, consisting of multiple labs that focus on the social and developmental contexts of learning and human development.

“I am convinced that Elizabeth and I share a common understanding of the importance of preserving and advancing a strong Learning Research and Development Center as our University continues to grow and develop,” Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joseph J. McCarthy said in an announcement.

Votruba-Drzal previously served as director of the Department of Psychology’s Hot Metal Bridge Program, a postbaccalaureate program for underrepresented students interested in graduate training in psychology. There, she mentored students during the academic year, communicated with faculty to monitor students’ progress and supported students during the graduate admission process. She also served as the department’s director of diversity initiatives from 2017 to 2022.

Votruba-Drzal earned her PhD in human development and social policy from Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

She is succeeding Charles Perfetti, who announced his intention to step down from the long-standing director role in October 2023. Votruba-Drzal was selected through a national search, co-chaired by Mike Bridges, executive director of the University Center for Teaching and Learning, and Amanda Godley, vice provost for graduate studies.

Photography provided by Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal

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1. PREAMBLE 4

2. THE KEY MEASURES TO SUPPORT AFRICA BY THE CHINESE SIDE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS 7

3.POLITICAL, PEACE AND SECURITY COOPERATION 12

3.1 High-Level Visits and Dialogue 13

3.2 Exchanges Between Political Parties, Legislatures, Consultative Bodies and Local Governments 13

3.3 China and the African Union 15

3.4 Peace and Security Cooperation 17

3.5 Cooperation on International Affairs 24

4. NATIONAL GOVERNANCE, MODERNIZATION AND MUTUAL LEARNING AMONG CIVILIZATIONS 27

4.1 Experience Sharing on National Governance 27

4.2 Inter-Civilizational Exchanges and Mutual Learning 29

4.3 Anti-Corruption Cooperation 30

4.4 Think Tank Exchanges 31

5. BELT AND ROAD COOPERATION AND AGENDA 2063 OF THE AFRICAN UNION 31

5.1 Prioritizing Infrastructures and Connectivity 31

5.2 Investment and Industrial and Supply Chain Cooperation 32

5.3 Science and Technology Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing 34

6. ACCELERATING AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION IN AFRICA 36

6.1 Agricultural Cooperation and Technology Transfer 36

6.2 Poverty Reduction and Rural Development Cooperation 39

6.3 Food Security 40

7.SUPPORTING AFRICA’S INDUSTRIALIZATION, ENERGY AND TRADE AS A PRIORITY 41

7.1 Accelerating Industrialization in Africa 41

7.2 Energy Cooperation 43

7.3 Trade Facilitation 45

7.4 Infrastructure Development 47

7.5 Digital Economy 48

7.6 Financing Cooperation 49

8. SUPPORT FOR TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND YOUTH IN AFRICA 52

8.1 Education 52

8.2 Talent Development 53

8.3 Women and Youth 56

9. CONSOLIDATION OF COOPERATION IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 58

9.1 Climate Change 58

9.2 Ecological Protection 59

9.3 Marine and Maritime Cooperation and Natural Disaster Management and Prevention 62

10.SOCIAL AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE COOPERATION AND THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS 63

10.1 Public Health and Africa’s Pharmaceutical Industry 63

10.2 Culture, Tourism and Sports 65

10.3 Press and Media 67

11. FOCAC INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 68

1. PREAMBLE

1.1 The Beijing Summit and Ninth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, 2024. The Heads of State, Government and delegation of China and 53 African countries and Chairperson of the African Union Commission (hereinafter referred to as “the two sides”) and their ministers of foreign affairs and of economic cooperation attended the summit and ministerial conference respectively.

1.2 The two sides speak highly of FOCAC’s achievements over the past 24 years. It has kept pace with the prevailing trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, overcome challenges posed by the changing and turbulent international environment, sluggish global economic recovery and the COVID pandemic, and promoted the comprehensive and in-depth development of friendship and cooperation between China and Africa. It has become an efficient platform for South-South cooperation and a shining example of catalyzing international cooperation with Africa.

1.3 The two sides are satisfied with the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Nine Programs, Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024), China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, and Declaration on China-Africa Cooperation on Combating Climate Change put forward at the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference and their follow-up actions. The two sides welcome the success of the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue held in South Africa and the launch of the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, and will work together to implement these initiatives and plans for common development and prosperity.

1.4 The two sides highly commend the mutual support and assistance to each other during the COVID pandemic and the success of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19, which have set an example for the global response and added a new chapter in the China-Africa community with a shared future. China appreciates the support extended by Africa towards its COVID response. The African side commends China for providing Africa with important support and anti-COVID assistance. 

1.5 The two sides speak highly of China-Africa relations which have entered the new era of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. The two sides pledge to remain guided by and uphold openness and inclusiveness in developing China-Africa relations. China will not interfere in African countries’ exploration of development paths that fit their national conditions; China will not interfere in African countries’ internal affairs; China will not impose its will on African countries; China will not attach political strings to assistance to Africa; and China will not seek unilateral political gains in investment and financing cooperation with Africa. The two sides will always uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and foster an even stronger comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between China and Africa.

1.6 The two sides fully recognize their leaders’ advocacy of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and of pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), as well as Agenda 2063 of the African Union and its Second Ten Year Implementation Plan and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The two sides will work with countries across the world, according to international laws, to promote the global governance characterized by extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, build a new type of international relations, practice humanity’s common values, and contribute to an open, inclusive, clean and pleasant world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity.

1.7 The two sides see Africa as an important partner in Belt and Road cooperation. Inspired by the Silk Road and AU’s 2063 Agenda spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit as well as the principle of planning, building and benefiting together, the two sides undertake to strengthen synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, especially the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and the respective development strategies of African countries, and make greater contribution to international cooperation, global economic growth and the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

1.8 China commends Africa’s efforts to seek strength through unity, and accelerate integration in response to various risks and challenges. The two sides are convinced that the development of China and Africa will present more opportunities to human development, collective security and respect for each other’s civilization. The two sides pledge to strengthen cooperation on the abovementioned initiatives and speak with one voice on issues of common interest to developing countries, and jointly call for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

1.9 The two sides share the view that the world is experiencing unprecedented and historical changes. The robust growth of the Global South represented by China and Africa is shaping the trajectory of the world history in a profound way. The two sides always stand in solidarity with other developing countries, uphold independence, actively promote South-South and triangular cooperation, oppose ideology-based bloc confrontation, and safeguard the common interests of the Global South in the ongoing reform of global governance system. The two sides support each other in safeguarding their sovereignty, security and development interests. The African side adheres to the one-China principle and is ready to provide firm support to China on issues relating to its core interests and major concerns.

1.10 The two sides take the view that China, the biggest developing country, is committed to pursuing higher-standard opening up to advance high-quality development, and is endeavoring to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation in all respects by pursuing Chinese modernization. The African side speaks highly of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held in July this year, and believes that the systematic plans drawn up at the session for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization will bring more opportunities for countries around the world, including African countries. Africa, the continent with the largest number of developing countries, has launched the Second 10-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 of the African Union and accelerated the building of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa. The two sides will seek together, on the basis of their respective development and revitalization, to pursue modernization that will enhance peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity, and forge a China-Africa partnership characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual assistance and mutual understanding, to the greater benefit of the people of both sides. 

1.11 The two sides commend the four high-level meetings held during the Summit, i.e. “increasing experience sharing on national governance in the exploration of paths to modernization,” “industrialization, agricultural modernization and green development—the path to modernization,” “building a shared future of lasting peace and universal security as a strong underpinning of modernization,” “pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a platform for modernization featuring planning together, building together and benefiting together” and they will deepen exchanges and cooperation in these areas in line with the important consensus reached by Chinese and African leaders.

1.12 The two sides have jointly formulated and adopted by consensus this Action Plan to implement the outcomes of the Summit, and chart the course of China-Africa friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields in the next three years and beyond under the theme of “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.” 

2.THE KEY MEASURES TO SUPPORT AFRICA BY THE CHINESE SIDE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS 

2.1 The African side highly appreciates the key measures to be implemented in the next 3 years announced by President Xi Jinping in the opening ceremony of FOCAC Beijing Summit, and agrees that these measures are forward looking and strategic, corresponding to the needs of the future development of Africa, which will provide a strong impetus to the leapfrog developmet of the China-Africa cooperation. The African side is ready to work with China, to strengthen the synergy of the development strategies, and jointly promote the effective implementation of these measures.

2.2 China will work with Africa, in the next three years, to implement ten partnership initiatives for joining hands to advance modernization for China and Africa (the ten partnership initiatives), which covers the areas of mutual learning between civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, healthcare, rural revitalization and people’s wellbeing, people-to-people exchanges, green development, and common security.

2.2.1 The partnership initiative for mutual learning between civilizations. China will join hands with Africa to build a dialogue partnership for the Global Civilization Initiative and a platform for governance experience-sharing between China and Africa. China will support the establishment of the China-Africa network of knowledge for development and 25 China-Africa research centers. The African Leadership Academy will be leveraged to train governance talent and 1000 African political party personages invited to China for exchanges.

2.2.2 The partnership initiative for trade prosperity. China will grant duty-free treatment to 100% of the tariff lines of products from least developed countries (LDCs) with diplomatic ties with China; sign framework agreements on economic partnership for shared development with interested African countries; and strengthen cooperation on inspection and quarantine and standards, and expand access for agricultural exports from Africa. China will deepen China-Africa e-commerce cooperation, support African countries in setting up country pavilions in China’s Silk Road e-commerce cooperation pilot zone, and host Cloud Lectures to train African e-commerce talent. China will implement the China-Africa quality enhancement program, establish the China-Africa Center for Standardization Cooperation and Research, and the China-Africa Trade Digitalization Trust Verification Platform, and implement the China-Africa conformity assessment capacity building initiative. 

2.2.3 The partnership initiative for industrial chain cooperation. China will support Africa in developing local value chains, manufacturing and deep processing of critical minerals, build growth circles for China-Africa industrial cooperation in five regions, undertake 10 supporting projects of industrial parks for African countries, and hold 100 training sessions on industrialization. China will advance the development of the pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa trade and economic cooperation and establish a corresponding fund to promote the integration of industry and trade and interconnected development of industrial parks. China will implement an African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) empowerment initiative, which includes financing support for African SMEs, 50 matchmaking activities, and 1,000 training opportunities for African business managers. A China-Africa digital technology cooperation center will be jointly built, facilitate Chinese businesses in undertaking 20 digital infrastructure projects and digital transformation demonstration projects in Africa.

2.2.4 The partnership initiative for connectivity. China firmly supports African integration. China will help implement 30 infrastructure projects in Africa, and continue to provide support for the development of the African Union (AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). China will promote interconnected development between transport infrastructure and industrial parks built and operated by Chinese companies in Africa, and build a multimodal sea-rail transport network that connects China’s central and western region to Africa. To enhance financial market connectivity, China will deepen cooperation with Africa in local currency settlement and financial technology, and welcomes the issuance of panda bonds by African countries.

2.2.5 The partnership initiative for development cooperation. China will publish with Africa the Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation under the Framework of the Global Development Initiative, jointly build the Global Development Promotion Center network, and help deliver 1,000 “small and beautiful” projects to improve people’s livelihood. China will support Africa in holding the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games and the 2027 African Cup of Nations. China will establish a demonstration center for China-Africa (Ethiopia)-UN (UNIDO) cooperation. For least developed African countries with diplomatic ties with China, China will waive their intergovernmental interest-free loans due by the end of 2024. The Chinese government will replenish the China-World Bank Group Partnership Facility with USD 50 million, which will mainly be used to support inclusive and sustainable development in African countries. China also calls for collective actions of the international community to secure liquidity and other funding support from the private sector for Africa’s sustainable development.

2.2.6 The partnership initiative for healthcare. China will establish an alliance of Chinese and African hospitals, work with African countries to build a number of joint medical centers and traditional medicine centers to enhance cooperation on traditional medicine and smart medicine, and implement a program on minimally invasive medicine. China will deepen technical cooperation on public health with Africa, train 100 professionals, support the development and operation of the Africa CDC headquarters and five sub-regional centers, send 2,000 medical personnel and public health experts to African countries, launch the free medical services program of “100 Medical Teams in 1,000 Villages”, and continue to provide assistance against epidemics in Africa within China’s capacity. China will implement ten healthcare facility programs and ten malaria elimination demonstration programs. It will encourage Chinese businesses to invest in the production of medicines and vaccines in Africa to increase local medicine production capacity. 

2.2.7 The partnership initiative for rural revitalization and people’s wellbeing. China will support Africa in eradicating hunger and achieving food security and sustainable agricultural development, foster a network of China-Africa cooperation on agricultural modernization, help to build or upgrade ten agricultural technology demonstration centers, build no less than 100,000 mu (6667 hectares) of overseas demonstration areas of Chinese agricultural standardization, and provide African countries with RMB 1 billion of emergency food aid. China will establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance, build 100 demonstration villages for poverty reduction through agricultural development, send 500 agricultural experts to African countries, provide training for 1,000 leaders in pursing a better life through agricultural development, and advance the development of a China-Africa Juncao cooperation center and a China-Africa bamboo center. China will continue to carry out the initiative of “100 Companies in 1,000 Villages”, and implement 500 public welfare projects in such areas as women’s and children’s health, education and training, rural development, and clean drinking water. It will encourage Chinese businesses in Africa to create no less than one million local jobs.

2.2.8 The partnership initiative for people-to-people exchanges. China will continue to implement Future of Africa, a project for China-Africa cooperation on vocational education, build with African countries schools of engineering technology, and set up or upgrade 10 Luban Workshops and 20 schools. China will offer 60,000 training opportunities to Africa, with priorities given to programs for women empowerment and youth development. China will refine the mechanisms and platforms for China-Africa science and education cooperation, and establish China-Africa regional cooperation centers for digital education. China will implement ten people-to-people exchange projects, work with African countries to advance the China-Africa “Cultural Silk Road” program, invite 1,000 African culture and tourism professionals to China for training, carry out a plan of cooperation on radio, television and audiovisual innovation, and designate the year 2026 as the Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges.

2.2.9 The partnership initiative for green development. China will support Africa in enhancing climate adaptation capacity, provide new energy technologies and products, implement 30 clean energy and green development projects, and set up a Special Fund for China-Africa Green Industrial Chain. China will strengthen capacity-building and joint research in such areas as disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, bio-diversity protection, environmental improvement, and desertification treatment, and work with Africa to construct a meteorological early-warning service platform. China will set up the China-Africa Forum on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology, build joint laboratories together with African countries and the Africa Center of China-Africa Cooperation Center on Satellite Remote Sensing Application, carry out marine space planning, and support African countries’ participation in the international lunar research station project and China’s lunar and Martian exploration.

2.2.10 The partnership initiative for common security. China will join hands with Africa to establish and implement a Global Security Initiative partnership, build a demonstration zone of Global Security Initiative and conduct early-stage cooperation of the Global Security Initiative. China will provide Africa with an RMB 1 billion military grant to support African countries in strengthening their armed forces, train 6,000 military personnel for Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China and conduct joint exercises, training and patrols. China will carry out the initiative to help Africa in demining and deepen China-Africa communication and cooperation on security of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China will train 1,000 police enforcement officers for Africa and jointly ensure the safety of cooperation projects and personnel.

2.3 To ensure the successful implementation of the ten partnership initiatives, China will provide Africa with RMB 360 billion of financial support in the next three years, includes RMB 210 billion credit lines,RMB 80 billion in assistance of different types, no less than RMB 70 billion of investment by Chinese companies, to give strong support for the practical cooperation of China and Africa in all fields .

3.POLITICAL, PEACE AND SECURITY COOPERATION

3.1 High-Level Visits and Dialogue

3.1.1 The two sides appreciate the irreplaceable role that regular communication between Chinese and African leaders plays in leading the development of China-Africa relations, and will take forward issues of overarching and strategic significance to the future direction of China-Africa relations under its guidance, build consensus on global and regional issues, deepen traditional friendship, enhance political trust, and continuously cement the political foundation of China-Africa relations.

3.1.2 The two sides appreciate the fact that Chinese foreign ministers have visited Africa as their first overseas destination at the start of each year for 34 consecutive years, and agree to maintain close high-level exchanges, and strengthen strategic communication and coordination to provide a strong underpinning for the high-quality development of China-Africa relations. In the same vein, several African Ministers of Foreign Affairs and other areas have visited the People’s Republic of China. 

3.1.3. The two sides will further improve mechanisms such as Bi-national Commissions (BNC), intergovernmental commissions, strategic dialogues, foreign ministers’ political consultations, joint/mixed commissions on economic and trade cooperation, joint working groups, and steering committees. The coordinators’ meeting on the implementation of the outcomes of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the FOCAC will be held in due course.

3.2 Exchanges Between Political Parties, Legislatures, Consultative Bodies and Local Governments

3.2.1 The two sides believe that exchanges and cooperation between political parties, legislatures, consultative bodies and local governments are important components of China-Africa cooperation, and are of important significance to deepening experience sharing on national governance, increasing mutual understanding and mutual trust, and consolidating the political foundation of China-Africa relations.

3.2.2 The two sides will further intensify, where possible in a predictable manner, high-level exchanges between Chinese and African political parties, deepen bilateral and multilateral political dialogues, strengthen cooperation on the capacity building of political parties, and support African political parties in strengthening governance capabilities and independently exploring paths to modernization suited to their respective national conditions.

3.2.3 The two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the leadership, special committees, work committees, friendship groups, deputies and members, and administrative offices of the National People’s Congress of China and the parliaments of African countries, and organize bilateral and multilateral workshops to increase mutual understanding and friendship and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning in such areas as legislation. The two sides will work together to improve exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese Supreme People’s Court and the Court of Justice of the African Union as well as between Chinese and African judicial bodies. The two sides undertake to work together to develop and share the work programme for these engagements.

3.2.4 The two sides will strengthen friendly interaction between the National People’s Congress of China and African regional parliamentary organizations, including the Pan-African Parliament and the African Parliamentary Union, and strengthen cooperation with parliaments of African countries in the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other international institutions to safeguard common interests and international fairness and justice.

3.2.5 The two sides will further promote exchanges and cooperation between the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the special committees and China-Africa Friendship Group under the CPPCC National Committee, and African countries, sub regional or regional organizations and personages from across sectors. 

3.2.6 The two sides will deepen exchanges between the China Economic and Social Council and such institutions as the AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSCOCC), the Union of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions of Africa, and economic and social councils of African countries.

3.2.7 The two sides will encourage local governments to establish more sister provinces/cities relations on a voluntary, equal, friendly and mutually beneficial basis, will promote local economic and commercial cooperation and will strengthen institution building of the China-Africa Forum on Cooperation Between Local Governments and the China-Africa People’s Forum, and advance the materialization of the Action on Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity and the Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network in African countries. The two sides will tap into the role of the China-Africa Friendship Organization Leaders Meeting, and encourage exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African friendship organizations.

3.2.8 The two sides will continue to encourage their labor unions to strengthen cooperation through means of mutual visits, thematic seminars, capacity building and information sharing.

3.3 China and the African Union

3.3.1 The two sides commend the new progress in African integration and the important achievements in the institutional reform of the AU. China congratulates the AU’s accession to G20, and will continue to support the AU’s participation and setting of its own priority goals in G20 cooperation.

3.3.2 The two sides acknowledge the important role of the AU in safeguarding peace and stability in Africa and promoting African integration. China will continue to support the AU’s capacity building in conflict prevention and resolution, following the principle of Africa solutions to African problems.  

3.3.3 China will continue to support the AU and African countries in implementing the PIDA, and is ready to strengthen African connectivity based on a market-oriented approach, work together on the Second PIDA Priority Action Plan, promote joint project planning, further support the AU Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) in strengthening capacity building, and hold thematic training sessions on human resources.

3.3.4.1 China is ready to provide trade preferences to African countries through more flexible pragmatic comprehensive and convenient trade liberalization arrangements.The two sides commend the contribution by the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Hunan Province, China, to subnational economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa. China will continue to work to strengthen the confidence of Chinese enterprises in investing in Africa, and further increase investment in and technology transfer to Africa. The China-Africa Development Fund(CADFUND) will continue to play an important role in this regard. The African side is ready to work with China to create a better trade and investment environment, and promote the integration of the African and Chinese markets to provide greater impetus for the common development and prosperity of the two sides. China will continue to support the development of the AfCFTA and the growth of trade within Africa through the creation of value chains.

3.3.4.2 China will continue to support the AU’s capacity building, and support the negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding on Economic and Trade Cooperation and the establishment of a joint economic and trade commission with the AU.

3.3.5 The two sides support the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and welcome the operationalization of the African Medicines Agency (AMA). The two sides stand ready to continue to cultivate Africa’s local medicine industry through public and private investments.

3.3.6 The two sides will intensify exchanges and cooperation between China and the AU and its subordinate institutions, strengthen communication and coordination to build consensus on African development, governance experience, development strategy and international and regional issues, and support the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the establishment of cooperation mechanisms between the African Broadcasting Union and the Chinese side. The two sides will work for more outcomes of the cooperation between the AU and the African Regional Economic Communities to benefit more populations through inclusive and prosperous development.

3.4 Peace and Security Cooperation

3.4.1 Global Security Governance

3.4.1.1 The two sides underscore that peace and security in Africa remains an important part of their cooperation, and are willing to jointly implement the GSI and carry out early cooperation on the GSI with the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. The two sides will join hands in implementing the important consensus reached at the high-level meeting themed “building a shared future of lasting peace and universal security as a strong underpinning of modernization.” China and Africa will further advance the implementation of the China-Africa peace and security plan and deepen communication and coordination on major global and regional security issues, as part of their efforts to improve the global security governance system and safeguard international fairness and justice. The two sides commend the mediation efforts of Angola under the support of the AU in the security crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

3.4.1.2 In fulfillment of the GSI, China is ready to host training programs on defense and security for African countries, so as to improve security governance. China welcomes the participation of all African countries at these training programs.

3.4.1.3 The two sides applaud the positive contribution of China and Africa in safeguarding regional and global peace and stability, and believe that all countries should stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, to abiding by the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, to peacefully resolving disagreements and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains.

3.4.1.4 The two sides are committed to privilege African solutions to African problems, and jointly to fully implement the initiative of Silencing the Guns in Africa. However, China will offer its mediation as much as possible when requested in the context of conflict resolution in Africa. The two sides believe that the African Peace and Security Architecture is a powerful regulative framework to tackle security challenges and threats faced by the African continent, and call on the international community to continue to tackle regional challenges through diplomatic means. The African side appreciates the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa put forward by China. We reiterate that we will have closer coordination and cooperation on African peace and security affairs in the U.N. Security Council and to uphold our common interests. China is ready to promote the channeling of more global counterterrorism resources to developing countries, and work with African countries to enhance their capacity building of fighting against terrorism and violent extremism. China supports the initiative of AUDA-NEPAD to develop a program focused on the peace-security-development tripartite nexus, and will support the AU Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development in the implementation of these programs.

3.4.2 Peacekeeping, Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Consular Affairs

3.4.2.1 China supports African countries’ efforts to build collective security mechanisms, to independently carry out peace-keeping operations, to maintain regional security, to fight against terrorism and to focus on African solutions for African problems. China reaffirms its commitment to supporting the revitalized African Peace Fund. China asserts to play a pivotal role in strengthening this crucial initiative, including the contribution of necessary expertise. This support underscores China’s dedication to enhancing peace and stability across the African continent and pledges to work collaboratively with the African Union Fund for the realization of peaceful and prosperous Africa. The AU expresses its gratitude to China for the great support provided to the Continental Logistic Base in Douala and also for the UN resolution 2719 establishing the framework towards providing predictable and sustainable financing for the AU Peace Support Operations through the UN assessed contributions. China supports African countries’ efforts to fight terrorism and opposes politicizing or adopting double-standards on counterterrorism, and calls on the international community to redouble support to African countries for their counterterrorism capacity building. Both parties undertake not to offer shelter to individuals prosecuted for acts of terrorism or financing terrorism. China will provide expertise and support to the African Center for Study and Research on Terrorism based in Algiers as well as the office in Rabat of the UN Programme for the fight against terrorism and training in Africa.

3.4.2.2 The two sides will continue to enhance cooperation in peacekeeping and counterterrorism within the U.N. framework, strengthen exchanges of peacekeeping policies and skills, and conduct joint exercises and on-site training between Chinese and African peacekeeping troops and cooperation on small arms, light weapons control and homemade explosives. In this regard, African countries, particularly those located in the Horn of Africa, Cabo Delgado and the Sahel, lastingly affected by the scourge of terrorism, will be further supported in strengthening their capacities in the fight against terrorism. 

3.4.2.3 The two sides will continue to hold the series of meetings of the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum, improve its professional standards, strengthen its institutional building, and encourage more exchanges between Chinese and African young and middle-aged military officials. China and Africa will continue to strengthen communication platforms on peace and security at various levels and in various fields.

3.4.2.4 The two sides will continue to step up intelligence sharing and action coordination on combating international terrorist organizations, and to support African countries’ efforts of improving counterterrorism capacity. China and Africa will continue to work together to safeguard the security of shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea, Indian Ocean and Somali waters. The African side appreciates China's initiatives relating to its advocacy in favor of Africa in the fight against terrorism at the level of international bodies. Taking into account the fact that the Sahel has become the area of Africa most affected by terrorism currently, the African side wishes more support from China in the fight against this scourge which negatively impacts any socioeconomic development action of the region.

3.4.2.5 China will continue to provide law enforcement training programs according to the needs of African police departments, and will continue to provide police equipment assistance to African countries to the best of its capabilities.

3.4.2.6 The two sides will increase intelligence sharing and investigation collaboration within the frameworks of the International Criminal Police Organization(Interpol), the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation(Afripol), regional cooperation organizations and bilateral arrangements. 

3.4.2.7 China is ready to carry out institutionalized cooperation with the Afripol, hold regular ministerial dialogue on law enforcement security with 14 East African countries, and work with the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) and its member countries on Belt and Road security, combating transnational crimes and law enforcement capacity building. 

3.4.2.8 The two sides will work together to combat the illegal transfer and abuse of small arms, light weapons and ammunition. China is ready to engage with African countries in exchange of policy and experience on such issues as identifying, tracing, and the management of end users of small arms, light weapons and ammunition. China is ready to provide African countries with necessary technical support and material assistance to the best of its capabilities.

3.4.2.9 The two sides will work more closely to combat crimes that infringe upon the safety of life, environmental degradation and national security such as illegal mining of gold and other minerals, and smuggling and trafficking of wildlife, and on narcotics control, fugitives’ repatriation and asset recovery, trafficking of human beings and human bones. In the same order, the two sides will encourage scientific exchanges capable of leading to the development of their systems for rapid detection of counterfeit pharmaceutical items, currency and any other item sold on African markets.

3.4.2.10 The two sides will work more closely to combat illegal immigration and trafficking of human beings in the continent. China is ready to support the AU in the implementation of the AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa and Plan of Action 2018–2030, The Africa Common Position on Migration and Development, as well as The Continental Policy on the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in Africa, The Continental Policy on the Prevention of Smuggling in Migrants in Africa, The Continental Guidelines on Return, Readmission and Reintegration, and The Organization of the African Union Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. The two sides encourage the negotiation of mutual legal assistance and extradition agreements and will facilitate the consular protection of their respective nationals.

3.4.2.11 The two sides will further facilitate exchanges of personnel from all sectors, streamline the visa application procedure, in favor of officials, businessmen, tourists, students and increase the efficiency of visa approval. 

3.4.3 Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence

3.4.3.1 The African side welcomes the Global AI Governance Initiative and the Global Initiative on Data Security put forward by China, appreciates China’s efforts in strengthening developing countries’ rights concerning global AI governance, and is willing to work with China to implement the U.N. General Assembly resolution on enhancing international cooperation on capacity building of AI.

3.4.3.2 The two sides believe that it is important to put equal emphasis on development and security, bridge the AI and digital divide, jointly prevent risks, and build an international governance framework in this field with the U.N. as the main channel. The two sides oppose drawing lines on an ideological basis or putting together exclusive blocs, and creating development barriers through technological monopoly and unilateral coercive measures to hinder AI development of other countries. The two parties also intend to cooperate to stem the potential dangers that could arise in AI use.

3.4.3.3 The two sides will strengthen international cooperation on capacity building of AI and promote exchanges in such areas as rules governing cross-border data flow, legitimate and safe application of new technologies, personal privacy protection, and internet laws and regulations within the international frameworks including the Global AI Governance Initiative, the China-Africa Initiative on Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace, and the Global Initiative on Data Security, if applicable so as to jointly advance rules-making for global digital governance.

3.4.3.4 The two sides will conduct exchanges and dialogue on AI, data security and in other areas.

3.4.3.5 The two sides will encourage the contact and communication between their national computer emergency response teams (CERT), carry out cross-border handling of cybersecurity cases, information sharing, and experience exchange, enhance cooperation on cybersecurity emergency response and make study trips.

3.4.3.6 The African side appreciates the positive role played by the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum in deepening China-Africa cooperation on the cybersecurity and informatization, and will work with China to make good use of platforms such as the China-Africa Exchange and Cooperation Center on Cybersecurity and Informatization, and jointly promote the implementation of the consensus reached at the Forum.

3.4.4 Nuclear Security, Biosecurity, and Nonproliferation

3.4.4.1 The two sides reiterate that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and support the downgrading of nuclear weapons’ role in national security policies. The two sides call on nuclear-weapon states to adopt the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, to negotiate and conclude a treaty on no-first-use of nuclear weapons against one another or issue a political statement on this, and to support the negotiation of international legal instruments on providing negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states.

3.4.4.2 The two sides call on all nuclear-weapon states to give their full support to the building of an African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and the Pelindaba Treaty, including ratifying the additional protocols to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, and to continue to support regional countries in their efforts to build nuclear and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction Frees Zones in the Middle East.

3.4.4.3 The two sides will strengthen cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear technologies, and continue to enhance communication and cooperation through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the African Regional Cooperation Agreement for Research, Development and Training in the Field of Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA) and African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) and other platforms. China and Africa will jointly promote a new order for global nuclear governance that is equitable and just and takes into consideration the actual conditions and needs of developing countries. The two sides will discuss the signing of a document of China Atomic Energy Authority-IAEA-AU cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear technologies, and will leverage the strengths of all sides to provide public goods and services to African countries in their development through peaceful uses of nuclear technologies.

3.4.4.4 The two sides will support programs concerning nuclear infrastructure construction, the development and use of uranium resources, and the promotion of nuclear technology application, with a view to supporting African countries in developing the industry of peaceful uses of nuclear technologies.

3.4.4.5 The two sides will work to improve global biosecurity governance, uphold the authority of such international laws as the Biological Weapons Convention, and strengthen policy coordination and results-oriented cooperation.

3.4.4.6 The two sides believe that peaceful uses of technology is an inalienable right of all countries under international law, and support the resolution of Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security adopted by the U.N. General Assembly.

3.5 Cooperation on International Affairs

3.5.1 The two sides are of the view that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, but the overall direction of human development and progress will not change, the overall dynamics of world history moving forward amid twists and turns will not change, and the overall trend toward a shared future for the international community will not change. With similar historical tribulations, a common journey of struggle and the same development tasks, China and Africa will work together to defend the development space and common interests of developing countries, and inject more positive energy and certainty into the world.

3.5.2 The two sides note that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the initiation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. China commends Uganda for successfully hosting the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Third Southern Summit, supports African countries in their in-depth participation in global governance and in playing a more significant role in international affairs, and supports Africans in serving as heads of international organizations and institutions.

3.5.3 The two sides advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world, and maintain that all countries, regardless of differences in terms of geographical size, population density and socioeconomic development, should have equal rights, equal opportunities and follow the same rules, uphold the international system with the U.N. at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, oppose the monopoly of international affairs by a few countries, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and make global governance more just and equitable.

3.5.4 The two sides call for necessary reform and strengthening of the U.N. including its Security Council, redressing the historical injustices done to Africa, and increasing the representation of developing countries, African countries in particular, in the U.N. and its Security Council. China supports making special arrangements on the U.N. Security Council reform to meet Africa’s aspiration as a priority. The two sides believe that Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Zimbabwe have the right to decide the future of their own country and continue their economic and social development, and we demand that the United States and other Western countries put an end to the long-term sanctions and unjust treatment imposed on these countries.

3.5.5 The two sides advocate a universally beneficial, inclusive economic globalization, development oriented, and maintain that countries should uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, ensure that people from all countries, sectors and backgrounds will participate in and enjoy the fruits of economic and social development, properly address development imbalances between and within countries, keep the global industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, oppose all forms of unilateralism, protectionism and maximum pressure, oppose erecting walls and barriers, decoupling and supply disruption, step up reform of international trade and investment, encourage all parties to respect each other’s legitimate interests and concerns, and increase the vitality and impetus of global economic growth. The two sides are ready to strengthen communication and cooperation within the WTO framework, and agree to continue discussion in the WTO on Investment Facilitation for Development.

3.5.6 The two sides call for accelerating reform of the international financial system and strengthening the representation and voice of developing countries in global economic governance. China and Africa will enhance cooperation to ensure a comprehensive reform of the Global Financing Governance System that responds to the specific needs of developing countries. Developed countries should assume the primary responsibility for development financing, and meet their ODA commitments and climate financing obligations with particular attention to vulnerable countries. Multilateral development banks should enrich and innovate in investment and financing tools, provide more financing tools to support poverty reduction and development, increase the participation and voting rights of developing countries and emerging market countries, give full consideration to developing countries in the allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and make the international monetary and financial system better reflect the changes in the world economic structure. As the largest creditors of developing countries, multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors must actively participate in debt relief and suspension, and provide more development resources for developing countries. China and Africa will work together in preparation for the upcoming Summit for the Future as well as the Fourth International Conference on Financing for the Development (FfD), which will take place from June 30 to July 3, 2025 in Spain.

3.5.7 The two sides believe that the development of human rights should be people-centered, and that all countries have the right to follow a path of human rights development that suits their own sociocultural values for an Africa under the law with good governance, democracy, respect for human rights and justice. The two sides are ready to conduct human rights exchanges and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and equality, jointly organize human rights exchange and training programs, and hold the China-Africa Forum on Human Rights Cooperation. Both sides oppose the politicization of human rights issues, oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs in the name of human rights, and support increasing the representation and voice of developing countries in multilateral human rights institutions.

3.5.8 China commends South Africa for successfully hosting the 15th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting, congratulates Ethiopia and Egypt on joining the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism, and welcomes the participation of more African countries in BRICS cooperation.

3.5.9 China supports African countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and is ready to contribute to Africa’s sustainable development through such platforms as the China-U.N. Fund for Peace and Development, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, the Global Development Promotion Center, and the Global Action Forum for Shared Development.

3.5.10 The African side commends China for supporting the AU as a full member of the G20. China will continue to strengthen communication with African countries within the frameworks of G20, BRICS, the Group of 77 plus China, the U.N. Economic and Social Council, and the Second Committee of the U.N. General Assembly, and to strengthen collaboration in such areas as poverty reduction, food security, climate change, connectivity, artificial intelligence, industrialization, and development financing.

3.5.11 The two sides believe that Africa is a partner for international cooperation, not an arena for major power contest, and call on more countries and organizations to partner Africa in its quest for development and form effective synergy in this regard. On the basis of fully respecting the will of African countries, China will conduct Africa-related trilateral and multilateral cooperation with all relevant parties, and seek mutual benefit by unlocking the complementarity of strengths.

4. NATIONAL GOVERNANCE, MODERNIZATION AND MUTUAL LEARNING AMONG CIVILIZATIONS

4.1 Experience Sharing on National Governance

4.1.1 The two sides believe that modernization is the common aspiration of the peoples of all nations, including China and African countries. It is the historical mission of China and Africa to join hands in advancing modernization with a view to building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. The two sides respect each other’s right to choose their own political system independently and support each other in pursuing a path to modernization suited to the distinctive features of their own cultures and development needs. The two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached at the high-level meeting themed “increasing experience sharing on national governance in the exploration of paths to modernization,” and increase exchanges between states, parliaments, governments, departments and local regions to deepen experience sharing on national governance, modernization, and poverty reduction, among other areas. The African side, through advancing its own modernization, is ready to join hands with the Chinese side in realizing common prosperity and development.

4.1.2 China will deepen experience sharing on development with the African side and, based on the will of the African side, help it formulate economic and social development plans, build governing capacity and enhance the level of state governance.

4.1.3 The two sides will enhance sharing of development philosophies, and build mechanisms and platforms for the exchange of modernization experience, as well as an independent knowledge system.

4.1.4 The two sides commend the Consensus Among African and Chinese Think Tanks on Deepening Global Development Cooperation (also known as the Africa-China Dar es Salaam Consensus) issued by Chinese and African think tanks and scholars. The two sides are committed to exploring independent and people-centered development paths of mutual respect and mutual learning, advocate and support the establishment of an online platform for China-Africa think tank alliances, and will promote the high-quality development of the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism, with the aim of deepening exchanges and mutual learning in such fields as national governance and modernization.

4.1.5 The two sides will strengthen experience sharing on the supervision and management of state-owned assets and explore ways to reform state-owned enterprises based on their respective national conditions, so that state-owned enterprises will improve their corporate governance and efficiency, and better serve high-quality social and economic development.

4.1.6 The two sides will improve the operation of the FOCAC Law-based Governance Forum, continue to hold the Conference on Legal Risks and Countermeasures of International Investment and Trade, increase support for the exchange program of legal personnel between China and Africa, and promote the development of the China-Africa Joint Arbitration Center, to provide legal support and safeguard for Belt and Road cooperation.

4.2 Inter-Civilizational Exchanges and Mutual Learning

4.2.1 The two sides believe that at a time when the future of all countries are closely linked, inclusiveness, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing the modernization of human society and in promoting cultural diversity. As both Chinese and African civilizations are important components of world civilization, deepening China-Africa cultural exchanges and mutual learning is of great significance for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. The two sides will jointly implement the GCI, increase engagement and cooperation in education, science and technology, health, tourism, sports, youth, women, think tanks, media, culture, etc., strengthen cultural exchanges, and enhance people-to-people ties, to cement the social foundation for friendship between China and Africa.

4.2.2 The two sides are committed to preserving the diversity of world civilizations, champion equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness, and call on all countries to overcome cultural estrangement, clashes, and superiority through exchanges, mutual learning and coexistence. The two sides firmly oppose the universalization of individual values and models, and stand firmly against ideological confrontation.

4.2.3 The two sides will continue to hold the Conference on Dialogue between Chinese and African Civilizations, support building a global network for inter-civilization dialogue and cooperation, and organize African civilizations exhibitions in China. This will further enhance cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Africa, strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples, and contribute to the development and progress of human civilization.

4.2.4 The two sides will facilitate the opening of more cultural centers in China and Africa, support exchanges and cooperation between institutions in academic research, press and media, film and television production, etc., promote exchanges and mutual visits among the youth, and strengthen experience sharing on gender equality and women empowerment.

4.2.5 The two sides will strengthen education exchanges and cooperation, and hold a China-Africa-UNESCO dialogue in education and cultural heritage protection.

4.2.6 The two sides will enhance cultural heritage exchanges and cooperation, including joint archaeological studies, protection and restoration of historical sites, and museum exhibitions, carry out joint archaeological exploration of ancient countries and ancient sites, jointly combat illicit trafficking of cultural property, and facilitate the return of stolen or illegally excavated or traded cultural property to the country of origin.

4.3 Anti-Corruption Cooperation

4.3.1 The two sides recognize that integrity is the shared value of all the countries in the world including China and African countries, and combating corruption is of high importance for upholding equity and justice and promoting sustainable economic development. The two sides will enhance mutual learning on anti-corruption governance, and foster a cleaner and more efficient business environment for China-Africa cooperation.

4.3.2 Committed to upholding the United Nations Convention Against Corruption as the main channel, the two sides will make full use of international legal instruments to enhance cooperation in fugitive repatriation and asset recovery, make joint efforts to fight cross-border corruption, and, as domestic law permits, strengthen coordination and collaboration in more flexible ways.

4.3.3 The two sides will strengthen coordination and collaboration in the U.N., BRICS, and other multilateral mechanisms to promote the building of equitable, effective and inclusive global anti-corruption rules and governance system. The two sides encourage joining and utilizing the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE) for cracking down on cross-border corruption, to deny safe haven for corrupt individuals and assets. 

4.3.4 The two sides will, on the basis of equality, justice, mutual respect and learning and win-win cooperation, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in judicial, law enforcement and legislative areas and accelerate the signing of treaties on extradition, legal assistance and criminal matters and other relevant agreements.

4.4 Think Tank Exchanges

4.4.1 The two sides recognize that think tanks are important bridges for the sharing of philosophies and ideas between China and African countries. The two sides speak highly of the outcomes of their academic exchanges, and will fully leverage the role of think tanks to build platforms for enhancing mutual understanding and provide intellectual support to China-Africa practical cooperation.

4.4.2 The two sides will continue to hold the FOCAC Think Tank Forum, promote the implementation of the Initiative on Building a China-Africa Think Tank Cooperation Network, support long-term and stable cooperation between Chinese and African academic institutions, and encourage relevant institutions to carry out joint research projects.

4.4.3 The two sides will continue to support the development of the Belt and Road African Studies Alliance, conduct cooperation on scientific research digitalization and decision-making research, and promote theoretical innovation and the application of scientific research results.

5. BELT AND ROAD COOPERATION AND AGENDA 2063 OF THE AFRICAN UNION

5.1 Prioritizing Infrastructures and Connectivity  

5.1.1 China supports the AUDA-NEPAD Agency in the execution of projects aimed at facilitating continental connectivity within the framework of the Second PIDA Priority Action Plan(PAP II 2021-2030). The two parties will act to create synergy between the projects planned in the “Belt and Road” Initiative and the PAP II of PIDA in order to develop logistical connectivity between China and Africa including through maritime routes and shipping lines and thereby increase volume of trade.

5.1.2 China-Africa cooperation in infrastructure has contributed to dramatically changing the face of the continent with the construction of railways, roads, ports and airports, which have a positive impact on economic growth in Africa, regional integration, and the free movement of people and goods. The ambition of PIDA is to unify and support the efforts of the AU through efficient partnerships to develop infrastructure on the continent in the transport, energy, digital economy and infrastructure in the hydraulics sectors. In this sense, China will support the AUDA-NEPAD for its implementing connectivity projects in the five African sub-regions to improve economic integration in the national, sub-regional and continental level and to reduce the continent’s infrastructure deficit. These infrastructures will have a positive impact on the implementation of the AfCFTA by increasing intra-african trade and Sino-African trade.

5.1.3 China encourages private sectors to work together with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African sub-regional banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB) to expand investment in Africa’s infrastructure under the support of Chinese financial institutions especially those participating in the Belt and Road cooperation.

5.2 Investment and Industrial and Supply Chain Cooperation

5.2.1 The two sides believe that cooperation on investment and industrial and supply chains plays an important role in Africa’s economic and social development and transformation. Africa speaks highly of the 11 industrialization and employment promotion assistance projects undertaken by China for Africa since the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference, and commends China for actively expanding its investment in Africa.

5.2.2 Africa welcomes China’s proposal of building a Network of Partnership on New Industrial Revolution, and will work with China to advance the building of the Network to capitalize on the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

5.2.3 The two sides will assist African countries in formulating industrial development strategies suited to their national realities, further tap the potential of China-Africa industrial chain cooperation, and bring China-Africa cooperation to wider areas and higher levels.

5.2.4 China will hold the symposium on high-quality development of China-Africa investment cooperation, continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa, regularly publish the Report on Chinese Investment in Africa, carry out syndicated loan cooperation, third-party cooperation and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), to continuously optimize and upgrade the modes of China-Africa cooperation.

5.2.5 China will support the building of subnational platforms for economic and trade exchange with Africa, and promote synergies between the development of local industrial parks in China and Africa.

5.2.6 The two sides support enhancing policy guidance and information services for the development and cooperation of SMEs, and encourage them to carry out cooperation on capacity building of management personnel. China will launch a special program to support the development of African SMEs, support Africa in better leveraging the Special Loan for the Development of African SMEs, to promote employment and improvement of people’s livelihood through accessible and affordable financing.

5.2.7 The two sides will carry out production capacity cooperation in the resource-intensive, labor-intensive, technology or capital-intensive industries based on local conditions. China supports Chinese enterprises in expanding investment in Africa’s trade supply chain, green industrial chain, modern services, medium- and high-tech manufacturing, information and communication industries, energy and electricity, and digital infrastructure, and will encourage them to promote recruitment and training for local jobs.

5.2.8 China will give full play to the role of export credit insurance, focus on key platforms such as the pilot zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, and the China-Africa economic and trade cooperation zone, and increase insurance support for traditional and emerging areas in China-Africa cooperation.

5.2.9 The two sides will work together to maintain the stability of the mineral supply chain, promote mineral value addition in Africa by developing smelting technology, support the expansion of smelting, processing and other upstream and downstream sectors of mining industry as well as infrastructure construction, and explore mining deep processing projects in Africa, with a view to transforming Africa’s resource endowments into advantages of economic development.

5.2.10 China will sign or upgrade agreements with African countries on bilateral investment protection and on avoidance of double taxation, to encourage and promote two-way investment, protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese and African companies, and create an open, fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for investment cooperation between the two sides.

5.3 Science and Technology Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing

5.3.1 The two sides recognize that China-Africa cooperation on technological innovation is advancing rapidly and emerging as a new spot within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and FOCAC. Both sides applaud the progress made in sci-tech cooperation since the eighth Ministerial Meeting of FOCAC. The African side commend China for sharing its fruits in sci-tech development, experience and best practices in innovation-driven development to help accelerate digital transformation in Africa.

5.3.2 Both sides support the establishment of China-Africa innovation cooperation center, and agree to continue such events as the China-Africa Innovation Cooperation Conference, the China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum, and the China-Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

5.3.3 The two sides will jointly develop a cooperation network for scientific and technological innovation under the principle of planning together, building together and benefiting together, implement the Belt and Road Action Plan for Science and Technology Innovation and the China-Africa Science and Technology Partnership Program 2.0, enhance cooperation in personnel exchanges, development of joint laboratories, technology transfer and science and technology parks, and carry out special cooperation programs in sustainable development, innovation and entrepreneurship, spatial information technology and technology-enabled poverty reduction, among other areas.

5.3.4 The two sides will, by leveraging the role of the China-Africa joint research center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, strengthen cooperation in such areas as biodiversity, ecology and environment, modern agriculture, natural disaster prevention and mitigation, and public health. The two sides will implement the Africa Food-Water-Environment Protection and Scientific Development Action and carry out research programs under the Belt and Road Action Plan for Sustainable Development in order to advance development in Africa. 

5.3.5 The two sides commend the issuance of the white paper on China-Africa aerospace cooperation and will continue discussions on establishing an aerospace cooperation mechanism within the framework of FOCAC. 

5.3.6 China will continue to hold China-Africa Beidou Cooperation Forum, work to establish centers for Beidou application cooperation and development in African countries, and promote cooperation programs based on Beidou application in agriculture, transportation and other areas, so that the Beidou Satellite Navigation System can better serve African countries.

6. ACCELERATING AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION IN AFRICA

6.1 Agricultural Cooperation and Technology Transfer

6.1.1 The two sides agree that agricultural modernization is one of the tools that can assist African countries to pursue independent and sustainable development. The two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached at the high-level meeting themed “Industrialization, agricultural modernization and green development—the path to modernization.” Africa commends China’s release of the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization at the 2023 China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue and notes with appreciation the joint efforts by China and the AU to compile the China-Africa Cooperation Planning and Action Plan for Agricultural Modernization. The two sides will also conduct joint research on agricultural technologies adapted to local African conditions.

6.1.2 China will support its enterprises to participate in localized production of fertilizers, pesticides and small agricultural machinery and tools in Africa in a market-oriented manner, to help Africa achieve import substitution, raise agricultural productivity, reduce agricultural production costs, and extend agricultural industrial chains. The two sides will encourage their enterprises to jointly explore the development of eco-friendly agriculture, animal husbandry and tourism industries, build and run a number of agro-eco-tourism parks, extend industrial chains and increase added value. China will build satellite remote sensing centers, earth science laboratories and meteorological stations in Africa, and strengthen scientific and technological cooperation with Africa in such fields as sustainable agricultural development, water-saving irrigation, food loss reduction, support for agricultural adaptation to climate change, and prevention and reduction of natural disasters. The two sides will jointly promote trade in agricultural products, promote entrepreneurship and employment in the agricultural sector, and expand the market for African cash crop products through information and digital cooperation, particularly through e-commerce, personnel training and sharing of experiences. 

6.1.3 The two sides will strengthen cooperation on inspection and quarantine mechanisms for African agricultural exports to China, enrich and improve the “green channel”, and explore agricultural trade cooperation through interactions between China’s tariff-free zones and free trade zones in Africa. The two sides will encourage the construction of China-Africa cross-border agricultural products storage logistics project.

6.1.4 China will step up support for mechanization of agriculture in Africa by means of aid, lease, cooperative management and joint venture assembly to raise Africa’s agricultural production efficiency.The Chinese side plans to build the China-Africa centre for tropical agricultural science and technology (joint laboratory) with African countries, and consider promoting the new varieties and technologies related to cassava. The Chinese side also plans to build the partnership with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on improving the value chains of the rice, transforming the sustainable crop system and the health of soil. The Chinese side will support the implementation of organic and ecological agriculture in Africa through various sustainable initiatives aimed at combating food and nutritional insecurity, climate change, soil fertility management and poverty reduction.

6.1.5 China will encourage enterprises to increase agriculture-related investment in Africa, explore cooperation across the whole industrial chain including agricultural and aquaculture production, processing, manufacturing of machine and equipment, and logistics, and participate in the building of agricultural and aquaculture cooperation parks and food storage facilities in Africa. China will organize China-Africa agricultural priority industries technology exchanges and investment and trade promotion activities, with a view to building cooperation platforms for the two sides.

6.1.6 The two sides commend the establishment of tripartite demonstration center by China, Ethiopia and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), to carry out cooperation in such fields as agriculture, animal husbandry and green development，and provide policy consultation and development planning for all African countries.

6.1.7 The two sides will give full play to the China-Africa agricultural cooperation mechanism, hold agricultural science and technology forums and agricultural entrepreneurs dialogue, encourage more African countries to negotiate and sign agricultural cooperation documents, set up mechanism for policy information communication, and assist African countries in making country-specific, science-based and sustainable agricultural development plans. China and Africa affirm the target agreed at the 2nd Africa-China Agricultural forum in November 2023 of reaching US$ 20 billion in exports of African agricultural products to China by 2030. To support value-added trade in agriculture, the development of African geographic indications and increasing agricultural productivity in Africa, China will encourage new foreign direct investment in the agricultural sector.

6.1.8 The two sides will support the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the African Academy of Sciences in setting up a China-Africa Agricultural Science and Innovation Union, build platforms for agricultural technology cooperation and exchanges, and organize events to promote China-Africa science and technology innovation and its outcomes, in order to facilitate coordinated development of agricultural technology and industry in China and Africa.

6.1.9 The two sides commend the successful launch of the first set of China-Africa modern agriculture technology demonstration and joint training centers in the Chinese provinces of Hainan, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Jiangsu.The two sides will continue to harness the above-mentioned centers to strengthen knowledge sharing on agricultural technology, application of innovation and cultivation of talents. 

6.1.10 The two sides will support Chinese and African scientific research institutions in setting up joint laboratories and joint research center in the field of modernized agriculture including green development, plant protection and animal disease prevention and control on the basis of equitable benefit sharing of results. The two sides will work for the establishment of China-Africa seed technology research and innovation platform and a joint research center for digital agriculture, and promote the application of agricultural remote-sensing and big data technology in Africa.

6.1.11 The two sides will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation in fishery and carry out projects to improve sustainable development capacity in fishery and blue economy in order to help African countries improve their capacity in areas such as aquaculture, aqua product processing, resource surveys, conservation and sustainable use, and cold chain transportation. The two sides will jointly combat illegal, unreported and unregulated(IUU) fishing.

6.1.12 The two sides will continue to deepen cooperation with UN agencies like the FAO, the World Food Program (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and participate in the in-depth reform of international institutions and institutional frameworks in the field of food and agricultural governance. The two sides will continue to strengthen cooperation with international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, and the African Development Bank.

6.2 Poverty Reduction and Rural Development Cooperation

6.2.1 The two sides agree that poverty is the natural enemy of humanity, and eradication of poverty is the primary objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as one of the objectives of the first Aspiration of the African Union Agenda 2063. Enhanced cooperation in the field of poverty reduction and rural development will bring more benefits to people on both sides, and contribute to building a world free from hunger and poverty. Africa commends China’s targeted poverty eradication approach that has lifted nearly 100 million people out of poverty in rural areas under current standards and achieved the poverty reduction target of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. The African side express appreciation to China for undertaking the 47 poverty reduction and agricultural projects in Africa since the eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC. 

6.2.2 The two sides commend the “a Hundred Companies in a Thousand Villages” events launched by the China Corporate Social Responsibility Alliance in Africa. The two sides will continue to carry out exchanges and cooperation in the field of poverty reduction and rural development. China will continue to send agricultural experts to African countries in accordance with the needs and agricultural development of the recipient countries.

6.2.3 The two sides will set up multi-tiered dialogue mechanism on poverty reduction and rural development, organize events such as FOCAC poverty reduction and development conference, China-Africa ministerial conference on health cooperation and development, and China-Africa agricultural cooperation forum. Exchanges on community-level poverty reduction and workshops on poverty reduction and rural development policy will be held in line with the needs of African countries.

6.2.4 The two sides will leverage the role of China-Africa Partnership for Poverty Reduction and Development, and promote experience sharing on poverty reduction. Technical support will be provided to help African countries accelerate poverty reduction and realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at an early date.

6.2.5 The two sides will work together to advance implementation of the special cooperation plan on technology-driven poverty reduction under the Belt and Road Initiative, promote the application of China’s poverty reduction-related technologies and experience, and enhance the internal driver of poverty reduction among African countries.

6.3 Food Security

6.3.1 The two sides believe that ensuring food security bears on people’s well-being, social stability and national development. Achieving food security and improved nutrition is a major goal in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Africa appreciates the positive contribution of China-Africa agricultural cooperation to achieving food security and self-sufficiency and upholding food sovereignty in Africa. Africa will work with China to safeguard the security of the food supply chain and to address global food security challenges.

6.3.2 Africa appreciates China’s launch of the Food Production Enhancement Action under the GDI, and welcomes China’s launch of the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund (Phase III) to help African countries and other developing countries achieve agricultural modernization and food security. Africa thanks China for providing multiple batches of emergency food assistance, carrying out cooperation on agricultural technology, and supporting Africa’s agricultural modernization.

6.3.3 The two sides will strengthen cooperation across the industrial chain of grain crops and the breeding of sesame and other oilseeds, and will promote fine breeds of high-producing layers and white-feathered broiler in Africa, to promote food self-sufficiency in Africa. China and Africa will also cooperate to use technologies to support the production of traditional grains that play an important role in ensuring food security in many countries.

6.3.4 China will promote the use of dry farming techniques and carry out cooperation on drought early warning in African countries through such means as technical assistance, South-South cooperation and tripartite cooperation, to help African countries build drought resilience and overall capacity for food production.

7.SUPPORTING AFRICA’S INDUSTRIALIZATION, ENERGY AND TRADE AS A PRIORITY

7.1 Accelerating Industrialization in Africa

7.1.1 Africa commends the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization launched by China at the 2023 China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue, and again calls on the international community to step up support for the AU Action Plan for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa, the G20 Initiative on Supporting Industrialization in Africa and LDCs, and the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (2016-2025) initiated by the U.N. Building on the industrial promotion initiative launched in 2018 and the China-Africa industrial plan and agricultural modernization plans launched in 2015, as well as from the African side the AfCFTA, the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA), China reiterates its commitment to seeing inclusive growth in Africa to achieve its aspiration to become the world’s third largest economy and world’s largest manufacturing hub by 2063. Recognize that value-addition is a priority, China will support Africa’s mineral value chain upgrading through direct investment in refining and processing.

7.1.2 China supports Africa in developing its manufacturing sector, creating “Made in Africa” brands, encouraging the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), giving full play to its advantages in natural and human resources, and moving upward in the global value chain. China encourages Chinese and African enterprises to build a community of shared interests, strengthen coordination and cooperation on industrial and supply chains, and explore the establishment of a dialogue mechanism between Chinese and African MSMEs.

7.1.3 China will step up support for building special economic zones, industrial parks and free trade zones in Africa to advance Africa’s industrialization. China will make use of various cooperation parks in Africa and work with African countries to set up in various sub-regions demonstration parks with distinctive brands and special preferential policies, so as to promote interconnected economic development in the sub-regions.

7.1.4 Africa will continue to improve its policy on business and investment environment to attract more foreign direct investment from China and other countries, especially in the field of infrastructure. The two sides will explore their appropriate partnership models including but not limited to the invest-build-operate-acquire, invest-build-operate-transfer modes and public-private partnerships to create better conditions for industrialization in Africa. The two sides will enhance experience sharing and technology transfer, support the training of talent for Africa’s industrialization, strengthen education and vocational training cooperation, especially training for improving the capacity of young people and women, promote gender equality, and encourage young people and women to start businesses.

7.2 Energy Cooperation

7.2.1 The two sides recognize that energy is a key sector for the continental economic and social development and an important part of China-Africa cooperation. New energy, as an emerging strategic industry, is crucial for industrial transformation and economic development in the future. The African side appreciates China for assisting Africa in carrying out green development and environmental protection projects and building low-carbon demonstration zones in Africa, and is willing to explore with China a green and sustainable way of energy cooperation. China will encourage investments in a range of renewable energy projects across Africa, including solar, wind, green hydrogen, hydroelectric, geothermal power initiatives. China and African countries will promote the exchanges of expertise, best practices, and innovative solutions in renewable energy, implement comprehensive capacity-building programs to empower African professionals, entrepreneurs, and communities in the renewable energy sector.

7.2.2 Building on the Declaration on China-Africa Cooperation on Combating Climate Change adopted in Dakar in 2021 as well as the outcomes of the African Climate Summit held in Nairobi in 2023, China and Africa will intensify efforts to collaborate to increase renewable energy in Africa. The two sides will build stronger synergy among various energy development strategies, conduct joint researches tailored to local conditions to improve energy accessibility and affordability in Africa. In this regard, China will support the Continental Power Systems Master Plan under the leadership of the AUDA-NEPAD Agency and within the framework of AU Agenda 2063.

7.2.3.1 China is willing to support Africa in exploring and utilizing energy resources, and encourage Chinese enterprises, on the basis of market principles, to participate in the upgrading of energy facilities in Africa and continue to carry out energy cooperation in hydropower and other fields. 

7.2.3.2 China will support Africa to utilize existing energy resources such as thermal power generation and make them more environmental friendly through introduction of appropriate technology on a market based principle. China and Africa will create policy frameworks that can stimulate more renewable energy investments, promote market competition, and ensure long-term sustainability. African countries will enhance the capabilities of regulatory institutions to increase investors’ confidence in the renewable energy sector. 

7.2.4 China will actively support African countries to improve their energy policies, upgrade and improve their power generation and transmission network across the continent to make it more efficient and reliable. China will conduct professional training for relevant African governments and major enterprises.

7.2.5 The two sides welcome the positive role of the China-AU Energy Partnership. China will support the development capabilities of Africa’s green and low-carbon transition industries through assisting African countries in formulating investment policies, encouraging the establishment of joint ventures, and providing capacity building to connect Africa to the global supply chain of the green products. China will give full play to its strengths in the utilization of solar and wind energy, support African countries in making better use of renewable energy sources, further expand investment in Africa in energy-saving technologies, high- and new-technology industries and green and low-carbon industries, work with Africa to build photovoltaic demonstration projects, support the China-Africa Energy Innovation Cooperation Accelerator project, and advance cooperation in the green industry, so as to support African countries in improving their energy mix and upgrading their industrial structure.

7.2.6 China will implement a special project of clean energy power supply, assist African countries with distributed photovoltaic energy storage systems, and support enterprises in building large clean energy power generation projects in Africa.

7.2.7 The two sides will hold the 2nd Project Promotion Conference of Energy Cooperation under the AU-China Energy Partnership to strengthen policy dialogue and technical exchanges in energy, and encourage Chinese and African think tanks to engage in dialogue on policy, technology and management related to renewable energy.

7.3 Trade Facilitation

7.3.1 The African side commends the Chinese side for establishing a “green channel” for the export of African agricultural products to China, providing zero tariff treatment for Least Developed African Countries for 98% of products exported to China, and facilitating the export of high-quality African specialty products to China. The African side applauds the record-high trade volume between China and Africa, and the status of China as Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.

7.3.2 China commends the important progress made in the development of the AfCFTA and will continue to provide logistic material and technical assistance to the AfCFTA Secretariat. The two sides will harness the role of the China-Africa Economic Cooperation Expert Group and continuously expand cooperation in the field of free trade zone development. 

7.3.3 China commends Africa’s adoption of the Digital Trade Agreement to create an integrated digital market for the free movement of goods, services, capital and personnel. China is ready to strengthen practical cooperation with Africa on digital trade, strengthen the alignment of digital trade rules and supports domestic enterprises in expanding cooperation in such areas as 5G network, smart cities and e-commerce. So as to promote digital trade in Africa.

7.3.4 China will take proactive steps to expand market access for Africa, with a view to facilitating entry of African goods and services into the Chinese market on more favorable and competitive terms. China will improve measures related to the “green channel” for export of African agricultural products to China, help African countries build e-platforms for food trade, and enable them to cooperate with food trading platforms in China. The two sides call for the wider use of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System and the Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) though RMB across Africa and encourage the use of their own currency in transactions.Within the framework of WTO rules, China will further promote pro-Africa trade facilitation measures, accelerate the coordination of rules in various fields, and expand imports of African high-end industrial manufacturing products on a global scale.

7.3.5 China is willing to strengthen communication with African countries and continue to share on China’s relevant customs regulations and information to facilitate the import of African products including by organizing training for stakeholders in the trade of African agricultural and food products. 

7.3.6 China will continue to hold the e-commerce promotion events for quality African products and tourism, deepen cooperation on trade in services, digital products, e-commerce and other fields. China will continue to hold major exhibitions, set up the African Products Exhibition Area in the China International Import Expo. China welcomes the participation of African governments, industry associations and enterprises in the China International Import Expo, the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the Global Digital Trade Expo, and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, and their convening of trade and investment promotion activities through exhibition channels to promote domestic products and services. China will promote the participation of Chinese Enterprises in Economic, Trade and Investment Exhibitions hosted by the African side. The African side welcomes Algeria’s hosting of the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025, and invites China to discover the various opportunities offered by the African market, and to develop business in the different economic sectors.

7.3.7 China will support African countries in building export demonstration zones and trade exhibition centers for animal husbandry, Juncao (fungus grass), tropical specialty crops, among others, to enhance their export capacity to China.

7.3.8 China will support African countries in building up capacity in areas such as animal and plant quarantine, import and export food safety and sanitary quarantine, in order to accelerate the trade of soybeans, beef, nuts, coffee, cocoa, red wine and other agri-food, aquatic and fishing products.

7.3.9 The African side appreciates China’s implementation of the “Smart Customs” partnership program under the GDI and is ready to play an active part in “Smart Customs, Smart Borders, Smart Connectivity” cooperation. China will expand cooperation with customs authorities of African countries in areas such as clearance facilitation, law enforcement and capacity building, jointly combat unlawful and criminal acts such as counterfeiting, commercial fraud, and illegal smuggling of cultural heritage and endangered wildlife and their products.

7.4 Infrastructure Development

7.4.1 The two sides recognize infrastructure development as a basic guarantee for industrialization. The two sides will jointly implement the important consensus reached at the high-level meetings themed “Industrialization, agricultural modernization and green development—the path to modernization”and “pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a platform for modernization featuring planning together, building together and benefiting together.” Africa appreciates China’s assistance with the 21 key infrastructure connectivity projects implemented in Africa following the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference to enhance connectivity in Africa. China will encourage financial institutions and businesses to participate in African infrastructure projects in accordance with business principles through an integrated invest-build-operate mode, public-private partnerships, and so on, to create more enabling conditions for Africa’s industrialization.

7.4.2 The two sides will encourage, through market-based means, Chinese businesses to participate in cooperation on highway, railway, logistics and overseas warehouse in Africa within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation. 

7.4.3 China encourages competent Chinese businesses to participate, in accordance with market principles, in the construction and operation of African ports, including the building of modern ports encompassing handling, logistics and trade service, and supports shipping companies in opening new routes between China and Africa in response to market demand.

7.4.4 The two sides encourage competent Chinese businesses to invest in African airports and airlines, and support air transport businesses in opening new routes and flights based on bilateral traffic rights arrangements and market demand. China stands ready to enhance mutual recognition of civil aviation standards with Africa to promote connectivity in standards.

7.4.5 The two sides encourage green transport transition. This encourages Chinese businesses to participate in installation of infrastructures to support the green shift with renowned Chinese advanced technology.

7.5 Digital Economy

7.5.1 The two sides view the development of the digital economy as a strategic choice made to seize the opportunities presented by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and commend the success of the China-Africa Digital Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Digital Capacity Building Cooperation. Africa appreciates Chinese assistance with the 18 major digital economy projects implemented following the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference to promote digital transformation in African countries, and supports the China-Africa Action Plan for Digital Cooperation and Development proposed by China. The two sides will commit themselves to building an ecosystem for China-Africa digital cooperation to share the benefits of the digital economy and bridge the digital divide. China will support digital transformation and acceleration innovation in Africa.

7.5.2 China and African countries will jointly carry out the Action Plan for China-Africa Digital Cooperation and Development, strengthen the synergy of strategies, and deepen cooperation in digital policy, digital infrastructure, digital innovation, digital transformation, digital security and digital capacity, to jointly promote inclusive growth and sustainable development, bridge the digital divide, advance modernization through digitization, and achieve common development and broad-based benefits.

7.5.3 Africa will take an active part in the Initiative to Promote Digital Literacy and Skills for All put forward by China under the GDI, and calls on other countries and international organizations to join the Initiative and provide support to developing countries in growing the digital economy and strengthening capacity building.

7.5.4 Africa applauds China’s launch of the SDGSAT-1 and sharing of data with the international community including African countries, and appreciates China’s provision of satellite mapping data products to Africa, which supports Africa’s science-based decision-making in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China and Africa will work to strengthen the use of telecommunications, information and communication technologies while protecting users’ personal data.

7.5.5 The two sides will advance cooperation in such areas as high performance computing and robotics, support the development of digital innovation start-ups, and explore the joint establishment of advanced digital technology cooperation centers and innovation accelerators.

7.6 Financing Cooperation

7.6.1 The two sides believe that financing cooperation provides a strong impetus for high-quality cooperation between China and Africa. Africa thanks China for putting forward the nine programs at the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference in Dakar in 2021 and, within this framework, providing US$10 billion in credit facilities and US$10 billion in trade finance to Africa, encouraging Chinese businesses to invest an additional US$10 billion in Africa, and channeling US$10 billion in Special Drawing Rights to African countries. Africa appreciates China’s positive contribution to helping African countries address debt issues through multilateral and bilateral channels, and urges other bilateral official creditors, commercial creditors and multilateral creditors to participate in the handling and restructuring of African countries’ debts under the principle of joint actions and fair burden-sharing. China and Africa also congratulate the African Development Bank and the People’s Bank Of China on the successful deployment and results of the 1st US$2 billion phase of the Africa Growing Together Fund. China looks forward to contributing to an ambitious 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF).

7.6.2 The two sides call on the IMF and the World Bank to reform their lending approval procedures to support African countries in accessing development financing more efficiently. The two sides call on the international community to honor the financial commitments made to Africa to help its climate response.

7.6.3 China will implement a cooperation plan with African financial institutions, and strengthen cooperation with multilateral development institutions including the African Development Bank, the West African Development Bank, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, and the African Energy Bank. China welcomes the establishment of a 3rd Sub-Sahara African seat at the IMF to strengthen its voice in the institution.

7.6.4 China will support equity investment institutions such as the Silk Road Fund and the China-Africa Industrial Capacity Cooperation Fund in actively expanding investment in Africa. China stands ready to support infrastructure development, energy resources development, agricultural and manufacturing development, and the integrated development of the entire industrial chain in Africa through a combination of concessional loans, other types of loans, equity investment and trade financing. Based on the abovementioned financing support, China will provide integrated services in inclusive finance to Africa. Through loans, cooperation with bilateral and multilateral financial institutions, and experience sharing and exchanges, China will support livelihood projects in African countries and the capacity building of African SMEs, to help enhance the sense of fulfillment and happiness of the African people.

7.6.5 The two sides will continue to give play to the role of the China-Africa Financial Cooperation Consortium, strengthen information sharing and business cooperation between financial institutions of the two sides, support Chinese financial institutions in opening branches in Africa, and expand the use of the RMB in Africa.

7.6.6 Under the premise of observing multilateral rules and procedures, China will support African countries in effectively access of the resources of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the New Development Bank, to broaden financing channels, promote information sharing, and strengthen capacity building. 

7.6.7 The two sides call on the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to complete the 2025 equity review on time, and effectively enhance the financing and lending capacity of multilateral development banks through such means as capital replenishment. The two sides call on the IMF to increase as quickly as possible China’s quota by June 2025 and accommodate Africa’s concerns. The two sides call for promoting SDR reforms to fully accommodate Africa’s needs for development financing. Multilateral development banks should provide more long-term concessional loans and subsidies to fill the financing gap of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development without compromising official development aid. The two sides call on international financial institutions and multilateral development banks to integrate multidimensional vulnerability into existing practices and policies on debt sustainability and development support as appropriate under respective authorization and to re-examine the crucial question on the revision of debt sustainability. China welcomes the organization of the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in the Kingdom of Morocco, in October 2023, and reaffirms the importance of the objectives contained in the Marrakech Declaration on accelerating financing for emergence Africa with a view to implementing a global financial architecture that is more equitable and more conducive to the development of Africa and the achievement of its growth priorities which respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African States and contributes to the development of its populations. 

7.6.8 The two sides reaffirm that it is necessary for credit ratings made by certain international institutions on the economies of developing countries, including African ones, and which have an impact on the cost of borrowing, to be more objective and transparent. We encourage the creation of an African rating agency, under the aegis of the African Development Bank, the aim of which will be to establish a new evaluation culture which takes into account the specialties of African economies. In the same vein, we call for a reassessment of the gross domestic product of African economies, including the green wealth of the African continent.

8. SUPPORT FOR TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND YOUTH IN AFRICA

8.1 Education

8.1.1 China highly commends the AU for making “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa” the theme of the year 2024, supports education transition in Africa, and believes that such efforts are beneficial to economic and social transformation and the improvement of the people’s well-being in Africa. Recognizing the importance of education cooperation in the sustainable development of China-Africa cooperation, the two sides are willing to better align the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development with the AU’s Year of Education to support Africa’s sustainable development.

8.1.2 The African side highly commends China for conducting the Luban Workshops and other vocational training programs in Africa, and appreciates China’s support in such areas as supplies and equipment, technical guidance, teaching professionals, personnel training and expanding access to technologies in schools, especially in rural areas. China will continue to implement the “Future of Africa” China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan, and work with African countries to develop high-standard Luban Workshops by adding more subjects and carrying out education in engineering technology.

8.1.3 The two sides will continue to support high-quality development of Confucius Institutes in Africa. China is willing to reach cooperation agreements on international Chinese language education with education departments of African countries, and support Chinese language education in Africa through the joint opening of Chinese language subjects, training of Chinese language teachers, digital teaching and learning, etc.

8.1.4 The two sides will support Chinese and African universities in implementing the “China-Africa Universities 100 Cooperation Plan”, partner with UNESCO to carry out the “Campus Africa: Reinforcing Higher Education in Africa through China-Africa Cooperation” program, and support study visits and professional visits to China by African researchers, so as to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in scientific research between Chinese and African universities.

8.1.5 China will work with African countries toward creating a China-Africa Regional Cooperation Center on Digital Education to provide digital proficiency training for teachers, share courses for students, and carry out education on cultural heritage, which can serve as a model for digital education and promote the application of digital education in more African countries.

8.1.6 China intends to develop a China-Africa Cooperation Program for STEM Teacher Training to provide training in the next three years for African teachers tutoring STEM subjects.

8.2 Talent Development

8.2.1 Both sides recognize that talent is the primary resource and tapping into this resource to drive modernization is critical to development and revitalization in China and Africa and to making development for the people, by the people and its fruits shared among the people. The African side commends China for providing quality education to African countries under Chinese government scholarships and bilateral and multilateral training programs. China will continue to make use of its government scholarship programs to help Africa train professionals across a broad spectrum of fields in modernized governance, economic and social development, scientific and technological innovation and impact, and livelihood enhancement. In this regard, China will support African countries’ talent development in academic fields relating, among others, to agricultural, fisheries, aeronautics and satellite, digital, medical and public health, engineering, oil and gas sciences. China will support the training of African students in the area of science technology, engineering and mathematics

8.2.2 China will continue to provide African countries with seminar opportunities, train African personnel in digitization, science and technology, satellite science, aerospace, medicine, tax collection administration, culture and tourism and medical science, among other areas, and encourage Chinese companies in Africa to create job opportunities. China will encourage universities as well as vocational colleges and schools to cooperate with industries in providing practical training to African students during their study in China.

8.2.3 China will provide “Chinese language plus vocational skills” education in Africa, jointly develop Chinese-language workshops with African countries where conditions permit, and train personnel with multiple skills including language proficiency, cultural awareness and vocational skills.

8.2.4 China will support African countries in conducting vocational medical skills training to help Africa enhance professional competencies in medical diagnosis and treatment, and training for engineers and technicians in the mining sector.

8.2.5 The two sides will strengthen cooperation in human resources and social security, and share ideas and experiences in such areas as promoting full and high-quality employment, improving lifelong vocational training systems and expanding the coverage of social insurances. 

8.2.6 China will continue to promote the implementation of the Excellence Training Program for Young African Agronomists and support the training for leaders of African rural development.

8.2.7 China will launch the China-Africa 100 Universities Cooperation Plan on the basis of the implementation of the China-Africa Universities 20+20 Cooperation Plan. China would like to accelerate the implementation of the African Health Support Program, support the sustainable development of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, help African countries improve services in the medical system, step up training for African health workers and carry out academic exchanges and technical cooperation on medical care and medical education research.

8.2.8 China will implement the China-Africa Cooperation Program on Culture and Tourism Training, continue to improve the training of African human resources, increase experience exchange and information sharing with Africa in tourism development and strengthen African countries’ tourism carrying capacity.

8.2.9 China will implement the African Media Vocational Training Program, help African countries to cultivate high-caliber professionals in the fields of news, radio, television and tourism, and support Africa in enhancing the media’s capacity in offering radio and television services.

8.2.10 China will provide support for 1,000 African professionals in science and technology to receive training in China, and carry out 30 joint lab programs. China welcomes young Africans to join the Talented Young Scientist Program (TYSP) and the BRI Special Cooperation Program for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and welcomes them to work in China via such platforms as the Chinese Academy of Science’s “Belt and Road” Science and Technology Training Courses for Developing Countries (400 participants) and the exchange programs of China-Africa partner institutes. China encourages African research institutes and universities to join the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO), and will train 300 postgraduates and 30 specialists for Africa through ANSO’s scholarships and human resources programs.

8.2.11 China will support Africa in training a group of young medical professionals who can independently perform neurosurgery, cardiac surgery and other complex and advanced surgical procedures, and carry out vocational training for medical technicians and support staff.

8.2.12 The two sides will step up mutual learning and experience sharing in the digital domain, encourage their research institutes, think tanks and universities to strengthen cooperation, and work together to develop cooperation platforms for capacity building and train 1,000 professionals in the digital domain.

8.2.13 China will support African countries in improving tax administration capacity by such means as technical assistance and training, and provide no fewer than 100 offline training opportunities every year under the BRI Tax Administration Cooperation Mechanism (BRITACOM).

8.3 Women and Youth

8.3.1 The two sides acknowledge that young people as well as the future generations represent the hope of China-Africa relationship and that women make up an integral part in the big, warm family of China and Africa. The two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation of youth and women to cement the social foundation for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and establish a FOCAC mechanism that belongs to the Chinese and African people. In line with the priorities of Agenda 2063 and the AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment 2018-2028, we agree to strengthen China-Africa cooperation for the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment while respecting different traditions and cultures, particularly in the areas of employment, leadership, decent work, entrepreneurship, education and learning, agriculture, health, access to financing, prevention and response to gender-based violence.

8.3.2 China will continue to hold the China-Africa Youth Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the China-Africa Youth Festival, continue to develop mechanism such as the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum, and promote exchanges and cooperation among Chinese and African youths through the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship, the “Chinese Bridge” competition, visiting delegations, etc. China and Africa will foster new projects on capacity building in poverty reduction, rural revitalization, ICT, fin-tech, mobile payments, digital economy, e-commerce, cloud computing, big data and cyberspace security in order to leverage relevant impact on the high potential growth of these sectors in Africa, with a special emphasis on women’ participation.

8.3.3 The two sides support the CubeSat Middle School Student Science Project and will set up a China-Africa youth space alliance as a platform for space exchanges between Chinese and African middle school students, and explore new ways of science popularization in China-Africa space cooperation, so as to lay the foundation for realizing the development vision of emerging space countries in Africa.

8.3.4 The two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in gender equality and women’s empowerment, support high-level women’s dialogue and seminars, hold the China-Africa Women’s Forum, provide small amounts of assistance to women, and conduct capacity-building programs for African women, so as to jointly promote the well-rounded development of women. China and Africa will provide access to finance, training, and mentorship programs specifically tailored to women entrepreneurs and business owners, ensure the participation of women in decision-making processes within industries and supply chains, recognizing their contributions and amplifying their voices. China and Africa will set up programs in youth education, skills training, and entrepreneurship programs to equip young people with the knowledge and capabilities needed to succeed in the industrial sector, facilitate youth-led innovation hubs, incubators, and start-up accelerators to support the development of innovative solutions to local and global challenges. China will implement special training programs for women and youth, and carry out an Education Empowerment Plan for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa.

8.3.5 Africa welcomes China’s implementation of the African Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, and stands ready to support China in carrying out the second Program, so as to promote employment and entrepreneurship among African youth and facilitate the incubation of entrepreneurship and investment projects in Africa through online and offline training provided by the Program.

8.3.6 China will continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation with Africa on disability issues. The two sides will jointly conduct cooperation programs in such areas as rehabilitation, sports, education and employment. Training programs for youths and women will be designed in such a way as to benefit and include those with disabilities, with a view to advancing the sustainable development of people with disabilities and enhancing inclusiveness.

8.3.7 China will hold a China-Africa Wushu Exchange Forum, set up in Africa China-Africa table tennis training centers and hold table tennis training camps in Africa. 

9. CONSOLIDATION OF COOPERATION IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

9.1 Climate Change

9.1.1 The two sides acknowledge that climate change has become a major challenge to social economic and environmental sustainable development of China and Africa, and fully recognize the measures taken and great contributions made by both sides in climate change adaptation and mitigation. China speaks positively of the first African Climate Summit held in Nairobi in September 2023, calls for implementation of the climate finance commitments made at the summit and urges developed countries to step up support. China also congratulates the Kingdom of Morocco and Egypt for having organized the COP 22 and COP 27 which led to tangible results, notably the upholding and implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, the Marrakech Declaration in favor of continental co-emergence, the establishment of the loss fund and damages as well as the work program for a just transition. The African side appreciates the Chinese side for the 17 projects on green development, environmental protection and climate action China has undertaken since the eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC.

9.1.2 Under the framework of South-South Cooperation on climate change and the Belt and Road cooperation, China will work with African countries to deliver on the Declaration on China-Africa Cooperation on Combating Climate Change, and promote the implementation of the Africa Solar Belt project. China will help enhance African countries’ climate response capabilities through supplies assistance, exchanges and dialogue, capacity building and joint research.

9.1.3 China will work with African countries to share knowledge products on climate change, and strengthen cooperation on capacity building and joint research in such areas as climate change and environment governance.

9.1.4 The two sides commend the practical outcomes of the COP 28 to the UNFCCC held in the UAE. The two sides believe that the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement are the basis for climate change cooperation, and call on all parties to abide by their objective, principles and institutional frameworks, especially the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and accommodate and pay attention to the special situations, needs, difficulties and concerns of developing countries.

9.1.5 The two sides reiterate that in responding to climate change challenges, the international community should uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateral sanctions and green barriers, and emphasize that global economic growth, energy security and energy supply are closely linked, and energy transition should be achieved in a just, orderly, and fair manner. 

9.1.6 The two sides are committed to establishing a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon and circular development, deepening communication and cooperation in green development, actively participating in global environmental and climate governance, and jointly building a community of life for man and Nature.

9.2 Ecological Protection

9.2.1 The two sides recognize that ecological protection cooperation has become an important area in China-Africa cooperation. They speak highly of the important role played by the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center in strengthening exchanges and dialogue in environment policies and carrying out environment cooperation and joint research between the two sides, and will continue to implement the China-Africa Green Envoys Program and the China-Africa Green Innovation Program, among others. China supports the operationalization of the AUDA-NEPAD Agency Center on Climate Resilience and Adaptation.

9.2.2 The African side appreciates the leadership of China as the president of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity. The two sides will give full play to the role of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and promote the attainment of the goals set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

9.2.3 On the basis of the BRI International Green Development Coalition, China will invite African countries to participate in the BRI Green Innovation Conference and the BRI Eco-Talent Exchange Program as well as policy dialogue and capacity building activities under the framework of the Green and Low-Carbon Experts Network and the Partnership for Green Development Investment and Financing, so as to support Africa in enhancing environment governance and sustainable development capability.

9.2.4 China will continue to advance the China-Africa Bamboo Center project, and work with the African side to promote cooperation in bamboo and rattan such as “Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic” and implement demonstration projects for international bamboo and rattan cooperation. The two sides will strengthen actions and support for the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization and encourage more African countries to join the organization.

9.2.5 China is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Africa in desertification prevention and control by sharing its experience in integrated desertification prevention and control, providing continued technical support for the development of the “Great Green Wall” and acting on the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification. The two sides congratulate the establishment of the International Drought Resilience Alliance to call on the international community to address drought that confronts both the Global South and Global North.

9.2.6 The two sides will strengthen exchanges in protecting wildlife and honoring the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The two sides will support the protection and appropriate development and utilization of tropical rainforest resources in Africa, carry out grassland monitoring and restoration, and promote the protection and sustainable use of grasslands. China and Africa will promote sustainable practices and technologies to mitigate environmental impact and enhance resource efficiency in industries.

9.2.7 China will support Africa in developing comprehensive plans for water resource and river basins and improving water infrastructure. China is willing to carry out technical exchanges, talent development and project cooperation with Africa in water resource distribution, flood and drought prevention, rural water supply, water-saving irrigation, water ecology restoration, use of non-conventional water resources, and small hydropower development, among other areas.

9.2.8 China will help African countries enhance their waste and sewage treatment capability, and support African countries in building public environmental-friendly facilities, such as landfills and incinerators, in various forms.

9.2.9 The two sides speak positively of the importance of the China-Africa Geo-science Cooperation Center in technology application, information sharing and green mining and will jointly carry out practical cooperation in geo-science research, mineral development geohazards management and talent cultivation, so as to help Africa achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability.

9.3 Marine and Maritime Cooperation and Natural Disaster Management and Prevention

9.3.1 The two sides appreciate the establishment of China-Africa Maritime Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center. The two sides will actively implement the China-Africa Joint Action Plan for Marine Cooperation (2024-2026) within the Framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, deepen practical cooperation in such areas as maritime science and technology, marine ecological restoration, marine observation and forecast, maritime disaster prevention and mitigation, comprehensive maritime management and blue economy, and promote in Africa the use of the platform for online analysis of ocean remote sensing, the assessment of sea level change and its impacts and the compilation of marine spatial planning, in order to boost African countries’ marine sustainable development.

9.3.2 The two sides will continue to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation in areas including maritime security, prevention of marine pollution from ships, and mutual recognition of sailor certificates.

9.3.3 The two sides will take the International Seabed Authority as a platform to enhance exchanges and cooperation, jointly advance deep-sea rule-making, and contribute to global ocean governance.

9.3.4 China will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with African countries on earthquake technology and disaster mitigation, support the role of the African Research Centre on Disaster Mitigation in seismic and volcanic activity monitoring, scientific research, and talent development, and help Africa’s capacity building for disaster mitigation.

9.3.5 China will work with African countries to further advance the building of the China-Africa Cooperation Center on Satellite Remote Sensing Application, share with the African side data, products, software and tools provided by land and marine satellites for natural resources， and carry out in-depth demonstration cooperation in the application of satellite remote sensing technology.

10.SOCIAL AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE COOPERATION AND THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS

10.1 Public Health and Africa’s Pharmaceutical Industry

10.1.1 The two sides recognize that public health cooperation is an important part of the friendly cooperation between China and Africa, and that building a China-Africa community of health for all is an integral part of a high-level China-Africa Community with a shared future. The African side speaks highly of China’s donation of 240 million doses of vaccine and other anti-COVID supplies to 53 African countries and the AU and the sending of medical expert teams to 17 African countries in response to the COVID pandemic. The African side appreciates that the Chinese side has assisted the construction of the Africa CDC headquarters, undertaken 25 medical health programs and helped build or upgrade eight medical and health facilities since the eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC. China and Africa will work together with a view to achieving the goals of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) to make sure no one is left behind, in line with SDGs Agenda 2030. China welcomes the implementation of the African Health Strategy 2016-2030 with a view to enabling the continent strengthen its resilience and health sovereignty. 

10.1.2 China will continue to send Chinese medical teams and public health experts to African countries by favoring the sharing of experiences and good practices in medical matters to offer free medical services and hold public health awareness campaigns.

10.1.3 The two sides will advance the cooperation mechanism between paired-up Chinese and African hospitals, establish a China-Africa Hospital Alliance, and hold a conference on China-Africa hospital development and explore cooperation on remote medical service and smart medical service, to continue to improve the services and management of Chinese and African medical institutions. The two sides will work to strengthen the universal health coverage system in Africa to facilitate access to primary health care for all segments of the population including women, the elderly, newborns, migrant workers and refugees.

10.1.4 The two sides will host the Health Silk Road Cooperation Conference and China-Africa Ministerial Forum on Health Cooperation, institutionalize policy dialogue and technical exchanges on public health, establish the China-Africa Knowledge Exchange Center for Health Development Cooperation, and hold dialogue between Chinese and African think tanks on health cooperation. 

10.1.5 China will continue to support the Africa CDC and the AMA in order to support Africa in the rapid management of epidemics, through capacity building and adequate health infrastructure as well as the establishment of a continental drug control laboratory. Both sides support promoting the development of pharmaceutical production and the medical equipment industry in Africa including access to active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) through co-investment by Chinese and African private sectors, so as to help Africa reduce medicine and medical equipment imports and safeguard medical sovereignty. China will continue to encourage and support Chinese private enterprises in investing in Africa’s pharmaceutical industry. 

10.1.6 China will share clinical and disease prevention and control skills and technologies with African countries, and support key projects, to support African countries’ fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, schistosomiasis and other infectious diseases as well as different types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, help reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Africa, child malnutrition, and support African countries in meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradication of preventable diseases and health promotion on the continent

10.1.7 China will use the Belt and Road Demonstration and Training Platform on Health Cooperation to share appropriate technologies in such areas as health policy, primary health care, maternal and child health, hospital management, imaging tests and laboratory biosecurity, conduct online and offline exchanges and training, so as to help enhance the accessibility of basic medical services in African countries and assist the realization of universal health coverage.

10.1.8 The two sides encourage closer exchanges between the Red Cross Society of China and Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Africa and in the world in order to enhance cooperation in such fields as humanitarian assistance, emergency capacity building and community programs.

10.1.9 Both parties encourage exchanges and collaboration between traditional Chinese and African medicines in order to popularize them and promote their positive impact on the health of populations.With its proven expertise in traditional medicine, China will support the African pharmacopoeia sector.

10.1.10 China will work with African countries to set up a group of joint medical centers. The two sides will carry out high-standard exchanges and cooperation on appropriate technologies in the fields of heart health, blindness prevention, maternal and child health care, and hospital day care service, refine clinical protocols and guidelines, conduct quality control, explore joint scientific research, disseminate best practices, and promote the development of the health industry.

10.1.11 China will support the accelerated development of the AMA and implementation of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) program, to help improve the regulatory system for medical products in Africa.

10.1.12 China will explore cooperation with Africa under the New-Era Shennong Herbal Project, to jointly discover plant resources with medicinal value and explore more treatment methods in the traditional medical toolbox.

10.2 Culture, Tourism and Sports

10.2.1 The two sides believe that culture is an important spiritual bond that keeps the African and Chinese people together and tourism is a bridge that connects civilizations and strengthens friendship. Enhancing cultural and tourism cooperation has great significance for facilitating people-to-people exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding between the two sides.

10.2.2 China will continue flagship projects in African countries as the Happy Spring Festival, the China-Africa Cultural Focus and the Silk Road Artists’ Rendezvous, and support Chinese and African culture and art groups in attending international art festivals hosted by the other side and artists in having fields trips to inspire more art creation. The two sides agree to encourage their relevant institutions to participate in each other’s activities in the fields of music, art, acting, library and cultural heritage under the various frameworks including the Silk Road of Culture, and join such mechanisms as the Silk Road International League of Theaters.

10.2.3 The two sides will continue to implement plans of intergovernmental cultural agreements, encourage cultural exchanges at the subnational level, and support closer interactions between the two sides in cultural industry and cultural trade.

10.2.4 China supports all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China in becoming destinations for Chinese tourist groups, encourages the two sides to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on tourism to help revive Africa’s tourism industry. China supports its airlines in strengthening cooperation with African airlines to facilitate air traffic between the two sides. China supports its private enterprises in investing in Africa’s tourism industry.

10.2.5 China and African countries agree to attend each other’s large-scale tourism exhibitions such as China International Travel Mart. China supports African travel agencies in joining the World Tourism Alliance and the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities. China and Africa will host in both sides seminars on China-Africa tourism cooperation and enhance exchanges and cooperation in areas such as parks management, supporting tourism development through digital technologies and tourist destination promotion.

10.2.6 China will support the development of mass sports as well as sports disciplines in Africa. China is willing to supporting the preparation of high-level African athletes to participate in world competitions in relations with individual sports association.

10.3 Press and Media

10.3.1 The two sides believe that press and media cooperation is an important component of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and is of great significance for promoting mutual understanding between the Chinese and African people. The two sides will strengthen exchanges and dialogue, and deepen the cooperation on press and communications, so as to better tell the story of China-Africa friendship and showcase the fruitful results of their cooperation.

10.3.2 China will facilitate the development of the audiovisual industry of both sides through ways including program exchanges, joint production, technical cooperation, mutual visits and personnel training. China will support the construction of the Converged Media Center of Africa, and will work with the African side to open children channels and carry out joint production of films and TV programs. China will support the African side in upgrading its audiovisual facilities, training media personnel, and preserving Africa’s historical audiovisual archives.

10.3.3 China will build platforms for media communications and cultural exchanges in Africa to boost the integrated development of African media. China will continue to implement the China-Africa Press Center Program and hold workshops and training programs for African media personnel.

10.3.4 China welcomes the joining of African media outlets to the Belt and Road News Network, supports the capacity building of African television, radio and other media groups, encourages exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African people working in new media and personal media, and supports cooperation between Chinese and African Internet influencers, so as to produce more high-quality works.

10.3.5 The two sides will continue to strengthen the exchange of news and joint production of programs among Chinese and African media, hold activities including exhibitions of Chinese programs and China-Africa film salons, and organize mutual visits between news, radio, TV and film professionals.

10.3.6 The two sides will continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation in the field of film, hold workshops for young professionals in Africa’s film industry, support each other in hosting international film festivals, and introduce more Chinese and African films into each other’s market.

11. FOCAC INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

11.1 The two sides are satisfied with the efficient and smooth operation of the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-Up Actions of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, the Senior Official Meetings (SOMs), and consultations between the Chinese Follow-up Committee of FOCAC and the African diplomatic corps in China. The two sides will continue to leverage the role of existing sub-forums under FOCAC, and further substantiate and institutionalize FOCAC.

11.2 The two sides encourage African members of FOCAC to strengthen connections with African Group of Ambassadors in China, which is an integral part of the Follow-up mechanism of FOCAC, in order to report progress on FOCAC outcomes.

11.3 In accordance with the procedures of the FOCAC follow-up mechanism, the two sides decide to hold the 10th Ministerial Conference in the Republic of the Congo in 2027, and, before that, the 18th and the 19th SOM in 2026 and 2027 respectively.

11.4 Based on the principle of equal rotation among regions within the AU, and considering that all African sub-regions have had countries as African Co-Chair of FOCAC for six years with the exception of central Africa, the two sides have agreed to arrange for two central African countries to hold the post in succession in the next six years. From the 11th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC in 2030 onward, the term of each African Co-Chair of FOCAC will be shortened from six years to three years. We welcome the Republic of the Congo as the co-chair of FOCAC from 2024 to 2027 and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea as the co-chair from 2027 to 2030.

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Elayne B. Weiss Biography

Elayne B. Weiss

Elayne Weiss serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development in HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. She previously served as a senior policy advisor in the Office of Housing and the Federal Housing Administration. Prior to joining HUD, Ms. Weiss served as the Director of Housing, Community Development, and Insurance Policy with the House Committee on Financial Services, where her work focused on homelessness and affordable housing policy. While serving on the Committee, Ms. Weiss developed and directed federal housing policy and led the Committee's work to provide pandemic housing relief, including over $46 billion in emergency rental assistance.

Ms. Weiss also worked as a senior policy analyst with the National Low Income Housing Coalition and as a legislative assistant with the American Civil Liberties Union. Elayne holds a J.D. from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and a B.A. in economics from Brandeis University.

The University of Chicago The Law School

Innovation clinic—significant achievements for 2023-24.

The Innovation Clinic continued its track record of success during the 2023-2024 school year, facing unprecedented demand for our pro bono services as our reputation for providing high caliber transactional and regulatory representation spread. The overwhelming number of assistance requests we received from the University of Chicago, City of Chicago, and even national startup and venture capital communities enabled our students to cherry-pick the most interesting, pedagogically valuable assignments offered to them. Our focus on serving startups, rather than all small- to medium-sized businesses, and our specialization in the needs and considerations that these companies have, which differ substantially from the needs of more traditional small businesses, has proven to be a strong differentiator for the program both in terms of business development and prospective and current student interest, as has our further focus on tackling idiosyncratic, complex regulatory challenges for first-of-their kind startups. We are also beginning to enjoy more long-term relationships with clients who repeatedly engage us for multiple projects over the course of a year or more as their legal needs develop.

This year’s twelve students completed over twenty projects and represented clients in a very broad range of industries: mental health and wellbeing, content creation, medical education, biotech and drug discovery, chemistry, food and beverage, art, personal finance, renewable energy, fintech, consumer products and services, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and others. The matters that the students handled gave them an unparalleled view into the emerging companies and venture capital space, at a level of complexity and agency that most junior lawyers will not experience until several years into their careers.

Representative Engagements

While the Innovation Clinic’s engagements are highly confidential and cannot be described in detail, a high-level description of a representative sample of projects undertaken by the Innovation Clinic this year includes:

Transactional/Commercial Work

• A previous client developing a symptom-tracking wellness app for chronic disease sufferers engaged the Innovation Clinic again, this time to restructure its cap table by moving one founder’s interest in the company to a foreign holding company and subjecting the holding company to appropriate protections in favor of the startup.
• Another client with whom the Innovation Clinic had already worked several times engaged us for several new projects, including (1) restructuring their cap table and issuing equity to an additional, new founder, (2) drafting several different forms of license agreements that the company could use when generating content for the platform, covering situations in which the company would license existing content from other providers, jointly develop new content together with contractors or specialists that would then be jointly owned by all creators, or commission contractors to make content solely owned by the company, (3) drafting simple agreements for future equity (“Safes”) for the company to use in its seed stage fundraising round, and (4) drafting terms of service and a privacy policy for the platform.
• Yet another repeat client, an internet platform that supports independent artists by creating short films featuring the artists to promote their work and facilitates sales of the artists’ art through its platform, retained us this year to draft a form of independent contractor agreement that could be used when the company hires artists to be featured in content that the company’s Fortune 500 brand partners commission from the company, and to create capsule art collections that could be sold by these Fortune 500 brand partners in conjunction with the content promotion.
• We worked with a platform using AI to accelerate the Investigational New Drug (IND) approval and application process to draft a form of license agreement for use with its customers and an NDA for prospective investors.
• A novel personal finance platform for young, high-earning individuals engaged the Innovation Clinic to form an entity for the platform, including helping the founders to negotiate a deal among them with respect to roles and equity, terms that the equity would be subject to, and other post-incorporation matters, as well as to draft terms of service and a privacy policy for the platform.
• Students also formed an entity for a biotech therapeutics company founded by University of Chicago faculty members and an AI-powered legal billing management platform founded by University of Chicago students.
• A founder the Innovation Clinic had represented in connection with one venture engaged us on behalf of his other venture team to draft an equity incentive plan for the company as well as other required implementing documentation. His venture with which we previously worked also engaged us this year to draft Safes to be used with over twenty investors in a seed financing round.

More information regarding other types of transactional projects that we typically take on can be found here .

Regulatory Research and Advice

• A team of Innovation Clinic students invested a substantial portion of our regulatory time this year performing highly detailed and complicated research into public utilities laws of several states to advise a groundbreaking renewable energy technology company as to how its product might be regulated in these states and its clearest path to market. This project involved a review of not only the relevant state statutes but also an analysis of the interplay between state and federal statutes as it relates to public utilities law, the administrative codes of the relevant state executive branch agencies, and binding and non-binding administrative orders, decisions and guidance from such agencies in other contexts that could shed light on how such states would regulate this never-before-seen product that their laws clearly never contemplated could exist. The highly varied approach to utilities regulation in all states examined led to a nuanced set of analysis and recommendations for the client.
• In another significant research project, a separate team of Innovation Clinic students undertook a comprehensive review of all settlement orders and court decisions related to actions brought by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for violations of the prohibition on unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices under the Consumer Financial Protection Act, as well as selected relevant settlement orders, court decisions, and other formal and informal guidance documents related to actions brought by the Federal Trade Commission for violations of the prohibition on unfair or deceptive acts or practices under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, to assemble a playbook for a fintech company regarding compliance. This playbook, which distilled very complicated, voluminous legal decisions and concepts into a series of bullet points with clear, easy-to-follow rules and best practices, designed to be distributed to non-lawyers in many different facets of this business, covered all aspects of operations that could subject a company like this one to liability under the laws examined, including with respect to asset purchase transactions, marketing and consumer onboarding, usage of certain terms of art in advertising, disclosure requirements, fee structures, communications with customers, legal documentation requirements, customer service and support, debt collection practices, arrangements with third parties who act on the company’s behalf, and more.

Miscellaneous

• Last year’s students built upon the Innovation Clinic’s progress in shaping the rules promulgated by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) pursuant to the Corporate Transparency Act to create a client alert summarizing the final rule, its impact on startups, and what startups need to know in order to comply. When FinCEN issued additional guidance with respect to that final rule and changed portions of the final rule including timelines for compliance, this year’s students updated the alert, then distributed it to current and former clients to notify them of the need to comply. The final bulletin is available here .
• In furtherance of that work, additional Innovation Clinic students this year analyzed the impact of the final rule not just on the Innovation Clinic’s clients but also its impact on the Innovation Clinic, and how the Innovation Clinic should change its practices to ensure compliance and minimize risk to the Innovation Clinic. This also involved putting together a comprehensive filing guide for companies that are ready to file their certificates of incorporation to show them procedurally how to do so and explain the choices they must make during the filing process, so that the Innovation Clinic would not be involved in directing or controlling the filings and thus would not be considered a “company applicant” on any client’s Corporate Transparency Act filings with FinCEN.
• The Innovation Clinic also began producing thought leadership pieces regarding AI, leveraging our distinct and uniquely University of Chicago expertise in structuring early-stage companies and analyzing complex regulatory issues with a law and economics lens to add our voice to those speaking on this important topic. One student wrote about whether non-profits are really the most desirable form of entity for mitigating risks associated with AI development, and another team of students prepared an analysis of the EU’s AI Act, comparing it to the Executive Order on AI from President Biden, and recommended a path forward for an AI regulatory environment in the United States. Both pieces can be found here , with more to come!

Innovation Trek

Thanks to another generous gift from Douglas Clark, ’89, and managing partner of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, we were able to operationalize the second Innovation Trek over Spring Break 2024. The Innovation Trek provides University of Chicago Law School students with a rare opportunity to explore the innovation and venture capital ecosystem in its epicenter, Silicon Valley. The program enables participating students to learn from business and legal experts in a variety of different industries and roles within the ecosystem to see how the law and economics principles that students learn about in the classroom play out in the real world, and facilitates meaningful connections between alumni, students, and other speakers who are leaders in their fields. This year, we took twenty-three students (as opposed to twelve during the first Trek) and expanded the offering to include not just Innovation Clinic students but also interested students from our JD/MBA Program and Doctoroff Business Leadership Program. We also enjoyed four jam-packed days in Silicon Valley, expanding the trip from the two and a half days that we spent in the Bay Area during our 2022 Trek.

The substantive sessions of the Trek were varied and impactful, and enabled in no small part thanks to substantial contributions from numerous alumni of the Law School. Students were fortunate to visit Coinbase’s Mountain View headquarters to learn from legal leaders at the company on all things Coinbase, crypto, and in-house, Plug & Play Tech Center’s Sunnyvale location to learn more about its investment thesis and accelerator programming, and Google’s Moonshot Factory, X, where we heard from lawyers at a number of different Alphabet companies about their lives as in-house counsel and the varied roles that in-house lawyers can have. We were also hosted by Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati and Fenwick & West LLP where we held sessions featuring lawyers from those firms, alumni from within and outside of those firms, and non-lawyer industry experts on topics such as artificial intelligence, climate tech and renewables, intellectual property, biotech, investing in Silicon Valley, and growth stage companies, and general advice on career trajectories and strategies. We further held a young alumni roundtable, where our students got to speak with alumni who graduated in the past five years for intimate, candid discussions about life as junior associates. In total, our students heard from more than forty speakers, including over twenty University of Chicago alumni from various divisions.

The Trek didn’t stop with education, though. Throughout the week students also had the opportunity to network with speakers to learn more from them outside the confines of panel presentations and to grow their networks. We had a networking dinner with Kirkland & Ellis, a closing dinner with all Trek participants, and for the first time hosted an event for admitted students, Trek participants, and alumni to come together to share experiences and recruit the next generation of Law School students. Several speakers and students stayed in touch following the Trek, and this resulted not just in meaningful relationships but also in employment for some students who attended.

More information on the purposes of the Trek is available here , the full itinerary is available here , and one student participant’s story describing her reflections on and descriptions of her experience on the Trek is available here .

The Innovation Clinic is grateful to all of its clients for continuing to provide its students with challenging, high-quality legal work, and to the many alumni who engage with us for providing an irreplaceable client pipeline and for sharing their time and energy with our students. Our clients are breaking the mold and bringing innovations to market that will improve the lives of people around the world in numerous ways. We are glad to aid in their success in any way that we can. We look forward to another productive year in 2024-2025!