Research Proposal Gantt Chart Template

Research Proposal Template

This research proposal Gantt chart is the timeline your proposal's work plan needs: literature review, methods, ethics approval, recruiting and data collection, analysis, write-up, and sharing the results, in about ten months. Every task is linked, so if ethics review runs long, data collection and your end date move with it. It opens in your browser with no account needed, and you can export it straight into your proposal.

14 tasks · 4 phases · about 10 months

What's in this template

Phase	Task	Length	Depends on	Who
Literature and methods	Literature review	5 weeks	-	Researcher
Literature and methods	Finalize methods and instruments	3 weeks	Literature review	Researcher, Supervisor
Ethics approval	Write and submit the ethics application	10 days	Finalize methods and instruments	Researcher, Supervisor
Ethics approval	Ethics board review	5 weeks	Write and submit the ethics application	Ethics board
Data and analysis	Pilot the method	10 days	Ethics board review	Researcher
Data and analysis	Recruit participants	3 weeks	Ethics board review	Researcher
Data and analysis	Collect data	8 weeks	Pilot the method, Recruit participants	Researcher
Data and analysis	Write the methods and literature sections	3 weeks	Pilot the method	Researcher
Data and analysis	Clean and analyze the data	5 weeks	Collect data	Researcher
Data and analysis	Review findings with your supervisor	5 days	Clean and analyze the data	Researcher, Supervisor
Write-up and sharing	Draft the results and discussion	5 weeks	Review findings with your supervisor, Write the methods and literature sections	Researcher
Write-up and sharing	Supervisor feedback on the draft	2 weeks	Draft the results and discussion	Supervisor
Write-up and sharing	Revise and submit the final report	2 weeks	Supervisor feedback on the draft	Researcher
Write-up and sharing	Share the findings	10 days	Revise and submit the final report	Researcher, Supervisor

What a realistic research proposal Gantt chart looks like

A research proposal Gantt chart for a small study usually covers eight months to a year, and this one runs about ten. It's the plan for the research itself, the chart reviewers look at in your proposal's timeline or work plan section.

The first eight weeks go to the literature review and finalizing your methods. Ethics approval takes about six and a half weeks, most of it waiting on the board. Recruiting and a short pilot run side by side once you're approved, then data collection takes eight weeks and analysis five. The last 11 weeks go to writing, your supervisor's feedback, the final report, and sharing the findings.

Reviewers tend to look for two things: that ethics approval comes before any data collection, and that the timeline leaves room for waiting on other people. It's easy to underestimate board review, so this one gives it five weeks. If you're planning the whole thesis from topic to defense, use the thesis template instead.

How to put this Gantt chart into your proposal

Set your dates, adjust the bars to your study, then export the chart as a PNG or PDF and paste it into your proposal's timeline section.

Start by moving the literature review to the month your study or funding begins. The linked tasks after it move later with it. Then stretch or shrink the bars that differ for your project, such as a longer collection window for a big survey. A shorter bar won't pull later tasks earlier, so drag them back.

If your study has no human participants, delete the two ethics tasks and the recruiting task, then close the gap: Cmd-click (Ctrl-click on Windows) the pilot and the tasks after it and drag them back together. For a small grant, rename the last task to whatever the funder wants, such as a conference talk.

Export a PNG for a Word or Google Docs proposal, or a PDF to attach as an appendix. See how to export a Gantt chart for the options.

Make it yours

Drag the first task to your real start date and everything linked to it moves along. Rename the roles to your people, then export a PNG, PDF, or SVG when you need to share it. No template fits? Start from a blank plan with the project schedule maker. Saving to the cloud starts at Pro; sharing with teammates is on Team and Business.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a research proposal timeline be?

Match the timeline to the time you actually have: a term, an academic year, or the length of the grant. Small studies often run eight months to a year. This template runs about ten months, and its riskiest stretches are data collection and ethics review, so check those bars first.

What should the timeline section of a research proposal include?

It should show each stage of the study in order with dates: literature review, methods, ethics approval, recruiting, data collection, analysis, writing, and sharing results. Reviewers usually check that approval comes before data collection and that the plan fits the funding period. A Gantt chart shows all of that in one picture.

Do I need an account to use this research proposal template?

No. The template opens in your browser with no account needed, and you can edit it and export a PNG, PDF, SVG, or CSV. Saving to the cloud and opening the plan from any browser starts at Pro, which is $3.99 a month for one person. See pricing for the details.