The development of new energy

Project description
This is an open-book, open-notes, group take-home exam. Your goal is to create a professional-looking proposal that presents your idea and convinces the reader that you have a good idea, a good team, and the ability to carry out your plan.

In the last midterm, we synthesized all of our readings from the problems section of the class and tried to develop new and interesting insights about the nature of global sustainability challenges.

In midterm 2, we are again focused on synthesis, but in a more concrete manner. Your group should develop a detailed proposal for a social innovation approach to the problem you have identified. The rules:

Formatting Standards: 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.

File Type: Word files only. No other formats are accepted.

Length: At least 3 full pages. There is no upper limit.

Submit a single file for your entire group. All group members will receive the same grade for the paper, unless the group decides that a member has not pulled their weight. If that is the case, the group may report a members non-engagement and that member alone will receive a penalty at my discretion.

Your writing should be formal and professional. No contractions, slang, or unhinged rants.

How to Write a Proposal:

A well-crafted proposal is the evening-gown or tuxedo of writing: crisp, elegant, confidence-inspiring, with just the right amount of daring. It is a document with a mission: to capture the attention of a potential funder and convince that person or entity to trust you with their money. This requires conveying two distinct and potentially contradictory signals to the funder:

You are responsible, careful, and diligent;

And

You are forward-thinking, innovative, and not bound by convention or groupthink.

If you are only the former, your proposal will lack inspiration and the funder will not finish reading it. If you are only the latter, your proposal will sound like the ravings of a maniac. To avoid these unfortunate fates, follow the following structure:

Overview: this is your elevator pitch. In just a few well-crafted, artful sentences, tell your reader exactly what you propose to do and why they should care. Understatement is a plus here. Remember: innovative, but sophisticated and precise.

Problem Statement: this is a brief, powerful explanation of the exact problem your group wishes to affect. It will probably be more specific than the problem you examined in Paper 1. You need to tee-up the problem so that your solution knocks it out of the park, so to speak.

Approach: this is your detailed explanation of your approach and why it will work. Some projects will be based entirely around explaining your idea, while others might build a prototype or construct an example (like a video).

Team: this explains each one of you in no more than half a page per person, and showcases why your team can pull off the project. Its like a mini-resume. Include awards youve won in school, scholarships, your major (if you have one), working experience, and your passions.

Due Diligence: this explains what others are doing, and argues for why your approach is needed. It also addresses potential criticisms of your plan, and answers those criticisms intelligently.

Logistics and Budget: this explains what you need to do in order to carry out your approach, how long it will take, and estimates how much money you will require. Dont stress out about this. A proposal budget is a back-of-the-envelope calculation, not a detailed financial model. It includes things like personnel, supplies, equipment, etc. Remember an old admonition: if you get what you asked for, you didnt ask for enough!
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Added on 27.10.2015 04:06
This is an open-book, open-notes, group take-home exam. Your goal is to create a professional-looking proposal that presents your idea and convinces the reader that you have a good idea, a good team, and the ability to carry out your plan.

In the last midterm, we synthesized all of our readings from the problems section of the class and tried to develop new and interesting insights about the nature of global sustainability challenges.

In midterm 2, we are again focused on synthesis, but in a more concrete manner. Your group should develop a detailed proposal for a social innovation approach to the problem you have identified. The rules:

Formatting Standards: 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.

File Type: Word files only. No other formats are accepted.

Submit a single file for your entire group. All group members will receive the same grade for the paper, unless the group decides that a member has not pulled their weight. If that is the case, the group may report a members non-engagement and that member alone will receive a penalty at my discretion.

Your writing should be formal and professional. No contractions, slang, or unhinged rants.

How to Write a Proposal:

A well-crafted proposal is the evening-gown or tuxedo of writing: crisp, elegant, confidence-inspiring, with just the right amount of daring. It is a document with a mission: to capture the attention of a potential funder and convince that person or entity to trust you with their money. This requires conveying two distinct and potentially contradictory signals to the funder:

You are responsible, careful, and diligent;

And

You are forward-thinking, innovative, and not bound by convention or groupthink.

If you are only the former, your proposal will lack inspiration and the funder will not finish reading it. If you are only the latter, your proposal will sound like the ravings of a maniac. To avoid these unfortunate fates, follow the following structure:

Overview: this is your elevator pitch. In just a few well-crafted, artful sentences, tell your reader exactly what you propose to do and why they should care. Understatement is a plus here. Remember: innovative, but sophisticated and precise.

Problem Statement: this is a brief, powerful explanation of the exact problem your group wishes to affect. It will probably be more specific than the problem you examined in Paper 1. You need to tee-up the problem so that your solution knocks it out of the park, so to speak.

Approach: this is your detailed explanation of your approach and why it will work. Some projects will be based entirely around explaining your idea, while others might build a prototype or construct an example (like a video).

Team: this explains each one of you in no more than half a page per person, and showcases why your team can pull off the project. Its like a mini-resume. Include awards youve won in school, scholarships, your major (if you have one), working experience, and your passions.

Due Diligence: this explains what others are doing, and argues for why your approach is needed. It also addresses potential criticisms of your plan, and answers those criticisms intelligently.

Logistics and Budget: this explains what you need to do in order to carry out your approach, how long it will take, and estimates how much money you will require. Dont stress out about this. A proposal budget is a back-of-the-envelope calculation, not a detailed financial model. It includes things like personnel, supplies, equipment, etc. Remember an old admonition: if you get what you asked for, you didnt ask for enough!