Writing Assignment

The Writing Assignment can be either a literature review or a research proposal. The literature review involves analysing key literature on a specific topic and integrating your own perspective. The research proposal outlines the importance of a research problem, backed by current literature, and presents a plan for conducting the research.

Credits (1.5 EC = 1 week)

Writing Assignment / Research proposal | 7.5EC | Mandatory
If you want to work on your Writing Assignment part time, discuss with your examiner first. 

Location

Internally (Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht, Hubrecht Institute or the Princess Maxima Center) or externally

Directly go to

End product


A Writing Assignment consists of several key stages: defining the topic, formulating a hypothesis, drawing up a timetable, conducting literature research, and completing the writing phase.

Consult your examiner about the report format before you begin writing. There are two possible formats:

  • Literature Review – a review paper in the relevant research field.

  • Research Proposal – an NWO Open Competition Domain Science – KLEIN-1 grant application.

The main text (excluding legends, tables, references, etc.) should be 6000–8000 words, with 25–60 references. Focus on quality over word count.  

You must write the final report in English. If a company or government organisation explicitly requires a report in Dutch, you may request an exception. In that case, you must include an English summary. You may submit no more than one Dutch report during your Master’s degree programme.

Literature Review

A critical review in your research field, showcasing your ability to evaluate hypotheses, present your perspective, and highlight future research opportunities. Include a plain language summary*.

Research Proposal

A PhD funding application in the format of the NWO Open Competition Domain Science – M grant. Include a plain language summary*. Download the template via the button below.

*Plain language summary: approximately 500 words, written for an audience that understands Biology or Science at a high school level.

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Do you want more information about the difference between the research projects and business internships? Listen to episode 14 of the Radio Life Sciences podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast. 

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