Research Support: Pre-proposal Submission

MSI funds high-quality research that deals with topics of importance to member companies. Research related to MSI’s Research Priorities is especially encouraged. Results of MSI-supported studies may appear first as MSI working papers and/or as conference presentations, and subsequently as articles in refereed journals.   

The pre-proposal itself is a short document (max 1,200 words) that outlines the topics to be studied and the researchers’ preliminary research questions and approach. It is intended to elicit MSI’s reaction to the topic and research concept before the researcher invests substantial time in writing a full proposal. Nevertheless, the more complete the thinking in the pre-proposal, the more likely it is to receive encouragement and constructive comments.  

We encourage submissions from faculty (US and international) at academic institutions. PhD students can submit, however a faculty member must be included on pre-proposals.  

Pre-proposals are evaluated on a rolling basis; we meet to evaluate funding requests approximately every two to three months. You can expect to hear back from MSI within about two to three months of initial submission. There is no deadline for pre-proposals.

Submission Process Timeline

1. Pre-Proposal Submission
   The first step is to submit a pre-proposal. The MSI Research Committee will review your submission, and you can expect to hear back within approximately two to three months.
2. Proposal Submission
   If your pre-proposal is accepted, you’ll be invited to submit a full proposal. MSI will provide feedback on your pre-proposal, and your full proposal should directly respond to those comments.
3. Funding Decision
   If your full proposal is approved, you will receive research support funding.
4. Interim Report
   Midway through the project, you will be required to submit an interim report outlining your progress to date.
5. Final Working Paper
   Upon completion of the research, you must submit a final working paper. Submission of this final deliverable is required to receive the remainder of the grant payment.

View MSI Research Priorities

Pre-Proposal Submission Guidelines

Proposal Submission Guidelines 

Final Working Paper Submission Guidelines

If you have any questions, please contact research@msi.org.