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2 years ago in Research Objectives By Deep

What’s the difference between an "objective" and a "deliverable" in a PhD research plan?

My funding body's form asks for both "objectives" and "deliverables." I'm confused. Isn't completing the objective itself the deliverable? Do I need to list things like "one journal paper" as a deliverable?

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By Himakshi B Answered 1 year ago

They are related but distinct. An Objective describes the intellectual or practical goal. A Deliverable is the tangible artifact that provides evidence the objective was met. For example:

  • Objective: To develop a computational model for predicting material fatigue.
  • Deliverable: A validated software script/program and a technical report documenting the model.
    For a PhD, common deliverables linked to objectives include: a literature review chapter (objective: to synthesize existing knowledge), a curated dataset (objective: to collect and process field data), a conference paper (objective: to present initial findings), or a prototype (objective: to design and test a new device). Listing "one journal paper" is a valid deliverable, but it's better to tie it to a specific objective's outcome. Funders want to see what concrete things they will get for their investment.

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