Background/state of the art

The background section of the project description must account for the scientific and theoretical framework of the project. Rather than providing an exhaustive description of your entire field of research, you should focus on presenting the information needed to understand your project and situate it in a relevant context.

For this reason, you should also clarify what remains to be understood/done in your field. In other words, you should point out ‘holes’ in existing knowledge – and demonstrate that the aim of your project is precisely to fill these holes.

This section must:

• outline the current state of knowledge within your research field (‘state-of-the-art’) with an emphasis on how your project can fill a hole in the existing research
• demonstrate the scientific rationale for carrying out the project
• if possible, present arguments in support of the project being carried out at this particular time
• if possible, draw attention to your previous contributions to the research field
• maintain a clear and coherent connection to the project’s objectives and perspectives.