Concept notes are brief descriptions of suggestions that have not yet been written. They may be thought of as pre-proposals that define the framework of a proposal in a way that reveals the project concept for internal discussion or a possible funding agency or partner. The term "concept note" was first used by the Department of Defense (DoD) to describe short descriptions of ideas or proposals that could be circulated within the defense community to encourage new thinking on issues before they were committed to more detailed writing. When you write a concept note, you are suggesting ideas for projects or programs that your organization might implement. You should include any relevant background information about your idea and how it might fit into the department's mission. You should also explain what would need to happen for your idea to become a reality. Finally, you should estimate how much it might cost to develop your idea into a full-scale program or project. Defense departments use concept notes as a way to explore ideas outside of their normal budget and personnel constraints. By sharing noncommitted ideas, they hope to stimulate fresh thinking and identify potential problems with existing approaches. The DoD began publishing its annual report of concept notes in 1990. Non-defense agencies can use concept notes too. For example, NASA has used concept notes to highlight possibilities for future missions or research facilities.