ZU Grants Presentation 12 2006

How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal : 

How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal C. Dianne Martin, Dean College of Information Technology Todd DeVriese, Chair Department of Art & Design December 17, 2006

Getting Started: ATTITUDE! : 

Getting Started: ATTITUDE! A good proposal has “attitude” Don’t assume the reader will grasp the significance of your idea Give context, explain fully, convince the reader you know what you are doing. You must convince the grantor that you need the funding and will use it wisely to solve the problem Marketing yourself and your idea

Defining the Project : 

Defining the Project Choose a problem or an idea you wish to pursue Survey the literature Contact established investigators in the area Prepare a brief concept paper Discuss your idea with others Get started on the project

Your Proposal Should Answer These Questions : 

Your Proposal Should Answer These Questions What are you going to do? Why is this important? What is your unique contribution? Is it feasible? Why are you the best person to do it? What are others doing in this area? How will you do it? How will you evaluate your results? How will you disseminate your results?

Proposal Writing Hints : 

Proposal Writing Hints Present your ideas clearly & succinctly to capture the reviewer’s attention Present the main thrust of the project at the beginning - don’t bury your lead! Use a concise writing style Show relevance with specific examples Organize to enable skimming - use headings Add a timeline with specific deliverables Identify the payoff Use a fresh approach, but don't stray from accepted methodologies Give yourself plenty of time! Peer reviews before submission are important! Remember that you are selling an idea to the REVIEWERS and the FUNDER

Types of Proposals : 

Types of Proposals Letter of proposal: usually expanded statement of Work Preliminary proposal: used by agency to decide if proposer should develop it further Expanded proposal: contains all of the necessary information to be used in the review process Revised proposal: modified subject to comments by reviewers Type of Grants Individual or Collaborative Program or Project Research or Education

Guidelines for Proposals : 

Guidelines for Proposals Vary by institution and agency Outline proposal format Set conditions on requests Set conditions on use of funds Set conditions on review process and negotiations FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES TO THE LETTER !

Proposal Components : 

Proposal Components Executive Summary and/ or Introduction Problem/Needs Statement and Objectives Research Methods Evaluation Procedures Other Funding Sources (Current/Future) Budget

Introduction : 

Introduction The Introduction should describe: Organization history Statement of purpose and goals Current activities Constituency Funding sources Evaluations Quotes or letters of support Relevant publications summary

Problem Statement : 

Problem Statement State the problem simply & concisely Relate it to your purpose and goals Provide evidence of importance Provide justification that you can solve the problem Make certain that the scope of the problem is focused State it in the terms of your constituents

Methodology : 

Methodology Methods need to support the objectives! Who: team selection and sampling How: what will occur over the life of the project When: task order and timing Why: defend your chosen methods and provide assurance that these methods will lead to anticipated outcomes

Evaluation : 

Evaluation Types: Product - has the research achieved its objectives? Process - was the research consistent with the plan? Questions: who will do the evaluation? method of data collection method of data analysis method of reporting evaluative information

Zayed University RIF Evaluation Criteria : 

Zayed University RIF Evaluation Criteria

Advice on Budgets : 

Advice on Budgets Be specific - do NOT use ball-park figures! Be precise - make sure your accounting is in order Be complete - make sure there are no hidden costs Be honest - don't make up matching costs Be convincing - argue why a line item is needed, especially if it is unusual Request necessary items and realistic amounts Remain within grant guidelines Timelines should be realistic, show progress and demonstrate rollout of deliverables Excessive budgets irritate reviewers!

General Tips : 

General Tips Network with people in your field Call the program officer or funding representative Propose results Don't assume the justification is obvious Don't assume all reviewers will agree with your position Read and reference all relevant literature Get letters of support from collaborators Identify why you have the expertise to do this research Identify what methodologies you will use

Grant Writing as Courtship : 

Grant Writing as Courtship Get to know the funding organizations Find the “best match” Talk to the funding officer if possible to establish a personal relationship Reduces the chance of a bitter rejection or a bad divorce! If you visit in person, be nice to the receptionist or secretary!

Common Problems of Non-Winning Proposals : 

Common Problems of Non-Winning Proposals Key points are buried No highlights or impact not apparent Not an innovative topic or approach Difficult to read, full of jargon, too long, too technical, unclear or incomplete Misspellings, grammatical errors, wrong client name, and inconsistent formats Failure to differentiate your work from others; e.g., no reference to relevant literature Deadline missed Guidelines for proposal not followed EXACTLY Not an agency priority for this year Research beyond capacity of proposer Method of study unsuited to the problem Unrealistic budget

If Your Proposal is Declined, REMEMBER: : 

If Your Proposal is Declined, REMEMBER: You are in good company Awards are often highly competitive Budgetary limitations exert influence Funding agency priorities exert influence Read the reviews and TRY AGAIN!

Volunteer to be a Reviewer : 

Volunteer to be a Reviewer As a Reviewer, you will: Read good and bad proposals See the review process in action Write better proposals next time Get a good view of what is being funded Give back to the community

Sources of Information : 

Sources of Information US National Science Foundation: (http://www.nsf.gov) Grantsandfunding.com: http://www.grantsandfunding.com/libraries/grantseeking/wings/GFindex.html Online Proposal Writing Handbook: http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/handbook-proposals.html Writing a Good Grant Proposal (Simon Peyton Jones and Alan Bundy, Microsoft Research) http://research.microsoft.com/~simonpj/papers/Proposal.html Grantwriting 101 Workshop by Wayne Carlson, The Ohio State University http://accad.osu.edu/~waynec/WEC.html