Getting Started Writing a Compelling Grant Proposal

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Getting Started Writing a Compelling Grant
Proposal

• Office of Sponsored Programs
• 113 Bowne Hall
• 443-2882 plowney_at_syr.edu

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Proposals Sell.

• Your idea,
• Yourself, and
• Your affiliation
• To the right sponsor at the right time

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Proposals Communicate

• WHAT you want to do
• WHY it is important
• How youre going to do it and WHY your strategy
  is the best tack to take
• WHY you are qualified and capable
• The Value/Impact resulting from the dollars
  invested

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WHAT do you want to do

• The Idea
• Hypothesis to be tested
• Gap in knowledge to be filled
• Need to be filled
• Problem to be solved
• Opportunity to be pursued
• Clearly stated
• Easily understood by all

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WHY is it important

• gt Evidence, rationale
• gt Impact, outcomes, consequences
• Significance
• Sponsors
• Discipline/field
• Communities/advocacy groups
• Associations
• Govt agencies
• Society

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Why your approach is best

• HOW are you going to do it?
• Approach e.g., methods/experimental design
• Rationale for methods
• Feasibility
• Can you do in time/with resources available
• Preliminary data ? necessary expertise
• Experience with system
• Barriers/challenges
• Alternatives

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Why your approach is best contd

• How do you know your approach has worked or when
  you are successful?
• Controls
• Analysis (statistics)
• Expected Results
• Interpretation (!!)
• Evaluation
• Supported/refuted the hypothesis
• Addressed the need
• Filled the gap etc.
• Solved the problem

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Why your approach is best contd

• What do you do with the results?
• Dissemination plan
• Progress reports
• Local, regional, national meetings/presentations
• Publications/reports/books/monographs
• Web pages
• Press releases

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Why are you qualified

• Are you uniquely suited for this activity?
• Education and Training
• Degrees, licenses, certifications
• Professional experience
• Publications/Grants
• History of productivity
• Invited presentations, chapters etc
• Necessary expertise is available
• Increase likelihood of success

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Why you are capable

• Can you do what you propose?
• Resources/facilities
• Equipment and support services
• Mentors letters of support
• Access to special resources
• Specific population
• Research tools/reagents
• Partnerships
• Institutional support

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Great Value/Impact for the Dollar

• Is the cost reasonable appropriate?
• Budget
• Translate work plan ? dollars cents
• Good judgment
• Request support for total project costs
• Sharing project costs required?
• Sponsor requirements/constraints

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Proposals Convey

• WHAT you want to do
• WHY it is important
• How youre going to do it and WHY your strategy
  is the best tack to take
• WHY you are qualified and capable
• The Value/Impact for the dollar invested
• .through common elements

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Common Elements

• Cover sheet/face page
• Abstract/executive summary
• Project narrative/description
• Literature cited/bibliography
• Biosketch/curriculum vitae
• Budget and narrative/justification
• Facilities/resources
• Appendices

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Common Elements

• Project Narrative/Description
• Statement of Work/Goal
• Background
• Context/Literature review
• Preliminary/foundation data
• Specific Aims/Objectives
• Significance to Sponsor, discipline, society
• Literature review
• Taskforce reports
• Mission/vision statements

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Common Elements contd

• Project Narrative/Description contd
• Work Plan/Experimental Design/Methods
• Activities for objective/aim
• Controls, data, analysis, interpretation
• Evaluation
• Dissemination
• Management Plan
• Timeline

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Proposal Narratives

• Specifics vary core components similar.
• Big picture ? details/specifics
• If not specified in guidelines, organize by
  review criteria.
• Respond to review criteria.

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Common Elements contd

• Literature Cited/Bibliography
• Yes reviewers do read it!
• Comprehensive
• Current, appropriately historical
• Quality
• Objective

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Common Elements contd

• Biographical Sketch (2-pg)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Education Training
• Discipline/major, institution, degree
• Licenses, credentials, certifications
• Honors
• Professional Activities
• Publications
• Other relevant info

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Common Elements contd

• Facilities Resources
• Laboratory (space equipment)
• Office (space equipment)
• Secretarial support
• Library, archives, other unique resources
• Machine shop, media, glassware, centers, animal
  facilities (AAALAC)
• Access to other species resources/facilities
• Partnerships, agreements

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Common Elements contd

• Budget (line item)
• Personnel Services
• Salary Fringe Benefits
• Other than Personnel Services
• Equipment
• Supplies Consumables
• Travel (domestic intl)
• Other expenses
• Communication publication expenses
• Remitted tuition
• Equipment service agreements, animals/per diem
• Consultants, transcription svc etc.
• Evaluation

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Common Elements contd

• Budget Narrative/Justification
• What youre spending money on (detailed?)
• WHY you need this support
• How did you arrive at cost estimates
• Most important/expensive first
• Personnel
• Roles, responsibilities
• Adequate and appropriate effort
• Other major categories
• Why essential for project?
• Demonstrate costs reasonable (allowable?)
• Demonstrate your experience judgment

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Common Elements contd

• Appendices/Supplemental Docs.
• Letters of Support
• Collaboration
• Provide access to resource/tool
• Documentation
• Submitted manuscripts/publications
• Non-profit status (OSP)
• IDC rate (OSP)
• Surveys etc
• Certifications assurances (OSP)

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Common Elements contd

• Cover sheet/Face Page
• Title
• Brief (80 letters/spaces), informative
• Principal investigator/project director
• Contact information
• Research Integrity
• Authorizations (University signature)
• Cost
• Compliance needs
• Human, animal participants, certs assurances

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Common Elements contd

• Abstract/Executive Summary
• First thing reviewers read
• First impressions count!!!
• Get em hooked!
• Prepare last
• Exciting!
• Clear!
• Complete! (What, when, how, why?)

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Getting Started..

• Refine/clarify the idea
• Ongoing, iterative process
• National, regional, local workshops, meetings
  etc.
• Discussions and conversations.
• Department or group meetings
• Journal Club, etc
• Answer the Big Three Questions
• What, Why How??

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Have a Potential Sponsor Program

• Check out recent awards
• Review similar, successful proposals
• Contact program manager ASAP
• Explore interest fit
• Earlier the better

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Writing the proposal..

• Whats the sponsors agenda?
• Prepare an outline
• Announcement/agency guidelines
• Insert (and address) review criteria
• Insert answers
• What, Why How?
• Expand your Outline

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Writing the proposal..contd

• Write Text
• Manageable units
• 2 or more months in advance (?)
• Have many others read and review
• Write for Reviewers (are they known?)
• Develop the budget narrative
• 1 month in advance
• Does the budget make sense?
• Support requested for all project costs?
• Secure approval for cost-sharing

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Tip -

• Write for generalist reviewers
• But balance technical detail
• Make reviewers your friend and advocate
• Eliminate reasons not to fund you
• Avoid jargon
• Make no assumptions.
• Summer beach reading.
• Legible font, effective use of headers

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Finalizing the proposal..

• Proof read after 2-3 day rest (?)
• Spell check
• Check figure numbers
• Check/confirm all references

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Strong proposals

• Great idea, clear compelling
• Significant to sponsor
• Great approach, well thought out
• Qualified applicant
• Resources available
• Cost effective

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Choosing to not follow instructions..

• Return unreviewed
• Alienate reviewers
• Alienate program managers/staff
• ? Decrease likelihood of award

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Good Luck!

• Sponsored programs is available to help
• Interpret guidelines
• Draft budgets narratives
• Review text for clarity, completeness, compliance
• Facilitate multi-investigator or
  multi-institutional applications