The Graduate School Office of Research Services

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The Graduate SchoolOffice of Research Services

• Grantwriting
• June 15, 2004

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Qualities of a Successful Proposal

• A good proposal is a good idea, well expressed,
  with a clear indication of methods for pursuing
  the idea, evaluating the findings, making them
  known to all who need to know, and indicating the
  broader impacts of the activity.
• Courtesy NSF

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The First Step Conceptualizing your project

• Consider the following
• What do you intend to do?
• Intellectual merit
• Why is the work important?
• Broader impact
• What has already been done?
• How are you going to do the work?
• Person power infrastructure
• Have vs. need

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Still Thinking

• Have a good idea of your immediate and long-term
  objectives
• Straightforward/simple
• Logical
• Measurable
• Practical
• How will you evaluate your findings?
• How will you disseminate the results?
• How much will it cost?
• What will happen once the grant has ended?
• Typically, grants are means not ends in
  themselves
• Courtesy USPHS

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Develop Your Idea

• Review current literature
• Network with others in the field
• Develop a brief concept paper
• Feedback from peers
• What resources are needed?
• Seek funding sources that match with your
  project
• Your project should coincide with the
  mission/objectives of the agency
• Contact Program Officers to discuss fit

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Program Guidelines Key Information

• Program announcements contain
• General descriptions
• Research/Project objectives
• Areas of Interest
• Criteria for evaluation
• Agency mission/audience
• Program Officer(s)
• Contact early often
• Technical requirements

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Program GuidelinesA Few More Hints

• Look for formatting requirements
• Font size and type
• Times New Roman is a usually good choice
• NIH recommends Arial
• Forms, page limits, margins, type size, stapling,
  appendices, order of materials, number of copies,
  etc.
• These things really are important

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Before You Begin Writing

• Plan ahead
• Reviewers can tell when a proposal is thrown
  together
• Read the entire announcement
• Noncompliance with guidelines may result in
  return of the proposal without review
• Note review criteria process
• Recommend individuals who would favorably review
  your work
• Deadline Date vs. Receipt Date vs.Target Date vs.
  Post-mark Date

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General Writing Tips

• Follow guidelines carefully and precisely
• Structure your narrative according to the
  selection criteria
• Be clear, concise, and specific in your responses
  to selection criteria
• Proofread
• Use a checklist if provided
• Contact ORS/HSCRA/CFR for assistance

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General Tips

• Nearing the deadline?
• Extensions for missing a deadline are rarely if
  ever granted
• If you wait until the last minute, be sure to get
  a receipt from the post office or the carrier to
  prove date and time of mailing
• E-application systems tend to slow as the
  deadline approaches

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AND NOW..

• Let the writing begin

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Organizing Your Proposal

• Guidelines, PAs, RFAs, or RFPs will include
  specific guidelines for organizing a proposal
• Generally, organize as follows
• Proposal Narrative
• Problem Statement
• Goals Objectives
• Description of Research or Program Plan
• Evaluation Plan
• Dissemination Plan
• Budget and Budget Narrative
• CV and other elements

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The Proposal Narrative

• Problem Statement
• Importance/Significance
• Why should the agency fund this project? Why is
  it important to them or others?
• Solvable
• If the problem cannot be solved, it probably
  wont be funded
• Broad Impact
• Who is affected by this problem and who will
  benefit from its solution?

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The Proposal Narrative

• Goals and Objectives
• Be sure they are clear
• Have specific long and short-term goals
• Use a timeline to show distribution of activities
• Description of Research, Program, or Project
  Design and Design Rationale
• What does your project/program look like? How
  will you accomplish your goals?
• Justify your choice of research/program
  design/activities
• Articulate advantages of your idea or approach

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The Proposal Narrative

• Plan for Evaluation
• How will you evaluate?
• Use most appropriate methods
• Show you know how evaluation instruments will
  measure success
• Who will do it?
• NOTE This is often cited as the weakest area of
  non-funded proposals

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The Proposal Narrative

• Dissemination Plan
• How will you share the information with those who
  will need to know?
• Peer reviewed articles
• Web site development
• Conference papers/presentations
• Workshops
• Seminars

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General Guidelines

• Write in clear, concise, non-jargony
  understandable, grammatically correct English
• Avoid overly technical writing
• Include every element that is required
• Avoid writing in the first person
• Write in the active voice
• More is not always better
• A concise, meaty proposal comes as a great
  relief to a reader who has been slogging through
  lots of flabby ones.

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And Now.

• Just how much is this going to cost?

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General Budget Tips

• Justify your funding request (budget) in
  accordance with project activities
• Costs must be reasonable, allowable, allocable
• Be specific about how the funds will be used
• Link funds to specific items in your program
  narrative
• Check budget figures for consistency
• Numbers on cover page, budget forms, and budget
  justification must agree

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The Budget

• Identify budgetary needs/allowability
• Salaries (P.I., research assistants, students)
• Travel
• Materials/supplies
• Equipment
• Connect budgetary needs to project design
• Use timeline to help determine when you will need
  funds
• Especially important for multi-year projects

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The Budget

• Understand the agencys budget rules.
• From Program Announcement, guidelines, etc.
• Understand the Universitys budget rules
• Contact ORS/HSCRA early, if matching funds are
  needed
• Grantwinner Newsletter for current information
• http//www.slu.edu/research/
• Fringe Benefits
• Indirect Costs (MTDC)

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SLU Institutional Requirements

• Transmittal Form Must be provided to
  ORS/HSCRA/CFR before submission
• PI, CO-PI, Chair, Dean, and ORS approval
• Provost approval (matching funds)
• (HSCRA and Finance Office if HSC Campus)
• Conflict of Interest certification
• IRB/ACC/etc. approvals
• Proposal/Budget Review
• At least 3 days in advance of proposal submission
• If matching funds involved, 2-3 weeks in advance

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The Budget Narrative

• Budget Narrative/Justification should match
  budget forms exactly
• Use the same organization and order
• Clearly and specifically describe items required
  for project completion
• Explain salaries and fringe benefit rates
• Explain travel expenses specifically
• Detail supplies, materials, etc.
• Describe equipment in detail
• Indicate Indirect Cost rate and calculation

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SLU Institutional Requirements

• Authorized institutional signature REQUIRED for
  ALL submissions.
• Don Brennan or Carole Knight- ORS
• Robert Webster- HSCRA
• Certifications
• Copy of complete proposal
• Copy of all agency correspondence related to
  proposal

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Just Bee Four You Send It

• Proofread carefully
• Review technical compliance
• Be sure the mail to address is correct
• Is postage adequate?
• Caution Address for courier may be different
  from postal address
• Be sure deadline will be met (postmark or receipt
  date or electronic filing deadline)

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SPECIAL NOTE

• According to information gathered at a recent
  conference, MAIL or PACKAGES sent to the federal
  government continue to be irradiated for anthrax
  and other substances. If you intend to mail or
  send a proposal by courier, be sure to send it
  well in advance of the deadline at least a week
  or two is recommended.

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You did it-your proposal is submitted!

• Remember for help, information,
• and moral support, contact
• The Office of Research Services
• Verhaegen Hall, 3rd Floor
• 977-2241

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THE ORS Staff is Here to Assist You

• Dr. Carole Knight Associate Dean Director
• Diane Brandt Assistant Director
• Christine McMahon Manager of Advanced
  Technology
• Christy Whitten Business Manager
• Scott Krummenacher Information Services
  Coordinator
• Colleen Casey Graduate Assistant

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Grantwriting References

• NSF Grant Proposal Guide
• www.nsf.gov
• A Guide for Proposal Writing
• www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04016/start.htm
• NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
• www.nih.gov
• Proposal Planning Writing
• By Lynn E. Miner, Jeremy T. Miner, Jerry
  Griffith, Oryx Press, 1998

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Grantwriting References

• The Grant Application Writers Handbook
• By Liane Reif-Lehrer, Boston, 1995
• The How To Grants Manual
• By David G. Bauer, Oryx Press, 1993
• The Grantwinner http//www.slu.edu/research