Proposal Elements

1
Proposal Elements

• Joe Moxley, Professor of English
• University of South Florida
• http//joemoxley.org

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To Do

• Review the sections of a grant proposal,
  exploring the typical length, characteristics,
  and content of the various pieces of the
  proposal.
• Review Budget Section
• Draft a Budget Narrative
• Begin drafting a proposal, using the Proposal
  Heuristic

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Project Design

• How does your proposal address the problem?
• What are your objectives?

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Project Design

• Due dates length requirements
• Research proposals are typically 15 to 25 pages.
• Start to plan your proposal at least 9 months in
  advance
• Cost This will ultimately be your budget.
• Teams Consider assigning teams to gather
  information.

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Components of a Grant Proposal

• Cover Letter (if required).
• An Introduction - describes qualifications,
  establishes credibility.
• A Statement of Need-documents problem to be
  solved (objectives).

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Components of a Grant Proposal

• A Budget that clearly delineates costs to be met
  by the grant.
• Future funding should describe a plan for
  continuation beyond the grant period and/or
  availability of other resources.

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A Note About Style

• Start with an outline
• Convert a "grand vision" into concrete language.
• Make one point in each paragraph.
• Use short sentences.

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A Note About Style

• Let details sell your projects worthiness.
• Include bullets and lists to draw attention and
  create breaks for the reader.
• Use strong, active verbs verbials instead of
  abstract nouns.

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Proposal Components gtCover Letter (if required)

• After providing your contact information, sell
  your proposal!
• How urgent is the problem?
• How will your project benefit the funder?
• How is your track record?

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Abstract/Summary - 50-200 Words

• Brainstorm these points
• How will your proposal solve the problem?
• Who will benefit?  How many?
• Are you seeking an In-kind contribution or a
  straight grant?
• What is the duration of the grant?
• Is the grant scalable?
• What evaluation will be conducted?
• How will results be reported?

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Proposal Components gt Introduction

• History of your organization.
• Purpose/Mission (as related to RFP). 
• Objectives/Achievements of your organization.
• How does the project relate to your
  organization's future?
• How will the project benefit the funder?

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Proposal Componentsgt Statement of Need gt The
Narrative

• The Narrative builds your argument
• Problem
• Objectives
• Method
• Evaluation
• Cost

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Statement of Need gt The Narrative gt Problem

• State the problem(s). Each problem should have a
  goal/solution.
• Define the problem in quantitative/ qualitative
  terms.
• Define need in terms of client population.

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Statement of Need gt The Narrative gt Objectives

• Based within the Statement of Need are your
  Objectives (measurable outcomes).
• Do not confuse objectives with goals.
• Objectives are concrete goals are abstract.
• State objectives in the following terms

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Statement of Need gt Objectives

• Action
• Time Frame
• Process
• End Result

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Statement of Need gt Objectives

• Action First year composition students will
  become proficient in using new writing
  technologies
• Time Frame over a thirty-week period
• Process by engaging in
• End Result resulting in an improvement in PC
  skills of at least eighty percent of incoming
  freshmen.

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Statement of Need gt Methods

• Describe the activities engaged in to meet
  objectives and achieve goal.
• What will happen during the time frame
• In what order
• Why this method is best. Defend.

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Statement of Need gt Methods

• What methods will you choose to achieve your
  goal? Is there a mentor? Do you follow a
  specific methodology?
• Describe what measurements will be used, what
  tools will be needed to carry out the
  methodology.
• What activities are involved in this methodology?

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Statement of Need gt Evaluation

• Evaluation the degree to which objectives will
  be met and procedures followed i.e., the span of
  the bridge between needs and goals.
• Refine and improve the project
• Help others learn from your experience 
• Evaluate information
• Collect, evaluate data  
• Report the evaluation and its results

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Statement of Need gt Evaluation

• Consider
• Will the evaluation be used internally?
• Will the evaluation be shared with the funder? 
• Is an external evaluator required by the funding
  source?

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Project Budget

• Present a line-item list and justify all
  expenses.
• Divide expenses into three sections
• Personnel Expenses,
• Direct Expenses,
• Administrative or Overhead Expenses.

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Remember

• Avoid padding items
• Account for inflation.
• Who else will contribute funding? Partners?
• What are alternate plans for funding?

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Project Budget gt Personnel
Make a flow chart to illustrate hierarchy Map out
strategies, activities, related resources, staff,
etc. Figure salaries and wages for all
personnel.
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Project Budget gt Personnel

• Tuitions Stipends for Graduate Students.
• Check your university policy Will they cover
  difference between out-of-state and in-state
  tuition? Increase stipend if tuition is
  unavailable.
• If 50 of time is spent on academics, then 50 is
  max available. Account for 9 hours/semester.
• Ask for more graduate students than you need. The
  grant will be cut 10 to 20 before being funded

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Project Budget gt Personnel gt Participant Support

• Participant Support Costs
• Conferences/Workshops
• Human Subjects
• Materials Supplies
• Publication Costs
• Subawards
• Subcontractors at other universities?
• External Evaluators
• Technicians (programmers), undergrads,
  participants

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Project Budget gt Personnel

• Summary Salary (2 months of salary)
• Reduced Teaching?
• NIH supports buying out classes
• NSF doesnt support buying out classes
• 25 of salary x 4.5 months (for 1 course)
• this then goes back to the university to cover
  your costs.

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Project Budget gt Personnel gt Fringe Benefits

• Make sure to include FICA, Medicare,
  unemployment, workers compensation. Check with
  your universitys Program Assistant for specific
  figures to determine retirement, workers
  compensation, social security, Medicare.
• Health insurance (How much health insurance needs
  to be paid to cover the time youre working on
  the grant? Try to avoid including Health
  Insurance)

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Direct Expenses

• Non-personnel expenses that would not be incurred
  if there was no project, such as
• Conference, research travel (1,000 to 2,000 to
  travel to major U.S. conferences using U.S.
  airlines), classified advertising, printing,
  supplies, space or equipment rental, meeting
  expenses such as food
• Some research equipment - be careful to justify
  computer equipment. Sandy Schneider recommends
  this language to argue for equipment critical for
  research project that goes above and beyond what
  the university typically supplies.),

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Modified Total Direct Tuition Expense

• Tuition
• Equipment
• Subcontract amounts greater than
  25,000_________
• MTDC (Modified Total Direct Costs)

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Indirect Expenses

• Indirect expenses are the costs of doing business
  (excluding tuition), including space, copiers,
  research office personnel, and other available
  university services. These non-personnel costs
  would exist with or without the project.
• Be sure to read funders fine print as to these
  expenses.

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Whats Not Covered?

• Read indirect costs carefully. In FL,
  state-sponsored grants take 40 of the 45
  allocated for indirect costs
• Clerical Staff is typically not permitted. You
  need to make an argument that the clerical
  efforts go beyond the capabilities of your
  research staff.
• NSF and NIH no longer accept Cost Sharing
  avoid it if possible.

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Income

• Earned Income
• Ticket sales,
• Concessions,
• Publication sales,
• Tuition
• Contributed Income
• Cash
• In-kind

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Income gt Contributed Income gt Cash

• Contributed Cash
• Show contributions first. Mark received,
  committed, pending, or to be submitted.
• In-kind Contributions
• Gifts of goods and services instead of cash.
• i.e., donated space, time, materials
• Show in terms of cash value.

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Budget Justification

• Briefly summarize the justification for your
  requests.
• Promise only what you can deliver. When your
  project is funded it becomes a contract you will
  be bound to it to the letter.

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Note gt

• So long as you ask 3 months before the final
  deadline, you can ask for a no-cost extension and
  it will be granted by federal agencies. This
  cannot include equipment or supply you should
  have had early in the project.

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Sustainability - Future Funding

• What if funding is to be discontinued?
• Demonstrate long-term financial viability.
• Prove that
• that the project is finite or
• that the project is capacity-building or
• that the project is attractive to future funding
  or
• that your institution will assume responsibility
  for future funding.

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Appendices

• Case studies/ethnographies
• Survey/lab research
• Letters of endorsement
• Social/economic impact statements

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Proposal Heuristic Exercise

• Please refer to the Proposal Heuristic.
• Draft a response to each section of the proposal.
  Dont worry about spelling, grammar, or mechanics
• Meet in small group to discuss your Proposal
  idea.