Tips for Successful Grant Writing

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Tips for Successful Grant Writing

• B.D. Hayes, DSW, MPH, MSW

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Learning Objectives

• To provide a model for developing your proposal
  ideas
• To review winning grant writing tips
• To identify strategies for mutually beneficial
  partnering/collaborations
• To increase extramural funding for a variety of
  projects

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• A successful grant proposal is
• one that is well-prepared,
• thoughtfully planned and
• concisely packaged
• ..CFDA

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Write first

• Funding Second

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The Three Essential Laws of Successful Grant
Writing

• Do your homework
• Follow instructions
• Use Common Sense

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General Tips and Comments

• Take sufficient time to prepare a good abstract,
  LOI, or a concept paper
• Avoid the use of jargon and acronyms
• Always include a budget and budget justification
• Be careful when/where you cut and paste assure
  uniformity of font size and type
• ALWAYS use a reader and get editorial assistance

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Traits of a Successful Grant Getter

• Research skills
• Salesmanship skills
• Communication skills
• Ingenuity skills
• Administrative skills
• Human relations

• Persistence, dedication, patience
• Ability to work hard
• Political awareness and action
• Integrity

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SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS

• Direct, concise, compelling, convincing, capable
  and resourceful
• Addresses a significant/important problem
• Explicit goals, measurable objectives
• Comprehensive but succinct background review
• Methodology fits problem
• Appropriate funding mechanism

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Unsuccessful Applications

• Lack of knowledge about relevant literature
• Questionable reasoning in research design
• Lack of demonstrated experience in selected
  methodology (lacks detail)
• Format issues
• Over-ambitious

• Failure to follow directions
• Lack of new or original ideas
• Diffuse, superficial, or unfocused research
• Lacks clearly stated hypothesis and rationale
• Lack of an overall research goal uncertainty
  about future directions

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Developing Your Idea(s)

• Needs Assessment
• Evidence of problem
• Local, county, state, national
• Capability Assessment
• Organizational
• People
• Past and present history
• Resources (funds, expertise, etc.)

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Grant Writing Process

• Begins with a good idea
• Review the components of a successful grant
• Apply the model
• Evaluate and discuss the plan
• Literature review
• Analysis of current research/activity in the
  field
• Develop team

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The Task You Face

• Clearly Identify the Need
• Make sure the needs are those of the target
  population
• Define the Solution
• Use a Problem/Needs approach
• Carefully Design the Project
• How a problem is defined often determines an
  approach to develop a solution

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Basic Components

• The Proposal Summary
• Introduction
• Problem Statement (or Needs Assessment)
• Project Objectives

• Project Methods or Design
• Project Evaluation
• Project Budget
• Future Funding

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General Tips and Comments
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General Tips and Comments

• Take sufficient time to prepare a good abstract,
  LOI, or a concept paper
• Avoid the use of jargon and acronyms
• Always include s budget and budget justification
• Be careful when/where you cut and paste assure
  uniformity of font size and type
• ALWAYS use a reader and get editorial assistance

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References

1. Writing Grant Proposals That Win. Edited by
   Deborah Ward. Sudbury, MA Jones and Bartlett
   Publishers, 2006.
2. Jeremy T Miner and Lynn E. Miner. Models of
   Proposal Planning Writing. Westport, CT
   Praeger, 2005.
3. John W. Cresswell. Research Design Qualitative
   and Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA
   Sage Publications, 1994.
4. Lawrence F. Locke, Waneen Wyrick Spirduso and
   Stephen J. Silverman. Proposals that Work A
   guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant
   Proposals (4th Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA Sage
   Publications, 2000.
5. Arlene Fink. Conducting Research Literature
   Reviews From Paper to Internet. Thousand Oaks,
   CA Sage Publications, 1998.
6. Liane Reif-Lehrer. Grant Application Writers
   Handbook (4th Ed.) Sudbury, MA Jones and
   Bartlett Publishers, 2005.
7. Surf the Internet Proposal Writing (Be Careful!)