Keep Your Eye on the Prize: Tips for Successful Grant Writing

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Keep Your Eye on the Prize Tips for Successful
Grant Writing

• Kelli I. Stajduhar, R.N., Ph.D.
• Associate Professor, Centre on Aging and School
  of Nursing, UVic
• CIHR New Investigator
• MSFHR Research Scholar

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Overview of Workshop

• Purpose of Research Proposal
• Significant Elements of Research Proposal
• Common Problems with Research Proposals
• General "Tips" to Consider
• Discussion

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Purpose of Research Proposal

• Communicates research plan to others (e.g.,
  funding agencies)
• Serves as a detailed plan for action
• Serves as a contract between investigator and
  funding bodies when proposal approved

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Questions a Proposal Must Address

• What you want to do
• Central hypothesis/research question
• Specific objectives
• Why this is a reasonable thing to do
• Review of previous work by you and others
• Succinct rationale for project
• Why this is important
• Significant new knowledge to be obtained
• Improvements to health which will result

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Questions a Proposal Must Address

• How you are going to do it
• Detailed work plan, logical sequence and
  timelines
• Analysis and interpretation of results
• Pitfalls and ways around them
• Why you should do it
• Relevant prior experience and skills
• Collaborators for technical gaps
• Preliminary data showing feasibility

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Framework for Writing a "Typical" Research
Proposal

• Introduction/Background
• Introduce topic and significance
• Statement of purpose, research questions/objective
  s/hypotheses
• Review of Literature
• Related literature and theoretical traditions

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Framework for Writing a "Typical" Research
Proposal

• Design and Methods
• Overall approach and rationale
• Sampling, recruitment, data collection methods,
  data analysis
• Rigor (trustworthiness and/or validity and
  reliability of the research)
• Ethical considerations

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Framework for Writing a "Typical" Research
Proposal

• Timeline
• Dissemination/Knowledge Translation
• Limitations
• Investigator Roles and Expertise
• Budget
• Appendices

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Introducing the Study

• Goal capture interest in the study
• Focus on importance of study
• Clear and concise (details will follow)
• Synopsis of the primary target of the study
• Persuasive logic backed up with factual evidence
• Should "paint a picture" of your proposal in the
  mind of the reader

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The Problem/Research Question

• For qualitative studies, the problem statement
  usually broad, but must be specific enough to
  convince others that it is worth focusing on
• For quantitative studies, problem statement much
  more specific with delineation of hypotheses
• Research questions clearly delineated (sometimes
  with sub-questions)
• Scope of research question(s) needs to be
  manageable within the time frame and context of
  the study

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The Problem/Research Question

• May also consider writing goals and objectives
  for
• the research
• Goals are large statements of what you hope to
  accomplish
• Objectives are operational and tell specific
  things you will be accomplishing in your project

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Literature Review

• Selective and persuasive - building a case for
  what is known or believed, what is missing, and
  how the study fits in
• Seeking to identify gaps in knowledge and how the
  research will address these gaps
• Structure of literature review differs for
  qualitative/quantitative proposals
• Showcase what you have already done
• Conclude with a brief summary outlining
  significance, originality, practical implications
  (i.e., how your research will increase knowledge
  and lead to better health)

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Methods Section

• Orientation to the Method
• Broad description of the particular method that
  will be used - Overview of the research plan
• Rationale for qualitative/quantitative research
  generally and for the specific method used
• Show clear link between methods and the
  objectives you have previously defined

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Sampling

• Define sampling strategy to be used
• Provide rationale
• Characteristics of the potential types of
  persons, events, or processes to be sampled
• Inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Sample size
• Estimates provided based on previous experience,
  pilot work, power analysis, etc.

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Recruitment/Access

• Provide details on
• Where the study will take place and why this is
  the best location
• How the sample will be recruited
• How you will gain access to the setting(s)

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Data Collection Methods

• Define data collection strategy to be used
• Provide explicit details
• Give rationale for methods and their
  appropriateness
• Data collection methods vary depending on
  research approach - be consistent
• Discuss potential pitfalls or obstacles
• Suggest alternative approaches

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Data Analysis

• Define type of data analysis strategy to be used
• Provide explicit details about data analysis
  procedures qualitative/quantitative
• Analysis methods vary depending on research
  approach

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Data Management Analysis

• How will the data be kept organized and
  retrievable?
• How will the researchers engage in reflexivity
  (e.g., by self-analytical)?
• Convinces the reader that the researcher is
  sufficiently knowledgeable about data analysis
  and has the necessary skills

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Rigor

• Reflected throughout the proposal
• Address this specifically, using relevant
  criteria for the research approach used (e.g.,
  qualitative/quantitative)

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Ethical Considerations

• Consent forms
• Dealing with sensitive issues

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Timeline

• A clear indication of the time frame for the
  research and the times when each aspect of the
  research will be implemented
• Create graphical depiction of your time line -
  demonstrates feasibility of your research in a
  visible way
• Be realistic in your projections goal is to
  demonstrate that the tasks can be accomplished in
  a reasonable fashion during the project period

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Dissemination/Knowledge Translation

• Identify potential users of research findings
• Include strategies for ongoing exchange with
  users tradition/non-traditional approaches
• Detail plans for communication/dissemination

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Limitations

• Highlight that you know what the limitations of
  your approach are and what you plan to do to
  minimize the limitations
• Defend why you chose the approach you did

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Investigator Roles and Expertise

• Are the investigators qualified, competent, and
  have the experience and credentials?
• Define investigator roles Clarify how each of
  the roles are essential to the success of the
  project (e.g., what specific knowledge/skills
  does each investigator bring to the research)
• Is the research environment adequate and
  conducive to conducting the study?

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Investigator Roles and Expertise Track Record
(P.I.)

• Academic and Research Training
• Honours and Awards
• Publications
• Research Accomplished
• Grant Funding
• Leadership

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Budget

• Familiarize yourself with what the granting
  agency will fund
• Think through the research step-by-step and make
  a list of what you will need (e.g., personnel,
  supplies, equipment, database access, etc.)

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Budget

• Provide clear description and justification for
  items requested, item by item (show how the costs
  were calculated)
• If hiring research staff, briefly describe
  responsibilities of research staff in relation to
  the research plan
• Make the budget realistic

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Appendices

• Complement what is written in the full proposal
• Assume the reviewer will only have a short time
  to read your proposal and it will only be the
  main body of your proposal (not the appendices)
• Then, assume that you have gotten the attention
  of the reviewer who would now like some
  additional information - this is the purpose of
  the Appendices

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Examples of Possible Appendices

• Time Line
• Letters of Support
• Qualitative Interview Questions
• Quantitative Survey Questionnaire
  instruments/measures
• Dissemination/Knowledge Translation Plan

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Commonly cited problems for not getting funded

• Lack of significance of scientific issue
• Lack of original or new ideas
• Unrealistic, overly ambitious
• Scientific rationale not valid
• Diffuse, superficial, lacks focus

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Commonly cited problems for not getting funded

• Fishing expedition no basic scientific question
  being addressed
• Insufficient methodological detail
• Innovation but lacking preliminary data
• Inadequate experience of investigator lack of
  appropriate collaborators

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General "Tips" to Consider

• Major undertaking Allocate lot's of time!!
• General rule of thumb Start 4 months before
  deadline
• Examine proposals from successful applicants
• Seek assistance and pre-review from others with
  experience in grant writing (plan time for
  rewriting)

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General "Tips" to Consider

• Highlight match between your proposal and purpose
  of competition
• Get to know your granting agencies and what they
  fund
• Know that your proposal may be reviewed by people
  who are not in your area
• Follow the rules of the competition
• Write for a multi-disciplinary audience

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General "Tips" to Consider

• Reviewers are busy people and have many proposals
  to read Make your proposal one that they will
  want to read!
• Use short paragraphs and summarize often
• If able, use spaces between headings bold
  important points
• Avoid using jargon, trendy or "in" words,
  abbreviations, or redundant phrases
• Try summarizing main points on a table

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General "Tips" to Consider

• If a novice, consider writing the proposal with a
  team of people, not just you alone
• Consider conducting pilot work or taking some
  small steps to begin your research

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If Your Proposal is Rejected

• YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
• Carefully read through the reviewers comments
• Make the suggested changes to improve your
  proposal
• Resubmit to the same or another funding agency.

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General "Tips" to Consider

• Be patient and don't give up!