Writing Winning Proposals

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Writing Winning Proposals

• Trish Lowney, PhD
• Asst VP, Strategic Research Development
• 207 Bowne Hall
• plowney_at_syr.edu, x2882

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Topics

• Why write a grant application..
• Grants vs fellowships
• How to find funding opportunities
• Preparation
• The writing process
• What makes a winning application
• Know your audience

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Why write a grant application now?

• research
• Your timeand others working on grant
• Supplies, materials, consumables
• Equipment purchases or use
• travel to disseminate research results
• Cost of living or tuition fees

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Why write a grant application now?

• Prepare for your academic future.
• Develop and hone grant writing skills
• Start to create a track record of success
• Create a great idea worth investing in
• Successfully carry it out
• Disseminate results
• Demonstrate productivity

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So you are applying for a

• Grant to support an activity of common
  interest
• NSF Doctoral dissertation research grant
• Travel grant (SU- GSO)
• Access to resource

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Or, you are applying for a

• Fellowship - to aid in individuals pursuit of
  study or research, e.g
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
• DoE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
• Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships

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Grants and Fellowships

• Beneficiary you and THE PUBLIC!!
• Are investments in you!!
• Reflection - why are you your research worth
  investing in?

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OK ? WHOM do you ask for to invest in YOU and
YOUR research

• Check
• Acknowledgements in journal articles,
  posters/presentations at conferences
• Advisors, mentors, peers
• Federal agencies
• NSF, NIH, DHS, DoE, DOI, USDA, NASA etc..
• Grants.gov Find

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OK ? WHOM do you ask for to invest in YOU and
YOUR research

• Check..
• Non-profit sponsors, foundations, professional
  societies
• Newsletters
• Journals ads
• Funding opp databases (http//PIVOT.cos.com)

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Getting started.. Do your homework

• What kind of support are you looking for?
• What does the sponsor want to fund?
• Their mission strategic interests
• Funding opportunity announcements
• Whom have they funded lately?
• Awardee lists / databases
• Do you know any of them?

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Getting started.. Do your homework

• Maximize overlap between what you want and the
  sponsor wants. Good fit
• Similar research interests
• Interested in you at your current stage in
  career
• If allowed, contact program technical contact
  EARLY and discuss your project (first send a 1-pg
  summary)

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Now Lets Get Going!

• Read announcement /all instructions carefully
• Create a plan what is needed in each section.
  When will you complete? Who needs to help?
• Respond precisely to what is asked

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Now Lets Get Going!

• Engage others
• Your advisor (reference? Review)
• Office of Sponsored Programs (Budget submit?
  Certifications)
• Your peers (writing group)
• The sponsor (confirm fit, advice on why proposals
  dont get funded from this program, number of
  proposals submitted vs awarded)..

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Know how awards are selected

• Know your audience
• What is their expertise??
• Write for them
• Know the process how?
• Know the selection criteria and ensure your
  entire application is responsive

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If you only do one thing..

• Have it be
• Follow instructions precisely ?

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More about your work plan

• Make a timeline for getting the application done
• Work back from the deadline
• Finish 1 wk before deadline
• What is the internal review and approval
  process?
• Plan for the unexpected
• Leave plenty of time to get letters of references
  or collaborators if applicable
• Leave plenty of time for others to read drafts

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Okay!! Whats needed for a strong application?

• A great idea! - WHAT
• Concisely stated
• Convincing preliminary data (promising idea) (not
  always necessary when just getting started)
• Idea its outcomes are significant to the
  sponsor WHY
• Capable recipient WHO
• Have skills and resources needed to do proposed
  work

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Whats needed ? contd

• Feasible work plan - HOW
• Well thought out and planned strategies
• Solid rationale for each method or approach used
• Why approach is best tack to take..
• Approaches can answer question, test hypothesis
  etc.
• Identified road blocks and plans to get around
  them
• Discuss with others get lots of input

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Whats needed ? contd

• Feasible work plan, contd
• Methods clearly presented to indicate what
  success looks like
• positive/negative controls or evaluation plan
• How data is analyzed and how results are
  interpreted
• Expected results described and what they mean in
  context of big idea, question, etc.
• If get unexpected, convey what THAT means

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Whats needed ? contd

• Feasible work plan, contd
• Reasonable amount of work for time and resources
  () available
• Clear impact of each objective and integration of
  all results SO WHAT

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Strong Proposals that get funded are 1

• Neat, well organized and easy to read
• Innovative present new perspective on an
  important problem
• Exciting convey the writers passion
• Informative convey knowledge of field
• Compelling provide preliminary data/rationale
• Feasible Solid work plan and budget

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Have good form

• Compliant font (12 pt TNR, 11 pt Arial)
• White space (between paragraphs)
• Headers to communicate important points
• Bold text to emphasize review criteria
• Include illustrations, figures..
• Full justification ? looks pretty but may be
  hard to read (ragged right preferred)

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Common Elements

• Project Narrative (What, Why, How)
• Statement of need/purpose
• Goals, objectives/specific aims
• Significance
• State of knowledge/context

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Common Elements

• Project Narrative
• Research Design, Methods, Approach
• How will you do it
• Why have you selected these methods / techniques
• Challenges/barriers
• Alternative Approaches
• Expected results
• Interpretation
• Timeline

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Common Elements

• Budget, budget narrative
• Why expenditures are necessary and costs
  reasonable
• Biographical sketch (Who - capable)
• Resources (stuff capable)
• Abstract
• Cover page

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A word about Letters of Reference

• Mandatory or not allowed....
• Why you are worth investing in. why youre
  capable or why project is important
• Folks who know you and can comment on your
  potential or your idea
• Ask can you write a strong letter for me? (not
  everyone agrees with this notion)

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Letters of Reference.

• Provide them everything they need
• Draft letter for them
• Identify review criteria for them and help them
  respond to criteria
• Be clear about deadline
• Provide access (paper/electronic)
• Mail provide pre-addressed/stamped envelope
• Follow up confirm its done
• Provide plenty of time you are not the only one
  they are writing for

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Increase your chances for Get help from
others

• Get copies of recently funded proposals
• Participate in a writing group
• Get feedback on your idea from colleagues,
  advisors and experts before you write.
• Get input from program manager
• Work with funded (and unfunded) colleagues, have
  them read your work

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Common weaknesses

• Significance, relevance to sponsors agenda not
  clear
• Proposal lacks focus
• Get to the point early
• Laundry list of activities not unified into a
  coherent project
• Is overly ambitious
• Isnt feasible
• Is hard to read or sloppy
• Is poorly organized

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MOST important - Persevere!!

• Grant writing - Skill that is developed
• Everyone gets rejected..
• Who gets funded -
• Folks who keep trying
• Learn from experience ? reflect on reviews
• Continuously improve

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Exercise get going!!

• Whats your idea (1 2 sentences) everyday
  language
• Why is it important? (3 sentences)
• How will the world be a better place once
  completed?
• How are you going to accomplish your idea? (2 3
  paragraphs)
• Why is your approach the best tack to take?
  (rationale each method)
• Road blocks? And alternative plans?
• Expected results (what does it mean if you get
  what you expect, what does it mean if you get
  something different)
• So what??
• Next steps (1 sentence)
• Share with colleagues, critique ? do you get it?