Writing Grant Proposals:
Some Basics
Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH
Veterinary Integrative Biosciences
Main Topics
• Key points to remember
• Identifying potential funding sources
• Preparing to write a proposal
• Writing the proposal
• Following up
• (If time allows: Preparing progress reports)
• Along the way: an exercise or two
Key Points
• Seek a funding source well matched with
your goals.
• Start preparing your proposal early.
• Gather plenty of information.
• Follow the instructions carefully.
• Prepare a detailed, realistic budget.
• Write readably.
• Revise, revise, revise.
Identifying Potential Funding
Sources
Potential Sites of Funding:
Some Sources of Ideas
• Colleagues, mentors, and administrators
• Grant offices at some institutions
• Acknowledgments etc in journal articles
• Published or posted announcements
(calls for proposals)
• E-mail lists in your field or at your
institution
• Published or posted guides
• Internet searching
Seeking a Possible Match:
Two Approaches
• Identifying something you wish to do and
then seeking a suitable funding source
• Looking for a request for proposals in your
field and then developing a proposal that
meets the criteria
• (Note: Sometimes a request for proposals
has another name, such as call for
proposals or program announcement.)
Looking for a Good Match
Seek funding from entities
• With goals that are consistent with what
you want to do
• That tend to give grants of the size you
are seeking
• If possible, with programs that match your
intended work
* * * Note * * *
Consulting a program officer
at the potential funding
source can be very helpful.
Preparing to Write a Proposal
Starting Early
• Even a short proposal can take a long
time. Therefore start early.
• For large grant proposals, it can be
advisable to begin at least 6 months
before the deadline.
Analyzing Instructions,
Examples, etc
• Carefully review materials from the funding
source. Read instructions thoroughly.
• Consult the program officer, if appropriate.
• If possible, look at examples of successful
proposals to the funding source.
– From colleagues
– From the program officer
– Published or posted
Doing the Groundwork
• Review the literature on work related to
yours. Be prepared to cite it.
• Start developing a persuasive explanation
of why the proposed project is valuable.
• If your proposal will be for research,
formulate one or more well-defined,
potentially productive hypotheses or
research questions. Beware of proposing
a project that is unrealistically large.
Assembling Collaborators
• If you want others to join the project team,
invite them. Ask them for needed items,
such as information and CVs.
• If you want outside participants, such as
consultants, invite them. If appropriate,
obtain CVs and letters of support.
• Consider including a writer or editor on the
grant-preparation team.
Establishing Timelines
• Especially if you’re preparing a large
proposal, draft a schedule for doing so.
Include time for institutional approvals, if
needed.
• Consider preparing a timeline (such as a
Gantt chart) for the proposed project.
Indicate dates on which you plan to start
and finish each main part of the project.
Gathering Budgetary
Information
• Start identifying items that you’ll ask the
funding source to pay for.
• Start determining the cost of each.
• If your institution will contribute resources,
identify them, and determine how much
they are worth.
Doing Other Items
• If advisable, do preliminary studies.
• If appropriate, consider sustainability.
• If required, submit a letter of intent or a
letter of inquiry (“pre-proposal”).
• Other?
Writing the Grant Proposal
Grant Proposals as
Persuasive Writing
Proposals must persuade potential funders that
• the goal of the proposed work is worthwhile
• the goal is relevant to the funder’s mission
• the proposed approach is sound
• the staff is capable of doing the work
• adequate facilities will be available
• the requested amount of funding is reasonable
• other?
Some Items That Help Make a
Proposal Persuasive
• Inclusion of reasons for choices (for
example, of techniques, sample sizes,
durations, consultants, venues)
• Inclusion of supporting evidence (for
example, published findings, preliminary
data, calculations, CVs, letters of
agreement)
• Competent writing (helps show capability)
Some Common Sections of Proposals
• Background information
• Statement of goals
• Research plan or program plan
• Budget
• Information on qualifications of staff
(for example, resumes, CVs, or biosketches)
(Note: Depending on the requirements, proposals
can range from one page to many pages. Some
funding sources provide templates or forms.)
Some Other Items Sometimes Included
• Letter of transmittal (cover letter)
• Title page
• Abstract
• Table of contents
• Lists of tables and figures
• Description of predicted impact
• Evaluation plan
• Plan for disseminating results
• Information on facilities
• Reference list
Appendixes
• Optional to include
• Examples
– Papers accepted but not yet published or
posted
– Letters of support from potential collaborators
– Additional details about activities planned
• Remember: Reviewers typically are not
obligated to look at appendixes.
Titles and Abstracts
• Short but important
• Provide the first impression
• Sometimes used in choosing peer reviewers
• Help administrators and reviewers grasp the
essence and importance of the work
• Also remind reviewers about what they have
read in the proposal
• Should be clear and concise
• Give them the time they deserve!
Writing the Proposal
• As noted, start early—sometimes at least
6 months in advance.
• Follow the instructions exactly.
• Match the technical level of the proposal to
the background of the reviewers.
• Remember to include the 5 Ws and an H:
who, what, where, when, why, and how.
(This advice also applies to other writing.)
Writing the Proposal (cont)
• Include reasons for your choices.
• Write the proposal readably. For example
– Organize the writing carefully.
– Present overviews before details.
– Use simple, common wording where possible.
– Avoid wordy phrases.
– Make effective (but not excessive) use of such
devices as headings, boldface, and italics.
Writing the Proposal (cont)
• Include a carefully prepared budget.
• If relevant, include a timeline.
• If relevant, include tables and figures.
• If the proposal will include an abstract,
devote special care to it.
• Also write a clear, concise title.
• If the potential funder has forms to use,
complete them carefully.
Writing the Proposal (cont)
• If part or all of the proposal will consist of
freestanding text, format it readably
– Standard typeface
– Large enough type and margins
– Unjustified (ragged) right margin unless otherwise
requested
• Have others review drafts of your proposal.
• Double-check that instructions were followed.
• Carefully follow instructions for submitting the
proposal (usually done electronically).
Exercise: Identifying Strengths
of a Proposal Abstract
Awaiting the Decision
• Typically, committees evaluate proposals.
• These committees generally contain experts in
the field. Sometimes they include others.
• Often, these committees both
– Determine which proposals are acceptable
– Determine which proposals are best (because not
enough money is available to fund all acceptable
proposals)
• If you’ve written your proposal well, reviewers
are likely to find it readable and convincing.
Following Up
• If your proposal is funded, do and report
on the work.
• If you are invited to revise and resubmit
the proposal, proceed accordingly.
• Otherwise, decide how to proceed.
(Note: Even if your proposal is not funded, you
may receive feedback that can help in preparing
future proposals.)
Revising and Resubmitting a
Proposal
• Note: For some funding sources, revising and
resubmitting proposals is common.
• In revising the proposal, use the advice from the
reviewers.
• Consider consulting the program officer.
• In general, accompany the revised proposal with
a list showing, point by point, how the reviewers’
advice was followed.
• If appropriate, indicate the revisions typo-
graphically (for example, using Track Changes).
Preparing Progress Reports
Progress Reports: Some Functions
• For the funding source or supervisor: help see
how the work is progressing and thus whether
the plans or funding level should be adjusted
• For those doing the work:
– Provide incentive to keep up
– Aid in assessing one’s own progress and adjusting
one’s approach
– Provide material to use in presentations and
publications
Preparing to Write a Progress Report
• Obtain any instructions or forms.
• If feasible, obtain relevant examples to use
as models.
• Review your proposal or project plan.
Progress Reports:
A Common Structure
• Background information
– Summary of project plan
• Description of present status
– Achievements thus far
– Comparison of progress with that expected
– Significant problems encountered, if any
• Conclusions
– Overall assessment
– Proposed modifications, if any
Writing a Progress Report
• In general, structure the progress report
like the project plan.
• Be specific. Include numbers, names, and
dates.
• If appropriate, include tables and figures.
• Consider using headings etc to guide
readers.
Writing a Progress Report (cont)
• Strive to sound positive, competent, and
confident.
• Do not hide problems. Say how they are
being addressed.
• If you write a series of progress reports on
a project, put each in the same format.
• Edit the progress report carefully.
Some Resources
• Writing Your [Grant] Application:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/writing_application.htm
• Proposal Writing Short Course (from the
Foundation Center; available in 6 languages):
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse
• Grand Challenges Canada Proposal
Development Resource (
http://www.grandchallenges.ca/proposaldevelopment/)
• AuthorAID: http://www.authoraid.info
Thank You!
