FISH 521
Research Proposal Writing
Welcome!!
Synopsis
• Introducing the class
– Need and aims
– Logistics
– Proposal (NSF format)
• Introducing yourself
– Advisor, project, expectations
• Getting started
• Panels
– Draft mind map
• Homework
– Background reading
– Organization
– Complete mind map
Instructor
• Dr Lorenz Hauser
– School of Aquatic and Fishery
Sciences
– Marine Studies, room 207
– Tel: 685 3270
– lhauser@uw.edu
– Office hours: by appointment
Fisheries
MAR
Aim of the Course
• Aims
• Research Proposals
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Preparation
Review
Revision
Panel Decisions
• General Scientific Writing
– Dos and don’ts
• Scope
• In class
– Lectures and class
examples on scientific
writing
– Guest lectures
– Proposal discussion
– Panel review
• Homework
– Research proposal
preparation
– Proposal review
Aim of the Course
• By the end of the course you should
– Have a very good draft of your dissertation proposal
– Have a good idea about the process of
• Proposal preparation
• Proposal review
• Panel decision
– Gained experience in proposal review
– Improved your scientific writing skills
• Class participation
– What do you want to get out of it?
Why do we need this class?
3 reasons
• Scientific writing is important
– Most important factor in finding a job
• Forget grades
– Disseminate results
• Prepare manuscripts
– Apply for funding
• Proposals
• Peer review
– Basic system to evaluate
research
• Manuscripts
• Proposals
• Research project
– Start thinking about it
– Develop own ideas
– Get comments from others
– Constructive Criticism
– Take criticism
Class logistics
• Class time
– Mon 1:30 – 4:20
• Lecture
• Panel discussions
• Homework (Catalyst)
• Commenting Panels
– Groups of 4-5 students with
related projects
– Will read and comment on
each other’s proposals
– Proposal draft
• Submission Thursday, 12
noon
• Add to existing sections
• Naming convention
– LastNamePart.doc, e.g.
HauserIntro.doc
– Review
• Submission Sunday, 12
midnight
• Only review new sections
• Naming convention
– Add initials, e.g.
StudentIntro LH.doc
– If you have problems let me
know in advance
• Review panel
– Will provide NSF style
reviews
• Decision panel
– Have 60% of requested
funding
– Award, award partially, deny
Flowchart
Introduction
Rationale
Work
Plan
Panel Comments
members
Complete
Draft
Proposal
Panel
members
Comments
Final
Proposal
Budget
IM & BI
Decision
Panel
Review
Review
Panel
Expectations
• Much online
– Submissions & Reviewing
• A lot of writing and
commenting
– Communications
• Message board
– Two holidays
• Meet outside class
• Tight deadlines
– One section due each week
– Panel comments due each
week
– Review of whole proposal
– Will take time
• But you’ll have a proposal
in the end
• Panel Work
– Everybody needs to
contribute
– Part of grading
• Peer evaluations
• Existing proposals
– Write on your thesis
research
– If proposal exists
• Develop an aspect of your
work that is your own
– If in doubt, ask me
Tentative timetable
Week
Class
Proposal Section
1
Intro
Mind map
2
Introduction vs Rationale
Introduction
3
No class
Rationale
4
Style
Work Plan
5
Budget
Budget
6
Merit & Impact
IM & BI
7
No class
Full proposal
8
Guest speaker
Final proposal
9
Panels, editors and the
reviewing process
10
Panel reviews
Website
• http://courses.washington.edu/fish521/
– Updated by tomorrow
• Class information
– Course description
• textbooks
– Syllabus
– Links and documents
– Textbooks
• Links for submission (Catalyst)
– Proposals
– Reviews
Textbooks
• Friedland & Folt (2000)
– Writing Successful
Science Proposals
• $ 16 (Amazon)
– Used for lectures
• Zeiger (2000)
– Essentials of Writing
Biomedical Research
Papers
• $ 46.71 (Amazon)
• Williams (2006)
– Style: Lessons in Clarity
and Grace
• $ 39.60 (Amazon)
Introductions
• Name
• Advisor
– Project proposal available
• Project idea
– General framework / question
– System studied
– Methodology
• Expectations
Panels
• Panel 1: Genetics
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Heare, Jake E
Jackson, Molly
Waples, Ryan Kele
Dimond, Jay
Gillon, Dan
Dann, Tyler
• Panel 2: Modeling
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Trochta, John T
Allen, Caitlin
Linder, Hannah
Lee, Qi
• Panel 3
• Hale, Jessie R
How to get started
• Get a cup of coffee!!
– Writing takes time
– Writing is hard
• Be prepared to revise
• Get your act together before you start
Hierarchical organization
Molecule
Words
Cell
Sentences
Tissue
Paragraph
Organ
Argument
Organism
Section
Population
Question
Ecosystem
Proposal
Recipe for writing good science
Words
1. Empower
2. Plan
Sentences
Paragraph
Argument
3. Write
4. Evaluate
Section
Question
Proposal
Empower
• Access literature
– Broadly around the topic
– Organize, summarize and catalogue
• Database
• Read critically
– It’s published, but is it good?
– Do you need it?
• Define your topic
– Target audience
– Key questions
Audience for the Proposal
• Important for all scientific writing
– Conform to readers expectations
• Reviewers
– Experts in your specific area
• Species & methods
– Busy people
• Make it interesting
– Desired impression
• Wow – I wish I had thought of this!
• Panelists
– Expert in the field
• E.g. evolutionary biology
– May have to go through dozens of proposals
• Make it easy to read
– Figures and tables
• Compare between proposals
• Program Managers
– Generalists
– See hundreds of proposals
Timeline of a typical proposal
Scientific Idea
Goals of
funding body (?)
Conceptual
Framework
Administrative
tasks (?)
Proposal Format
Planification
Deadlines
Budget
Proposal preparation
Information needed?
Sampling & Research
Permits
Award timeline
University Approvals
Submission Process
Funding Bodies
•
Basic Scientific
•
–NSF
–NIH
–USDA
•
Broad RFP
–The Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
supports fundamental research on
populations, species, communities, and
ecosystems. Scientific emphases range
across many evolutionary and ecological
patterns and processes at all spatial and
temporal scales. Areas of research include
biodiversity, phylogenetic systematics,
molecular evolution, life history evolution,
natural selection, ecology, biogeography,
ecosystem services, conservation biology,
global change, and biogeochemical cycles.
Research on origins, functions, relationships,
interactions, and evolutionary history may
incorporate field, laboratory, or collectionbased approaches; observational or
manipulative experiments; synthesis
activities; as well as theoretical approaches
involving analytical, statistical, or simulation
modeling.
Applied
–Sea Grant
–North Pacific Research Board
•
Specific RFP
–E.g. SeaDoc Society
–The efficacy of aggregation as an in-situ
restoration technique for the recovery of
Northern abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) in
the Puget Sound Georgia Basin
–The potential relationship between Minke
Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
population declines in the Puget Sound
Georgia Basin and the availability of forage
fish prey
Funding Bodies
• Questions to ask:
– Is my project more suitable for applied or basic funding?
• Chances are higher if somebody is already interested
– Which specific agency could I apply to?
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Read mission statements and overall goals
Read request for proposal (RFP) documents
Find previously awarded projects
Talk to project managers
– Could collaboration improve the project?
• Decide on co-PIs and collaborators
• In any case, ask for advice and feedback
– What level of support do I need?
• Salary support already available?
A Good Proposal
A good proposal is a good idea, well expressed, with a
clear indication of methods for pursuing the idea,
evaluating the findings, and making them known to all
who need to know.
A Competitive Proposal is…
All of the above
Appropriate for the Program
Responsive to the Program Announcement
The class proposal
• Written in NSF format
– 10 pages –
• 15 pages for NSF
• 8 pages for DDIG
– Broadest, most basic format accommodating
everybody
– Other formats fairly similar
• Who is the NSF?
NSF Merit Review Criteria
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Intellectual Merit: encompasses the potential to advance knowledge;
Broader Impacts: encompasses the potential to benefit society and
contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:
1. What is the potential for the proposed activity to:
a. Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across
different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
b. Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader
Impacts)?
2. To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative,
original, or potentially transformative concepts?
3. Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, wellorganized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a
mechanism to assess success?
4. How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the
proposed activities?
5. Are there adequate resources available to the PI
NSF format
• Title
• Project Summary
• Project description (10 pages, 15 for NSF)
– Introduction & background (why relevant?)
• Significance statement in book
• Lead to objectives and hypotheses
– Rationale and scope (why appropriate?)
– Research management plan (how?)
• Sampling and analyses
• Progress to date
– Contributions to education and human resources
– Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact
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References
Biographical Sketches
Budget and budget justification
Current and pending support
Facilities, equipment and other resources
Recipe for writing good science
Words
1. Empower
2. Plan
Sentences
Paragraph
Argument
3. Write
4. Evaluate
Section
Question
Proposal
Secret Ingredient
Plan
1. Go back to your key questions
2. Brainstorm around them
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Pictures
Posters
Mind maps
Flash cards
Excel/Word tables
Lists of headings
Lipstick on bathroom mirror…
There’s no “correct way” – do what works for YOU
Plan
3. Create order
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Be selective
Build an argument
LOGICAL FLOW
(Powerpoint is a really cool tool)
You should be able to write up the crux of your
argument in 6 – 10 short key sentences
Plan
INTRODUCE
motivate the cause: who cares??!!
CREATE A CASE
(RELATING TO YOUR KEY QUESTIONS)
establish common ground: what do we know?
disruption/question: where’s the problem?
SOLUTION / RESOLUTION
so now what?:
aims & objectives OR your opinion / conclusion
Plan
Flesh out your
ordered
brainstorm with
the summarized
information
Epiphany
Otherwise you start side-tracking off the key topic at hand =
WAFFLE
Panel Exercises
• Exercise 1
– Define a question
• Be specific!
– Produce a mind map specifying aspects of your question
• Identify information you have / need
Panel Exercises
• Exercise 2
– Why?
• Wider background
• Give a brief summary of your project WITHOUT mentioning the
species or the specific study system
• Explain why your system is suitable for tackling the wider
problem
– Include in mind map
Panel Exercises
• Exercise 3
– How?
• Now expand you concept using the specific approach
• Explain why your approach is suitable for tackling the specific
question as well as the wider problem
Homework
• Meet your advisor
– Discuss your project
• Collect information
• Set up a literature database
– References
– Summaries
• Complete mind map
• Linearize
• Produce 5 slide summary of your project