Grant Myths:
• Grant writing is a difficult skill that
needs specialized training.
Show me the Money!
Grant Writing Tips & Strategies
• G
Getting a grant means less
l
work
k for
f
me.
• Grants are free $$ with no strings
attached.
Rebecca Caldwell, Director of CROSSROADS & CARE, UNCW
Some material adapted from: KU Guide to Proposal
Development in the Humanities for Graduate Students
Education (esp. Grad
School) = Grant Training
•
•
•
•
•
•
Forming Research Question
Literature Review
Proposing Solutions
Evaluation Planning
Strong Writing Skills
Time Management
Most Basic Steps
•
•
•
•
•
•
Get an idea; make it a dream project
Find a funding source
Study their requirements
Find great partners
Make a plan- implementation and evaluation
Back up from the due date: 3-5 days for internal
sponsored program support, time to gather
letters of support & required documents, time for
multiple drafts and formatting.
• Devote plenty of time and energy
What You Need:
• You need three things:
• a great idea
• good writing
• ultra-organization.
Big Pitfalls:
• Not following the directions
• Lack of quality evaluation
• Not understanding key internal budget
issues
– Indirect Cost Ratios
– Fringe Benefit Rate
• Not working with university resources
1
Increase Your Chances:
Do Your Homework
UNCW Specifics:
• Office of Research Services &
Sponsored Programs
– Funding & Grant Research
– Grant Development Support
– Human Subjects & Institutional Review
Board
– http://www.uncw.edu/orssp/
• Investigate your potential sources of funding not only to
evaluate the likelihood of their funding your work, but also
with an eye toward how you will formulate your application.
• Always visit the foundation or agency's website for current
grant guidelines
g
g
and,, if available,, annual reports.
p
• Look at listings of past awards given to support projects
similar to yours.
• Learn all you can about the agency.
• Discover as much as you can about how your application will
be evaluated.
• If you have questions, contact the program officer to
outline your project and ask whether it seems to match the
agency's interests.
Typical Components:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Title
Abstract
Project Description
Budget
Bibliography
C.V.s and Biosketches
Letters of Support
Project Description
•
Write the project description far in advance of the deadline so you can
ask your graduate advisor, faculty mentor and anyone else willing to read
the proposal to review it and offer constructive criticism.
•
The proposal must conform to the agency's guidelines. DO NOT send the
same generic application, with only the agency name changed, to all of the
agencies on your list.
•
Answer the "W" questions. Reviewers generally look for the answers to
two specific questions: WHO CARES? and SO WHAT? They also want to
know:
Who will be interested in the results of your research?
Who are you—are you the best scholar to conduct this research?
What are we going to learn as the result of the proposed project?
Why is it worth knowing?
Where will you do the work?
When will you complete the work?
How will you accomplish the work?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Abstract
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make a great first impression. Most applications require a brief
abstract or summary of the project. It is generally a good idea to
write the abstract or summary last, when you can review the full
project description and pull out the most significant and winning
arguments. Think of it as the introduction to your project, which
offers reviewers their first impression of you and your proposed
work. Your goal is to gain their attention and guarantee that they
will
ill read
d th
the f
full
ll proposall with
ith iinterest,
t
t and
d even enthusiasm.
th i
Briefly outline:
The problem/question
Its significance
Your objectives and goals
Your approach to finding a solution/answer
Your own capabilities
The total budget request (unless the amount is set by the agency)
Budget Math
• Always make a reasonable budget
request.
• Clearly
y understand what is
prohibited.
• Learn the UNCW indirect cost rates.
2
F & A, Indirect Cost:
• Research
On-Campus: 44% MTDC
Off-Campus: 26% MTDC
• Other Sponsored Activity
On-Campus: 31% of MTDC
Off-Campus: 26% of MTDC
• State Agency Rate: 10% of Total
Direct Costs (Practice)
Resources:
• UNCW ORSSP:
http://www.uncw.edu/orssp
• UNC Grant Source Library
y
http://research.unc.edu/grantsource/
• Division Grant Support Committee:
•
•
•
•
Katrin Wesner
Nathan Lindsay
Shannon Hooker
Rebecca Caldwell
Project Description
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sell your project.
Show your excitement.
Be confident.
Leave the reviewers with something to remember, a
g that will remain after reading
g many
y other
message
proposals.
l
Beware of jargon.
Carefully craft the first sentence of each section or
paragraph.
Show you know the state of research in your field.
Pay attention to the aesthetics of the page.
Consider your font choice.
Refine your proposal.
Let it simmer.
Principles of Poor Grant
Writing
• Ignore Your Reviewers: It’s your research anyway!
• Write it quickly and don’t re-write: You are a busy
professional!
• Ignore the literature- What did those old dudes
y y
know anyway!
• Inflate the budget- steak is better than
hamburger anyway!
• Instructions are for losers- go your own way!
• Don’t plan your results, just plan to see what
happens!
Adapted from Dr. Roger Goldstein, Geologic Society of America:
http://www.geosociety.org/grants/04gw_wkshp/04Goldstein.ppt#
275,1,PRINCIPLES OF POOR PROPOSAL WRITING
3