Writing Winning Proposals
Trish Lowney, PhD
Asst VP, Strategic Research Development
207 Bowne Hall
plowney@syr.edu, x2882
Topics
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Why write a grant application..
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How to find funding opportunities
Preparation
The writing process
What makes a winning application
Know your audience
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• Grants vs fellowships
Why write a ‘grant application’ now?
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$$ research
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$$ travel to disseminate research results
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$$ Cost of living or tuition & fees
• Your time…and others working on grant
• Supplies, materials, consumables
• Equipment purchases or use
Why write a ‘grant application’ now?
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Prepare for your academic future.
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Develop and hone grant writing skills
Start to create a track record of success
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Create a great idea worth investing in
Successfully carry it out
Disseminate results
Demonstrate productivity
So… you are applying for a…
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Grant – $$ to support an activity of
common interest
• NSF Doctoral dissertation research grant
• Travel grant (SU- GSO)
• Access to resource
Or, you are applying for a…
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Fellowship - $$ to aid in individual’s
pursuit of study or research, e.g…
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
• DoE Computational Science Graduate
Fellowship
• Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion
Fellowships
Grants and Fellowships…
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Beneficiary – you and THE PUBLIC!!
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Are investments in you!!
• Reflection - why are you & your research
worth investing in?
OK  WHOM do you ask for $$ to
invest in YOU and YOUR research
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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
OK  WHOM do you ask for $$ to
invest in YOU and YOUR research
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Check..
• Non-profit sponsors, foundations,
professional societies
• Newsletters
• Journals – ad’s
• Funding opp databases
(http://PIVOT.cos.com)
Getting started..
Do your homework
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What kind of support are you looking
for?
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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?
Getting started..
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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
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If allowed, contact program technical
contact EARLY and discuss your
project (first send a 1-pg summary)
Now Let’s Get Going!
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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
Now Let’s Get Going!
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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 don’t get funded from this program,
number of proposals submitted vs awarded)..
Know how awards are selected…
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Know your audience:
• What is their expertise??
• Write for them
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Know the ‘process’: how?
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Know the ‘selection criteria’ and ensure
your entire application is responsive …
If you only do one thing..
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Have it be
• Follow instructions precisely 
More about your ‘work plan’
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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
Okay!! What’s needed for a
strong application?
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A great idea! - WHAT
• Concisely stated
• Convincing preliminary data (promising idea) (not
always necessary when just getting started)
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Idea & its outcomes are significant
to the sponsor – WHY
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Capable recipient – WHO
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Have skills and resources needed to do proposed
work
What’s needed … ?
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cont’d
Feasible work plan - HOW
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Well thought out and planned strategies
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Solid rationale for each method or approach used
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Identified road blocks and plans to get around them
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Discuss with others… get lots of input
• Why approach is best tack to take..
• Approaches can answer question, test hypothesis etc.
What’s needed … ?
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cont’d
Feasible work plan, cont’d
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Methods clearly presented to indicate what success
looks like
• positive/negative controls or evaluation plan
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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
What’s needed … ?
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cont’d
Feasible work plan, cont’d
• Reasonable amount of work for time
and resources ($$) available
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Clear impact of each objective and
integration of all results– SO WHAT
Strong Proposals that get
funded are …1
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Neat, well organized and easy to read
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Innovative: present new perspective on an
important problem
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Exciting: convey the writer’s passion
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Informative: convey knowledge of field
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Compelling: provide preliminary data/rationale
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Feasible: Solid work plan and budget
1 adapted from: R. Porter, What do Grant Reviewers Really
Want? J. Res. Admin XXXVI, II, 2005 pg. 47-55
Have good form
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Compliant font (12 pt TNR, 11 pt Arial)
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White space (between paragraphs)
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Headers to communicate important points
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Bold text to emphasize review criteria
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Include illustrations, figures..
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Full justification  looks “pretty” but may be
hard to read (ragged right preferred)
Common Elements
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Project Narrative (What, Why, How)
• Statement of need/purpose
• Goals, objectives/specific aims
• Significance
• State of knowledge/context
Common Elements
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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
Common Elements
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Budget, budget narrative
• Why expenditures are necessary and costs
reasonable
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Biographical sketch (Who - capable)
Resources (‘stuff’ – capable)
Abstract
“Cover page”
A word about Letters of Reference
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Mandatory or not allowed....
• Why you are worth investing in…. why
you’re 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)
Letters of Reference….
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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 it’s done
• Provide plenty of time – you are not the only
one they are writing for
Increase your chances for $$ –
Get help from others
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Get copies of recently funded proposals
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Participate in a writing group
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Get feedback on your idea from colleagues,
advisors and experts – before you write.
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Get input from program manager
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Work with funded (and unfunded) colleagues,
have them read your work
Common weaknesses…
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Significance, relevance to sponsor’s agenda not
clear
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Proposal lacks focus
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Get to the point early
Laundry list of activities not unified into a coherent project
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Is overly ambitious
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Isn’t feasible
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Is hard to read or sloppy
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Is poorly organized
MOST important - Persevere!!
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Grant writing - Skill that is developed
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Everyone gets rejected..
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Who gets funded -
• Folks who keep trying
• Learn from experience  reflect on reviews
• Continuously improve
Exercise – get going!!
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What’s your idea (1 – 2 sentences) – everyday language
Why is it important? (3 sentences)
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How are you going to accomplish your idea? (2 – 3
paragraphs)
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How will the world be a better place once completed?
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?