Proposal Writing: CTL Grant
Kristen Korberg; ORS; Jan.9, 2014
Proposal Development
Three Main Functions:
• Means of Communication
• Plan
• Contract
Developing the Proposal
1.
2.
3.
What is the question?
Where/How to look?
What is the best way to standardise, quantify, and
record observations?
*properly answering these questions remains the most
common obstacle to the development of adequate
proposals.
Research Question;
Objective/Goal
Methodology
Theoretical Framework
Budget ($/Time)
Literature Review
CTL Grant Proposal
• Free-form, maximum five pages
• Should be written in non technical terms and clearly
understood by scholars with varied areas of expertise
(also public release). Undergraduate level.
• 8 “Elements” –use these as ‘signposts’ to assist
reviewers with their evaluation
Start your proposal with your research question!
• Research goals- be reasonable, given time frame- link
goals to your research question
• Rationale- why its important, how does it support
Okanagan strategic research plan?
• Quality of Researcher/Team- equipped to handle
research?
• Methodology- enough detail for reviewers to determine
feasibility given timeframe, budget
• Evaluation- how will you know you have achieved goals,
success?
• IP- Any copyright or intellectual property issues? (you
might be working with a community or industry partner)
• Timeline for development and implementation, plans for
continued support. 24 months. Crucially linked with
methodology and budget.
Consider:
- Research Ethics; initially and ongoing
- Personnel
- 12 month progress report
• Dissemination plan, outputs: plan for
communicating research results to relevant audiences
Literature Review- Rationale
•
Functions: “They say…I say…”
1. ensures you are not re-inventing the wheel
2. gives credit to those who have laid the ground work for
your research
3. demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem
4. demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and
research issues related to your question
5. shows your ability to evaluate relevant literature
information
Literature Review
•
Functions:
6. indicates your ability to integrate and synthesise the
existing literature
7. provides new theoretical insights or develops new model
as the conceptual framework for your research
8. convinces the reader that your proposed research will
make a significant and substantial contribution to the
literature (resolving an important theoretical issue or filling a
major *gap in the literature…try hedging a bit: ‘relatively
little has been done’
Literature Review
Common problems with literature reviews:
• Lacking organisation and structure
• Lacking focus, unity and coherence
• Being repetitive and verbose
• Failing to cite influential papers
• Failing to keep up with recent developments
• Citing irrelevant or trivial references
• Depending too much on secondary sources
Methodology
1.Identify key independent and dependent variables of your
experiment, or state the phenomena you wish to study
2. State your hypothesis or theory
3. Set the delimitation or boundaries of your research to
provide a clear focus
4. Provide any definitions of key concepts.
Budget
How much? Amount of financial support required to
accomplish objectives
• Be as realistic, as accurate, as possible. Do not pad
budget. Results in items that are not well justified
which ultimately gives the impression of a casually
constructed proposal
• Eligibility of expenses, travel, wages, etc.
• Use web to research costs.
• Plan carefully; the CTL funds are released in two
phases.
• *You must adhere to your approved budget. You
cannot use $ for other purposes without written
consent from CTL
Quality is crucial
If the proponent seeking funding does not take the time to
produce a properly written document, then why should
they be trusted to be any more careful and prudent in
producing research?
This means standard mechanics as well as the adequacy of
expression. There is no excuse for either to be less than
perfect.
It also means you have to follow the instructions!
Style and Mechanics
•
Clear. Avoid jargon, acronyms (if you must use expand in each
section), historical references highly specific to discipline.
•
Avoid trendy or ‘in’ words, colloquial expressions/slang
•
Avoid using expressions like vis a vis or en toto unless absolutely
confident about usage.
•
White Space- break up long paragraphs, use bullets, headings,
etc. Think of your evaluation committee reading many
applications and wanting them to look favourably on yours.
•
Parrot grant instructions- incorporate the key words for your
headings, etc. Grants are scored with these headings.
Style and Mechanics
•
Use ‘positive’ sentences, in the active tense.
•
Write as if you are funded already, that your collaborators are on
board, and money is in the bank
•
Don’t use tenuous, vague statements.
•
Use ‘will’- avoid ‘would’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘shall’, ‘may’ :
•
eg: ‘The research described here will be conducted with the
infrastructure requested in this proposal’ instead of ‘..if we obtain
funding’ or ‘…the trials should provide results’
Style and Mechanics
Collaborators: same idea- eg. “Preliminary discussions with
‘X’ suggest they may consider joining the study.”
Try: ‘Discussions with X indicate they will join the study’ :
This is a stronger statement, but still not written in stone
Style and Mechanics
Active/Passive Voice
Avoid wherever possible the passive voice which deadens
text, hampers, delays, removes energy, inhibits flow
Avoid passive verbs that hide the agent of action: was, were
eg. ‘The ball was thrown by Bill’ vs. ‘Bill threw the ball’.
Style and Mechanics
Avoid static verbs that lack movement:
am, is, are, be, being, been, have, do, did, does, could,
should, would,
Overused verbs: get, went, put
Style and Mechanics
• Replace with more precise, active verbs:
eg. achieve, allow, believe, direct, discuss,
show, signal, know, coach, reveal, manage, modify,
compare, clarify, validate, verify, inform, inspire,
investigate, state, exhibit, support, distinguish,
restore, implement, test, synthesize, intend, introduce
Do
• Convey enthusiasm. Your research is important and
interesting.
• Have colleagues, friends review your work.
• Do read application forms closely. Sometimes a key word
can cause you to miss the rest of the instructions in a
sentence.
• Use signposts and headings suggested by funding agencyoften used to score grants
• Do ask questions. CTL or ORS staff are there/here to help.
Do
• Remember your evaluation committee
• Write for an undergraduate audience- common mistake is
to write your proposal ‘packed with facts for super-experts’
• Give yourself lots of time- don’t forget to allow time for
proofreading, signatures, internal deadlines.