Improving Research
Grant Quality at GCU
Professor John Marshall
Director
Academic Research Development
page 1
BEFORE YOU START A GRANT APPLICATION
Make a list of what you should do before
you start writing your proposal
Check the literature for prior art ( both academic and commercial)
Check what has been funded before and how it relates to your idea
Consult funding search tools about current calls (GCU researchresearch.com)
Talk to the funding body about your idea (and listen)
Talk to potential beneficiaries to gauge interest and support
Talk to a member of the GCU peer review college about your idea
Consider collaborative partners (to supply complementary expertise)
Ask GCU research office about application/approval processes
Request a full economic cost assessment at an early stage
If going ahead, let your line manager know in advance!
page 2
THE TITLE
Read these examples and assess their
suitability as research project titles:
Investigation of problems relating to risk management in the
financial sector
Studies to understand the factors that affect corporate behaviour
in mitigating financial risk
Research to develop a new approach to risk
assessment in banking
A survey of procedures for assessing risk in
financial institutions
A novel methodology for risk assessment in banking
page 3
THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Question prompts:
Is it original (check academic literature)
Is it significant (step change or incremental?)
Is it rigorous in its methodology (international best practice)
Are the research objectives stated at the outset ?
Is the proposal structured with relevant headings and
developed logically and coherently (ask someone else!)
What research skills/capabilities/infrastructure are
required/available to the project?
page 4
THE ABSTRACT
Write an abstract/summary of no more than 100 words about
a current research proposal that you have
Give the abstract to a colleague and accept critical feedback on their
impressions about what it says. The abstract should:
Present the essential meaning of the proposal as a stand alone item
Give the reviewer their first and most important impression of
of proposal (may determine funding).
Emphasise the main objectives and critical developments
in theory/procedure/methodology/technology needed
Be concise: every word must count and the whole must be coherent.
Be consistent with the proposal (should be written last)
page 5
Summary of Research for the lay person
Take the abstract you have written and re-write it
in everyday language as a summary for a lay member
of the public.
Ask someone who knows nothing about your subject to
read it and provide critical feedback on the clarity
of the summary as they see it.
page 6
Beneficiaries of the Proposed Research
Read the impact statement for the research proposal
provided and :
1. Identify what has been done well
2. Identify what has been done less well
Only consider the possible benefits arising from the
research . Would you fund this proposal if you were
a (non-academic) user of the research?
page 7
The justification of resources
What do you need to carry out the project and
Why you need it.
Your summary should include:
Staff appointments (level and cost)
Consumables (specific and reasonable)
Travel (relates to specific project objectives)
Equipment (purchase/running costs/service/access costs)
Dissemination of results (specific project costs)
Timescales (relates to project planning)
Value for money !!!
page 8
Project Management
Essentials:
What ?
Where ?
When ?
How ?
Who ?
Dependencies /criticial path?
Note: Project management plans must relate to the
Research project narrative. Check !
page 9
The Research Grant Application Checklist (1):
•
Discuss the proposal before you start with a member of the
University peer review college
•
A short clear title that is consistent with the text
•
A proposal with clearly stated aims and objectives
•
Academic team track record relevant to the specific proposal
•
Identify beneficiaries and any support offered
(be specific, show evidence)
•
A realistic project management plan
(What Where When How Who)
page 10
The Research Grant Application Checklist (2):
•
Justify the resource requested (competitive)
•
Cost it properly (using University fEC model)
•
Complete the proposal fully (all of it)
•
Then have it rigorously peer reviewed (as if for real)
•
Incorporate feedback by taking comments on board
•
Polish the proposal at least twice more before submitting
page 11
GENERIC GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS
Follow the Instructions !
Do everything that is requested, in full !
If you don’t know what is needed then ask the funder,
allowing enough time for an answer.
Check that all the sections are completed and
that documents are spellchecked
Meet the deadline with time to spare (servers often
go down at the last minute)
page 12