Tips & Advice
Also see:
General Tips & Advice
Checklist
and Other Guides
Questions your proposal
must answer
Humanities Advice
Science
& Social Science Advice
Obtaining NSF Funding
General Tips & Advice
Be prepared to spend a lot of time
on your proposal. Writing a successful grant proposal requires
almost as much time and thought as writing a publishable article. A
final version which is a revision of a revision of a first draft is much
more likely to convince reviewers of the worthiness of your project than
a hastily-prepared submission.
Read the Guidelines carefully.
It is important to note the goals of the program and any special
instructions about format, mailing, etc.
Follow all directions.
Grant proposals have been denied because applicants did not do what
was asked. So, include the right forms, provide requested information,
answer all the questions, and adhere to requirements about length and
format.
Address all review criteria.
The successful grant proposals will be those that answer all the
questions above and that best fit the mission of the grant program (as
defined by the review criteria). If the criteria aren't spelled out you
can usually discern what is important from other language in the
guidelines or program description.
Use language comprehensible across
disciplinary boundaries. The reviewers who read your proposal will
not necessarily be experts in your specific field and, therefore, may
not understand technical jargon and discipline-specific abbreviations
and symbols. This piece of advice is not generally applicable to
proposals in the sciences.
Strive for a balance between
conciseness and detail. The more specific you are about what you
plan and what you have already done, the more impressive your proposal
will be. But if this leads to many pages of repetitious rambling, you'll
put your readers to sleep. Adhere strictly to page limits specified in
the guidelines.
Before you submit a proposal to a
granting agency, have a draft "critiqued" by: (a) someone
familiar with your topic, (b) a colleague outside your field, and, if
possible, (c) someone with experience in judging proposals. These people
may raise questions, the answers to which can be incorporated into a
revised draft. Reviewers of proposals will never call to find out what
you mean by a particular statement; they will simply set aside your
proposal in favor of another which is more clearly presented.
All proposals must convince the
reviewers of four things: (a) that your project is of sufficient
importance and significance to merit research support, (b) that you've
done a thorough review of literature in the field and have a
well-designed plan of study, (c) that the project is of manageable size
and can be carried out within the time frame of the proposal, and (d)
that you are competent to complete the project successfully.
Send out only perfect copy.
First impressions are important -- there should be no typos, no
errors, no sloppy formatting, etc. Application forms should be typed.
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Links to other sources of advice and
information
Proposal
Checklist - excellent tool for after you've written your first draft
(by Dr. Herbert B. Chermside at Virginia Commonwealth University).
Writing
from the Winner's Circle: A Guide to Preparing Competitive Grant
Proposals by Dr. David Stanley (Nebraska EPSCoR). An online
grant-writing handbook, very easy to read and colorful.
National
Science Foundation Grant Proposal Guide
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Questions your grant proposal must
answer
What do you want to do?
You should be able to summarize your proposal in a few sentences.
Avoid jargon and region-specific wording or references. Provide a short project summary even if it's not required.
Make it easy for reviewers to find the answers to questions they might
have.
Why do you want to do it?
Why is it important that this project be done? Convey your enthusiasm.
There must be a better reason than "it hasn't been done
before."
How are you going to do it?
When and where? Provide a verbal timeline. Demonstrate that you have the
necessary equipment and other resources.
How much will it cost?
In addition to a basic budget (or required budget forms) provide a
"Budget Justification" -- detailed information on each budget
item. Exactly how did you arrive at your figures?
Why are you the one to do it?
What special credentials do you have? Don't be modest!
What good will come from it?
Your answer will depend in part on the goals of the funding source.
Typically you will need to describe the contribution to the discipline
and to society in general. You may also need to address the benefit your
project will have for your career or for NKU and/or its
students.
How will you show that it's been done and evaluate its success?
This answer also depends on the goals and requirements of the
funding source. This is an incredibly important section of any
grant. At a minimum you should indicate how you plan to
disseminate the results of the project.
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Humanities Advice
(adapted from NEH Fellowship guidelines)
Most funding sources will want to know the following about your
humanities research project:
*What are the basic ideas, problems, works, or questions the study
will examine?
*What is the planned approach or line of thought?
*If the area is new to you, what are the reasons for working in it or
what interests have led to it?
*What is the current state of the proposed study?
*Is it in the beginning stages or well underway?
*What are the plans for each stage?
*How does the part to be done during the grant period fit into the
whole?
*Provide a proposed schedule or plan of work.
*What contribution is the proposed study likely to make, and what is its
significance for the humanities?
*If the subject might seem narrow or obscure you should show the
project's larger significance.
*What is the relationship between the proposed work and the work of
others in the same general subject area?
*What is distinctive about the proposed study?
*For what audience are the results of the study intended?
*What format (book, articles, paper, other) is the proposed study likely
to assume?
Some funding sources will be concerned about other things as well:
Read the guidelines carefully. You may be asked to relate your
project to your career goals or to your teaching. The NEH Fellowship
program asks about the relationship of the proposed study to your
development as an interpreter of humanities. Other organizations may
want to know how they will benefit from the study or how society in
general will benefit. READ THE GUIDELINES AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY.
Some practical matters you should address:
Check the guidelines. If languages other than English are needed to
conduct the research, the funding source may want you to document or
demonstrate your competence. You may need to state that you have the
facilities and materials needed to conduct the study (phone, fax,
computer, copier, film, tapes, etc.). Be prepared to document that you
have access to any archives, collections, or institutions with resources
necessary for your project. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
Budget -- If a budget is required
please consult Mary Ucci in RGC for assistance (x5768, uccim@nku.edu). Also
consult
the budget information page in this guide.
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Science & Social Science Advice
1. Background: Develop ideas and contacts
Become familiar with the current literature. Make contacts; get to
know the major players and those with interests closest to yours. Attend
topical conferences in your area. Establish collaboration(s) with
"experts"
2. Funding preliminaries
Identify potential funding sources. Talk with the Program Officer ...
and listen! Does your project match the guidelines? Are there budget
limits? What is typical award? Optimum timing to submit? Be clear on
guidelines for proposal
3. Writing
Start early! Expect to spend 2-3 months writing and honing. Develop
a draft budget early (this may influence everything else). Discuss
budget with Grants Office staff. Seek commitment of institutional
support (matching funds, released time). Establish the
context: What is the big picture? Provide an overview of what
you seek to accomplish. Why is it important? Specifics: Project
details. Show your familiarity with prior work. Establish your track
record/expertise -- why you? Argue feasibility of project; note
resources available. Budget: Be realistic (no shoestrings or
Cadillacs). Institutional support. Consider infrastructure impact. Influences
on students (direct and indirect): Role students will play (don't
simply ask for stipends). Attachments (where allowed/encouraged):
Letter from a collaborator. Recent preprint or photo if allowed.
4. Pre-submission
Check guidelines and criteria for reviewers. Match subheadings to
these – don't let a busy reviewer miss the point. Have others review
and critique – both specialists and non-specialists
5. After submission
Wait. Patience is a virtue.
Expect success; be prepared for failure.
Listen to comments from program officer. Ask for comments from reviewers
... and pay attention (whether funded or not). If denied: remember
that majority of others were too-- keep working on project anyway.
REWRITE and RESUBMIT – your chances will improve. If granted: Celebrate
(briefly) but get cracking! Report results promptly (don't forego the
good to achieve the perfect). Think about the next grant; the next
project. Serve on review panels yourself.
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Obtaining NSF Funding
CONTACT WITH PROGRAM OFFICERS IS CRUCIAL
- Talk with program officers at your professional meetings or at CUR
meetings.
- Send email to program officers (addresses are in NSF directory on
NSF website).
- Send a summary of your research to a program officer and set up a
telephone appointment.
- Call program officer at NSF (Grants Office can help you identify
which person to call) .
FIND OUT WHAT NSF IS FUNDING
- Talk with program officer.
- Check journal articles to see what type of research NSF has
funded.
- Search NSF website for awards and ask PI's for copies of their
successful proposals
PLAN YOUR PROPOSAL
- Organize folders/notes by required proposal elements.
- Allow enough time to draft proposal and rewrite.
- Address all "REVIEW CRITERIA" from the guidelines.
- Justify your budget request in detail - NSF allows three pages.
- State the significance of your research questions and defend your
research design.
- Use clear prose (must be understood by anyone who is
scientifically literate).
- Ask colleagues to serve as "reviewers" for your draft
proposal -- incorporate their advice
FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES
- Note formatting requirements (margins, type size, pagination,
stapling, etc.).
- Don't be afraid to call the FastLane Helpdesk for assistance with
FastLane
- NSF is serious about page limits and no appendices.
- Use checklist to make sure you've included everything.
- RUI proposals: Need RUI certification signed by appropriate
college official and RUI Impact Statement (think if this as
additional space to justify your project).
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