1 office of proposal development texas a&m university writing effective research grant proposals...
TRANSCRIPT
1Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Writing Effective Research Grant Proposals
Office of Proposal Development
Presentation to WTAMU
Lucy [email protected]
October 26, 2005
2Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Overview of Presentation
Office of Proposal Development – who we are Identifying Funding Opportunities Understanding the Funding Agency and Program Preparing to Write The Craft of Writing a Competitive Proposal Funding Opportunities for Junior Faculty
3Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Office of proposal development
A unit of the Office of Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University, partnered with: Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal
Relations, Relations, Office of Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Office of Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student
Affairs, and the Affairs, and the Health Science CenterHealth Science Center
4Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Office of proposal development Supports faculty in the development and writing of large
and small research grants to federal agencies and foundations.
Focuses on support of center-level initiatives, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research teams, research affinity groups, new and junior faculty research, diversity in the research enterprise, and long-term proposal planning.
Helps develop partnership initiatives at Texas A&M, across the A&M System universities, and HSC.
Supports proposal development activities and training programs to help new faculty write more competitive proposals.
5Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Office of proposal development Jean Ann Bowman, Research Scientist
B.S., Journalism; B.S. and Ph.D., Hydrology and Physical GeographyB.S., Journalism; B.S. and Ph.D., Hydrology and Physical Geography Focuses on proposals dealing with earth, ecological, and environmental Focuses on proposals dealing with earth, ecological, and environmental
sciences, as well as those dealing with agriculture.sciences, as well as those dealing with agriculture. Libby Childress, Administrative Assistant
Handles scheduling, resources, and project coordination.Handles scheduling, resources, and project coordination. Mike Cronan, Director
B.S., Civil Engineering (Structures); B.A., Political Science; M.A., English; B.S., Civil Engineering (Structures); B.A., Political Science; M.A., English; Registered Professional Engineer, Texas (063512)Registered Professional Engineer, Texas (063512) Helps develop partnerships. Leads center- and program-level proposals. Helps develop partnerships. Leads center- and program-level proposals.
Establishes new initiatives and sets the direction of the office.Establishes new initiatives and sets the direction of the office. Lucy Deckard, Associate Director
B.S. and M.S., Materials Science and Engineering B.S. and M.S., Materials Science and Engineering Leads the new faculty initiatives. Focuses on proposals dealing with the Leads the new faculty initiatives. Focuses on proposals dealing with the
physical sciences, interdisciplinary materials group, and equipment and physical sciences, interdisciplinary materials group, and equipment and instrumentation. Also leads training seminars on graduate and instrumentation. Also leads training seminars on graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, undergraduate research, and CAREER awards. postdoctoral fellowships, undergraduate research, and CAREER awards.
6Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Office of proposal development Susan Maier, Research Development Officer
B.A., M.A., and Ph.D., PsychologyB.A., M.A., and Ph.D., Psychology Focuses on the Health Science Center’s NIH biomedical science Focuses on the Health Science Center’s NIH biomedical science
initiatives, as well as on the HSC’s University partnership initiatives. initiatives, as well as on the HSC’s University partnership initiatives. Leads training seminars on NIH.Leads training seminars on NIH.
Phyllis McBride, Assistant Director B.A., Journalism and English; M.A. and Ph.D., English B.A., Journalism and English; M.A. and Ph.D., English Leads the one-day Craft of Grant Writing Seminars and the fifteen-week Leads the one-day Craft of Grant Writing Seminars and the fifteen-week
Craft of Grant Writing Workshops. Focuses on DHS and NIH initiatives, Craft of Grant Writing Workshops. Focuses on DHS and NIH initiatives, and provides editing and rewriting.and provides editing and rewriting.
Robyn Pearson, Research Development Officer B.A. and M.A., AnthropologyB.A. and M.A., Anthropology Focuses on proposals dealing with the humanities, liberal arts, and Focuses on proposals dealing with the humanities, liberal arts, and
social and behavioral sciences, and education. Provides support for the social and behavioral sciences, and education. Provides support for the development of interdisciplinary research groups and provides editing development of interdisciplinary research groups and provides editing and rewriting.and rewriting.
7Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Looking For Funding Opportunities
8Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Types of Funding Agencies
Basic research agencies (e.g, NSF, NIH)(e.g, NSF, NIH)
Mission-oriented agencies (e.g., NASA, DoD, ED)(e.g., NASA, DoD, ED)
Foundations Other
(industry, professional organizations, etc.)(industry, professional organizations, etc.)
9Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Unsolicited vs. Solicited Proposals Unsolicited
Investigator-initiated; no specific solicitation or Investigator-initiated; no specific solicitation or RFPRFP
Typically long-running program; relatively Typically long-running program; relatively general statement of research topics of general statement of research topics of interestinterest
For NSF and NIH, recurring due dates or For NSF and NIH, recurring due dates or target dates each yeartarget dates each year
Common for foundationsCommon for foundations Rare for Mission Agencies (DOE, USDA)Rare for Mission Agencies (DOE, USDA)
10Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Example Program Description(unsolicited)
“The Geography and Regional Science (GRS) Program sponsors research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on the Earth's surface. Investigations are encouraged into the nature, causes, and consequences of human activity and natural environmental processes across a range of scales. Projects on a variety of topics (both domestic and international) qualify for support if they offer promise of contributing to scholarship by enhancing geographical knowledge, concepts, theories, methods, and their application to societal problems and concerns. Support also is provided for projects that explicitly integrate undergraduate and graduate education into the overall research agenda.”
11Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Unsolicited vs. Solicited Proposals
Solicited Terminology:Terminology:
Request for Proposal (RFP) Program Solicitation Request for Application (RFA) For NIH, Program Announcement (PA)
Tied to specific agency initiativeTied to specific agency initiative May only last a few funding cycles or may go on
for years Have specific additional evaluation criteria
Often have specific formatting requirementsOften have specific formatting requirements
12Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Solicitation: Example“This solicitation invites proposals for "information infrastructure testbeds", each of which would include the development of the next generation of cybertools applied to data from various sources collected in two areas of research fundamental to social and behavioral scientists: organizations and individuals. The tools that are developed on these platforms must not only change ways in which social and behavioral scientists research the behavior of organizations and individuals, but also serve sciences more broadly.
It is envisioned that proposals for the "organization information testbed" will address three specific components:
the development of tools that facilitate the integration of qualitative and quantitative information from heterogeneous sources, multiple media, and/or the development of tools that facilitate the integration of qualitative and quantitative information from heterogeneous sources, multiple media, and/or multiple modes; multiple modes;
investment in basic research that addresses the protection of the confidentiality of respondents in computerized, widely accessible databases; and investment in basic research that addresses the protection of the confidentiality of respondents in computerized, widely accessible databases; and the development of incentives, standards and policies for collecting, storing, archiving, accessing, and publishing research results using organization-the development of incentives, standards and policies for collecting, storing, archiving, accessing, and publishing research results using organization-
relevant information. relevant information.
It is envisioned that proposals for the "individual information testbed" should concern cybertools that can be applied to both large scale and distributed data-sets. Proposals should address cybertools that facilitate automatic collection, integration, annotation, archiving, accessing, and analyzing of
existing distributed data sets and/or existing distributed data sets and/or extensive audio and video recordings and details of physical artifacts, while paying special attention to extensive audio and video recordings and details of physical artifacts, while paying special attention to the protection of the confidentiality of participant identity in widely accessible, computerized databases. “the protection of the confidentiality of participant identity in widely accessible, computerized databases. “
13Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Ways to Find Funding
Talk to colleagues doing similar research Look for funding sources credited in books
and journal articles describing similar research
Use the web and other information resources
14Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding opportunities search criteria
Define disciplinary domain of interest (e.g., science, social sciences, humanities, education, health and biomedical sciences, engineering);
Characterize the nature of the research (basic, applied, applications);
Identify a subset of funding agencies whose mission, strategic plan, and investment priorities are aligned with these specific research interests.
15Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Refining the funding search Identify research opportunities with regular grant
cycles within a particular agency (e.g., NIH and NSF have regular grant cycles of specific research programs that remain open for many years;
Identify new research opportunities and investment directions at funding agencies;
Expand the base of potential research funding sources.
16Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Information on the Internet
Funding Agency websites Compilations of funding opportunities Automatic e-mail notifications services Database services Google is your best friend
17Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding Agencies Hotlinks Table
Funding Agencies Hotlink Table.doc Federal Grant Making Agencies.doc Notes about agency web sites:
First place funding opportunities will show upFirst place funding opportunities will show up Pages with funding opportunities can be buried; when Pages with funding opportunities can be buried; when
you find a good one, make a note of the urlyou find a good one, make a note of the url Look for unsolicited proposal opportunitiesLook for unsolicited proposal opportunities Look for additional info on opportunitiesLook for additional info on opportunities
18Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Compendia of Funding Opportunties
All Federal Funding Opportunities http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/index.htmlhttp://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/index.html
Foundations http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/index.jhtmlhttp://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/index.jhtml
University grants office websites Iowa State Iowa State
http://www.vpresearch.iastate.edu/OSP/FundingOpportunities.html
http://www.vpresearch.iastate.edu/OSP/Maillogs.html Duke University Duke University http://www.ors.duke.edu/findhttp://www.ors.duke.edu/find University of Iowa University of Iowa
http://research.uiowa.edu/dsp/main/?get=fundingoppshttp://research.uiowa.edu/dsp/main/?get=fundingopps&q=&action&q=&action= =
19Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Fedgrants.gov
One of the best portals to funding opportunities Tabular listing current funding opportunities and
URLs for 45 research funding agencies (see following slide)
FedGrants http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/index.htmlhttp://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/index.html
FedGrants Grants Synopsis Search http://www.fedgrants.gov/grants/servlet/SearchServlet/http://www.fedgrants.gov/grants/servlet/SearchServlet/
FedGrants Notification Service http://www.fedgrants.gov/ApplicantRegistration.htmlhttp://www.fedgrants.gov/ApplicantRegistration.html
20Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
FedGrants
21Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
University Grants Websites (cont’d)
Cornell http://www.osp.cornell.edu/Funding/ University of Massachusetts, Amherst
http://www.umass.edu/research/ogca/funding/ University of Oregon http://rfd.uoregon.edu
/funding/government.htm University of Vermont Research Funding
http://www.uvm.edu/~ospuvm/?Page=Funding_Opporhttp://www.uvm.edu/~ospuvm/?Page=Funding_Opportunities/Funding_Highlights/fh.htmtunities/Funding_Highlights/fh.htm
22Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Email Alert Services Email Alert Services for Funding Opportunities.doc
NSFNSF http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/
NIH Guide LISTSERV_NIH Guide LISTSERV_ http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm
Dept. of EducationDept. of Education http://listserv.ed.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind05&L=edinfo http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edinfo/index.html
Federal GrantsFederal Grants http://fedgrants.gov/ApplicantRegistration.html
FoundationsFoundations http://fdncenter.org/newsletters/
NASANASA http://research.hq.nasa.gov/subs.cfm
23Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Federal Grants Notification Service
24Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Grants.gov
Home page: http://www.grants.gov To receive automated funding alerts tailored to your
research interests, visit http://www.grants.gov/Find#receive.
Select one of four automated funding alert options: “Selected Notices Based on Funding Opportunity Number,” “Selected Agencies and Categories of Funding Activities,” “Selected Interest and Eligibility Groups,” or “All Grants Notices.”
Click on the link for the option that best suits your needs, enter the required information, and click on the “Submit to Mailing List” button.
25Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Grants.gov
26Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
MyNSF
27Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NIH Guide LISTSERV
28Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NEH Connect!
29Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Google is Your Best Friend http://www.google.com/ http://www.yahoo.com/ Search for research opportunities Backdoor/end run to subscription funding services
E.g., IRISE.g., IRIS http://carousel.lis.uiuc.edu/%7Eiris/deadlines/all/http://carousel.lis.uiuc.edu/%7Eiris/deadlines/all/
Find funded programs, abstracts Find workshops, conferences, seminars Find reports, publications, project documents To search within a site, type keywords site:url of site
E.g., preservation languages site:www.nsf.govE.g., preservation languages site:www.nsf.gov
30Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Ways to Improve Your Success in Finding Funding
Get to know most likely funding agencies Mission, visionMission, vision Funding mechanismsFunding mechanisms Recurring funding opportunitiesRecurring funding opportunities More on this laterMore on this later
Check funding opportunities regularly Fine-tune search parameters for subscription databases Learn how to quickly evaluate a potential funding
opportunity (more later) Keep a list of funding agencies, funding opportunities
with urls (e.g., MS Word table with hotlinks)
31Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Six major funders for TAMU-System
Funding Agency URL Hotlink to Funding Opportunities
National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/funding/
Health & Human Services &NIH Grants & Funding
http://www.dhhs.gov/grants/index.shtmlhttp://grants2.nih.gov/grants/index.cfm
NASA Research Opportunities http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/
Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/open_awards.htm
Department of DefenseDARPAArmy Research OfficeNaval Research OfficeAir Force Research Office
http://www.darpa.mil/baa/http://www.aro.ncren.net/research/index.htmhttp://www.onr.navy.mil/default.asphttp://www.afosr.af.mil/oppts/afrfund.htm#Research
USDA/CSREES http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/research.html
32Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
“Backgrounding” an agency and evaluating a potential funding
opportunity
33Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Backgrounding the Funding Agency:Questions to Ask
What are its mission and goals? What are its investment priorities, strategic plan? What time horizon are they aiming for? How do they get their funding? What procedures do they use to notify the
community of funding opportunities? Who influences their planning and goals? What language do they use?
34Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Backgrounding Funding AgencyQuestions to Ask
What is their culture like? What procedures do they use to review
proposals and make funding decisions? What are their review criteria? How are they organized? Who are the personnel and what is their
background? What have they funded in the past? What is their budget?
35Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Backgrounding the Funding AgencySources of Information
Web site Solicitation Organization Chart Strategic Plan/ Roadmap Bios of Program Officers Reports, Publications Contacts with Program
Officers (visits, conferences, phone and e-mail conversations)
Agency workshops and seminars
Leadership Speeches Congressional Testimony Current Funded Projects
Databases Project Abstracts Contacts with Funded
Researchers Contacts with former
Program Officers Contacts with former
Reviewers
36Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding Agency Culture & Mission
Agency reflects vision, mission, objectives, and strategic goals of founding intent;
Operational components of agency reflect a range of objectives, for example: Strategic research plan Strategic research plan Strategic investment planStrategic investment plan Research portfolio & investment time horizonResearch portfolio & investment time horizon Technology transfer, patenting, licensing, Technology transfer, patenting, licensing,
commercializationcommercialization Research priorities & characteristicsResearch priorities & characteristics
37Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding Agency Culture & Mission Basic Research Agencies (NSF, NIH)
Independent agency & management Independent research vision, mission, & objectives Award criteria based on intellectual and scientific excellence Peer panel reviewed, ranked, and awarded by merit Focus on fundamental or basic research at the “frontiers of
science,” innovation, and creation of new knowledge Open ended, exploratory, long investment horizon; Non-classified, non-proprietary
38Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding Agency Culture & Mission
Mission-oriented federal agency research & development
R&D serves agency goals and objectives, but reflect Executive Branch policy directions, or congressional E.g., Agriculture, Energy, Education, Defense, HealthE.g., Agriculture, Energy, Education, Defense, Health
Scope of work tightly defines research tasks/deliverables Predominately applied research for meeting near term
objectives, technology development & transfer, policy goals Predominately internal review by program officers Awards based on merit, but also on geographic distribution,
political distribution, long term relationship with agency, Legislative & Executive branch policies
Classified and non-classified research
39Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding Agency Investment PrioritiesExamples
National Science Foundation Strategic Plan 2003-08 (Strategic Plan 2003-08 (
http://www.nsf.gov/od/gpra/Strategic_Plan/FY2003-2008.http://www.nsf.gov/od/gpra/Strategic_Plan/FY2003-2008.pdfpdf))
Office of the Director (Office of the Director (http://www.http://www.nsfnsf..govgov//odod//)) National Institutes of Health
NIH Roadmap (NIH Roadmap (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/))
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni (NIH Director Elias Zerhouni (http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/plus/nihroadmap.pdfhttp://www.sciencemag.org/feature/plus/nihroadmap.pdf))
NIH Director’s Page (NIH Director’s Page (http://www.http://www.nihnih..govgov/about/director//about/director/))
40Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding Agency PrioritiesExamples
Department of Education Dept of Ed Strategic Plan Dept of Ed Strategic Plan
http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/plan2002-07/index.htmlhttp://www.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/plan2002-07/index.html Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Mission Statement, Strategic Plan and Goals http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/aboutus.html
Reports and resources http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/reports.html
41Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funded Projects Databases
NSF Award Search Site (abstracts of awards available) http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/index.jsp
NIH Award Search Site (abstracts of awards available) http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/crisp/crisp_query.generate_screenhttp://crisp.cit.nih.gov/ DoD
SBIR/STTR Search http://www.dodsbir.net/Awards/Default.asp NEH Awards Search http://www.neh.gov/news/recentawards.html USDA Awards information and Forms http://cris.csrees.usda.gov/ US Dept. of Education – Awards Search (limited)
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/grantaward/start.cfm
42Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Sifting through RFPs
What do they want to accomplish through this program?
How much money is allocated and how many awards are anticipated?
Who is eligible to apply? What are the budget guidelines? What, if any, partnerships are required? Have other grants been made under this
program?
43Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Request for Proposals, RFP
Program Description Mission Context Eligibility Information Award Information Review Criteria Program Officers Reference Documents Award Administration
Proposal Guidelines FormatFormat Document OrderDocument Order Project DescriptionProject Description Scope of WorkScope of Work Performance GoalsPerformance Goals ManagementManagement AttachmentsAttachments
Budget Guidelines
44Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Performance Expectations
Publications Curriculum Commercialization Patents Degrees awarded Technologies Map to RFP & Evaluation Criteria May require internal and/or external evaluation;
annual performance review
45Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Researching a Specific Funding Opportunity
46Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Reading the Solicitation
Read and re-read the solicitation! The solicitation is not a list of suggestions;
it is a list of requirements It is a window into the thinking of the
funding agency
47Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Things to Look for in the Solicitation Purpose of the program Research topics of interest Changes from previous programs Inspiration for program and references Program requirements Proposal requirements Budget guidelines Review criteria* If you are pursuing an unsolicited opportunity, you
will have to find these things out using other available information sources
48Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Purpose of the Program
Commonly discussed in “background” section Make sure the goals of your proposed project
mirror the program goals Look for words that are repeated often
e.g., “innovative” e.g., “innovative” You will want to use those words to describe your You will want to use those words to describe your
project (and back up those claims)project (and back up those claims) The outcomes of your proposed project should
support program objectives
49Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Research Topics of Interest Understand which topics are fundable under this
solicitation Read solicitationRead solicitation Look at funding history (use databases, if available)Look at funding history (use databases, if available) Talk to Program OfficerTalk to Program Officer
Note terminology and language used; you will want to use similar terminology in your proposal
50Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Inspiration for Program and References Program may be result of committee report (e.g.,
National Academies, National Science Board, special study committees)
May be documented in Workshop presentations and reports
May be documented in final reports and publications of previously funded projects
May be outgrowth of agency roadmap, strategic planning
Read and cite these reports in your proposal
51Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Program Requirements
Read carefully and make a checklist Plan to explain how you will meet each program
requirement Start work on setting up collaborations,
partnerships if needed Supporting letters may be needed for your proposalSupporting letters may be needed for your proposal
To be competitive, you must meet all program requirements
52Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Explicit Proposal Requirements Note carefully formatting rules (page limits,
fonts, margins, etc.) – these may be in a separate document
Look for suggested or required sections Make an outline that mirrors solicitationMake an outline that mirrors solicitation Include checklist of everything that must be Include checklist of everything that must be
addressed, divided by sections; keep this checklist addressed, divided by sections; keep this checklist through early draftsthrough early drafts
Note supplementary documents needed Bios, Lists of Current Funding, Letters of support, Bios, Lists of Current Funding, Letters of support,
Facilities and Equipment, etc.Facilities and Equipment, etc.
53Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Unspoken Expectations Qualifications and experience of PI(s) Infrastructure provided by PI’s institution Preliminary data
Very important!Very important! Varies greatly depending on agency, discipline, etc.Varies greatly depending on agency, discipline, etc.
Info sources: Previous awardeesPrevious awardees Previous reviewersPrevious reviewers Program officers and previous program officersProgram officers and previous program officers
54Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Talking to the Program Officer Do your homework first
Read solicitation carefullyRead solicitation carefully Read background documentsRead background documents Investigate previously funded projectsInvestigate previously funded projects
Prepare a concise description of your project Goals, objectives, outcomesGoals, objectives, outcomes One short paragraphOne short paragraph
Try e-mail and phone If possible, use e-mail to set up phone conversationIf possible, use e-mail to set up phone conversation Ask open-ended questions and listen carefullyAsk open-ended questions and listen carefully
55Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Talking to Previous Awardees Most previous awardees very generous (unless
they will be competing with you for renewal) Ask about program reviews, feedback from
program officer Be aware that programs may evolve and criteria
change Previous awardees often also reviewers May make sense to cite results of previous
awardee or forge a connection with previously funded programs
56Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Review Criteria
Most important part of solicitation! Plan how you will meet each review criterion Structure your proposal outline to reflect review
criteria If you are weak in an area, plan how you will
address this
57Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Review Process
Could be: Standing review committeeStanding review committee Ad hoc panelAd hoc panel Ad hoc mail reviewsAd hoc mail reviews Internal reviewInternal review CombinationCombination
Who will be your reviewers and what is their background?
58Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Preparing to Write Research agency Research program Develop detailed outline Research literature and previous work Generate preliminary data, if needed Develop collaborations, partnerships, support, if
needed Line up institutional support, if needed Line up colleagues to edit your outline and
proposal Generate schedule for producing your proposal
59Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Set up a Schedule to Produce Your Proposal
Work back from deadline Start budget early E-mail your draft text and final budget to
proposal administrator for routing Allow at least 4 days for routing; additional time
if multiple investigators PIPI Department HeadDepartment Head DeanDean Office of Sponsored ProjectsOffice of Sponsored Projects
60Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Collaborations/Partnerships Work on these before you start writing Be clear about roles of collaborators and
partners Establish split of resources
For TAMU collaborators, agree on budget splitFor TAMU collaborators, agree on budget split Be sure collaborators and partners get
something out of participating in the project If you need a letter of collaboration, offer to write
a draft for your collaborator to edit Include specifics on what they will do and support Include specifics on what they will do and support
they will providethey will provide Explain who the collaborator is and their motivationExplain who the collaborator is and their motivation
61Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Preliminary Data
Understand the expectations of the agency and program How much preliminary data is expected?How much preliminary data is expected? Higher risk research will require more preliminary dataHigher risk research will require more preliminary data Less experienced researchers will generally need Less experienced researchers will generally need
more preliminary datamore preliminary data Preliminary data should strengthen reviewers’
perception of your chance of success
62Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Line up Editors
Look for colleagues who have been funded by agency to which you are applying
Talk to them early Ask colleagues to review your detailed outline Look for someone who will be brutally honest
63Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Institutional Support Is cost sharing (matching) required?
What type? (Cash, in-kind?)What type? (Cash, in-kind?) What rules apply?What rules apply?
Are other resources required? Work to set these up early
Typically start with your Dept. Head and move upTypically start with your Dept. Head and move up If specific facilities required, work with facility providerIf specific facilities required, work with facility provider
Determine supporting documentation needed Research Foundation can help
64Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Contact Your Proposal Administrator
May need to “log in” proposal Provide help with budgets Oversee approval process (“routing”) Officially submit proposal Contact your proposal administrator early!
65Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Writing the Proposal
66Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Introductory writing tips
Summary and introduction are key May be all reviewers readMay be all reviewers read Must excite and grab the attentionMust excite and grab the attention
Reviewers will assume errors in language and usage will translate into errors in the science
Don’t be overly ambitious in what you propose, but convey credibility and capacity to perform
67Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Introductory writing tips Sell your proposal to a good scientist but not an
expert; Some review panels may not have an expert in your
field, or panels may be blended for multidisciplinary initiatives;
Agencies & reviewers fund compelling, exciting research
Proposals are not journal articles—proposals must be user-friendly and offer a narrative that tells a story that is memorable to reviewers
68Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Following agency guidelines Read solicitation and/or proposal guide carefully
for formatting requirements and follow scrupulously Font and font sizeFont and font size Page limitsPage limits Biosketch formatsBiosketch formats Citation formatCitation format
Avoids disqualification of your proposal Avoids irritating reviewers
69Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Make your proposal easy to read
Reviewers often have 8 or 10 proposals to read Use white space, underlining, bold, bullets,
figures, flowcharts to make main points easy to find
Put main idea of sections and paragraphs up front
70Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
71Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
72Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Must Convince Reviewers… Your proposed research should be funded
It’s important and supports the agency mission and It’s important and supports the agency mission and program goalsprogram goals
It’s excitingIt’s exciting It has a good chance of succeedingIt has a good chance of succeeding
You are the person who should conduct the proposed research You are knowledgeable and well-qualifiedYou are knowledgeable and well-qualified You have the support and resources requiredYou have the support and resources required
73Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Structure of Proposal
Often dictated by solicitation or other agency document NSF – Grant Proposal GuideNSF – Grant Proposal Guide NIH – PHS 398NIH – PHS 398 DoD – Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)DoD – Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
Also guided by evaluation criteria ED often assigns points for each criterionED often assigns points for each criterion
74Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Proposal Sections: Examples Project Summary Project Description/Research Narrative
Goals/Objectives/Specific AimsGoals/Objectives/Specific Aims Introduction/OverviewIntroduction/Overview Background and SignificanceBackground and Significance Approach/MethodologyApproach/Methodology Research PlanResearch Plan Preliminary DataPreliminary Data Broader Impacts (NSF)Broader Impacts (NSF)
Literature Cited Budget Budget Justification Biosketches Funded Projects Equipment and Facilities
75Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Summary May be the only thing the reviewer readsMay be the only thing the reviewer reads Must “grab” the reviewerMust “grab” the reviewer Should communicate concisely:Should communicate concisely:
Intellectual framework of proposed project The goals and signficance of the proposed project Who will be conducting the project and, briefly, their qualifications Project outcomes
Must communicate excitementMust communicate excitement Check for additional requirementsCheck for additional requirements
E.g., intellectual merit and broader impacts in NSF proposals Project name, category, etc.
76Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Goals/Specific Aims
State specific, measurable goals of your project
Tie to program/agency mission and goals If hypothesis-based research, state your
hypothesis Discuss expected outcomes
77Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Introduction/Overview
Provides a framework for the reviewer Remainder of proposal will flesh out this
framework Opportunity to make important points up front Communicate your excitement!
78Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Background/Literature Review Spend some time researching this This section should tie closely to your proposed
research What are the holes in current knowledge that your What are the holes in current knowledge that your
work will fill?work will fill? How does your research extend and advance How does your research extend and advance
knowledge in the field?knowledge in the field? Do not be dismissive of previous research Be thorough in citing important work but be
concise
79Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Significance
Explain explicitly why proposed research is important Tie to agency and program goalsTie to agency and program goals Relate to review criteriaRelate to review criteria
Make this easy to find
80Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Preliminary Data/Previous Work Be aware of expectations regarding amount of
preliminary data Varies by agencyVaries by agency Varies by programVaries by program Varies by disciplineVaries by discipline Higher risk projects may require more preliminary Higher risk projects may require more preliminary
datadata Discussion of preliminary data must connect
clearly to proposed project
81Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Approach/Research Plan/Methodology
Be very clear about how you will accomplish your stated goals and objectives
Include details What, specifically, will you do when you get the What, specifically, will you do when you get the
money?money? Schedules and milestones may be helpfulSchedules and milestones may be helpful This is especially important if you are a relatively new This is especially important if you are a relatively new
researcherresearcher Address any potential dead ends, roadblocks,
show-stoppers and how you will deal with them Avoid ambiguous terminology – be very specific!
82Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Connect narrative text to budget Budget categories are defined by the funding
agency Be sure activities discussed in narrative are
reflected in budget Connect narrative text to the budget to ensure
appropriate balance and proportion, If a budget justification section is requested, use
it to complement and deepen the narrative detail
83Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Beware of Boiler Plate
Thinking of proposal narrative as “boiler plate” will result in a mediocre, disjoint proposal
Begin each proposal as a new effort, not a copy & paste
Be very cautious integrating text inserts Strong proposals clearly reflect a coherent,
sustained, and integrated argument grounded on good ideas
84Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Outcomes or deliverables
Develop short, hard-hitting lists off-set by bullets or other typographical formats
Relate outcomes to goals and objectives Outcomes should be specific and
measurable Timelines and schedules with milestones
can orient reviewers and provide a quick overview of how program components fit together
85Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Project assessment and evaluation How will you know if you were successful? Describe what will be measured in order to
assess how well project met each of its objectives Who will conduct assessment? Who will conduct assessment? Discuss logisticsDiscuss logistics
Formative assessment: conducted throughout project and results fed back to improve project
Summative assessment: final assessment at end of project
86Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Craft of grant writing web sites http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/research/writing.htm http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/1999/08/27/1 http://grants.library.wisc.edu/index.html http://www.research.umich.edu/proposals/PWG/pwgcomplete.html http://www.asru.ilstu.edu/grantwritingseries.htm http://grants.nih.gov/grants/grant_tips.htm http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/title.htm http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04016/start.htm http://www.aecom.yu.edu/ogs/Guide/Guide.htm http://www.awag.org/Grant%20Seekers%20Tool%20Kit/index.htm http://www.americanscientist
.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/23947?fulltext=true&print=yes&print=yes http://www.pitt.edu/~offres/proposal/propwriting/websites.html
87Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Interpreting Reviews
If you are funded…..
If not…. Put the reviews away for a few daysPut the reviews away for a few days Then take them out and read carefullyThen take them out and read carefully Call the program officer for more feedbackCall the program officer for more feedback Evaluate if you should resubmitEvaluate if you should resubmit
88Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Interpreting Reviews – Planning to Resubmit
Were certain issues mentioned consistently? Plan how to address those issuesPlan how to address those issues
Did the reviewers misunderstand your proposal? Plan how to make your text more clearPlan how to make your text more clear
Was no clear issue mentioned? May not have excited reviewers enoughMay not have excited reviewers enough May not be an area they wish to fund nowMay not be an area they wish to fund now May not fit into their research portfolioMay not fit into their research portfolio
Many funded proposals were funded after multiple submissions intelligent perseverance is the key!
89Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Early Career Programs for Faculty
NSF CAREER DoD
Young Investigator (ONR, ARL)Young Investigator (ONR, ARL) Congressionally Mandated Directed Medical Research Congressionally Mandated Directed Medical Research
Programs Young InvestigatorPrograms Young Investigator
NASA New Investigator Program in Earth-Sun Systems NIH
Scientist Development Award for New Minority FacultyScientist Development Award for New Minority Faculty Career Development Awards (K-awards)Career Development Awards (K-awards)
Esp. Career Transition (K22) Award NIAMS Small Grants Program for New InvestigatorsNIAMS Small Grants Program for New Investigators
90Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Early Career Programs for Faculty
Foundations Burroughs Wellcome FundBurroughs Wellcome Fund PhRMA FoundationPhRMA Foundation Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Early Career Fellowship in Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Early Career Fellowship in
Economic StudiesEconomic Studies Kellogg Forum Rising Stars, etc.Kellogg Forum Rising Stars, etc.
Professional organization “early career” or “young investigator” programs American Philosophical Society – Franklin Research GrantsAmerican Philosophical Society – Franklin Research Grants
Listing of Programs http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Fund/newfaculty.htmlhttp://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Fund/newfaculty.html
91Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF CAREER Program
Duration: 5 years Funding level: “minimum” $400K total (except min.
$500K total for BIO directorate) Eligibility:
Have a PhDHave a PhD Untenured, holding tenure-track Asst. Prof. position or equivalentUntenured, holding tenure-track Asst. Prof. position or equivalent Have not competed in CAREER more than two times previouslyHave not competed in CAREER more than two times previously Have not won a CAREER awardHave not won a CAREER award
Due: July 19 – 21 depending on directorate Typical 10 – 20% success rate Solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?
ods_key=nsf05579
92Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
ONR Young Investigator Program (Office of Naval Research)
$100,000 per year for three years FY 05 proposal was due 13 January 2005. FY06 announcement will be posted in September 2005 http://www.onr.navy.mil/02/baa/docs/fy2005yip.doc U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents earned
PhD within last 5 years Approx. 24 awards
93Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
ONR Young Investigator
“The objectives of this program are to attract outstanding faculty members of Institutions of Higher Education (hereafter also called "universities") to the Department of the Navy's research program, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers.”
“Proposals falling within the broad scope of naval research interests will be considered.”
94Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
ONR Areas of Research Interesthttp://www.onr.navy.mil/
Information, Electronics & Surveillance (Code 31) Electronics; Math, Computer and Information Sciences; Electronics; Math, Computer and Information Sciences;
Surveillance, Communications, and Electronic Combat Surveillance, Communications, and Electronic Combat Ocean, Atmosphere & Space (Code 32)
Sensing and Systems; Processes and Prediction Sensing and Systems; Processes and Prediction Engineering, Materials & Physical Science (Code 33)
Physical Sciences; Materials; Mechanics and Energy Conversion; Physical Sciences; Materials; Mechanics and Energy Conversion; Ship Hull, Mechanical & Electrical Systems; Navy S&T Ship Office Ship Hull, Mechanical & Electrical Systems; Navy S&T Ship Office
Human Systems (Code 34) Medical and Biological Division; Cognitive, Neural and Social Medical and Biological Division; Cognitive, Neural and Social
Division Division Naval Expeditionary Warfare (Code 35)
Strike Technology; Expeditionary Warfare Operations Strike Technology; Expeditionary Warfare Operations
95Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Army Research Lab Young Investigator Up to $50K per year for 3 years Eligibility
U.S. citizens holding tenure-track positions at U.S. universities and U.S. citizens holding tenure-track positions at U.S. universities and collegescolleges
have held their graduate degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) for fewer than have held their graduate degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) for fewer than five years at the time of application. five years at the time of application.
Broad Agency Announcement at http://www.aro.army.mil/research/arl/fy06arlbaa.pdf
Research Areas ““Proposals are invited for research in areas described in PART I, Proposals are invited for research in areas described in PART I,
Research Areas 1-8 only of this BAA. Proposals may be submitted at Research Areas 1-8 only of this BAA. Proposals may be submitted at any time. As is the case for the regular research programs, we any time. As is the case for the regular research programs, we strongly encourage informal discussions with the cognizant ARO strongly encourage informal discussions with the cognizant ARO technical program managertechnical program manager before submission of a formal propo before submission of a formal proposal. “sal. “
96Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NIH K programs for New Faculty Series of very targeted programs
See K Kiosk at See K Kiosk at http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm
Directed at retraining, professional developmentDirected at retraining, professional development
Check CRISP data base on NIH web site for info on funded programs
Recent TAMU winners: Christopher Quick (Vet) K-25Christopher Quick (Vet) K-25 Victor Ugaz (Chem E) K-22Victor Ugaz (Chem E) K-22 Helene Andrews (HSC) K-08Helene Andrews (HSC) K-08 Alberto Gallegos (Vet) K-25Alberto Gallegos (Vet) K-25
97Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Other Programs
NASA New Investigator Program in Earth and Sun System Science
http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={8EF416B1-14FF-1C41-42CD-514C32F6A495}&stack=pushmethod=init&solId={8EF416B1-14FF-1C41-42CD-514C32F6A495}&stack=push
Notice of intent due June 30, 2005 Notice of intent due June 30, 2005 Full due August 31, 2005Full due August 31, 2005
Carl Sagan Fellowship for Early Career Research Varying submission times depending on topicVarying submission times depending on topic http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?
method=init&solId={8C5AB22A-061D-3D19-00B8-method=init&solId={8C5AB22A-061D-3D19-00B8-B37C7FBB7529}&stack=pushB37C7FBB7529}&stack=push
98Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Other Programs Foundations
Check their annual reports for goals, cultureCheck their annual reports for goals, culture Burroughs Wellcome FundBurroughs Wellcome Fund PhRMA FoundationPhRMA Foundation Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Early Career Fellowship in Economic Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Early Career Fellowship in Economic
StudiesStudies Kellogg Forum Rising Stars, etc.Kellogg Forum Rising Stars, etc.
Professional Organizations Search on Google:
““early career”, “young investigator”, junior faculty”early career”, “young investigator”, junior faculty” Check Check
http://www.unh.edu/osr/ http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Fund/newfaculty.html
99Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Young Investigator Programs Do your homework!
Mission and culture of funding agencyMission and culture of funding agency Talk to program directorTalk to program director Find out what has been funded in the pastFind out what has been funded in the past Talk to successful prior winners if possibleTalk to successful prior winners if possible
Follow the directions and read the solicitation carefully Clearly describe your goals, your work plan and the
benefits of your work Don’t give up!
Learn from reviewsLearn from reviews Talk to program officer about how you might address short Talk to program officer about how you might address short
comingscomings Apply again as long as you are eligible!Apply again as long as you are eligible!
100Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Questions and Discussion
101Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
National Science Foundation Funds research in:
Biological Sciences (BIO) Computer and Info Science and Eng (CISE) Engineering (ENG) Education and Human Resources (EHR) Geosciences (GEO) Math and Physical Sciences (MPS) Polar Research (OPP) Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
(SBE) Cross-cutting Research
102Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF
In addition to research grants, NSF funds: InstrumentationInstrumentation Conferences and WorkshopsConferences and Workshops Doctoral Research in Selected Areas (Doctoral Doctoral Research in Selected Areas (Doctoral
Dissertation Improvement Grants)Dissertation Improvement Grants) International TravelInternational Travel Graduate FellowshipsGraduate Fellowships
103Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF mission
To support: Basic scientific research and research fundamental to Basic scientific research and research fundamental to
the engineering processthe engineering process Programs to strength scientific and engineering Programs to strength scientific and engineering
research potentialresearch potential Science and engineering education programs at all Science and engineering education programs at all
levels and in all fields of science and engineeringlevels and in all fields of science and engineering An information base on science and engineering An information base on science and engineering
appropriate for development of national and appropriate for development of national and international policyinternational policy
104Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF: Goals and mission Agency goals are defined in terms of people,
ideas and tools People:People: A diverse, competitive, and globally engaged A diverse, competitive, and globally engaged
U.S. workforce of scientists, engineers, technologists U.S. workforce of scientists, engineers, technologists and well-prepared citizens;and well-prepared citizens;
Ideas:Ideas: Discovery across the frontier of science and Discovery across the frontier of science and engineering, connected to learning, innovation and engineering, connected to learning, innovation and service to society;service to society;
Tools:Tools: Broadly accessible state-of-the-art science Broadly accessible state-of-the-art science and engineering facilities, tools, and other and engineering facilities, tools, and other infrastructure that enable discovery, learning and infrastructure that enable discovery, learning and innovationinnovation
105Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF Organization
3/23/2005 22
National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
Inspector General
National Science Board
DirectorDeputy Director
Staff Offices
Computer & Information
Science& Engineering
Engineering GeosciencesMathematical
& PhysicalSciences
Social, Behavioral& Economic
Sciences
Education & Human Resources
Budget, Finance & Award
Management
Information Resource
Management
Biological Sciences
106Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Directorates divided into divisions
Example: Math and Physical Sciences (MPS) Astronomical Sciences (ASI)Astronomical Sciences (ASI) Chemistry (CHE)Chemistry (CHE) Materials Research (DMR)Materials Research (DMR) Physics (PHY)Physics (PHY) Division Mathematical Sciences (DMS)Division Mathematical Sciences (DMS)
107Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Programs/clusters within organization
Materials Research CeramicsCeramics MetalsMetals Electronic MaterialsElectronic Materials Condensed Matter PhysicsCondensed Matter Physics Materials TheoryMaterials Theory Solid State ChemistrySolid State Chemistry Etc…….Etc…….
108Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Funding opportunities see “Guide to Programs” at http://www.nsf.gov
/funding/browse_all_funding.jsp Program Description or Program Announcement Program Description or Program Announcement
(“unsolicited”)(“unsolicited”) SolicitationsSolicitations SupplementsSupplements Dear Colleague LetterDear Colleague Letter SGER (Special Grants for Exploratory Research)SGER (Special Grants for Exploratory Research)
109Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Example funding opportunities Grants Funding Equipment (web sites in handout)
Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities (EAR/IF)Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities (EAR/IF) Research Equipment for Chemical Transport System Research Equipment for Chemical Transport System
DivisionDivision Chemical Research Instrumentation and FacilitiesChemical Research Instrumentation and Facilities Multi-user Equipment and Instrumentation Resources Multi-user Equipment and Instrumentation Resources
for Biological Sciencesfor Biological Sciences Archaeometry AwardsArchaeometry Awards Astronomical Sciences Advanced Technologies and Astronomical Sciences Advanced Technologies and
Instrumentation (ATI)Instrumentation (ATI)
110Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Example funding opportunitiesCAREER
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5262&from=fund Duration: 5 years Funding level: “minimum” $400K total (except min. $500K total for
BIO directorate) Eligibility:
Have a PhDHave a PhD Untenured, holding tenure-track assistant prof. Position or equivalentUntenured, holding tenure-track assistant prof. Position or equivalent Have not competed in CAREER more than two times previouslyHave not competed in CAREER more than two times previously Have not won a CAREER awardHave not won a CAREER award
Due: July 20 – 22 depending on directorate Typical 10 – 20% success rate
111Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF Review Criteria
Intellectual Merit How important is activity to advancing knowledge and understanding in How important is activity to advancing knowledge and understanding in
own field and across fields?own field and across fields? How well-qualified is proposer to conduct project?How well-qualified is proposer to conduct project? How creative and original are ideas?How creative and original are ideas? How well-conceived and organized is proposed activity?How well-conceived and organized is proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?Is there sufficient access to resources?
Broader Impacts How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while
promoting teaching, training and learning?promoting teaching, training and learning? Will it enhance infrastructure for research and education such as Will it enhance infrastructure for research and education such as
facilities, networks, partnerships?facilities, networks, partnerships? Will results be disseminated broadly to enhance understanding of Will results be disseminated broadly to enhance understanding of
science?science? What are potential benefits to society of proposed research?What are potential benefits to society of proposed research?
112Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
NSF Review Criteria (cont’d)
Integration of Research and Education How well does project foster integration of research How well does project foster integration of research
and education, infusing education with the excitement and education, infusing education with the excitement of discovery?of discovery?
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects and Activities How well does project broaden opportunities and How well does project broaden opportunities and
enable the participation of all citizens, women and enable the participation of all citizens, women and men, underrepresented minorities and persons with men, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities?disabilities?
113Office of Proposal Development Texas A&M University
Review Process
May be ad hoc or panel review (at least three reviewers)
Proposal rated: Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, PoorExcellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor Comments included as feedbackComments included as feedback
NSF tries to return reviews within 6 months of due date