Grant Proposals• Write a grant proposal, with budget of

up to $10,000, to conduct an investigation to answer your research question(s).

•Due: May 4th

•Drafts Due: April 23rd

Suggestions from: The Art of Grantsmanship By

Jacob Kraicer

Grant Proposal

• A necessary evil• Very competitive

• So . . . • Be convincing (why is this important?)• Show you’re a scientist (well-written, concise, think carefully about how you’ll

conduct your investigation/experiment)

Grant Proposal

Have fun with it!

Goals:Process of asking scientific questions Reading through primary literature for relevant

informationHow to conduct experiments and collect useful dataPractice writing

You work at wind energy facility and your company is concerned about a desert tortoise population on your property which is in decline. You’ve set aside $10,000 to support a research project which you hope will ultimately stabilize your tortoise population. You hope that this study can improve desert tortoise conservation at other facilities nearby.

• You want to find a research project that put your organizations’ hard earned money to good use. What kind of information do you need to know about each project in order to make your decision?

What’s in a grant proposal?

How will the money be used?When will the research be completed?How will it be completed?How does your study improve our ability to conserve these tortoises?How will the results be shared?Is the research novel? Is it risky? Innovative?Are the researchers qualified? How do you know?What do we know already about this topic, and how does the proposed research fit in?What are the goals/objectives and hypotheses?What data will be collected? When?What kind of results might we expect? What kind of analyses will be done?

Grant Proposal

Parts:Name and InstitutionTitle

Descriptive, specific and appropriate, reflects the importance of the proposal

Brief SummaryResearch ProposalBudget

Grant Proposal

Parts:Name and InstitutionTitleBrief Summary

Should stand aloneBackground, hypotheses, objectives, approaches, research methods, significance

Research ProposalBudget

Grant Proposal

Research ProposalIntroduction

Relevant background and justificationWhy is this research important?

Hypotheses/Predictions (if relevant)MethodsBroader ImpactsReferences

How will global climate change affect “heat loving” desert reptiles? Climate change has been highlighted as a primary cause for global herpetofaunal diversity loss through the erosion of thermal niches (range in temperatures required for normal activity, Huey et al. 2010). Research has shown that when local temperatures exceed a Phrynosomatid lizard’s preferred body temperature (termed, the hours of restriction, hr) for more than 4 hours per day during the breeding season, mating success or survival declines (Sinervo et al. 2010). This results in a higher probability of local extinctions (Sinervo et al. 2010). Considering that the southwestern deserts are already warm environments, and that lizards from these areas operate at temperatures close to their critical thermal maximum (CTmax), it would seem that desert lizards are at a high risk of local extinction due to climate change. Sinervo et al. (2010) warn that climate-forced lizard extinctions are occurring globally; however, we lack an understanding of how local processes contribute towards species loss. Research is needed to understand how population-level conditions affect extinction probability, particularly in areas such as the deserts of southern California (a state with exceptional desert reptile diversity). Therefore, the object of this research is to explore how local populations differ in the number of hours of temperature restriction, as a variable related to extinction risk.

I predict that hr will be greater in areas at low elevations; or, in areas with disturbance (reduced cover resulting in higher average temperatures). To test these predictions, I will use local temperature information to estimate hours of restriction (hr), and evaluate the effect of local conditions on (hr).

1. Introduction identifies the subject area of interest?

2. Establishes the context of the study with a brief and unbiased review of the relevant primary literature?

3. Clearly states the purpose of the work and the problem, question, or hypothesis being addressed?

4. Clearly links the primary literature to the question being addressed?

5. Indicates the significance of the research and what the potential outcomes of the research are?

6. Introduction flows from general problem to specific questions and hypotheses?

7. All parts (background, question, hypotheses, and justification) are clear and identifiable?

Grant Proposal

Research ProposalIntroductionHypotheses/Predictions (if relevant)

What do you expect to find and why?MethodsBroader ImpactsReferences

Grant ProposalResearch Proposal

IntroductionHypotheses/Predictions (if relevant)Methods

How will you answer your questions? What data will you collect and how?Include techniques (field and lab)Data analysis plans

Broader ImpactsReferences

Grant Proposal

Research ProposalIntroductionHypotheses/Predictions (if relevant)MethodsBroader Impacts

How will society benefit from your work?References

Grant ProposalResearch Proposal

IntroductionHypotheses/Predictions (if relevant)MethodsBroader ImpactsReferences

At least 10Only things that are cited within the text

Grant ProposalReferences

Alphabetical in the following format:Last F, F Last, F Last, F Last. Year published. Title.

Journal volume(issue): pg-pg.

In-text citations:One author (Finlay 2002)Two authors (Knapp and Vredenburd 1996)More than two authors (Brown et al. 1994)

Grant Proposal

Parts:Name and InstitutionTitleBrief SummaryResearch ProposalBudget

Grant Proposal

BudgetItemized for how the money requested will be spentup to $10,000

Budget JustificationHow else are you paying for this research? Other grants you’re applying for?

Style

AmphibiaWeb• Species account content out of 13 pts

• Sending them into AmphibiaWeb, edited, 2 pts

• Total = 15 pts

• Triple check

• References

• Citations

• Edits are due April 14th

• If not sent back to me by then, I assume you don’t want it published

Before you leave…• What is your topic and what questions are to be addressed? • Are your objectives and aims coming into focus? • Do you have a clear, concise and testable hypothesis? • Can you define and design specific experiments that will test directly your hypothesis?

Next week:

• Turn in: • Updated question• Brief summary of hypotheses and potential methods• 10 primary sources that may be used to address your grant topic. Use proper

formatting!

• Fieldtrip: Can you go?• http://doodle.com/2aumrhzzg8929dpa