Successful Successful Strategies for Strategies for Acquiring Funding: Acquiring Funding:

“Secrets” of “Secrets” of A.I.R.A.I.R.

George Hong, Ph.D.Professor of HistoryFebruary 19, 2014

oAttractive proposaloImpressive PI’s CredentialoRight Sponsor

AAttractive ttractive ProposalProposalS.M.A.R.T Principals:

Simple AbstractMeasurable OutcomesAchievable Goals Reasonable Budget Tangible Plans

SSimple Abstractimple Abstract1) Why is it necessary? The reviewers spend 63% of

their time reading the abstract only.

The reviewers only take about 45 minutes on average to read a proposal, including the time to write their comments.

About 30% of reviewers are not native speaking scholars

2) 2) How to make a simple abstract?How to make a simple abstract?

Less than 250 words (one page)Generally written in the third person rather than the first person

Write the abstract last, not the first

Briefly states the rationale, goals and objectives (Why)

Presents a brief overview of the proposed plan and activities (What)

Briefly states the expected input, output, impact, significance or contribution

MMeasurable Outcomeseasurable Outcomes1) Why are they important for a winning

proposal?• They are worth 15-25% of the total

evaluation points• Easier for reviewers to criticize• Many federal proposals failed due to

the deficiency of this performance2) Why are they difficult to address?• Education is not business and its

outcome is hard to be measured in a short timeframe

• Scholarly research is hard to be measured quantitatively

• Lack of assessment training

2) Quantitative results

A. Number of participants (beneficiary)

B. Deliverable products (reports, paper, and grants)

C. Changes in the curriculum and program

D. Practical improvement of facility and equipment

3) Qualitative analysis. The method of coding is popular for analysis.

4) Method of assessment, such as rubric, questionnaire, statistical survey through new technology, and mass media coverage. (need to list the samples).

Example A: Objective, Example A: Objective, Outcome and Measurement Outcome and Measurement Table (OOM Table)Table (OOM Table)

Goal 1: XXXX

OOM Table Continue…OOM Table Continue…

Objectives Outcomes Measurements Objective 1.1

1) XX will be trained. 2) XX reports will be submitted

1) Participants’ registration record 2) local media coverage 3) Feedback from a post-workshop questionnaire 4) XX 10-page reports from trainees

OOM Table Continue…OOM Table Continue… Objective 1.2 Introduce and disseminate American democratic theories and practice on mass media to Chinese trainees through an instructional Website

Outcomes 20,000 visits to access the electronic version of the proposed Website

Measurements 1) Track visits to website 2) Chinese local media coverage on workshops and symposium

Goal 2 XXX

OOM Table Continue…OOM Table Continue… Objective 2.1

Outcomes 1) XXX will participate in the symposium. 2) XXX will establish dialogues.

Measurements 1) Participant registration records 2) Feedback from a questionnaire 3) Follow-up interviews with participants

OOM Continue…OOM Continue… Objective 2.2

Outcomes XXX will attend two recap sessions .

Measurements 1) Participant registration records 2) Comprehensive final report 3) Feedback from a questionnaire at recap sessions 4) Comprehensive recap minutes

OOM Continue…OOM Continue…

Objective 2.3 Sustain training programs

Outcomes A joint training institute will be established at XXX University.

Measurements A detail final report which includes infrastructure, personnel, and budget will be submitted before the end of the three-year project.

Example B: Monitoring and Example B: Monitoring and Evaluation Model Plan (M&E)Evaluation Model Plan (M&E)1) Trainee Application2) Trainee Registration and Attendance Sheets

3) A Pre-Workshop Questionnaire4) Post-Workshop Questionnaire5) Reform Plan by Trainees 6) Reform Report by Trainees7) Reform Report by the Evaluator

8) Interviews 9) Media Coverage10) Final Survey 11) Program Quarterly Reports

Performance Indicators

Base-line

Annual Targets

Type of Data

M&E Data Collection Tool

Data Source

Frequency of M&E

AAchievable Goalschievable Goals

1) From Bottom Up Strategy (detail projects and plans--feasible objectives-- achievable goals)2) New Bottle with Old Wine Strategy (innovational format and conventional contents)

““One picture is worth a thousand words.One picture is worth a thousand words.””

Growth of Religious Organizations in Growth of Religious Organizations in China (1978-2004)China (1978-2004)

RReasonableeasonable BudgetBudget

1) Don’t make the personnel budget too high (up to 70%)2) Don’t overstate what you cannot do.

TTangible Planangible Plan

1) Paper vs. proposal; ideas vs. project2) Timetable3) Interactions between steps4) Project Details5) Logic Model

Logic ModelLogic Model

NEEDS INPUTS ACTIVITIESEXPECTEDOUTPUTS

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

LONG-TERMIMPACT

ASSUMPTIONS EXTERNAL FACTORS

II. II. IImpressive PImpressive PI’’s s Credential Credential Build up your track

records:1. Try small grant but

big name 2. Try teamwork (1+1>2)3. Try to “kill more

birds with one stone”

4. Try the right process4. Try the right process

A. Three logical steps: conference presentation, grant proposal, and publication

B. Service project: brainstorming session, pilot studies with “seed” money, and full comprehensive grant proposal

C. Regarding the level of difficulty, try internal grant, professional association, international, private, state and federal grants

III. III. RRighight Sponsorst Sponsors

Overview—Type of sponsors1)Federal Large grant--obtain reviewer’s comments, get other funded proposal as your referenceSlow, 6-9 months, tough competition, tough regulation.

2) 2) Private or Corporate Private or Corporate FoundationsFoundations

The 1,005 large private foundations supported altogether 127,728,000 projects, totaling $15,924,895,000.

This amount was dispensed mainly in the following areas: education (26%), health (18%), human services (15%), arts and culture (12%), public affairs and society benefit (11%), environment and animals (6%), science and technology (4%), religion (3%), international affairs (3%), and social sciences (2%)

2) 2) Private continues…Private continues… Common characteristics: relatively small, usually under $50,000. The median grant for each project was only $25,000.

Requirements for the quality of proposals are less rigorous, review time relatively short

No reviewers’ comments

3) Others3) Others

International foundations

Professional Societies or Associations

Academic Institutions (internal grant, pilot money)

How to make a right choice?How to make a right choice?

1)Select the right kind of fundingFederal agencies: 4 Rs: reliable PI, respectable scholarship, responsible assessment, and reasonable budget

Private foundations: Triple Ps: pioneering, persuasive and politically corrected projects

2) Select the right size of funding

More pains more gains; high risk high returning

3) Select the right level 3) Select the right level of fundingof funding Don’t jump before walking Pay special attention to RFP: 1. repeated words2. specific requirements and

constraints3. suggested preferences or priorities

according to the order4. review criteria5. model programs and winning proposal6. read RFP at least five times and

read one more time after drafting the proposal

IV. ConclusionIV. ConclusionTo make your proposal Attractive, you need to make it simple, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and tangible.

To make yourself Impressive, you need to build up your research credentials: no pains no gains, and more pains more gains

To make the selection of your sponsor Right, you need to know three 3Ws: who you are, what you want, and how much you want to pay to get what you want.

THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?