writing winning grant proposals: formulas for success mark a. mirando national program leader,...
TRANSCRIPT
Writing Winning Grant Proposals: Formulas For Success
Mark A. Mirando
National Program Leader,
National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program
Background and introduction
Ten things you must do
Developing a timeline for preparing your proposal
Some additional helpful hints
Most common criticisms of proposals
Organization
Background and Introduction My perspective on grantsmanship
ideas from experienced colleagues approaches from successful applicants
Emphasis on information for the novice a refresher the more experienced new ideas for old hands
Organized to help proposals that fall into the “gray” area just below the funding line
Start with a good idea ! Poor ideas will not be successful regardless
of how well they are “packaged”
Good ideas are often not funded because they are not packaged well
For every good idea that is funded, there are others that aren’t – not packaged well
Then improve the packaging !
Background and Introduction
Acronyms used in this presentation:
RFA = Request for Applications
RFP = Request for Proposals (same as RFA)
Background and Introduction
Ten Things You Must Do
1. Find the right program for you and your idea Main purpose of program (funding priorities) - does
your idea fit in mainstream or on the fringe
Find out where abstracts of previously funded projects are ..… great source of information
Call the Program Manager to discuss your idea relative to the program priorities
Ten Things You Must Do
1. Find the right program for you and your idea Best approach is to find program in your area and
determine program priorities, then develop idea to fit within the program
Don’t waste time applying to the wrong program … square pegs do not fit in round holes
Eligibility restrictions ?
Ten Things You Must Do
2.2. Become a “student” of the RFA Become a “student” of the RFA Understand the main goals of the programUnderstand the main goals of the program
Does your idea fit within these goals?Does your idea fit within these goals?
Don’t hesitate to call the Program Manager
Understand the directions outlined in the RFA on how to assemble the proposal
Ten Things You Must Do
3. Develop a timeline for proposal preparation
Develop a timeline that will allow for completion of proposal 3 to 4 weeks before submission deadline
If you rush preparation of the proposal, it will show - reviewers will notice and will not be kind
Ten Things You Must Do
4. Understand criteria used to evaluate proposals RFA normally contains the criteria that will be used
by reviewers to evaluate your proposal
Understand these criteria BEFORE you begin preparing your proposal
Provides a greater understanding as to where to put the greatest efforts during proposal preparation
Ten Things You Must Do
4. Understand criteria used to evaluate proposals Typically review criteria include:
Scientific merit
Relevance to program priorities
Qualifications of project personnel
Planning and administration of project
Ten Things You Must Do
5. Understand the review process and reviewers
Reviewers are provided guidance by the program for evaluating proposals using evaluation criteria in the RFA
Reviewers evaluate each proposal ….. strengths, weakness, qualifications of personnel, probability of success, etc.
Ten Things You Must Do
5. Understand the review process and reviewers
Reviewers provide individual scores; when they meet as a group (review panel), they then provide a “group score”
Reviewers are looking for proposals they can champion and those they can dismiss
Ten Things You Must Do
5. Understand the review process and reviewers
Each reviewer may be assigned 10 to 25 proposals
Following directions in the RFA helps the reviewers; not following directions makes them work hard
Preparing the proposal logically and clearly helps reviewers; not doing so makes them work hard
Ten Things You Must Do
5. Understand the review process and reviewers
To the degree you make a reviewer work hard, the probability of your proposal being funded decreases exponentially !
Work to make reviewers champion your proposal
Ten Things You Must Do
6. Write the proposal logically and clearly
Most important section of the entire proposal is the Project Summary or Abstract
Summary captures the essence of your proposal – must be clear, concise, well articulated and logical
Typically the only section that every reviewer reads
Ten Things You Must Do
6. Write the proposal logically and clearly
Organize proposal according to outline in RFA or review evaluation criteria, whichever is most logical
Following the prescribed format makes reviewers happy and more generous
Making reviewers work hard hurts you
Ten Things You Must Do
6. Write the proposal logically and clearly
Background establishes the need for the project -project is important and interesting
The need can be readily identified with the priorities of the program ….. make sure you say it in the proposal !
Ten Things You Must Do
6. Write the proposal logically and clearly
Overarching hypothesis (or goal)
Specific aims or objectives that test the hypothesis
Methodologies with associated timelines
Expected outcomes and impacts
Ten Things You Must Do
6. Write the proposal logically and clearly Reviewers must be convinced that:
Goals reflect major priorities of the program If objectives are accomplished, you will attain goals If methodology is followed, objectives will be attained Expected results are directly related to overall goals
and priorities of the program
Ten Things You Must Do
6. Write the proposal logically and clearly Reviewers must be convinced that:
The proposed evaluation plan will keep you on track to successful completion of the project
The probability of success is acceptable
That the proposal NEEDS to be FUNDED
Ten Things You Must Do
7. Prepare budget with a strong justification Use timeline to compute amount of time personnel
will spend carrying out each portion of the project Unreasonable budgets hurt proposals - they create
skeptics within reviewer ranks Keep budgets within guidelines in the RFA - they
are judged on the degree of reasonableness
8. Obtain critical input from experienced and successful colleagues
One who has significant expertise in the topic area
Another who has only passing familiarity (or less) with the subject matter
A third who is an excellent writer
Ten Things You Must Do
8. Obtain critical input from experienced and successful colleagues …. someone Who talks frankly, bluntly and clearly - do not want
someone who beats around the bush Who has little sympathy for your ego Who is smart and crafty Who has success in obtaining grants
Ten Things You Must Do
Ten Things You Must Do
9. 9. Fill out forms completely and correctlyFill out forms completely and correctly
10. Allow time for intramural administrative requirements - send to arrive on time
A deadline is a deadline is a deadline !
Developing a Timeline for Proposal Preparation
1.5 – 1 year before deadline: Discuss ideas with others
Complete current experiments and publish results to show:
Productivity
Ability to take a project from an idea to published completion
Developing a Timeline for Proposal Preparation 12 - 6 months before deadline:
Generate preliminary data
6 - 3 months before deadline: Create initial draft of proposal
3 - 2 months before deadline: Obtain comments from colleagues, revise
accordingly
Developing a Timeline for Proposal Preparation
2 - 1 months before deadline: Prepare budget and “non-science” parts
1 month before deadline: Have draft of “final version” Obtain additional comments from colleagues
on the “whole package”
2 - 1 weeks before deadline: Final version proofreading (by someone who
has not seen it before) and then proofread again !
7 - 5 days before deadline: Make necessary copies of all parts (figures, etc.) Obtain required signatures
3 - 2 days before deadline: Submit proposal
Developing a Timeline for Proposal Preparation
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Importance and relevance:
Related to an important agricultural problem or to human health and well being ?
Related to significant deficit in our knowledge of important biological process ?
Relevant to program priorities ?
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Develop an overarching hypothesis: A testable idea or notion
Basic premise for the proposal
Once formed and focused, it should drive the rest of the proposal
Bigger than the specific aims or objectives
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Hypothesis: Not in the form of a question
Hypothesis should be repeated Abstract, Background, Specific Aims
Stated exactly the same way throughout
Same applies for Specific Aims
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Specific aims:
Compelling
Clearly hypothesis-driven
Not names of experiments
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Avoid using terms indicating ‘description’:
“correlate”
“describe”
“assess”
“measure”
Avoid passive voice, flowery terms, wishy-washy terms
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Each section of the proposal linked to each other:
Rationale for each study linked to an aspect of hypothesis
Potential outcomes of experiments linked to proving or disproving the hypothesis
Some Additional Helpful Hints
High probability of success: Focused
Not a fishing expedition
Feasible Solid preliminary data Letters from experts expressing support
and willingness to help
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Significance: Not a mystery novel - deliver message fast Proposed studies yield information that is
unique; other approaches do not work as well Relevant to the ‘big picture’ Key to convincing reviewers to support your
proposal rather than that of your competition
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Make the proposal textbook quality: avoid typographical, grammatical, spelling
errors use large font, make it easy to read include sub-headings, include lots of spacing use high quality figures
Minimize “author-defined” acronyms
Provide sufficient detail for evaluation
Present pitfalls, provide alternative solutions
Don’t pad the budget, keep it lean but adequate
Some Additional Helpful Hints
The one-page Project Summary or Abstract should be a work of art !
Clarity is everything !
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread !
Electronic spell-checkers won’t catch everything !
Some Additional Helpful Hints
Most Common Criticisms
Poorly written
Not well justified scientific problem experimental model relevance to program priorities or purpose
Lacks convincing preliminary data
No hypothesis or poorly presented
Not hypothesis-driven, studies are descriptive
Objectives don’t address hypothesis
Objectives lack focus, too diffuse
Most Common Criticisms
Approaches and methods lack detail needed to evaluate potential for success
Investigator lacks expertise with given approach
Expected results not presented, interpreted
Pitfalls not addressed, alternative solutions not presented
Most Common Criticisms
Overly ambitious, too much or too difficult to accomplish in reasonable time-frame
Time-line unrealistic for successful completion of proposed project
Resubmitted proposal did not address concerns identified during previous review
Most Common Criticisms
What to Do if You Have Questions ?
Contact the
Program Staff ! ! !
[email protected]@csrees.usda.gov