how to write a research grant application

The Ultimate Grant Writing Guide (and How to Find and Apply for Grants)

Securing grants requires strategic planning. Identifying relevant opportunities, building collaborations, and crafting a comprehensive grant proposal are crucial steps. Read our ultimate guide on grant writing, finding grants, and applying for grants to get the funding for your research.

Updated on February 22, 2024

Embarking on a journey of groundbreaking research and innovation always requires more than just passion and dedication, it demands financial support. In the academic and research domains, securing grants is a pivotal factor for transforming these ideas into tangible outcomes. 

Grant awards not only offer the backing needed for ambitious projects but also stand as a testament to the importance and potential impact of your work. The process of identifying, pursuing, and securing grants, however, is riddled with nuances that necessitate careful exploration. 

Whether you're a seasoned researcher or a budding academic, navigating this complex world of grants can be challenging, but we’re here to help. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the essential steps of applying for grants, providing expert tips and insights along the way.

Finding grant opportunities 

Prior to diving into the application phase, the process of finding grants involves researching and identifying those that are relevant and realistic to your project. While the initial step may seem as simple as entering a few keywords into a search engine, the full search phase takes a more thorough investigation.

By focusing efforts solely on the grants that align with your goals, this pre-application preparation streamlines the process while also increasing the likelihood of meeting all the requirements. In fact, having a well thought out plan and a clear understanding of the grants you seek both simplifies the entire activity and sets you and your team up for success.

Apply these steps when searching for appropriate grant opportunities:

1. Determine your need

Before embarking on the grant-seeking journey, clearly articulate why you need the funds and how they will be utilized. Understanding your financial requirements is crucial for effective grant research.

2. Know when you need the money

Grants operate on specific timelines with set award dates. Align your grant-seeking efforts with these timelines to enhance your chances of success.

3. Search strategically

Build a checklist of your most important, non-negotiable search criteria for quickly weeding out grant options that absolutely do not fit your project. Then, utilize the following resources to identify potential grants:

• Online directories
• Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Foundations

4. Develop a tracking tool

After familiarizing yourself with the criteria of each grant, including paperwork, deadlines, and award amounts, make a spreadsheet or use a project management tool to stay organized. Share this with your team to ensure that everyone can contribute to the grant cycle.

Here are a few popular grant management tools to try: 

• Jotform : spreadsheet template
• Airtable : table template
• Instrumentl : software
• Submit : software

Tips for Finding Research Grants

Consider large funding sources : Explore major agencies like NSF and NIH.

Reach out to experts : Consult experienced researchers and your institution's grant office.

Stay informed : Regularly check news in your field for novel funding sources.

Know agency requirements : Research and align your proposal with their requisites.

Ask questions : Use the available resources to get insights into the process.

Demonstrate expertise : Showcase your team's knowledge and background.

Neglect lesser-known sources : Cast a wide net to diversify opportunities.

Name drop reviewers : Prevent potential conflicts of interest.

Miss your chance : Find field-specific grant options.

Forget refinement : Improve proposal language, grammar, and clarity.

Ignore grant support services : Enhance the quality of your proposal.

Overlook co-investigators : Enhance your application by adding experience.

Grant collaboration 

Now that you’ve taken the initial step of identifying potential grant opportunities, it’s time to find collaborators. The application process is lengthy and arduous. It requires a diverse set of skills. This phase is crucial for success.

With their valuable expertise and unique perspectives, these collaborators play instrumental roles in navigating the complexities of grant writing. While exploring the judiciousness that goes into building these partnerships, we will underscore why collaboration is both advantageous and indispensable to the pursuit of securing grants.

Why is collaboration important to the grant process?

Some grant funding agencies outline collaboration as an outright requirement for acceptable applications. However, the condition is more implied with others. Funders may simply favor or seek out applications that represent multidisciplinary and multinational projects.

To get an idea of the types of collaboration major funders prefer, try searching “collaborative research grants” to uncover countless possibilities, such as:

• National Endowment for the Humanities
• American Brain Tumor Association

For exploring grants specifically for international collaboration, check out this blog:

• 30+ Research Funding Agencies That Support International Collaboration

Either way, proposing an interdisciplinary research project substantially increases your funding opportunities. Teaming up with multiple collaborators who offer diverse backgrounds and skill sets enhances the robustness of your research project and increases credibility.

This is especially true for early career researchers, who can leverage collaboration with industry, international, or community partners to boost their research profile. The key lies in recognizing the multifaceted advantages of collaboration in the context of obtaining funding and maximizing the impact of your research efforts.

How can I find collaborators?

Before embarking on the search for a collaborative partner, it's essential to crystallize your objectives for the grant proposal and identify the type of support needed. Ask yourself these questions: 

1)Which facet of the grant process do I need assistance with:

2) Is my knowledge lacking in a specific: 

• Population?

3) Do I have access to the necessary:

Use these questions to compile a detailed list of your needs and prioritize them based on magnitude and ramification. These preliminary step ensure that search for an ideal collaborator is focused and effective.

Once you identify targeted criteria for the most appropriate partners, it’s time to make your approach. While a practical starting point involves reaching out to peers, mentors, and other colleagues with shared interests and research goals, we encourage you to go outside your comfort zone.

Beyond the first line of potential collaborators exists a world of opportunities to expand your network. Uncover partnership possibilities by engaging with speakers and attendees at events, workshops, webinars, and conferences related to grant writing or your field.

Also, consider joining online communities that facilitate connections among grant writers and researchers. These communities offer a space to exchange ideas and information. Sites like Collaboratory , NIH RePorter , and upwork provide channels for canvassing and engaging with feasible collaborators who are good fits for your project. 

Like any other partnership, carefully weigh your vetted options before committing to a collaboration. Talk with individuals about their qualifications and experience, availability and work style, and terms for grant writing collaborations.

Transparency on both sides of this partnership is imperative to forging a positive work environment where goals, values, and expectations align for a strong grant proposal.

Putting together a winning grant proposal

It’s time to assemble the bulk of your grant application packet – the proposal itself. Each funder is unique in outlining the details for specific grants, but here are several elements fundamental to every proposal:

• Executive Summary
• Needs assessment
• Project description
• Evaluation plan
• Team introduction
• Sustainability plan 

This list of multi-faceted components may seem daunting, but careful research and planning will make it manageable. 

Start by reading about the grant funder to learn:

• What their mission and goals are,
• Which types of projects they have funded in the past, and
• How they evaluate and score applications.

Next, view sample applications to get a feel for the length, flow, and tone the evaluators are looking for. Many funders offer samples to peruse, like these from the NIH , while others are curated by online platforms , such as Grantstation.

Also, closely evaluate the grant application’s requirements. they vary between funding organizations and opportunities, and also from one grant cycle to the next. Take notes and make a checklist of these requirements to add to an Excel spreadsheet, Google smartsheet, or management system for organizing and tracking your grant process.

Finally, understand how you will submit the final grant application. Many funders use online portals with character or word limits for each section. Be aware of these limits beforehand. Simplify the editing process by first writing each section in a Word document to be copy and pasted into the corresponding submission fields.

If there is no online application platform, the funder will usually offer a comprehensive Request for Proposal (RFP) to guide the structure of your grant proposal. The RFP: 

• Specifies page constraints
• Delineates specific sections
• Outlines additional attachments
• Provides other pertinent details

Components of a grant proposal

Cover letter.

Though not always explicitly requested, including a cover letter is a strategic maneuver that could be the factor determining whether or not grant funders engage with your proposal. It’s an opportunity to give your best first impression by grabbing the reviewer’s attention and compelling them to read further. 

Cover letters are not the place for excessive emotion or detail, keep it brief and direct, stating your financial needs and purpose confidently from the outset. Also, try to clearly demonstrate the connection between your project and the funder’s mission to create additional value beyond the formal proposal.

Executive summary

Like an abstract for your research manuscript, the executive summary is a brief synopsis that encapsulates the overarching topics and key points of your grant proposal. It must set the tone for the main body of the proposal while providing enough information to stand alone if necessary.

Refer to How to Write an Executive Summary for a Grant Proposal for detailed guidance like:

• Give a clear and concise account of your identity, funding needs, and project roadmap.
• Write in an instructive manner aiming for an objective and persuasive tone
• Be convincing and pragmatic about your research team's ability.
• Follow the logical flow of main points in your proposal.
• Use subheadings and bulleted lists for clarity.
• Write the executive summary at the end of the proposal process.
• Reference detailed information explained in the proposal body.
• Address the funder directly.
• Provide excessive details about your project's accomplishments or management plans.
• Write in the first person.
• Disclose confidential information that could be accessed by competitors.
• Focus excessively on problems rather than proposed solutions.
• Deviate from the logical flow of the main proposal.
• Forget to align with evaluation criteria if specified

Project narrative

After the executive summary is the project narrative . This is the main body of your grant proposal and encompasses several distinct elements that work together to tell the story of your project and justify the need for funding. 

Include these primary components:

Introduction of the project team

Briefly outline the names, positions, and credentials of the project’s directors, key personnel, contributors, and advisors in a format that clearly defines their roles and responsibilities. Showing your team’s capacity and ability to meet all deliverables builds confidence and trust with the reviewers.

Needs assessment or problem statement

A compelling needs assessment (or problem statement) clearly articulates a problem that must be urgently addressed. It also offers a well-defined project idea as a possible solution. This statement emphasizes the pressing situation and highlights existing gaps and their consequences to illustrate how your project will make a difference.

To begin, ask yourself these questions:

• What urgent need are we focusing on with this project?
• Which unique solution does our project offer to this urgent need? 
• How will this project positively impact the world once completed?

Here are some helpful examples and templates.

Goals and objectives

Goals are broad statements that are fairly abstract and intangible. Objectives are more narrow statements that are concrete and measurable. For example :

• Goal : “To explore the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in college students.”
• Objective : “To compare cognitive test scores of students with less than six hours of sleep and those with 8 or more hours of sleep.”

Focus on outcomes, not processes, when crafting goals and objectives. Use the SMART acronym to align them with the proposal's mission while emphasizing their impact on the target audience.

Methods and strategies

It is vitally important to explain how you intend to use the grant funds to fulfill the project’s objectives. Detail the resources and activities that will be employed. Methods and strategies are the bridge between idea and action. They must prove to reviewers the plausibility of your project and the significance of their possible funding.

Here are some useful guidelines for writing your methods section that are outlined in " Winning Grants: Step by Step ."

• Firmly tie your methods to the proposed project's objectives and needs assessment.
• Clearly link them to the resources you are requesting in the proposal budget.
• Thoroughly explain why you chose these methods by including research, expert opinion, and your experience.
• Precisely list the facilities and capital equipment that you will use in the project.
• Carefully structure activities so that the program moves toward the desired results in a time-bound manner.

A comprehensive evaluation plan underscores the effectiveness and accountability of a project for both the funders and your team. An evaluation is used for tracking progress and success. The evaluation process shows how to determine the success of your project and measure the impact of the grant award by systematically gauging and analyzing each phase of your project as it compares to the set objectives.

Evaluations typically fall into two standard categories:

1. Formative evaluation : extending from project development through implementation, continuously provides feedback for necessary adjustments and improvements. 

2. Summative evaluation : conducted post-project completion, critically assesses overall success and impact by compiling information on activities and outcomes.

Creating a conceptual model of your project is helpful when identifying these key evaluation points. Then, you must consider exactly who will do the evaluations, what specific skills and resources they need, how long it will take, and how much it will cost.

Sustainability

Presenting a solid plan that illustrates exactly how your project will continue to thrive after the grant money is gone builds the funder's confidence in the project’s longevity and significance. In this sustainability section, it is vital to demonstrate a diversified funding strategy for securing the long-term viability of your program.

There are three possible long term outcomes for projects with correlated sustainability options:

• Short term projects: Though only implemented once, will have ongoing maintenance costs, such as monitoring, training, and updates.

(E.g., digitizing records, cleaning up after an oil spill)

• Projects that will generate income at some point in the future: must be funded until your product or service can cover operating costs with an alternative plan in place for deficits.

(E.g., medical device, technology, farming method)

• Ongoing projects: will eventually need a continuous stream of funding from a government entity or large organization.

(E.g., space exploration, hurricane tracking)

Along with strategies for funding your program beyond the initial grant,  reference your access to institutional infrastructure and resources that will reduce costs.

Also, submit multi-year budgets that reflect how sustainability factors are integrated into the project’s design.

The budget section of your grant proposal, comprising both a spreadsheet and a narrative, is the most influential component. It should be able to stand independently as a suitable representation of the entire endeavor. Providing a detailed plan to outline how grant funds will be utilized is crucial for illustrating cost-effectiveness and careful consideration of project expenses. 

A comprehensive grant budget offers numerous benefits to both the grantor , or entity funding the grant, and the grantee , those receiving the funding, such as:

• Grantor : The budget facilitates objective evaluation and comparison between multiple proposals by conveying a project's story through responsible fund management and financial transparency.
• Grantee : The budget serves as a tracking tool for monitoring and adjusting expenses throughout the project and cultivates trust with funders by answering questions before they arise.

Because the grant proposal budget is all-encompassing and integral to your efforts for securing funding, it can seem overwhelming. Start by listing all anticipated expenditures within two broad categories, direct and indirect expenses , where:

• Direct : are essential for successful project implementation, are measurable project-associated costs, such as salaries, equipment, supplies, travel, and external consultants, and are itemized and detailed in various categories within the grant budget.
• Indirect : includes administrative costs not directly or exclusively tied to your project, but necessary for its completion, like rent, utilities, and insurance, think about lab or meeting spaces that are shared by multiple project teams, or Directors who oversee several ongoing projects.

After compiling your list, review sample budgets to understand the typical layout and complexity. Focus closely on the budget narratives , where you have the opportunity to justify each aspect of the spreadsheet to ensure clarity and validity.

While not always needed, the appendices consist of relevant supplementary materials that are clearly referenced within your grant application. These might include: 

• Updated resumes that emphasize staff members' current positions and accomplishments. 
• Letters of support from people or organizations that have authority in the field of your research, or community members that may benefit from the project.
• Visual aids like charts, graphs, and maps that contribute directly to your project’s story and are referred to previously in the application. 

Finalizing your grant application

Now that your grant application is finished, make sure it's not just another document in the stack Aim for a grant proposal that captivates the evaluator. It should stand out not only for presenting an excellent project, but for being engaging and easily comprehended . 

Keep the language simple. Avoid jargon. Prioritizing accuracy and conciseness. Opt for reader-friendly formatting with white space, headings, standard fonts, and illustrations to enhance readability.

Always take time for thorough proofreading and editing. You can even set your proposal aside for a few days before revisiting it for additional edits and improvements. At this stage, it is helpful to seek outside feedback from those familiar with the subject matter as well as novices to catch unnoticed mistakes and improve clarity.

If you want to be absolutely sure your grant proposal is polished, consider getting it edited by AJE .

How can AI help the grant process?

When used efficiently, AI is a powerful tool for streamlining and enhancing various aspects of the grant process.

• Use AI algorithms to review related studies and identify knowledge gaps.
• Employ AI for quick analysis of complex datasets to identify patterns and trends.
• Leverage AI algorithms to match your project with relevant grant opportunities.
• Apply Natural Language Processing for analyzing grant guidelines and tailoring proposals accordingly.
• Utilize AI-powered tools for efficient project planning and execution.
• Employ AI for tracking project progress and generating reports.
• Take advantage of AI tools for improving the clarity, coherence, and quality of your proposal.
• Rely solely on manual efforts that are less comprehensive and more time consuming.
• Overlook the fact that AI is designed to find patterns and trends within large datasets.
• Minimize AI’s ability to use set parameters for sifting through vast amounts of data quickly.
• Forget that the strength of AI lies in its capacity to follow your prompts without divergence.
• Neglect tools that assist with scheduling, resource allocation, and milestone tracking.
• Settle for software that is not intuitive with automated reminders and updates.
• Hesitate to use AI tools for improving grammar, spelling, and composition throughout the writing process.

Remember that AI provides a diverse array of tools; there is no universal solution. Identify the most suitable tool for your specific task. Also, like a screwdriver or a hammer, AI needs informed human direction and control to work effectively.

Looking for tips when writing your grant application? 

Check out these resources:

• 4 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Grant Proposal
• Writing Effective Grant Applications
• 7 Tips for Writing an Effective Grant Proposal
• The best-kept secrets to winning grants
• The Best Grant Writing Books for Beginner Grant Writers
• Research Grant Proposal Funding: How I got $1 Million

Final thoughts

The bottom line – applying for grants is challenging. It requires passion, dedication, and a set of diverse skills rarely found within one human being.

Therefore, collaboration is key to a successful grant process . It encourages everyone’s strengths to shine. Be honest and ask yourself, “Which elements of this grant application do I really need help with?” Seek out experts in those areas.

Keep this guide on hand to reference as you work your way through this funding journey. Use the resources contained within. Seek out answers to all the questions that will inevitably arise throughout the process.

The grants are out there just waiting for the right project to present itself – one that shares the funder’s mission and is a benefit to our communities. Find grants that align with your project goals, tell your story through a compelling proposal, and get ready to make the world a better place with your research.

The AJE Team

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How to write a grant proposal: a step-by-step guide

What is a grant proposal?

Why should you write a grant proposal, format of a grant proposal, how to write a grant proposal, step 1: decide what funding opportunity to apply for, and research the grant application process, step 2: plan and research your project, preliminary research for your grant proposal, questions to ask yourself as you plan your grant proposal, developing your grant proposal, step 3: write the first draft of your grant proposal, step 4: get feedback, and revise your grant proposal accordingly, step 5: prepare to submit your grant proposal, what happens after submitting the grant proposal, final thoughts, other useful sources for writing grant proposals, frequently asked questions about writing grant proposals, related articles.

You have a vision for a future research project, and want to share that idea with the world.

To achieve your vision, you need funding from a sponsoring organization, and consequently, you need to write a grant proposal.

Although visualizing your future research through grant writing is exciting, it can also feel daunting. How do you start writing a grant proposal? How do you increase your chances of success in winning a grant?

But, writing a proposal is not as hard as you think. That’s because the grant-writing process can be broken down into actionable steps.

This guide provides a step-by-step approach to grant-writing that includes researching the application process, planning your research project, and writing the proposal. It is written from extensive research into grant-writing, and our experiences of writing proposals as graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in the sciences.

A grant proposal is a document or collection of documents that outlines the strategy for a future research project and is submitted to a sponsoring organization with the specific goal of getting funding to support the research. For example, grants for large projects with multiple researchers may be used to purchase lab equipment, provide stipends for graduate and undergraduate researchers, fund conference travel, and support the salaries of research personnel.

As a graduate student, you might apply for a PhD scholarship, or postdoctoral fellowship, and may need to write a proposal as part of your application. As a faculty member of a university, you may need to provide evidence of having submitted grant applications to obtain a permanent position or promotion.

Reasons for writing a grant proposal include:

• To obtain financial support for graduate or postdoctoral studies;
• To travel to a field site, or to travel to meet with collaborators;
• To conduct preliminary research for a larger project;
• To obtain a visiting position at another institution;
• To support undergraduate student research as a faculty member;
• To obtain funding for a large collaborative project, which may be needed to retain employment at a university.

The experience of writing a proposal can be helpful, even if you fail to obtain funding. Benefits include:

• Improvement of your research and writing skills
• Enhancement of academic employment prospects, as fellowships and grants awarded and applied for can be listed on your academic CV
• Raising your profile as an independent academic researcher because writing proposals can help you become known to leaders in your field.

All sponsoring agencies have specific requirements for the format of a grant proposal. For example, for a PhD scholarship or postdoctoral fellowship, you may be required to include a description of your project, an academic CV, and letters of support from mentors or collaborators.

For a large research project with many collaborators, the collection of documents that need to be submitted may be extensive. Examples of documents that might be required include a cover letter, a project summary, a detailed description of the proposed research, a budget, a document justifying the budget, and the CVs of all research personnel.

Before writing your proposal, be sure to note the list of required documents.

Writing a grant proposal can be broken down into three major activities: researching the project (reading background materials, note-taking, preliminary work, etc.), writing the proposal (creating an outline, writing the first draft, revisions, formatting), and administrative tasks for the project (emails, phone calls, meetings, writing CVs and other supporting documents, etc.).

Below, we provide a step-by-step guide to writing a grant proposal:

• Decide what funding opportunity to apply for, and research the grant application process
• Plan and research your project
• Write the first draft of your grant proposal
• Get feedback, and revise your grant proposal accordingly
• Prepare to submit your grant proposal

• Start early. Begin by searching for funding opportunities and determining requirements. Some sponsoring organizations prioritize fundamental research, whereas others support applied research. Be sure your project fits the mission statement of the granting organization. Look at recently funded proposals and/or sample proposals on the agency website, if available. The Research or Grants Office at your institution may be able to help with finding grant opportunities.
• Make a spreadsheet of grant opportunities, with a link to the call for proposals page, the mission and aims of the agency, and the deadline for submission. Use the information that you have compiled in your spreadsheet to decide what to apply for.
• Once you have made your decision, carefully read the instructions in the call for proposals. Make a list of all the documents you need to apply, and note the formatting requirements and page limits. Know exactly what the funding agency requires of submitted proposals.
• Reach out to support staff at your university (for example, at your Research or Grants Office), potential mentors, or collaborators. For example, internal deadlines for submitting external grants are often earlier than the submission date. Make sure to learn about your institution’s internal processes, and obtain contact information for the relevant support staff.
• Applying for a grant or fellowship involves administrative work. Start preparing your CV and begin collecting supporting documents from collaborators, such as letters of support. If the application to the sponsoring agency is electronic, schedule time to set up an account, log into the system, download necessary forms and paperwork, etc. Don’t leave all of the administrative tasks until the end.
• Map out the important deadlines on your calendar. These might include video calls with collaborators, a date for the first draft to be complete, internal submission deadlines, and the funding agency deadline.
• Schedule time on your calendar for research, writing, and administrative tasks associated with the project. It’s wise to group similar tasks and block out time for them (a process known as ” time batching ”). Break down bigger tasks into smaller ones.

Now that you know what you are applying for, you can think about matching your proposed research to the aims of the agency. The work you propose needs to be innovative, specific, realizable, timely, and worthy of the sponsoring organization’s attention.

• Develop an awareness of the important problems and open questions in your field. Attend conferences and seminar talks and follow all of your field’s major journals.
• Read widely and deeply. Journal review articles are a helpful place to start. Reading papers from related but different subfields can generate ideas. Taking detailed notes as you read will help you recall the important findings and connect disparate concepts.

• Writing a grant proposal is a creative and imaginative endeavor. Write down all of your ideas. Freewriting is a practice where you write down all that comes to mind without filtering your ideas for feasibility or stopping to edit mistakes. By continuously writing your thoughts without judgment, the practice can help overcome procrastination and writer’s block. It can also unleash your creativity, and generate new ideas and associations. Mind mapping is another technique for brainstorming and generating connections between ideas.
• Establish a regular writing practice. Schedule time just for writing, and turn off all distractions during your focused work time. You can use your writing process to refine your thoughts and ideas.
• Use a reference manager to build a library of sources for your project. You can use a reference management tool to collect papers , store and organize references , and highlight and annotate PDFs . Establish a system for organizing your ideas by tagging papers with labels and using folders to store similar references.

To facilitate intelligent thinking and shape the overall direction of your project, try answering the following questions:

• What are the questions that the project will address? Am I excited and curious about their answers?
• Why are these questions important?
• What are the goals of the project? Are they SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely)?
• What is novel about my project? What is the gap in current knowledge?
• What methods will I use, and how feasible is my approach?
• Can the work be done over the proposed period, and with the budget I am requesting?
• Do I have relevant experience? For example, have I completed similar work funded by previous grants or written papers on my proposed topic?
• What pilot research or prior work can I use, or do I need to complete preliminary research before writing the proposal?
• Will the outcomes of my work be consequential? Will the granting agency be interested in the results?
• What solutions to open problems in my field will this project offer? Are there broader implications of my work?
• Who will the project involve? Do I need mentors, collaborators, or students to contribute to the proposed work? If so, what roles will they have?
• Who will read the proposal? For example, experts in the field will require details of methods, statistical analyses, etc., whereas non-experts may be more concerned with the big picture.
• What do I want the reviewers to feel, and take away from reading my proposal?
• What weaknesses does my proposed research have? What objections might reviewers raise, and how can I address them?
• Can I visualize a timeline for my project?

Create an actionable plan for your research project using the answers to these questions.

• Now is the time to collect preliminary data, conduct experiments, or do a preliminary study to motivate your research, and demonstrate that your proposed project is realistic.
• Use your plan to write a detailed outline of the proposal. An outline helps you to write a proposal that has a logical format and ensures your thought process is rational. It also provides a structure to support your writing.
• Follow the granting agency’s guidelines for titles, sections, and subsections to inform your outline.

At this stage, you should have identified the aims of your project, what questions your work will answer, and how they are relevant to the sponsoring agency’s call for proposals. Be able to explain the originality, importance, and achievability of your proposed work.

Now that you have done your research, you are ready to begin writing your proposal and start filling in the details of your outline. Build on the writing routine you have already started. Here are some tips:

• Follow the guidelines of the funding organization.
• Keep the proposal reviewers in mind as you write. Your audience may be a combination of specialists in your field and non-specialists. Make sure to address the novelty of your work, its significance, and its feasibility.
• Write clearly, concisely, and avoid repetition. Use topic sentences for each paragraph to emphasize key ideas. Concluding sentences of each paragraph should develop, clarify, or summarize the support for the declaration in the topic sentence. To make your writing engaging, vary sentence length.
• Avoid jargon, where possible. Follow sentences that have complex technical information with a summary in plain language.
• Don’t review all information on the topic, but include enough background information to convince reviewers that you are knowledgeable about it. Include preliminary data to convince reviewers you can do the work. Cite all relevant work.
• Make sure not to be overly ambitious. Don’t propose to do so much that reviewers doubt your ability to complete the project. Rather, a project with clear, narrowly-defined goals may prove favorable to reviewers.
• Accurately represent the scope of your project; don’t exaggerate its impacts. Avoid bias. Be forthright about the limitations of your research.
• Ensure to address potential objections and concerns that reviewers may have with the proposed work. Show that you have carefully thought about the project by explaining your rationale.
• Use diagrams and figures effectively. Make sure they are not too small or contain too much information or details.

After writing your first draft, read it carefully to gain an overview of the logic of your argument. Answer the following questions:

• Is your proposal concise, explicit, and specific?
• Have you included all necessary assumptions, data points, and evidence in your proposal?
• Do you need to make structural changes like moving or deleting paragraphs or including additional tables or figures to strengthen your rationale?
• Have you answered most of the questions posed in Step 2 above in your proposal?
• Follow the length requirements in the proposal guidelines. Don't feel compelled to include everything you know!
• Use formatting techniques to make your proposal easy on the eye. Follow rules for font, layout, margins, citation styles , etc. Avoid walls of text. Use bolding and italicizing to emphasize points.
• Comply with all style, organization, and reference list guidelines to make it easy to reviewers to quickly understand your argument. If you don’t, it’s at best a chore for the reviewers to read because it doesn’t make the most convincing case for you and your work. At worst, your proposal may be rejected by the sponsoring agency without review.
• Using a reference management tool like Paperpile will make citation creation and formatting in your grant proposal quick, easy and accurate.

Now take time away from your proposal, for at least a week or more. Ask trusted mentors or collaborators to read it, and give them adequate time to give critical feedback.

• At this stage, you can return to any remaining administrative work while you wait for feedback on the proposal, such as finalizing your budget or updating your CV.
• Revise the proposal based on the feedback you receive.
• Don’t be discouraged by critiques of your proposal or take them personally. Receiving and incorporating feedback with humility is essential to grow as a grant writer.

Now you are almost ready to submit. This is exciting! At this stage, you need to block out time to complete all final checks.

• Allow time for proofreading and final editing. Spelling and grammar mistakes can raise questions regarding the rigor of your research and leave a poor impression of your proposal on reviewers. Ensure that a unified narrative is threaded throughout all documents in the application.
• Finalize your documents by following a checklist. Make sure all documents are in place in the application, and all formatting and organizational requirements are met.
• Follow all internal and external procedures. Have login information for granting agency and institution portals to hand. Double-check any internal procedures required by your institution (applications for large grants often have a deadline for sign-off by your institution’s Research or Grants Office that is earlier than the funding agency deadline).
• To avoid technical issues with electronic portals, submit your proposal as early as you can.
• Breathe a sigh of relief when all the work is done, and take time to celebrate submitting the proposal! This is already a big achievement.

Now you wait! If the news is positive, congratulations!

But if your proposal is rejected, take heart in the fact that the process of writing it has been useful for your professional growth, and for developing your ideas.

Bear in mind that because grants are often highly competitive, acceptance rates for proposals are usually low. It is very typical to not be successful on the first try and to have to apply for the same grant multiple times.

Here are some tips to increase your chances of success on your next attempt:

• Remember that grant writing is often not a linear process. It is typical to have to use the reviews to revise and resubmit your proposal.
• Carefully read the reviews and incorporate the feedback into the next iteration of your proposal. Use the feedback to improve and refine your ideas.
• Don’t ignore the comments received from reviewers—be sure to address their objections in your next proposal. You may decide to include a section with a response to the reviewers, to show the sponsoring agency that you have carefully considered their comments.
• If you did not receive reviewer feedback, you can usually request it.

You learn about your field and grow intellectually from writing a proposal. The process of researching, writing, and revising a proposal refines your ideas and may create new directions for future projects. Professional opportunities exist for researchers who are willing to persevere with submitting grant applications.

➡️ Secrets to writing a winning grant

➡️ How to gain a competitive edge in grant writing

➡️ Ten simple rules for writing a postdoctoral fellowship

A grant proposal should include all the documents listed as required by the sponsoring organization. Check what documents the granting agency needs before you start writing the proposal.

Granting agencies have strict formatting requirements, with strict page limits and/or word counts. Check the maximum length required by the granting agency. It is okay for the proposal to be shorter than the maximum length.

Expect to spend many hours, even weeks, researching and writing a grant proposal. Consequently, it is important to start early! Block time in your calendar for research, writing, and administration tasks. Allow extra time at the end of the grant-writing process to edit, proofread, and meet presentation guidelines.

The most important part of a grant proposal is the description of the project. Make sure that the research you propose in your project narrative is new, important, and viable, and that it meets the goals of the sponsoring organization.

A grant proposal typically consists of a set of documents. Funding agencies have specific requirements for the formatting and organization of each document. Make sure to follow their guidelines exactly.

Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!)

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise grant proposals for research funding in all academic disciplines (sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts). It’s targeted primarily to graduate students and faculty, although it will also be helpful to undergraduate students who are seeking funding for research (e.g. for a senior thesis).

The grant writing process

A grant proposal or application is a document or set of documents that is submitted to an organization with the explicit intent of securing funding for a research project. Grant writing varies widely across the disciplines, and research intended for epistemological purposes (philosophy or the arts) rests on very different assumptions than research intended for practical applications (medicine or social policy research). Nonetheless, this handout attempts to provide a general introduction to grant writing across the disciplines.

Before you begin writing your proposal, you need to know what kind of research you will be doing and why. You may have a topic or experiment in mind, but taking the time to define what your ultimate purpose is can be essential to convincing others to fund that project. Although some scholars in the humanities and arts may not have thought about their projects in terms of research design, hypotheses, research questions, or results, reviewers and funding agencies expect you to frame your project in these terms. You may also find that thinking about your project in these terms reveals new aspects of it to you.

Writing successful grant applications is a long process that begins with an idea. Although many people think of grant writing as a linear process (from idea to proposal to award), it is a circular process. Many people start by defining their research question or questions. What knowledge or information will be gained as a direct result of your project? Why is undertaking your research important in a broader sense? You will need to explicitly communicate this purpose to the committee reviewing your application. This is easier when you know what you plan to achieve before you begin the writing process.

Diagram 1 below provides an overview of the grant writing process and may help you plan your proposal development.

Applicants must write grant proposals, submit them, receive notice of acceptance or rejection, and then revise their proposals. Unsuccessful grant applicants must revise and resubmit their proposals during the next funding cycle. Successful grant applications and the resulting research lead to ideas for further research and new grant proposals.

Cultivating an ongoing, positive relationship with funding agencies may lead to additional grants down the road. Thus, make sure you file progress reports and final reports in a timely and professional manner. Although some successful grant applicants may fear that funding agencies will reject future proposals because they’ve already received “enough” funding, the truth is that money follows money. Individuals or projects awarded grants in the past are more competitive and thus more likely to receive funding in the future.

Some general tips

• Begin early.
• Apply early and often.
• Don’t forget to include a cover letter with your application.
• Answer all questions. (Pre-empt all unstated questions.)
• If rejected, revise your proposal and apply again.
• Give them what they want. Follow the application guidelines exactly.
• Be explicit and specific.
• Be realistic in designing the project.
• Make explicit the connections between your research questions and objectives, your objectives and methods, your methods and results, and your results and dissemination plan.
• Follow the application guidelines exactly. (We have repeated this tip because it is very, very important.)

Before you start writing

Identify your needs and focus.

First, identify your needs. Answering the following questions may help you:

• Are you undertaking preliminary or pilot research in order to develop a full-blown research agenda?
• Are you seeking funding for dissertation research? Pre-dissertation research? Postdoctoral research? Archival research? Experimental research? Fieldwork?
• Are you seeking a stipend so that you can write a dissertation or book? Polish a manuscript?
• Do you want a fellowship in residence at an institution that will offer some programmatic support or other resources to enhance your project?
• Do you want funding for a large research project that will last for several years and involve multiple staff members?

Next, think about the focus of your research/project. Answering the following questions may help you narrow it down:

• What is the topic? Why is this topic important?
• What are the research questions that you’re trying to answer? What relevance do your research questions have?
• What are your hypotheses?
• What are your research methods?
• Why is your research/project important? What is its significance?
• Do you plan on using quantitative methods? Qualitative methods? Both?
• Will you be undertaking experimental research? Clinical research?

Once you have identified your needs and focus, you can begin looking for prospective grants and funding agencies.

Finding prospective grants and funding agencies

Whether your proposal receives funding will rely in large part on whether your purpose and goals closely match the priorities of granting agencies. Locating possible grantors is a time consuming task, but in the long run it will yield the greatest benefits. Even if you have the most appealing research proposal in the world, if you don’t send it to the right institutions, then you’re unlikely to receive funding.

There are many sources of information about granting agencies and grant programs. Most universities and many schools within universities have Offices of Research, whose primary purpose is to support faculty and students in grant-seeking endeavors. These offices usually have libraries or resource centers to help people find prospective grants.

At UNC, the Research at Carolina office coordinates research support.

The Funding Information Portal offers a collection of databases and proposal development guidance.

The UNC School of Medicine and School of Public Health each have their own Office of Research.

Writing your proposal

The majority of grant programs recruit academic reviewers with knowledge of the disciplines and/or program areas of the grant. Thus, when writing your grant proposals, assume that you are addressing a colleague who is knowledgeable in the general area, but who does not necessarily know the details about your research questions.

Remember that most readers are lazy and will not respond well to a poorly organized, poorly written, or confusing proposal. Be sure to give readers what they want. Follow all the guidelines for the particular grant you are applying for. This may require you to reframe your project in a different light or language. Reframing your project to fit a specific grant’s requirements is a legitimate and necessary part of the process unless it will fundamentally change your project’s goals or outcomes.

Final decisions about which proposals are funded often come down to whether the proposal convinces the reviewer that the research project is well planned and feasible and whether the investigators are well qualified to execute it. Throughout the proposal, be as explicit as possible. Predict the questions that the reviewer may have and answer them. Przeworski and Salomon (1995) note that reviewers read with three questions in mind:

• What are we going to learn as a result of the proposed project that we do not know now? (goals, aims, and outcomes)
• Why is it worth knowing? (significance)
• How will we know that the conclusions are valid? (criteria for success) (2)

Be sure to answer these questions in your proposal. Keep in mind that reviewers may not read every word of your proposal. Your reviewer may only read the abstract, the sections on research design and methodology, the vitae, and the budget. Make these sections as clear and straightforward as possible.

The way you write your grant will tell the reviewers a lot about you (Reif-Lehrer 82). From reading your proposal, the reviewers will form an idea of who you are as a scholar, a researcher, and a person. They will decide whether you are creative, logical, analytical, up-to-date in the relevant literature of the field, and, most importantly, capable of executing the proposed project. Allow your discipline and its conventions to determine the general style of your writing, but allow your own voice and personality to come through. Be sure to clarify your project’s theoretical orientation.

Develop a general proposal and budget

Because most proposal writers seek funding from several different agencies or granting programs, it is a good idea to begin by developing a general grant proposal and budget. This general proposal is sometimes called a “white paper.” Your general proposal should explain your project to a general academic audience. Before you submit proposals to different grant programs, you will tailor a specific proposal to their guidelines and priorities.

Organizing your proposal

Although each funding agency will have its own (usually very specific) requirements, there are several elements of a proposal that are fairly standard, and they often come in the following order:

• Introduction (statement of the problem, purpose of research or goals, and significance of research)

Literature review

• Project narrative (methods, procedures, objectives, outcomes or deliverables, evaluation, and dissemination)
• Budget and budget justification

Format the proposal so that it is easy to read. Use headings to break the proposal up into sections. If it is long, include a table of contents with page numbers.

The title page usually includes a brief yet explicit title for the research project, the names of the principal investigator(s), the institutional affiliation of the applicants (the department and university), name and address of the granting agency, project dates, amount of funding requested, and signatures of university personnel authorizing the proposal (when necessary). Most funding agencies have specific requirements for the title page; make sure to follow them.

The abstract provides readers with their first impression of your project. To remind themselves of your proposal, readers may glance at your abstract when making their final recommendations, so it may also serve as their last impression of your project. The abstract should explain the key elements of your research project in the future tense. Most abstracts state: (1) the general purpose, (2) specific goals, (3) research design, (4) methods, and (5) significance (contribution and rationale). Be as explicit as possible in your abstract. Use statements such as, “The objective of this study is to …”

Introduction

The introduction should cover the key elements of your proposal, including a statement of the problem, the purpose of research, research goals or objectives, and significance of the research. The statement of problem should provide a background and rationale for the project and establish the need and relevance of the research. How is your project different from previous research on the same topic? Will you be using new methodologies or covering new theoretical territory? The research goals or objectives should identify the anticipated outcomes of the research and should match up to the needs identified in the statement of problem. List only the principle goal(s) or objective(s) of your research and save sub-objectives for the project narrative.

Many proposals require a literature review. Reviewers want to know whether you’ve done the necessary preliminary research to undertake your project. Literature reviews should be selective and critical, not exhaustive. Reviewers want to see your evaluation of pertinent works. For more information, see our handout on literature reviews .

Project narrative

The project narrative provides the meat of your proposal and may require several subsections. The project narrative should supply all the details of the project, including a detailed statement of problem, research objectives or goals, hypotheses, methods, procedures, outcomes or deliverables, and evaluation and dissemination of the research.

For the project narrative, pre-empt and/or answer all of the reviewers’ questions. Don’t leave them wondering about anything. For example, if you propose to conduct unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, be sure you’ve explained why this methodology is best suited to the specific research questions in your proposal. Or, if you’re using item response theory rather than classical test theory to verify the validity of your survey instrument, explain the advantages of this innovative methodology. Or, if you need to travel to Valdez, Alaska to access historical archives at the Valdez Museum, make it clear what documents you hope to find and why they are relevant to your historical novel on the ’98ers in the Alaskan Gold Rush.

Clearly and explicitly state the connections between your research objectives, research questions, hypotheses, methodologies, and outcomes. As the requirements for a strong project narrative vary widely by discipline, consult a discipline-specific guide to grant writing for some additional advice.

Explain staffing requirements in detail and make sure that staffing makes sense. Be very explicit about the skill sets of the personnel already in place (you will probably include their Curriculum Vitae as part of the proposal). Explain the necessary skill sets and functions of personnel you will recruit. To minimize expenses, phase out personnel who are not relevant to later phases of a project.

The budget spells out project costs and usually consists of a spreadsheet or table with the budget detailed as line items and a budget narrative (also known as a budget justification) that explains the various expenses. Even when proposal guidelines do not specifically mention a narrative, be sure to include a one or two page explanation of the budget. To see a sample budget, turn to Example #1 at the end of this handout.

Consider including an exhaustive budget for your project, even if it exceeds the normal grant size of a particular funding organization. Simply make it clear that you are seeking additional funding from other sources. This technique will make it easier for you to combine awards down the road should you have the good fortune of receiving multiple grants.

Make sure that all budget items meet the funding agency’s requirements. For example, all U.S. government agencies have strict requirements for airline travel. Be sure the cost of the airline travel in your budget meets their requirements. If a line item falls outside an agency’s requirements (e.g. some organizations will not cover equipment purchases or other capital expenses), explain in the budget justification that other grant sources will pay for the item.

Many universities require that indirect costs (overhead) be added to grants that they administer. Check with the appropriate offices to find out what the standard (or required) rates are for overhead. Pass a draft budget by the university officer in charge of grant administration for assistance with indirect costs and costs not directly associated with research (e.g. facilities use charges).

Furthermore, make sure you factor in the estimated taxes applicable for your case. Depending on the categories of expenses and your particular circumstances (whether you are a foreign national, for example), estimated tax rates may differ. You can consult respective departmental staff or university services, as well as professional tax assistants. For information on taxes on scholarships and fellowships, see https://cashier.unc.edu/student-tax-information/scholarships-fellowships/ .

Explain the timeframe for the research project in some detail. When will you begin and complete each step? It may be helpful to reviewers if you present a visual version of your timeline. For less complicated research, a table summarizing the timeline for the project will help reviewers understand and evaluate the planning and feasibility. See Example #2 at the end of this handout.

For multi-year research proposals with numerous procedures and a large staff, a time line diagram can help clarify the feasibility and planning of the study. See Example #3 at the end of this handout.

Revising your proposal

Strong grant proposals take a long time to develop. Start the process early and leave time to get feedback from several readers on different drafts. Seek out a variety of readers, both specialists in your research area and non-specialist colleagues. You may also want to request assistance from knowledgeable readers on specific areas of your proposal. For example, you may want to schedule a meeting with a statistician to help revise your methodology section. Don’t hesitate to seek out specialized assistance from the relevant research offices on your campus. At UNC, the Odum Institute provides a variety of services to graduate students and faculty in the social sciences.

In your revision and editing, ask your readers to give careful consideration to whether you’ve made explicit the connections between your research objectives and methodology. Here are some example questions:

• Have you presented a compelling case?
• Have you made your hypotheses explicit?
• Does your project seem feasible? Is it overly ambitious? Does it have other weaknesses?
• Have you stated the means that grantors can use to evaluate the success of your project after you’ve executed it?

If a granting agency lists particular criteria used for rating and evaluating proposals, be sure to share these with your own reviewers.

Example #1. Sample Budget

Jet travel $6,100 This estimate is based on the commercial high season rate for jet economy travel on Sabena Belgian Airlines. No U.S. carriers fly to Kigali, Rwanda. Sabena has student fare tickets available which will be significantly less expensive (approximately $2,000).

Maintenance allowance $22,788 Based on the Fulbright-Hays Maintenance Allowances published in the grant application guide.

Research assistant/translator $4,800 The research assistant/translator will be a native (and primary) speaker of Kinya-rwanda with at least a four-year university degree. They will accompany the primary investigator during life history interviews to provide assistance in comprehension. In addition, they will provide commentary, explanations, and observations to facilitate the primary investigator’s participant observation. During the first phase of the project in Kigali, the research assistant will work forty hours a week and occasional overtime as needed. During phases two and three in rural Rwanda, the assistant will stay with the investigator overnight in the field when necessary. The salary of $400 per month is based on the average pay rate for individuals with similar qualifications working for international NGO’s in Rwanda.

Transportation within country, phase one $1,200 The primary investigator and research assistant will need regular transportation within Kigali by bus and taxi. The average taxi fare in Kigali is $6-8 and bus fare is $.15. This figure is based on an average of $10 per day in transportation costs during the first project phase.

Transportation within country, phases two and three $12,000 Project personnel will also require regular transportation between rural field sites. If it is not possible to remain overnight, daily trips will be necessary. The average rental rate for a 4×4 vehicle in Rwanda is $130 per day. This estimate is based on an average of $50 per day in transportation costs for the second and third project phases. These costs could be reduced if an arrangement could be made with either a government ministry or international aid agency for transportation assistance.

Email $720 The rate for email service from RwandaTel (the only service provider in Rwanda) is $60 per month. Email access is vital for receiving news reports on Rwanda and the region as well as for staying in contact with dissertation committee members and advisors in the United States.

Audiocassette tapes $400 Audiocassette tapes will be necessary for recording life history interviews, musical performances, community events, story telling, and other pertinent data.

Photographic & slide film $100 Photographic and slide film will be necessary to document visual data such as landscape, environment, marriages, funerals, community events, etc.

Laptop computer $2,895 A laptop computer will be necessary for recording observations, thoughts, and analysis during research project. Price listed is a special offer to UNC students through the Carolina Computing Initiative.

NUD*IST 4.0 software $373.00 NUD*IST, “Nonnumerical, Unstructured Data, Indexing, Searching, and Theorizing,” is necessary for cataloging, indexing, and managing field notes both during and following the field research phase. The program will assist in cataloging themes that emerge during the life history interviews.

Administrative fee $100 Fee set by Fulbright-Hays for the sponsoring institution.

Example #2: Project Timeline in Table Format

Example #3: project timeline in chart format.

Some closing advice

Some of us may feel ashamed or embarrassed about asking for money or promoting ourselves. Often, these feelings have more to do with our own insecurities than with problems in the tone or style of our writing. If you’re having trouble because of these types of hang-ups, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it never hurts to ask. If you never ask for the money, they’ll never give you the money. Besides, the worst thing they can do is say no.

UNC resources for proposal writing

Research at Carolina http://research.unc.edu

The Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences https://odum.unc.edu/

UNC Medical School Office of Research https://www.med.unc.edu/oor

UNC School of Public Health Office of Research http://www.sph.unc.edu/research/

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Holloway, Brian R. 2003. Proposal Writing Across the Disciplines. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Levine, S. Joseph. “Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal.” http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/ .

Locke, Lawrence F., Waneen Wyrick Spirduso, and Stephen J. Silverman. 2014. Proposals That Work . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Przeworski, Adam, and Frank Salomon. 2012. “Some Candid Suggestions on the Art of Writing Proposals.” Social Science Research Council. https://s3.amazonaws.com/ssrc-cdn2/art-of-writing-proposals-dsd-e-56b50ef814f12.pdf .

Reif-Lehrer, Liane. 1989. Writing a Successful Grant Application . Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Wiggins, Beverly. 2002. “Funding and Proposal Writing for Social Science Faculty and Graduate Student Research.” Chapel Hill: Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science. 2 Feb. 2004. http://www2.irss.unc.edu/irss/shortcourses/wigginshandouts/granthandout.pdf.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to write a successful grant application: guidance provided by the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy

Anita e. weidmann.

1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Innsbruck University, Innsbruck, Austria

Cathal A. Cadogan

2 School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Daniela Fialová

3 Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

4 Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Ankie Hazen

5 Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Martin Henman

6 Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Monika Lutters

7 Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland

Betul Okuyan

8 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

Vibhu Paudyal

9 University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Francesca Wirth

10 Department of Pharmacy, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

Considering a rejection rate of 80–90%, the preparation of a research grant is often considered a daunting task since it is resource intensive and there is no guarantee of success, even for seasoned researchers. This commentary provides a summary of the key points a researcher needs to consider when writing a research grant proposal, outlining: (1) how to conceptualise the research idea; (2) how to find the right funding call; (3) the importance of planning; (4) how to write; (5) what to write, and (6) key questions for reflection during preparation. It attempts to explain the difficulties associated with finding calls in clinical pharmacy and advanced pharmacy practice, and how to overcome them. The commentary aims to assist all pharmacy practice and health services research colleagues new to the grant application process, as well as experienced researchers striving to improve their grant review scores. The guidance in this paper is part of ESCP’s commitment to stimulate “ innovative and high-quality research in all areas of clinical pharmacy ”.

Writing research grants is a central part of any good quality research. Once a detailed research proposal has been submitted, it is subjected to an expert peer review process. Such reviews are designed to reach a funding decision, with feedback provided to improve the study for this and any future submissions. Depending on the length of the proposal, complexity of the research and experience of the research team, a proposal can take between six to twelve months to write [ 1 ]. Ample time must be given to the writing of hypothesis/research aim, budgeting, discussion with colleagues and several rounds of feedback [ 2 ]. The draft research proposal should always be completed well before the deadline to allow for last minute delays. An application which is not fully developed should not be submitted since it will most likely be rejected [ 3 ].

Despite the large effort that goes into each grant application, success rates are low. Application success rates for Horizon 2020 were < 15% [ 4 ] and < 20% for the National Institute of Health (NIH) [ 5 – 8 ]. With these statistics in mind, it is evident that often repeated submissions are required before securing funding. Due to a paucity of specific clinical pharmacy grant awarding bodies, writing a grant application for a clinical pharmacy or pharmacy practice research project often involves multidisciplinary collaborations with other healthcare professions and focus on a specific patient population or condition. There is no guarantee of success when trying to secure funding for research. Even the most seasoned researchers will have applications rejected. The key is to never give up. This commentary provides useful pointers for the planning and execution of grant writing.

Conceptualising your research idea

Before writing a research grant proposal/application, consider what the research should achieve in the short, medium, and long term, and how the research goals will serve patients, science and society [ 9 , 10 ]. Practical implications of research, policy impact or positive impact on society and active patient/public involvement are highly valued by many research agencies as research should not be conducted “only for research”, serving the researchers’ interests. EU health policy and action strategies (CORDIS database) and other national strategies, such as national mental health strategy for grants within mental disorders, should be considered, as well as dissemination strategies, project deliverables, outcomes and lay public invitations to participate. The Science Community COMPASS has developed a useful “Message Box Tool” that can help in the identification of benefits and solutions, as well as the all-important “So What?” of the research [ 11 ]. Clearly determine what the lead researcher’s personal and professional strengths, expertise and past experiences are, and carefully select the research team to close these gaps [ 12 – 14 ].

How to find the right funding call

When trying to identify the right type of grant according to the research ambitions, one should be mindful that several types of grants exist, including small project grants (for equipment, imaging costs), personal fellowships (for salary costs, sometimes including project costs), project grants (for a combination of salary and project costs), programme grants (for comprehensive project costs and salary for several staff members), start-up grants and travel grants [ 15 ]. Types of grants include EU grants (e.g. Horizon, Norway Grant), commercial grants (e.g. healthcare agencies and insurance companies), New Health Program grants ideal for new, reimbursed clinical pharmacy service projects and national grants (e.g. FWF (Austria), ARRS (Slovenia), NKFIH (Hungary), NCN (Poland), FWO (Belgium), HRZZ (Croatia), GAČR (Czech Republic), SNSF (Switzerland), SSF (Sweden). It is worth remembering that early career researchers, normally within ten years of finishing a PhD, have a particular sub-category within most grants.

Many national agencies only have one “Pharmacy” category. This results in clinical pharmacy and advanced clinical pharmacy practice projects competing with pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical biology and pharmacy technology submissions, thereby reducing the success rate as these research areas can often be very advanced in most EU countries compared to clinical and advanced pharmacy practice. A second possible submission category is “Public Health”. Several essential factors can impact the grant selection, such as research field, budget capacity, leading researcher’s experience and bilateral grants. Examples of successful clinical pharmacy funded research studies can be found in the published literature [ 16 – 20 ].

Plan, plan, plan

One key element of successful grant writing is the ability to plan and organise time. In order to develop a realistic work plan and achieve milestones, it is imperative to note deadlines and to be well-informed about the details of what is required. The development of a table or Gantt Chart that notes milestones, outcomes and deliverables is useful [ 21 ].

All funders are quite specific about what they will and will not fund. Research your potential funders well in advance. It is vital to pay attention to the aims, ambitions and guidelines of the grant awarding bodies and focus your proposal accordingly. Submitting an application which does not adhere to the guidelines may lead to very early rejection. It is helpful to prepare the grant application in such a way that the reviewers can easily find the information they are looking for [ 15 , 22 ]. This includes checking the reviewers’ reports and adding “bolded” sentences into the application to allow immediate emphasis. Reviewers’ reports are often available on the agencies’ websites. It is extremely useful to read previously submitted and funded or rejected proposals to further help in the identification of what is required in each application. Most funding agencies publish a funded project list, and the ‘Centre for Open Science (COS) Database of Funded Research’ enables tracking of funding histories from leading agencies around the world [ 23 ]. Another useful recommendation is to talk to colleagues who have been successful when applying to that particular funder. Funding agency grant officers can provide advice on the suitability of the proposal and the application process.

It is important to pay particular attention to deadlines for the grant proposal and ensure that sufficient time is allocated for completion of all parts of the application, particularly those that are not fully within one’s own control, for example, gathering any required signatures/approvals. Funders will generally not review an application submitted beyond the deadline.

Lastly, it is important to obtain insight into the decision process of grants. Research applications are sent to several reviewers, who are either volunteers or receive a small compensation to judge the application on previously determined criteria. While the judging criteria may vary from funder to funder, the key considerations are:

• Is there a clear statement of the research aim(s)/research question(s)/research objective(s)?
• Is the proposed research “state-of-the-art” in its field and has all relevant literature been reviewed?
• Is the method likely to yield valid, reliable, trustworthy data to answer question 1.?
• If the answer to the second question is ’yes’, then what is the impact of financing this study on patient care, professional practice, society etc.?
• Is there sufficient confidence that the research team will deliver this study on time with expected quality outputs and on budget?
• Does the study provide value for money?

How to write

The key to good grant proposal writing is to be concise yet engaging. The use of colour and modern web-based tools such as #hashtags, webpage links, and links to YouTube presentations are becoming increasingly popular to improve the interest of a submission and facilitate a swift decision-making process. Ensure use of the exact section headings provided in the guidance, and use the keywords provided in the funding call documentation to reflect alignment with the funding bodies’ key interests. Attention to detail cannot be overstated; the quality and accuracy of the research proposal reflect the quality and accuracy of the research [ 24 ]. Try to adopt a clear, succinct, and simple writing style, making the grant easy to read. Having a clear focus can help to boost a grant to the top of a reviewer’s pile [ 25 , 26 ]. A clearly stated scientific question, hypothesis, and rationale are imperative. The reviewer should not have to work to understand the project [ 27 ]. Allow for plenty of time to incorporate feedback from trusted individuals with the appropriate expertise and consider having reviews for readability by non-experts.

What to write

Abstract, lay summary and background/rationale.

Take sufficient time to draft the scientific abstract and summary for the lay public. These should clearly state the long-term goal of the research, the aim and specific testable objectives, as well as the potential impact of the work. The research aim is a broad statement of research intent that sets out what the project hopes to achieve at the end. Research objectives are specific statements that define measurable outcomes of the project [ 28 , 29 ].

The lay summary is important for non-subject experts to quickly grasp the purpose and aims of the research. This is important in light of the increased emphasis on patient and public involvement in the design of the research. The abstract is often given little attention by the applicants, yet is essential. If reviewers have many applications to read, they may form a quick judgement when reading the abstract. The background should develop the argument for the study. It should flow and highlight the relevant literature and policy or society needs statements which support the argument, but at the same time must be balanced. It should focus on the need for the study at the local, national and international level, highlighting the knowledge gap the study addresses and what the proposed research adds. Ensure this section is well-referenced. The innovation section addresses the ‘‘So what?’’ question and should clearly explain how this research is important to develop an understanding in this field of practice and its potential impact. Will it change practice, or will it change the understanding of the disease process or its treatment? Will it generate new avenues for future scientific study? [ 30 ].

Hypothesis/aims and objectives

For the hypothesis, state the core idea of the grant in one or two sentences. It should be concise, and lead to testable specific aims. This section is fundamental; if it is unclear or poorly written, the reviewers may stop reading and reject the application. Do not attempt to make the aims overly complex. Well-written aims should be simply stated. Criteria such as PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes) [ 31 ], and FINER (feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant) [ 32 ], provide useful frameworks to help in writing aim(s), research question(s), objective(s) and hypotheses. Pay attention to the distinction between aim(s), research question(s), objective(s) and hypotheses. While it is tempting to want to claim that enormously complex problems can be solved in a single project, do not overreach. It is important to be realistic [ 25 ].

Experimental design, methods and expertise

The methodology is one of the most important parts of getting a grant proposal accepted. The reviewing board should be convinced that the relevant methodology is well within the research teams’ expertise. Any evidence of potential success, such as preliminary results or pilot studies strengthen the application significantly [ 33 ]. The methodology must relate directly to the aim. Structuring this section into specific activities/ set of activities that address each research question or objective should be considered. This clarifies how each question/ objective will be addressed. Each work-package should clearly define the title of the research question/objective to be addressed, the activities to be carried out including milestones and deliverables, and the overall duration of the proposed work-package. Deliverables should be presented in table format for ease of review. Each subsequent work-package should start once the previous one has been completed to provide a clear picture of timelines, milestones and deliverables which reflect stakeholder involvement and overall organisation of the proposed project. Using relevant EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines enhances the quality of detail included in the design [ 34 ]. Key elements of this methodology are detailed in Table  1 .

Summary of the key elements of the experimental design, methods and expertise

Proposed budget

The budget should be designed based on the needs of the project and the funding agency’s policies and instructions. Each aspect of the budget must be sufficiently justified to ensure accountability to the grant awarding body [ 35 ]. Costing and justification of the time of those involved, any equipment, consumables, travel, payment for participants, dissemination costs and other relevant costs are required. The funders will be looking for value for money and not necessarily a low-cost study. Ensure that the total budget is within the allocated funding frame.

Provide a breakdown of the key work packages and tasks to be completed, as well as an indication of the anticipated duration. Include a Gantt chart (A table detailing the most general project content milestones and activities) to demonstrate that all aspects of the proposal have been well thought through [ 21 ].

Critical appraisal, limitations, and impact of the proposed research

It is important to detail any strengths and limitations of the proposed project. Omitting these will present the reviewing board with sufficient grounds to reject the proposal [ 36 ]. Provide a clear statement about the short and long-term impact of the research [ 37 , 38 ]. The reviewers will pay particular attention to the differences the study can make and how potential impact aligns with the funding bodies goals as well as national policies. This statement is essential to make an informed decision whether or not to support the application. Useful diagrams summarise the different levels of impact [ 39 ].

Table  2 provides a summary of the key elements of project grants and key questions to ask oneself.

Summary of the key elements of project grants and key questions to ask oneself.

(Adapted from [ 5 ]: Koppelmann GH, Holloway JW. Successful grant writing. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2012; 13:63–66.)

Although the grant writing process is time-consuming and complex, support is widely available at each stage. It is important to involve colleagues and collaborators to improve the proposal as much as possible and invest time in the detailed planning and execution. Even if the grant is not awarded, do not be disheartened. Use the feedback for improvement and exercise resilience and persistence in pursuing your research ambition.

The guidance in this paper is part of ESCP’s commitment to stimulate “innovative and high-quality research in all areas of clinical pharmacy”. In a previous ESCP survey, it was found that few opportunities for collaboration (especially for grant applications) was one of the key barriers for members towards conducting research [ 40 ]. ESCP promotes networking, which is essential for multi-centre grant applications, both among ESCP members and with other organisations as it recognises the need for “multi-centre research in all areas of clinical pharmacy both within countries and between countries or differing healthcare delivery systems”. ESCP is planning to relaunch its own research grant which was paused during the pandemic, and it is also planning to provide ESCP members with information about the research grants offered by other organizations. ESCP is exploring partnering with other organisations to develop research proposals in areas of common interest and, in the near future, it will ask its members about their research priorities. Taken together, these initiatives will inform ESCP’s research strategy and help it to formulate policies to address the challenges its members face.

Acknowledgements

Research works of Assoc. Prof. Fialová were also supported by the institutional program Cooperation of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University.

Open access funding provided by University of Innsbruck and Medical University of Innsbruck. This work was conducted without external funding.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have not disclosed any competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

• How to write a Wellcome grant application

We know that preparing funding applications is time-consuming and can be stressful, so we’ve put together some tips to help you write your Wellcome grant application. 

This advice applies to people applying to our Early-Career Awards , Career Development Awards and Discovery Awards .

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Before you start to write  

Check you are eligible.

Read all the guidance on the specific funding scheme page on our website . You’ll find information about eligibility and suitability, what we offer, how to apply and deadlines.

Make sure your research proposal is within our funding remit .

Gather all the information you need

If you want to get an idea of the information you’ll need to provide in your application, you can download a sample application form on a scheme page or look at the application on the  Wellcome Funding platform. 

There’s general funding information in the funding guidance section . If you can’t find the answer to your question, you can contact our funding information advisers .

If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, find out how we can support you .

Get as much advice as you can – ask other people if they are willing to share their successful and unsuccessful applications with you.

Contact the research support office at your administering organisation early in the application process, so they can give you advice and let you know when they need to receive your application.

"Ideally researchers need to contact me when they first have the idea of applying – the earlier the better. We can check eligibility – if they’re not eligible they’ll lose a lot of time. We can also put them in contact with previous applicants who might be willing to share their application."

Silvia Maretto, Research Support Officer, NUI Galway

Make sure your proposal is competitive

Discuss your ideas with your sponsor, mentor, and/or senior colleagues. Get input from colleagues who are inside and outside your research field.

You should think about the following, and take it into account when you write your application:

Your research proposal

• Importance of the research question(s) : Will your proposal generate significant shifts in understanding in your field?
• Quality and feasibility : Is your proposal well-designed? Do you have evidence to support your approach? Is there a clear rationale? What are the potential pitfalls and your contingency plans? Is the timescale realistic? Does your research team have the necessary skills and expertise?
• Creativity :  Is your proposal just a direct continuation of existing work? Will it develop and test new concepts, methods or technologies? Will your proposal combine existing ideas and approaches in a new way? Does it have the potential to stimulate new and innovative research?
• Knowledge : Can you show a breadth and depth of knowledge about your research area? Are other people doing similar research? Are you familiar with existing literature on the topic?
• Teamwork : If you are applying with coapplicants, explain why a collaborative approach is necessary for this project.

You as an applicant

• Experience : Can you demonstrate relevant experience and your ability to deliver what you propose? How do you plan to develop your research skills and experience of different methodologies?
• Your contributions to research :  How have you contributed to developing new ideas, tools or techniques? Which of your research outputs   is most relevant to your proposed research and what was your role in developing these outputs? How have you contributed to the wider research community? For example, contributions to conferences, to knowledge sharing activities or to improving research culture.
• Career development : How will you use continuing professional development training to develop yourself and any staff employed on your grant? Have you demonstrated a commitment to developing your leadership and management skills?
• Autonomy : Will you have intellectual ownership of the project? Will you be driving its development?

Your research environment

• Research environment :  How will your chosen research environment support you to undertake your research? Do you have appropriate facilities? Have you identified sponsors, mentors or collaborators  with the right expertise to support you and to make sure your project is a success?
• Opportunities for development :  How will your administering organisation support you to develop as a researcher? Which skills will you have the opportunity to build?  
• Your contribution to research culture :  How will you help to develop and maintain a positive and inclusive research culture within your administering organisation?  How will you support the development of other researchers?

"Successful applications provide answers to two key questions typically asked in review panels. First, how is this a new direction or approach that goes beyond the 'same-old' in the field? Second, how is the applicant positioned to do the work? Reviewers are excited when something new and exceptional is proposed that draws on a unique expertise of the applicant."

Professor Peter Robin Hiesinger, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Expert Review Group at Wellcome

Writing your application  

Give yourself plenty of time.

It’s really important that you avoid rushing your application. Allow plenty of time ahead of the deadline.

Check the specific funding scheme page for advice about your application, including deadlines and submissions.

Other timings that matter

Allow enough time for your application to be approved and submitted by the 'authorised organisational approver' at your administering organisation. Make sure you’re aware of any deadlines at your organisation that could delay this.

Also check that anyone involved in your application, such as your sponsor, mentor or coapplicants, can meet the scheme deadline.

Make your application easy to read and understand

• Aim your proposal at people who have specific expertise in your field as well as those who have broader research experience.
• Provide a balanced overview of the background, rationale and supporting evidence. Refer to appropriate studies by others and use preliminary data, pilot studies and/or scoping research to support your research question(s).
• Give enough detail that reviewers can understand what you’re proposing, how it will be carried out and whether it’s feasible.
• Request research costs that are necessary for your project. Make sure you’re aware of what you can and cannot ask for – this information is available on the scheme page.
• Use a title that is specific and reflects the importance of your proposal. Structure your writing with clear headings and subheadings.
• Write in plain language and avoid technical jargon where possible. Keep abbreviations and acronyms to a minimum – define them when they’re first used.
• List all references consistently, using the format requested.
• Use diagrams and figures where appropriate.

"A well-written grant reflects appreciation for both the larger context and attention to detail. The relevance in a larger context should be highlighted in a few clear and concise statements that reviewers outside the field can pick up on. Attention to detail is important when it comes to a thoughtful presentation of potential outcomes and alternative approaches."

Professor Peter Robin Hiesinger, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Expert Review Group at Wellcome

"Include sub-headings in your main research statement, and make sure it is clearly laid out using the same font, text size and paragraph justification throughout. Reviewers have a lot of applications to read – make it easy for them to see what you want to do!"

Dr Alex Mold, Investigator Award grantholder in Humanities and Social Science

Using our online application system  

You’ll need to log in to our online application system Wellcome Funding  to apply. We reccomend doing this at an early stage so that you can familiarise yourself with the system.

When you’re filling in the application:

• Read the instructions carefully. Don’t forget to look at the pop-up help text which offers additional information.
• Complete every field on the form and upload any relevant supporting documents and figures.

You can save your online application as you go along and return to it at any time before the deadline.

And finally, ask your sponsor, mentor and/or senior colleagues to read your application critically before you submit it.

Related content  

• Disability-related support for applicants
• Discretionary Awards: funding outside of Wellcome’s schemes and funding calls
• Embedding lived experience expertise in mental health research
• Funding scheme application deadlines
• How to complete an outputs management plan
• How to prepare for a Wellcome funding interview
• Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
• Roles and responsibilities of people involved in Wellcome funding applications

How to Write a Successful Research Grant Application

A Guide for Social and Behavioral Scientists

• © 2011
• Latest edition
• Willo Pequegnat 0 ,
• Ellen Stover 1 ,
• Cheryl Anne Boyce 2

National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, USA

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Washington, USA

• The only book written by federal personnel and research investigators who have participated in the process of reviewing research grants
• Includes insider tips on grantsmanship
• Includes an example of a successful research application that was reviewed and is currently being conducted, and a taxonomy of common mistakes identified in grant review
• Extensively revised and updated 2nd edition adds new chapters on grant management and study design
• Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Obtaining Support and Grants for Research

Research-Based Knowledge in Psychology: What, if Anything, is Its Incremental Value to the Practitioner?

Community-Based Research, Health, and Social Interventions

• behavioral sciences research
• grant proposal
• grant writing
• social sciences research
• study design

Table of contents (28 chapters)

Front matter, grantsmanship: necessary but not sufficient strategies for success.

• Willo Pequegnat

Community-Based Collaborations: Designing, Conducting and Sustaining Prevention Programs

• Mary M. McKay, Carl C. Bell, Clair A. Blake

Funding Opportunity Announcements

• Jean Noronha

Selecting the Appropriate Research Mechanism: Finding the Right Match

• Cheryl Anne Boyce, Courtney Ferrell Aklin

Selecting Issues and Hypotheses for a Research Proposal

• Spero M. Manson

Electronic Submission Process

The review process.

• Anita Miller Sostek

Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing and How to Avoid Them

• Susan Folkman, Willo Pequegnat

Reading Between the Lines of Your Summary Statement

• William Lyman, Bonita Stanton, Willo Pequegnat

The Award Process

• Ellen Stover

So You Were Awarded Your Grant, Now What?

• Seth C. Kalichman

Developing a Theoretical Framework and Rationale for a Research Proposal

• Gregory M. Herek

How Do You Formulate a Testable Exciting Hypothesis?

• Robyn Dawes

Qualitative Inquiry: An End Not Just a Means

• Margaret E. Bentley, Elizabeth E. Tolley, Willo Pequegnat

Issues in Assessment in Research Proposals

• Helena Chmura Kraemer

Using Technology and the Internet in Research

• Joseph A. Konstan, William West

Designing an Intervention

• Jose Szapocznik, Willo Pequegnat, Guillermo Prado

Designing an Adequate Control Group

• Thomas J. Coates

Human Subject Protection and Special Population Issues

• Christine Moretto Wishnoff, Pamela Hayes-Shell, David Shore, Cheryl Anne Boyce

Editors and Affiliations

Willo Pequegnat, Ellen Stover

Cheryl Anne Boyce

About the editors

Bibliographic information.

Book Title : How to Write a Successful Research Grant Application

Book Subtitle : A Guide for Social and Behavioral Scientists

Editors : Willo Pequegnat, Ellen Stover, Cheryl Anne Boyce

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1454-5

Publisher : Springer New York, NY

eBook Packages : Medicine , Medicine (R0)

Copyright Information : Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Softcover ISBN : 978-1-4419-1453-8 Published: 13 October 2010

eBook ISBN : 978-1-4419-1454-5 Published: 02 November 2010

Edition Number : 2

Number of Pages : XXXI, 300

Topics : Medicine/Public Health, general , Social Sciences, general , Psychology, general

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Your Guide to Writing Research Funding Applications

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Grant funding is critical for all types of research. Without it, many projects wouldn’t even get off the ground, so what’s the key to securing the right funding? The not-so-simple answer: a stellar grant application.

If you’ve ever wondered how to write a successful proposal — or if you’re looking for some new resources and a few refresher tips — we have the right resource for you. In this comprehensive guide, we explore all types of grant funding opportunities, provide a step-by-step proposal breakdown and offer insider tips for ultimate grant application success.

The information in this guide was provided by Mike Hendrickson, Project Manager at BrainXell, Inc; Dr. Shannon M. Lauberth, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern University; Dr. Darshan Sapkota, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas; and Dr. Ward Tucker, Director of Research and Development at BioSentinel, Inc.

Find a Grant: What Opportunities Are Available?

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but these are the most popular types of grant funding opportunities.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health provides more than $32 billion each year for biomedical research funding. The NIH grants and funding opportunities page publishes opportunities daily and issues a table of contents weekly. You can also subscribe to a weekly email for updates.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

The National Science Foundation funds approximately 25% of all federally supported research in higher education. The NSF is divided into a number of specific research areas , including:

• Biological Sciences
• Computer and Information Science and Engineering
• Education and Human Resources
• Engineering
• Environmental Research and Education
• Geosciences
• Integrative Activities
• International Science and Engineering
• Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

You can search for NSF funding opportunities here .

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)

SBIR and STTR grants are geared toward small U.S. businesses that are looking for funding opportunities in research or research and development “with the potential for commercialization.” Eligible businesses must be for-profit, located in the United States, and more than 50% owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens. The company must also have fewer than 500 employees.

Non-Federal Agencies & Foundations

Many grant opportunities are available through non-federal avenues. This is just a sample of some of the agencies and foundations that provide these types of funding opportunities.

• Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Federation for Aging Research
• American Heart Association
• American Cancer Society
• American Chemical Society
• American Diabetes Association
• Foundation for Women’s Wellness
• March of Dimes

Early Stage Investigator Awards

An early stage investigato r is “a new investigator who has completed his or her terminal research degree or medical residency — whichever date is later — within the past 10 years and has not yet competed successfully for a substantial, competing NIH research grant.”

• American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grants
• Pew Scholar Program
• Sidney Kimmel Foundation
• NIH New & Early Stage Investigator Program

Step-By-Step Grant Proposal & Application Breakdown

Once you’ve found your grant opportunity, it’s time to take action. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Build a timeline.

There are a lot of moving parts in the application process, so the first step is to create a timeline. You want to allow yourself enough time to gather information and write the proposal without feeling rushed. Plus, you need to factor in time for editing and internal reviews. Write down the due date of the application and work backwards. Remember, it’s always best to err on the side of having too much time rather than not enough.

2. Create a robust outline.

This is the most important part of the application process, and the more detail, the better. Be specific in your questions, hypothesis, aims and goals. Detail your experiments and expected outcomes.

3. Gather your appropriate tools and resources.

Before you begin writing, make sure you gather everything in one place. If you need to request certain documents, do so now. Create a folder on your computer that houses everything related to your grant application — and make sure to back up your files if you aren’t using Google or another cloud-based provider. It sounds like a simple reminder, but the last thing you want is to lose all your hard work.

4. Read through the application instructions carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Familiarize yourself with the request, rules and requirements.

Read through everything , noting any documents you need to include. Every document that is requested must be included in the application. And if you have any questions about the process or you’re looking for clarification on a particular item, reach out to the program officer. It’s also better to ask questions as early as possible in the process.

5. Include strong preliminary data.

Even if grant requests say it is not necessary to include any data, you are unlikely to be funded if you don’t include any preliminary data. It is a major piece of any application. The stronger the data, the better shot you have of receiving funding.

6. Write, write, write!

Now it’s time to put pen to paper, so to speak. Here are some important tips to keep in mind during this important process:

• Be realistic: If you’re applying for a Phase 1 grant, it’s important to remember that Phase 1 is supposed to be “proof of concept” — in other words, not product development. Some people try to squeeze five years worth of work into one year, but you need to be realistic. Think carefully, and be modest about your objectives. If you end up applying for a Phase 2 grant, the reviewers will look at your goals and objectives for Phase 1. If you didn’t deliver then, there’s a good chance your Phase 2 proposal will be rejected.
• Tell a story. With any type of good writing, you want to build a case — in other words, tell a story. Start with an introduction that hooks the audience. Talk about the wider problem you’re hoping to explore and why you are the right person for the job. Explain your hypothesis and how you plan to tackle it.
• Include two or three specific aims. This is the heart of the grant. Again, be reasonable. Don’t bite off more than you can chew in order to seem overly ambitious. Include two or three challenging yet exciting aims (or goals) that you believe are doable in the set amount of time. Include clear objectives and clear milestones of success.
• Be mindful of your language. Be specific, informative and engaging but also concise. Use active voice and strong verbs like “determine and distinguish.” Quantify information or data.
• Don’t get too technical or use too much jargon. Remember, you know your field inside and out, but your reviewers in some cases may not. Make your application clear and readable. Write for an educated but diverse audience.
• Include preliminary data. It’s important, so it bears repeating!
• Add pictures, illustrations or graphics. No one wants to read a 15-page proposal of extremely dense text. Break up your application with a few visuals.

7. Make sure the budget matches what is allocated.

It sounds obvious, but don’t ask for more than the set budget amount. If you work at a higher education institution, you will likely work with a research office on the budget.

8. Have multiple people review your application.

Once you’ve written your grant proposal (congratulations!), you want to seek out multiple reviewers before you click submit. These reviewers should be inside your company, organization or institution, or experts in your field; you may also benefit from review by non-experts. It’s important to give your reviewers plenty of time, too. Here are some good questions to ask:

• Is the proposal clear and concise?
• Do I need more data?
• Are any parts confusing or in need of additional explanation?
• Am I telling an interesting story?
• Could I add any other visuals?

9. Give yourself enough time to familiarize yourself with the application portal — and then submit!

If you work with a research office, they will upload the application on your behalf. If you don’t, you want to make sure you familiarize yourself with the application portal before your deadline.

Insider Tips for Grant Writing Experience & Creating a Standout Application

We spoke to the experts, and here’s what they had to say:

• Talk to the program officers early and often. There are people who don’t put the time and energy into reviewing the instructions, rules and requirements of a grant application. Make sure you understand everything, and if you don’t, talk to the program officers. Remember — you don’t have to figure out everything by yourself!
• Don’t break the rules. If the application requires certain documents, make sure to include them.
• Don’t be “non-responsive.” This is grant proposal-speak for not answering a question that is asked of you. Reviewers will take note.
• Put yourself in the shoes of a reviewer. What questions will the reviewers have, and how can you answer them ahead of time? Ideally you want to address these questions with preliminary data. If you don’t have the data, it’s important to at least address those questions in your proposal — and how you plan to tackle them.
• Don’t save everything until the last minute. There’s a very good chance you heard this mantra in high school and college — and it still rings true.
• Consider hiring someone who can handle the grant application process. If you have the budget, it may be valuable to hire a person who can handle the administrative and logistical aspects of the application process. Some companies and organizations also hire part-time or full-time grant writers to handle the actual proposal writing.
• Explore all types of funding opportunities. In addition to traditional federal agencies like NIH and NSF that routinely offer grants, you should explore any internal funding opportunities for faculty and researchers. Sign up for as many email lists, newsletters and daily grant alert notifications from federal and non-federal agencies as possible. If you work in an academic setting, ask your department chair about these opportunities.
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. It’s just illegal to accept funding from two different institutions for the same work.

Ask to help out on a grant application. Grant writing is a skill that is honed with time and experience, and the best way to get better is to practice. Review applications that your colleagues have been working on or ask them if you can help out in any way. Practice makes perfect.

• The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook: It’s one of the best tools and a resource you’ll return to again and again.
• Ask to participate in a review committee. This will give you the opportunity to see grant applications from a different perspective, which will be beneficial in your own funding quests.
• Attend grant writing workshops. This is another important way to gain insight and experience.
• Remember the big picture. As Shannon Lauberth, associate professor at Northwestern University, explains: “Remember that the exercise of writing a grant helps you to carve out clear directions for your lab.”

Grant Application Resources

This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some helpful tools and resources you may want to explore or bookmark:

• Fundamentals of the NIH Grant Process & Need to Know Resources [VIDEO]
• The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook
• NIH Grants Process Overview 
• NSF Funding Search
• NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
• SMARTS — Email alert system about funding opportunities

Specific Questions About Lab Equipment?

D.A.I. Scientific works closely with a variety of federally funded organizations, private businesses and higher education institutions to provide products and services to analytical laboratories in the pharmaceutical, educational, biotechnology and clinical industries. If you’re writing a grant application and need a budgetary quote for equipment, contact us today. Our knowledgeable experts would be happy to help.

Jamie is the regional sales manager of DAI Scientific and leads a team of 13 equipment sales consultants. His background includes 20 years of experience working with customers in academic, clinical, industrial and bio/pharma laboratories.

Jamie works with architects, engineers and lab planners to identify the correct equipment for each user’s specific needs. He also leverages his previous role as a DAI sales representative to help his sales consultants work with customers to ensure informed decisions and customer satisfaction. He stays involved in recent research by continuously attending seminars and educating himself on the products and industries he serves.

Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

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How to write a good application - ESRC

The content and quality of the application you submit to us will determine whether you are successful. Therefore, it is vital that you have a full understanding of what is required, as well as knowing the various stages of the application process, so that you maximise your chances of being funded.

These notes are intended to assist you in the preparation of applications to the ESRC responsive mode: research grants funding opportunity  and should be read in conjunction with the ESRC research funding guide .

They provide informal guidance on points for applicants to remember when drafting applications.

You may also find this information helpful if you’re applying to another funding opportunity although you should take care to follow any funding opportunity-specific guidance provided.

Careful attention will help you to avoid some of the basic pitfalls and improve the funding chances of your research idea.

Our guidance for writing a good research grant application

Allow yourself time.

Preparing a draft application and consulting on it, preparing the project costings and getting advice on these, as well as reading the regulations of the funding opportunity to learn what is and what is not permissible, are all time-consuming parts of the process of application.

The key guidance for applicants applying to our research grants scheme is:

• the funding opportunity guidance
• ESRC guidance for applicants
• ESRC research funding guide

Study your funding source

All funding agencies will have their own criteria for deciding on allocation of their resources. It is worthwhile taking time to familiarise yourself with these and ensuring that your application clearly addresses your targeted source of support.

We are an agency funded by the government and its mission is “to promote and support by any means, high quality, basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training in the social sciences; to advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists which meets the needs of users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the UK, the effectiveness of public services and policy, and the quality of life; and, to provide advice on, and disseminate knowledge and promote public understanding of, the social sciences”.

All successful ESRC research grants demonstrate four characteristics. They must:

• promise excellent research
• be of value to potential users outside or within the research community
• convince of the ability to deliver research
• demonstrate value for money (not necessarily the same as cheapness).

Further information relating to how applications are peer reviewed and the standards against which you will be judged are provided within ESRC’s guidance for reviewers and ESRC’s peer reviewer training tool – this is an online course which takes around an hour to complete, although it is possible to dip in and out as well.

Read the guidance documents

You should read the funding opportunity guidance which is designed to help you through the process. This cannot be overstressed; familiarising yourself with the content of the research funding guide may seem tedious but will help you to avoid basic mistakes which at best will require clarification with office staff and at worst may prejudice chances of success. Please abide by the rules, since they are there to ensure a level playing field for all applicants, and applications which break the rules will be rejected. Make sure you are using the current versions of guidance as rules and regulations are subject to change. If in doubt, check with the named ESRC contact for the funding opportunity.

Discuss your application

You should discuss your application with peer groups, colleagues and, if you are a relatively new researcher, with senior and more experienced researchers. Experienced collaboration or mentoring rarely goes amiss. If you have never sent in an application to us before, try to get the advice of someone who has already been successful.

Talk to your research office and draw on the support that they can give you in putting together your application and calculating your costings.

Justify your costings

When you justify your costings, they should be considered with care and close reference to our research funding guide.

Be realistic – lavish costings are unlikely to find favour with panel members and an application which promises the earth at remarkably low expense will be regarded with caution.

Panels take a very dim view of applications where the costings have been padded to reach the lower financial threshold for the funding opportunity, and if potential cuts would take the overall cost of the application below the threshold the application will not be funded.

You need to provide clear and convincing justification of your costings and should think carefully about the time and resources needed to complete the research successfully within the specified period.

Grants will be based on the eligible costings included in applications and will be subject to standard indexation and be cash limited at the time of announcement, so it is important to get costings right when applying.

A well thought out financial plan helps to create confidence in the application generally. Give as detailed a breakdown of costs as possible so that the panel can properly assess the application.

Do make sure that what you are asking for is allowed within the regulations. Bear in mind that ESRC is looking for value for money, and that applications which offer poor value for money will be scored down by panels, even when the science may be excellent.

Content and presentation

The research application is the means by which you will be trying to convince the panel that your application is worth funding so think carefully about what information you are going to give and how it is presented.

Make sure you think your project plan through and cover all stages of the research lifecycle. The project lifecycle includes the planning and research design stage, the period of funding for the project, and all activities that relate to the project up to and including the time when funding has ended.

The research lifecycle therefore also includes knowledge exchange and impact realisation activities, the dissemination process including reporting and publication and the archiving, future use, sharing, and linking of data.

Many applications are unsuccessful not because they lack interesting or important research ideas, but because they fail to communicate adequately how these research ideas will be explored and translated into an achievable plan of action.

It is vital that you have a full understanding of what is required, as well as knowing the various stages of the application process, so that you maximise your chances of gaining an award.

Convey to the panel your genuine interest, understanding and enthusiasm for the work.

The vision and approach section is the core of your application. It is also important to make sure that you devote enough space in the application to describing the research you intend to conduct and the research design and methods – the panels find it very frustrating when applicants devote pages to explaining why their proposed research is exciting but then provide only a short and inadequate explanation of how they propose to explore this in practice.

Write in plain English. Your application is likely to be seen by many people, including some who will not be familiar with your particular specialism. Detail and specification may necessitate the use of disciplinary or technical terminology and this will be clear to peer reviewers, but the ideas you wish to convey and your reasons for doing so should be apparent to a wide audience.

Peer reviewers and panel members do not welcome dense blocks of text which have not been broken down into paragraphs and sub sections. By the same token, do take the trouble to check spelling, grammar and punctuation. These are all part of the quality of presentation and presentation matters.

Knowledge exchange and impact

Our mission places emphasis on ensuring that researchers engage as fully as possible with the users of research outcomes. These may be:

• other academics
• government departments
• public bodies
• voluntary organisations
• other interested parties

Try to consult with and involve people who could make a valuable contribution to the research and who could provide support and interest. Involving stakeholders and users in the planning stages can be highly beneficial.

In line with the common position on excellence with Impact adopted by research councils, we expect that the researchers we fund will have considered the potential scientific, societal and economic impacts of their research.

You should actively consider how these can be maximised and developed throughout your application. Consideration of the potential economic and social impact of your proposed research will form part of the peer review and assessment process of your application. You are expected to take impact seriously. If you believe that your research project is purely theoretical or methodological and will only have impacts within academia you should consider your impact strategy to justify your belief.

Opportunities for making an impact may arise, and should be taken, at any stage during the lifecourse of the research. It is important that researchers have in place a robust strategy for maximising the likelihood of such opportunities arising and their own capacity for taking advantage of these.

Further information on impact, innovation and interdisciplinarity.

Check the details

Once you have completed the application make sure that all the required information is provided. Some of the most common issues are:

• an unrealistic start date
• vision and approach section exceeding the specified length
• no additional details provided of revisions made to an application in the case of invited resubmissions

What happens next?

For the esrc responsive mode: research grants funding opportunity.

Applications receiving sufficiently supportive comments from external academic reviewers are forwarded to the panel members (introducers) for a funding recommendation. This is primarily informed by the average expert reviewer score. The minimum threshold score for progressing to the panel is determined on an individual funding opportunity basis.

Applications receiving an average expert reviewer score below the minimum threshold are rejected as not meeting the requisite scientific standard.

At the full panel meetings a proportion of applications will be recommended for funding. Unsuccessful applications fall into two categories – those which are unsuccessful due to lack of funds, and those which do not meet the requisite scientific standard.

A ranked list of recommendations is then considered by the grants delivery group for a final funding decision.

We accept only invited resubmissions. We do not allow the resubmission of any previously unsuccessful applications (including applications previously submitted to another research council), unless applicants have been specifically invited to do so.

In the majority of cases funding decisions are made around six months from the submission of your application, so please bear this in mind when applying.

If your research is time-critical you will need to allow enough time from submission for the application to go through the full application process, and the post-award checks/contracting process which takes an additional two months, on average.

If you are successful

Congratulations, and we hope your project goes well.

However, if difficulties arise such as delays in recruitment, staff illness, replacements, or changes to the work plan then please let us know immediately via your research office.

Under our research funding guide rules you will not need to notify us of virements of funds between headings and no supplementation will be allowed.

Last updated: 16 February 2024

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .

How to Write a Successful Grant Proposal

You’re passionate about your research. Your work is crucial for scientific discovery and deserves to be carried out. We know that, and we love what you’re doing. So why can it be so challenging for academic researchers to obtain research funding? At Nicoya, we speak with researchers all over the world. We hear the same story about an amazing research project that can’t get funded. A worthy research proposal might not even get read by a reviewer if it lacks key elements stated in the grant requirements. Or, a well-structured grant proposal can fall short if the project isn’t a good fit for the grant that it was submitted to.

At Nicoya, we aim to improve human life by helping scientists succeed. We’re here to help you write a successful grant proposal to bring your next big idea to life. From grant prospecting to grant submission, we did our research to provide insight on each stage of the grant writing process. Let’s start at the beginning and choose the right grant for your project!

Choosing The Right Grant

If you’ve looked for academic funding before, you know that there is an alarming amount of publicly funded grants available. This overwhelming process is a lot easier when you know what you’re looking for. Before diving into open grants, take some time to identify the needs and focus of your research:

What will your research accomplish? Who directly benefits from the outcome of your research? This might sound like an obvious tip, but having a clear picture of the significance of your research will make it much easier to filter by the right research area. Choosing an appropriate audience from the beginning will also significantly increase your chances of success.

What are your credentials? If you’re a newer researcher, there are funding opportunities specifically tailored for you! These grants usually come with smaller budgets and timelines to help you get started. Alternatively, if you are a distinguished professor, you likely have a full team to support and a long project to carry out. This means that you will need a more competitive grant that offers significant funding and multiple years of support. Luckily, your previous experiences have set the stage for you to take on a larger project. Think about what size of budget and timeline fits well with your current career stage to help you be more selective of different grants.

So where should you look? If you’re based in the United States, here are some great places to start:

• grants.gov – A great general search engine that captures grant announcements from a number of different funding agencies.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – The largest funding body in the country. This page also includes important due dates associated with each grant.

If you are based in Canada, check out the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) . NSERC is the major funding source in Canada for natural science researchers – students and professors alike.

Writing The Research Funding Proposal

Now that you have selected some grants that fit your research and needs, it’s time to start working on the application. The next thing you should do – and I cannot stress this enough – is read through the grant application guidelines ( Grants.gov). These guidelines will cover the elements required in your proposal, the questions that the reviewers want answered, and how the application should be structured. We’ve summarized some tips for the most common elements of a proposal in a format that you can keep handy for later:

• Carefully follow your grant guidelines here for what information to include and how it should be formatted.
• In addition to a clear, explicit title, other elements such as your title, affiliations, and the funding agency are usually required as well.
• The most read section of your research funding proposal (The Writing Center, UNC).
• Be explicit, clear and concise. Make your project’s goals, significance (who does your research benefit?), and relation to the theme of the grant easy to find!
• Use future tense to summarize your plan to accomplish your goals.

Introduction

• Use this section to elaborate on everything you have stated in the abstract.
• Set the stage for your research: give a background on the research area, the knowledge gap you are addressing, and how your research is going to fill that gap. Start very general about the area of research and get increasingly more specific.
• Your introduction should sufficiently justify why your research is a good fit for this grant.

 Project Narrative

• The main section of your proposal. There is a lot of information here so organize your information into subheadings as necessary.
• Elaborate on the problem you’re addressing and its significance again – this is why the funding agency is giving you money after all.
• Break down step by step how you’re planning to solve this problem and justify each step. The more thorough you can be here, the more confidence your reviewer will have in you.
• Focus on techniques that will provide quantitative data to back your claims. Using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to measure binding kinetics for any biomolecular interactions will significantly increase your credibility to a reviewer. Check out The Power of OpenSPR below to see how easily SPR can be included in your proposal.
• Finally, recheck your grant guidelines! Make sure that every question the reviewers had was answered sufficiently.
• The more specific you can be about how you plan to spend the money, the more credibility you will have.
• Include an itemized list of each anticipated expense. Think about instrument requirements, reagents, travel expenses, and personnel wages.
• Also, include a budget narrative explaining why each expense is crucial to your project and worth the funding agency’s money (The Writing Center, UNC).
• Follow the funding agency’s regulations closely here. Do your research to see what purchases they don’t cover and their limits around items such as air travel.

 Timeline

• Justify the time frame of your project and set some approximate deadlines for the various stages of your project.
• Using an itemized list or a visual representation of your timeline will keep your reviewers happy here (The Writing Center, UNC).

Cover Letter

• The bonus section! A cover letter likely is not explicitly required but is highly recommended (The Balance; Kurzweil Educational Systems, 2002).
• Treat this like the cover letter on your resume; its purpose is to sell your project.
• Introduce your research group, highlight the significance of your project, and state the budget you are requesting.

These are just some of the elements that are normally required in a grant application. Each grant application will have its required elements and structure, so follow your grant guidelines meticulously.

Taking Your Research Funding Proposal To The Next Level

Congratulations! You now have a draft of your proposal completed. Stretch your legs, grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we highlight a few more tips to increase the chances of getting your project funded substantially.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. While quality is better than quantity, applying for multiple grants will give you more opportunities to get funded. Since these proposals are incredibly time-consuming, write a general grant application for your project and then tailor it to each funding body.

Know your audience . It doesn’t matter how impactful your research is if it isn’t a good fit for the funding agency you’re applying to. The goals of your research should always circle back to the overall theme of the grant. This may require some rewording of your research outcomes to align better with the views of the funding agency. Check out our tips on publication writing for more advice on writing for your audience.

Use innovative techniques. As technology advances, so should your research techniques. For instance, using SPR to measure quantitative binding kinetics for your bio-molecular interactions will give you a huge advantage against your competitors. Since the OpenSPR is affordable and easy-to-use, we’ve had many researchers use the OpenSPR as leverage to get their grants approved. Check out The Power of OpenSPR below to see how easily SPR can be included in your proposal.

Review, review, review. Plenty of eyes should see your research funding proposal before the reviewers do. Consider getting your work reviewed by experts and non-experts in your field. It is also recommended to have a writing expert review your work for structure and style. If you let your proposal sit for a week and then pick it up again, you will be able to catch more mistakes with fresh eyes.

Read your grant requirements. Have we mentioned this already? A funding agency’s first screening of your proposal will be to see if you have followed their instructions. Just sticking to their guidelines will significantly increase your chances of success (Grants.gov; The Writing Center, UNC).

The Power of OpenSPR

With the finishing touches added to your award-winning grant proposal, we wanted to leave you with some closing thoughts on the difference SPR will make in your research. More and more reviewers (funding agencies and academic journals alike) are asking for quantitative binding kinetics data over simple yes/no binding confirmation for biomolecular interactions. SPR is a label-free technique that gets you this data in real-time and has never been more accessible with the OpenSPR . Your reviewers are going to love that you’ve chosen an instrument that provides the same quality of data of instruments over ten times its cost.

Let us help you take your grant proposal to the next level.

Request a quote today to see how easily the OpenSPR can be budgeted into your next project.

• The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!). Retrieved from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/grant-proposals-or-give-me-the-money/
• Grants.gov. Grants 101 – Pre-Award Phase. Retrieved from https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html
• The Balance. How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-write-a-grant-proposal-2501980
• Kurzweil Educational Systems (2002). Sample Grant Proposal. Retrieved from https://www.kurzweiledu.com/files/proof_resources_grant1.pdf
• Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). Funding Facts. Retrieved from https://report.nih.gov/fundingfacts/fundingfacts.aspx

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10 Tips on Creating a Research Program and Proposal Writing

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Start small and early. As a new faculty member-reach out to mentors (on campus and off) and inquire what might be a great first proposal to write. Given that grant funding today is more difficult to obtain than ever before, starting early in your career and capitalizing on the advantages of your "early-career" status is key. Reach out to the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research for a listening session and find grant programs specifically aimed at new faculty members. These grant programs typically do not require significant preliminary data. Instead, funding decisions rely most heavily on your promise and potential as a candidate — your training to date, your mentors, and your topic’s importance.

Early on in your career, it’s critical to envision your ultimate large grant. Drawing a Venn diagram of your research program could help communicate your research expertise to collaborators. Typically a major grant would include five aims. Once you’ve envisioned your big grant and its five aims, your next steps become clear: create component projects of that larger project by writing small grants designed to support one or more of your five specific aims. Small grants will show that each of your aims is feasible. This approach is critical as grant-review panels often see a large grant as the culmination of a growing body of work progressing from modest seed grants to larger and larger awards.

A key factor in developing a vision of your ultimate large grant will be the advice of your mentor(s). If you do not have a mentor in your department ask the chair to assign you one. It is also usually considered acceptable to seek out your own mentor. Indeed, many early-career academics assemble a mentorship team, in which each member provides guidance on different career facets (i.e., a teaching mentor, a research mentor, a work-life mentor). Consider approaching people on other campuses as well as at Coppin.

Look at who and what got funded before. Grant agencies typically list previous award recipients online. This list is critical as it shows the agency’s potential interest in supporting your area of research. Some agencies post abstracts online of both active and prior awards. They can give you a critical sense of what has been successful. Looking at the number of specific aims and the range of acceptable sample sizes will provide you with key insights as to what has appealed to your target agency in the past.

Funding agencies may post a list of prior and current grant reviewers and their affiliations online. Review the list and ask yourself if their expertise overlaps with the aims and methodology of your study. Reach out to program directors with a potential idea many months in advance of the deadline—ask for their feedback.

Spend half of your time on the abstract and aims. Writers of successful grant applications typically report that they spent 50 percent of their time on writing and revising their abstract and aims. When you finally start drafting your proposal, the specific aims should be the first thing you write — well before the background or methods sections.

Send a one-page sketch of your project abstract and aims to your mentor and co-investigators early in the grant-writing process with the goal of kicking off an iterative process of review and revision.

Why is this page so critical? Because of the nature of the peer-review process. Typically, only three or four academics are assigned as primary and secondary reviewers of your grant. The majority of review-panel members will only have read your proposal’s abstract. Therefore, it must not only provide a clear snapshot of the entire study, but also convey what is novel about your application.

Demonstrate your strengths and capabilities to do the research. These skills are a critical factor for reviewers. How do you demonstrate you can feasibly conduct the work?

• First, if possible, collaborate on the grant with senior investigators who have conducted similar projects. A senior scholar’s involvement will be a key factor supporting your potential for success, particularly if you are early in your career.
• Co-investigators should not appear in name only. Show established working relationships with them either via co-authored publications, co-presentations, and/or via an established mentoring relationship (e.g., as part of a training grant). Of course, much of this information will appear in the bio sketches in your proposal, but you cannot rely upon reviewers to connect the dots. Make it easy for reviewers by clearly noting these prior collaborations in your "preliminary studies" section.
• Finally, present evidence that you have conducted smaller-scale feasibility studies. That reassures reviewers that you, as a principal investigator, will be able to conduct your proposed aims and, ideally, translate that work into publications.

Take a focused methodological plan directly tied to your specific aims will be the most impressive to reviewers. For example, include methods in the proposal that relate directly to each of your study’s aims and don’t include additional methods that do not correspond to any aims.

You can never have too many figures or tables. They make it easy for a reviewer to quickly grasp your proposal, as compared with dense text. In addition, the act of creating them will help you to cross check your specific aims and study methods. Figures and tables can save space — reducing the amount of text necessary — which is critical to meeting the page limitations of most grant submissions. This tip is relevant for every section of your grant application:  Figures can be used to show how your specific aims interrelate, to depict study designs, and to demonstrate your anticipated results.

Seek external reviews prior to submission. The same person cannot write a grant and review it for clarity. You will miss errors, simply by virtue of your familiarity with the material. So ask colleagues to read the application. Even a generalist can read your grant proposal with the following questions in mind: Are the goals clearly stated? Does the grant extend prior work in the field? What is the impact of your potential findings?

In fact, it may be preferable for some of your proofreaders not to have expertise in your area at all — given that members of the grant-review panel will not have expertise in every aspect of your proposal.

Use the grant-review criteria as subheadings in your proposal, making it easier for the panelists to fill out their review forms. For example, reviewers typically have to complete a section on "Innovation." A clearly labeled subsection on "Innovation" not only saves the reviewer time, but gives you the opportunity to share your vision with the reviewer on innovative aspects they may not have recognized on their own.

Choose a topic that you find interesting—your expertise and passion will come through in your grant proposal. Having several grants in the pipeline and under review at the same time can help stack the deck in your favor.

Related links

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How to Sell Your Science: Using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos for Maximum Persuasive Effect

Content sponsored by Astound Research

To enhance your grant proposal using persuasive writing, use Aristotle’s debate techniques ethos (credibility) pathos (passion), and logos (logic). Establish credibility with a detailed biosketch, a strong publication record, and citing leaders in the field. Emphasize the importance of your research with compelling statistics and passionate language. Structure your proposal clearly and logically, using concise sentences and a logical flow to ensure readability. Focus on ethos, pathos, and logos throughout to effectively persuade reviewers of your work’s value.

Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a pioneer of scientific inquiry based on observation and reasoning in the natural world. He also pioneered persuasion in argument using ethos (credibility), pathos (passion), and logos (logic) for debate, as it was a cornerstone of social life in ancient Greece.

Deliberate and careful use of these devices in your scientific writing is an extremely effective way to persuade reviewers to fund your grant proposals. It is not the only way to receive good reviews, but once you master the method, you’ll likely get rewarded with a higher success rate for your applications.

In this article, I will map these three terms onto the typical requirements for a scientific grant proposal and show how and where they apply.

Credibility (ethos)

Establishing your ethos is how you show your readers that you are credible and can be trusted.

A thorough display of ethos also indicates to your reader that you understand their point of view even if they disagree.

You can establish your ethos in the following ways.

Your Biosketch

The biosketch is a requirement for most funding agencies and the most obvious place to establish your ethos. The personal statement portion of the biosketch is the only place in the proposal submission where you can write about yourself in the first person.

Make it compelling and show who you are, the emergence of your scientific direction, and how you and your team are uniquely positioned to execute the proposal’s aims.

Stress the complementary skills of your team and ensure you have a history of working with your co-investigators through co-authorship on publications.

It is essential that this history of working together is directly relevant to the application, not some tangential collaboration. Injecting some enthusiasm into the personal statement will be appreciated by the reviewers.

Your Publication Record

Your publication record should stand out in the biosketch, and your own citations in the proposal. Showing your work has already been published in reputable peer-reviewed journals is the surest way to establish your ethos.

Citing your own work on the Specific Aims page is always a good thing as it lays the groundwork for the central hypothesis of the proposal.

Citing the Publications of Leaders in the Field

Reviewers also assess your ethos by looking for any citations to the acknowledged leaders in the field. There is a good chance that one or more of those leaders will be on the review panel for your proposal.

Whether they are leaders or not, diligent reviewers will check to see if you’ve done your homework by referencing important works of those who have gone before. You can add these citations at almost any point in your proposal as long as those references are directly relevant and in support of your own proposed work.

Passion (pathos)

We are taught that scientific writing follows a formulaic approach where the author is emotionally detached from the subject matter. The idea behind this detachment is to convey objective truth rather than a subjective interpretation of the results.

An over-reliance on emotional statements can indeed indicate an under-reliance on analysis and research. However, the writer can convey the extent of the problem (or solution) without resorting to sweeping claims or emotional rhetoric.

When done effectively, the work becomes more persuasive and gains greater impact, ultimately furthering the goal of getting your reviewers excited about your proposal.

Use Opening Statements

It is useful to provide examples of pathos in scientific writing. Consider an opening statement like:

“ Annually, 240,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. “

This is a statement of fact, a truly horrible statistic, and a very dispassionate way to say it.

Let the reviewers know that you understand how horrible it is and you are passionate about fixing the problem. You could recast this statement as:

“ Every year in the United States, 240,000 women receive the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. The disease claims the lives of 42,000 women annually, making it a major public health problem. “

Now you’ve injected a sense of urgency into your writing, making it more likely that the reviewers will want to know more about how you plan to attack the problem.

Don’t Neglect the “Background” Section

Consider the Background section where you are referencing the works of others. You could say:

“ Smith et al . established the analytical protocols still in use today. ”

However, you can show the reviewers your excitement over this previous work (and your use of it) by saying:

“ The groundbreaking work of Smith et al . (2004) opened up multiple lines of investigation for checkpoint inhibitors and is a cornerstone of the approach used in this proposal. “

You’ve simultaneously shown your knowledge of the literature (ethos) and recognized its importance in your own work (pathos). If you are lucky, Smith or anyone on that team will be a reviewer and favor you in their review!

Logos (logos)

Writing is learned by doing and then having your work proofread and critiqued by an accomplished writer. Textbooks are written on this subject. Universities offer seminars and workshops on writing. Here are the guidelines that helped me improve my own writing.

Tell a Coherent Story

Logic in scientific writing is all about telling a coherent story where the reader is led down a clear path to your highly justifiable conclusions.

As such, the scientific story you are telling in your proposal should be smooth and free of irrelevant and awkward information. Sentences should be short.

Words should be concise. The narrative should transition easily and orderly from one idea to the next, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph.

Use Proposal Templates

Most funding agencies offer a template for logical writing.

US federal funding agencies require applicants to submit sections in the order of a Specific Aims page (1-page summary) that asks you to demonstrate.

• Significance  
• Innovation  
• Research approach

This is the most basic outline for your proposal. Use this template for an outline to further break your story down into additional subheadings.

You should approach this outline construction with an eye toward smoothly telling your scientific story. In each section, aim to remind the reader why they should care about what you are doing.

Logical Flow

Creating logical flow in the text requires concise words, clear sentences, and well-structured paragraphs. Sentences and paragraphs should be connected by appropriate transitions to maintain overall coherence.

Concise Words

Choose brief but comprehensive words that most effectively communicate your ideas. Avoid redundant words. For example:

• In order to → to
• Requires the use of → uses
• Being able to show that → shows
• Make sure → ensure
• A smooth telling of → smoothly tells

Also, avoid overstated ideas and stale imagery (e.g., hotbed, wellspring, novel approach).

Use the words your reviewers would use since they are experts in your field.

Clear Sentences

The clarity of your sentences will determine whether the reviewers will enjoy reading your proposal or be angry because they have to chisel away at an unclear narrative.

The author Ernest Hemingway was a master at writing clear sentences, and I frequently invoke his style in my scientific writing. Check him out to see what I mean.

Well-Structured Paragraphs

I learned in grade school that writing a good paragraph entails:  

“Saying what you want to say, say it, then say what you just said.”

It is such an incredibly simple rule, yet many people find it difficult to follow.  

The first sentence should introduce the main idea of the paragraph. The middle sentences should provide evidence and support for the introductory sentence, and the last sentence should summarize the middle portion.  

Make each sentence flow from the next. Always consider how you will use the last sentence to transition to the next paragraph so that you can link your scientific ideas into a coherent narrative.

Follow the Examples of Others

Find good proposals that got funded. Take note of how the authors used these devices. Note how the different sections of the proposal contribute to the overall persuasiveness of the central hypothesis and consider:

• Did the Significance section clearly articulate why a better understanding of this problem is useful?
• Did the Innovation section justify why the proposed science is truly innovative?
• Did the Approach section describe exactly how the data relevant to the study’s objectives were collected, organized, and analyzed?

Use Persuasive Techniques Shrewdly

An interesting feature of these three components of persuasive argument is that they are not always neatly packaged into three distinct sections in a proposal but are interwoven throughout.

Nor are they always evenly distributed.

Knowing your audience (usually the reviewer panel) and the funding agency requirements is critical to understanding how and when to use these devices to gain an advantage in persuasive writing.  

Be aware of overusing any technique, as this could also make reviewers take a cynical view of your grant application.

When you’ve finished writing your application, take a break and read it cover to cover while taking a dispassionate view.

Keep an eye out for any techniques you’ve relied upon too heavily. If every paragraph sounds the same or you notice you’ve used the same technique every 50 words—your application will need further editing.

Persuasive Writing for Scientists Summarized

Scientific proposal writing is a very structured and formal activity. Within this framework, however, there is room to deploy Aristotle’s tactics of persuasive argument: credibility, passion, and logic.

It takes practice to become good at it, but the result will make you better at securing funding, and even a more successful scientist by bringing clarity to your ideas. Another benefit is that the reviewers of your proposals will enjoy reading about your work!

Did you find the information in this article useful? Let us know in the comments section below.

For more helpful advice from Joel on getting funded, check out his overview of the funding landscape and his core strategies for getting funded .

Astound Research’s Role

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• Fundraising

How To Write a Perfect Grant Proposal In 8 Steps

By Colin Hunter on May 29, 2024

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Securing funding for your projects is important for many organizations, and writing a grant proposal is often a key part of that process. However, writing a strong grant proposal can be challenging. It can make the difference between getting the funds you need and missing out on valuable opportunities.

This guide will show you how to write a perfect grant proposal in 8 easy steps. We'll take you through the process, offering practical tips and insights to help you create a clear and compelling proposal. 

What Is a Grant Proposal?

A grant proposal is a formal request for financial support, typically directed to organizations that grant funds, like governments, corporations, or foundations. 

It's structured to clearly explain the need for funding and how it will be used to achieve specific outcomes. The request outlines your project's scope, goals, and plans to convince the funder that your initiative is worthy of support.

Types of Grants

• Foundation Grants: These are issued by both private and public foundations and charities.
• Corporate Grants: Businesses and corporations provide these grants to promote social responsibility and increase community involvement. 
• Federal Government Grants: These grants are provided by government bodies at the national level. 
• State Government Grants: Similar to federal grants, these are distributed by state governments and usually focus on projects that benefit residents within the state​.
• Local City Government Grants: These are smaller grants that address local community needs and are distributed by city or local government bodies.

Should I Apply For a Grant?

Deciding whether to apply for a grant should involve a few considerations. 

First, assess whether your project's goals match the grant's objectives. It's crucial to ensure that your mission and the potential grant's purpose are compatible​​. 

You should also consider the potential impact of your project, your organization's capacity to complete the project within the grant's terms, and the likelihood of sustaining the project after the grant period ends. 

Remember, applying for grants is competitive and requires a significant effort to prepare a compelling proposal that gets noticed.

A Simple Guide To Write a Grant Proposal

Step1: start with  a cover letter.

The cover letter is your first chance to make a good impression. It should be concise, on a formal header, typically no more than one page, and must include key elements to catch the funder's attention.

Start by clearly stating your name, the name of your organization, and your contact information at the top of the letter. Make sure this information is accurate to avoid any confusion.

If possible, address the cover letter to a specific person. Use a formal salutation like "Dear Mr./Mrs." followed by their name to personalize the communication.

Quickly explain what your organization does. Clearly state the purpose of your request in the first few sentences. Describe your project and why it aligns with the funder’s goals. 

Specify the amount of funding you are requesting and briefly overview how it will be used. 

End with a statement that invites further communication, such as a request for a meeting or a site visit, and express your anticipation for discussing the project in more detail.

• While it's important to be professional, avoid overly stiff language that might come across as insincere or robotic.
• Use clear language. Assume the reader is not familiar with your field and avoid using specialized terminology without explanation.
• Personalize your cover letter to each funder. Generic cover letters are easy to spot and can suggest a lack of effort or genuine interest.

Step 2: Add Executive Summary

A cover letter and an executive summary serve different purposes in a grant proposal. The cover letter is your chance to make a personal introduction, express your interest, and briefly mention what the grant will support. It's personalized and addresses the funder directly. 

On the other hand, the executive summary provides a comprehensive overview of your project. It details the problem, your solution, and the outcomes you anticipate. 

Begin with a compelling statement or statistic that highlights the urgency or importance of your project. Grab the reader's attention and set the stage for the details that follow.

Clearly define the issue your project addresses. Be specific about how this problem affects your community or field and why it needs immediate attention.

Briefly describe your proposed solution. Explain how it addresses the problem and why it is effective. Include any innovative aspects of your approach that make your project stand out.

Detail the positive changes or results your project aims to achieve. Be specific about how these outcomes will benefit the target community or field. 

End with a summary of the overall impact of the project. Emphasize how the expected outcomes will advance broader goals or align with the funder's mission.

• Provide specific information about the problem and your solution. General statements are less compelling and can make your proposal seem unfocused.
• While it's important to be thorough, the executive summary should not discuss every aspect of your project. Leave the finer details for the main body of the proposal.
• Ensure the summary is logical and flows smoothly from one section to the next. It should be easy to follow and build a strong case for your project.

Step 3: State the Need (Problem Statement)

Writing a strong problem statement is the key to capturing the essence of what your project intends to address. 

Start by clearly identifying the specific issue your project will tackle. It should be relevant and significant enough to justify the need for funding. For example, rather than broadly addressing "education," focus on a specific issue like "reducing dropout rates among high school students in underserved communities."

Next, provide context by describing the circumstances that have led to or exacerbated the problem. Include data and evidence to support the existence and impact of the problem, making it relatable and urgent. 

Detail who is affected by the problem and how, and discuss the consequences of not addressing the issue.

Propose a brief outline of your potential solution, indicating how it addresses the problem. Show that your project is not only about identifying issues but also about providing feasible solutions.

Finally, describe the impact of the problem and the positive change your project aims to achieve. This part of the statement should match the funder's objectives.

• Data or credible sources should back every statement about the problem's significance.
• Customize the problem statement to align with the funder’s interests and show how your project supports their goals.
• Focus on a specific issue rather than trying to tackle a problem that is too wide or multifaceted for the scope of a single project.

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Step 4: Describe Clear Goals and Objectives

Make sure that your goals and objectives are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 

• Specific: Clearly define what you aim to achieve. Instead of a broad goal like "improve health," specify what aspect of health you intend to improve and in which population or community.
• Measurable: Ensure that your objectives can be quantified or have clear indicators of success. For example, instead of just aiming to "increase participation," state a specific number or percentage by which participation will increase.
• Achievable: Set objectives that are realistic and attainable within the project's timeframe and with the available resources.
• Relevant: Align your goals and objectives with both the needs identified in your problem statement and the funder’s priorities to demonstrate the impact and necessity of your project.
• Time-bound: Include specific deadlines or time frames for achieving your objectives to provide a clear timeline for project implementation and evaluation.
• Avoid generalities that make your objectives difficult to understand or measure. Be precise about what you are aiming to achieve.
• While ambition is good, setting unrealistic goals can undermine the credibility of your proposal.
• Failing to specify when each objective will be achieved can leave your proposal looking under-planned.

Step 5: Provide a Realistic Budget

Creating a realistic budget for your grant proposal is important to demonstrate your organization's financial planning and accountability. 

Begin by thoroughly understanding what the funder requires in a budget proposal. Includes the format, categories, and specific financial details they want to see. 

Break down your costs into clear, defined categories such as salaries, equipment, supplies, and overheads. Be specific about each item and ensure that all costs are justified within the context of the project. T

Make sure to include both direct costs (specific to the project) and indirect costs (general organizational overheads). Some funders allow a percentage of the total budget to cover indirect costs, but your proposal should clarify and justify this.

Use detailed, current market rates for items and services you plan to procure. Avoid approximations. Instead, use quotes and estimates from vendors to substantiate your figures. 

Ensure your budget reflects and supports the narrative of your proposal. 

• Ensure all costs are realistic and account for potential variations in market rates.
• Each budget item should be specific and clearly linked to project activities.
• Consider all aspects of project implementation, including less obvious costs like maintenance or unexpected contingencies.

Step 6: Mention Evaluation Strategy

Evaluation strategy is another key part of your grant proposal. It's essential to include both formative (process) and summative (outcome) evaluations to assess the effectiveness of your project comprehensively.

• Formative Evaluation: This ongoing evaluation helps monitor the project’s progress toward achieving its objectives. It allows for adjustments and improvements in real-time, ensuring the project stays on track.
• Summative Evaluation: Conducted at the end of the project, this evaluation assesses the overall impact and outcomes against the initial goals. It is crucial for demonstrating the project's success and value to funders.

Define what you will measure and how. Make sure these metrics connect with your project’s goals. Specify whether the focus is on direct outputs (e.g., number of people served) or broader impacts (e.g., long-term community changes).

Outline the methods for gathering and analyzing data. Decide on the tools and techniques you will use, such as statistical software for quantitative data or content analysis for qualitative data. 

Describe how the results of the evaluations will be reported and used. Include plans for internal use, such as improving the program, and external use, such as sharing successes and lessons learned with the community and stakeholders​.

• Clearly specify what will be measured and how.
• Engage those affected by or interested in the project in the evaluation process.
• Be open to adjusting your evaluation methods as the project evolves.
• Ensure your evaluation methods respect participants' rights and privacy.

Step 7: Share Strategies To Ensure Sustainability

The next step is to show funders that your project has the capacity to endure beyond the initial funding period. Funders are increasingly interested in projects that address immediate needs and demonstrate long-term viability and impact.

To ensure ongoing support, plan to diversify your funding streams. Plan to secure future grants, establish partnerships with businesses for corporate sponsorships, and initiate community fundraising efforts. 

Include a detailed projection of ongoing costs for at least five years. Cover daily operations, maintenance, potential growth, and even decommissioning if applicable. Include inflation factors, the need for specialist skills, and ongoing training to maintain project efficacy and relevance over time​.

Explain how the project will be managed in the long term. This includes establishing robust management practices, securing essential resources, and potentially increasing your organizational capacity to handle expanded operations or services as the project grows​.

• Avoid overly optimistic projections that may not be realistic or achievable.
• Avoid vague statements. Be specific about how sustainability will be achieved.
• Do not ignore potential risks or challenges that could impact long-term sustainability.

Step 8: Final Review and Submission

• Ensure that every section of your proposal meets the specific requirements set by the funder, including format, content, and length​.
• Double-check your budget calculations for accuracy and ensure they align with the project narrative. Include all required documentation and justification for the funds requested​.
• Read through the entire proposal to make sure it is clear and logical. Look for any sections that might be confusing or ambiguous and clarify them.
• Perform a thorough spell check and grammar review. It can be helpful to have another person review the proposal as well to catch any errors you might have missed​.
• Confirm that all necessary compliance forms are included and that every required section is complete. This might include conflict of interest forms, human subjects protections, and other regulatory documents.

Tips on Submitting the Proposal and Following Up with Funders

• Follow the funder's specified process for submission, which may include online submissions through portals like Grants.gov or other digital platforms. Make sure all electronic forms are filled out completely and accurately.
• After submitting, ensure you receive an acknowledgment receipt from the funder. If the submission is through an online system, you might receive an automatic notification​.
• After submission, keep track of the review timelines and be proactive in responding to any requests from the funder for additional information or clarifications​.
• Whether your proposal is accepted or rejected, request feedback from the funder. It can be invaluable for improving future proposals and understanding the funder's priorities​.
• Keep a copy of the submitted proposal and all correspondence with the funder for your records. This documentation will be helpful for future applications and may be required for institutional or compliance reasons.

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About Colin Hunter

Colin Hunter is the cofounder of BetterWorld , where he leads initiatives to expand reach and impact. Previously, he cofounded and served as CEO of luxury custom menswear brand Alton Lane. Colin’s experience as a consultant with Bain & Company, working with Global 1000 companies, shaped his approach to leadership and growth. He holds a BA from the University of Virginia and studied in Oxford, England. Colin lives in Scottsville, Virginia with his wife and three daughters.

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• About Grants

Plan Your Application

It's a major undertaking-preparing and submitting an NIH biomedical research grant application to support your research training needs or pursue your scientific research. This highly competitive endeavor can be subverted by poor planning, preparation, disorganization and lackluster presentation.  The successful  recipient  allows ample time to plan, organize and write a grant application that competes well in the peer review process and ultimately earns funding.

This section offers tips and strategies for planning and organizing your application. Be sure to work closely with your institution's grants support office, the Office of Sponsored Programs, to determine the internal procedure for submitting an application to the NIH. Though the advice provided is relevant for all research grants, it is general in nature and geared toward the  NIH Research Project (R01) . The tips and guidelines included in this document are not intended to replace your organization's internal guidance, specific advice provided by NIH program or grants management staff, or instructions found in the various application guides.

He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Understand NIH

• Use RePORTER to Help Identify Where Your Research Fits

Contact NIH Staff

• Find a Funding Opportunity

Determine Application Submission Date

• Plan within your Organization
• Obtain Any Prior Approvals from NIH
• Get to Know the NIH Peer Review Process & Criteria

Consider These Additional Application Elements

Organize your time to complete the application.

• Write Your Application

An important first step in planning is to understand how NIH works. Your application should fit within the mission and research priorities of the NIH Institute or Centers likely to fund your application. Check out our page on understanding NIH to learn more. 

Use RePORTER to Help Identify Where Your Research Fits Best 

• Explore what types of projects NIH is/has funded in your area of science.
• Identify the appropriate IC by searching for the IC that is funding projects similar to yours;
• Identify the Program Officials to contact that are associated with similarly funded projects;
• Find collaborators who are experienced NIH recipients or who have skills that complement your own to improve the strength of your proposal.

Use this information to carve out a niche that will allow you to significantly advance knowledge in your respective field and help you develop a list of who to contact at NIH.

We strongly recommend that you contact the NIH prior to submitting an application.

• Contact a program official at the appropriate IC by phone or e-mail to clarify any questions you may have, such as whether your proposed research project falls within the scope of an existing funding opportunity.  The PO is the NIH official responsible for the programmatic, scientific and/or technical aspects of a grant.  NIH grants management staff can provide advice on business and administrative issues.

See Understand Staff Roles to learn more about how and when to contact staff during the application and award process.  

Find a Funding Opportunity that Fits Your Research  

All applications must be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, so this is a critical step in the planning process. Read Find and Understand Funding Opportunities for more details.

Each funding opportunity will state the submission date (s) (also known as receipt date, due date, or application deadline) for grant applications. This date varies depending on the activity code , specific program, or funding opportunity. If you do not believe that you can meet the application deadline comfortably, strongly consider delaying to the next submission date.  Reviewers will point out when they feel an application is premature because of inadequate development and presentation, including a poorly conceived budget.

RFAs (requests for applications) and some PARs (Program Announcements with special receipt, referral and/or review consideration) and PASs (Program Announcements with set-aside funds) have special receipt dates indicated in the funding opportunity.

Plan Within Your Organization

Developing and submitting a grant application is a team effort.

• help ensure you are registered in the eRA Commons;
• guide you through the application process and inform you of any institutional deadlines you must meet; 
• provide guidance on NIH policies and processes;
• offer specific advice on developing your application, especially the budget.
• Plan your timeline to ensure you get your application to your Office of Sponsored Research on time, especially when collaborating investigators are involved.
• Find experienced staff at your institution who can assist you in understanding all the steps necessary to complete your application. This person may be in a central grants office, or it may be another investigator, a departmental administrator, etc.

Obtain Any Required Prior Approvals from NIH

Certain situations which require prior approval from NIH to submit your application and therefore, need to be considered in the planning process.

• Is your budget over $500,000 in direct costs for any year of the project?  If so, NIH policy requires prior approval from IC programmatic staff at least six weeks prior to the anticipated submission date.  Information regarding this approval will need to be submitted in a cover letter with your application.
• Are you submitting a conference grant application? If so, you will need to include a letter from the appropriate NIH staff documenting advance permission. Investigators are urged to initiate contact well in advance of the application receipt date.

Get to Know the NIH Peer Review Process & Criteria 

Panels of expert scientists review all grant applications submitted to the NIH in a process known as peer review. Although several factors contribute to whether your application will be funded, great emphasis is placed on how the reviewers rate the scientific merit of your proposal. Section V of every funding opportunity details the review criteria that will be used to assess your application. Take note of these criteria and keep them in mind as you plan your application. 

Think about required documentation. Are you using stem cells or select agents? Are you studying vertebrate animals or identifiable human subjects? Know whether you are required to prepare a modular budget or a detailed budget.

Find Collaborators

Determine the expertise needed to strengthen your research study team (individuals, collaborating organizations, resources, etc.). Most scientific work requires collaboration among researchers, and NIH is dedicated to fostering such relationships. 

• Begin to assemble the research study team early.
• Investigate opportunities for collaborating with more experienced, well-known recipients, or a known laboratory. Collaborators can fill gaps in your own expertise and resources and can assure reviewers of the competence of your proposed team.
• Plan on obtaining letters of commitment from your collaborators, which will need to go in your application and provide crucial information for reviewers.
• Include letters in your application that reflect the rate/charge for consulting services.
• Consider a multiple project director/principal investigator model if your work includes multidisciplinary efforts and collaboration where a team science approach could be more effective ( multiple-PI model ). 
• The format, peer review and administration of applications submitted under the multiple-PI model do have some significant differences from the traditional single-PI model which will need to be taken into consideration as you plan
• All applicants proposing team science efforts are strongly encouraged to contact their NIH program officials at the earliest possible date to discuss the appropriateness of the multiple-PI model for the support of their research.

Are you an Early Stage Investigator?

NIH prioritizes awards that fund Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) . An ESI is a Program Director/Principal Investigator who has completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever is later, within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as a PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award. What are some of the other advantages?

• ESI applications with scores within funding range will be prioritized for funding by the institute or center receiving the application.
• Peer reviewers look more at potential than achievement —they weigh academic and research background heavily. Reviewers may expect new R01 investigators to have fewer preliminary data and publications than more established researchers do.
• Summary statements for ESI R01 applications are prioritized, and when possible, released before summary statements for other applications reviewed in the same meeting. Generally, summary statements will be available no later than 30 days before Council.

If it has been more than 10 years since completing your terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever date is later, and you have not successfully competed for a substantial research grant from NIH, you may be considered a New Investigator (NI). 

Foreign Involvement - Institution and/or Investigator

• The NIH does make awards to Foreign Institutions, international organizations, and domestic institutions with foreign components.  However, there are specific programs that are not available to foreign entities, such as program projects, center grants, Institutional National Research Service Awards, SBIR, STTR, or construction grants.  There are some exceptions by Institute or Center, but rare.
• To serve as a PI on an NIH award, U.S. affiliation or citizenship is not required on Research Project Grants, but is required on small business, fellowship and training grants.
• Applicants are highly encouraged to check the eligibility guidelines provided in every funding opportunity.
• Foreign institutions must be able to provide research that does not have comparable work  being conducted in the U.S.  If it is, the grant will likely not be funded.
• If you are a highly qualified foreign investigator with unique expertise or resources not available in the U.S., the likelihood of obtaining an NIH award increases.
• Foreign applicants must submit categorical budgets for any application to the NIH.
• There are specific requirements and guidelines for research involving foreign institutions that will need to be considered when planning and writing an NIH application (e.g. categorical budgets only, special select agent's requirement, etc.)
• Foreign PD/PI's and/or research involving a foreign institution are highly encouraged to contact an NIH program officer as soon as possible in the planning and writing stages.

Evaluate Your Resources

• Conduct an organizational assessment. Figure out what resources and support your organization has and what additional support you'll need for your project.
• Consider whether the available equipment and facilities are adequate and the environment conducive to the research.

Consider Human Subjects and Vertebrate Animal Requirements

If your project includes either human subjects and/or live, vertebrate animals, then assurances must be provided.

• Institutional Approval for Research Using Human Subjects :
• Institutional Approval for Research Using Vertebrate Animal :

Prepare for Rigor and Transparency Requirements in Your Application

In the planning process, investigators will need to consider how to address the basic principles of rigor and transparency and include how the following four areas of focus apply to their proposed research (some exceptions apply, see NOT-OD-16-011):

1) the scientific premise forming the basis of the proposed research, 2) rigorous experimental design for robust and unbiased results, 3) consideration of relevant biological variables, and 4) authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources. 

As with any step in the planning stages, investigators are encouraged to work with their institution and contact a NIH program official with specific scientific questions.

At this point, you should have a very good idea of what needs to be done and who will be helping along the way.  It's time to make a more detailed plan of how and when everything should be accomplished, given your time and resources.

• Make sure your specific research aims can be accomplished within the proposed time and resources.
• Make sure you have adequate preliminary data.
• Consider identifying experienced investigators in your organization, or in other organizations, who might be able to review a draft of your application and provide you feedback.
• Develop a feasible timeline with draft application deadlines. Be realistic about the time it can take to write and revise the application, incorporate feedback, and get the application to your Office of Sponsored Research on time.
• Build in extra time for unforeseen circumstances (e.g. equipment issues, personnel issues, etc.) 
• We strongly recommend you plan submit your application to NIH well ahead of the deadline (days, not hours).

This page last updated on: May 23, 2016

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• CAREER FEATURE
• 24 May 2024

What steps to take when funding starts to run out

• Neil Savage 0

Neil Savage is a science and technology journalist in Lowell, Massachusetts.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Bridge-funding programmes can provide researchers with enough money to sustain their work until they have secured a bigger grant. Credit: Getty

Zhen Jiang had spent several years studying molecules that regulate insulin signalling and glucose transport, and his results were urging him in a new research direction, focused on inflammation in obesity and how it relates to tissue damage. After five years, his first grant from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) was running out, so he applied for new funds to follow the leads he’d uncovered.

But reviewers scored his grant application too low to qualify for funding, and suddenly Jiang, a biochemist at Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine in Massachusetts, found himself without the funds he needed to keep his laboratory, of three people, running. “We depend on grant support, and if you don’t have money, a school can let you go.” A stressful situation to be in, he says.

Trying to work out what to do, he turned to the programme officer at the NIH. The officer noted that his score was close to being accepted, and suggested he apply for an NIH bridge grant, which would give him US$350,000, allowing him to gather more data and strengthen his next, larger, grant application. He also received some funding from his university, which he says was crucial to keep the lab going. After 6 months of accumulating data, he reapplied to the NIH and won a 3-year grant of about $415,000 per year to study inflammation in liver tissue, then a second 4-year grant for more than $500,000 per year to apply his work to the heart.

NIH pay rise for postdocs and PhD students could have US ripple effect

“This kind of bridge fund is so necessary for a lab,” Jiang says, even though the amount was tens of thousands of dollars less than one year’s worth of standard funding, which can be around $500,000 per year. It does mean, however, that researchers need to make sacrifices. “You have to cut your cost,” he says. “That’s the only way to do it.” He was forced to lay off one member of his lab and take on more of the work himself.

Jiang, who had worked as a physician in Jiangxi, China, before switching to research, knew that he’d have to fight for funding in this line of work. “This is always a competitive field. The money’s always not enough,” he says. “You have to work very hard in order to find something new and convince your funder into supporting you. It’s a tough business.”

Ahead of the game

The problem of maintaining enough support to keep lines of research going is a continuing one for academics, with the major government funding bodies regularly awarding money to only one-quarter — or less — of the proposals that they receive. The funding gaps lead to stress for researchers, who might have to curtail a line of enquiry, lay off support staff or postdocs and even potentially lose their position.

Statistics show that the problem hasn’t changed much in years, although budgets might now be spread thinner. Over the past two decades, the percentage of successful applications for NIH research grants has hovered at around 20% (see go.nature.com/4bghwbi ). Although the gross amount of those grants has increased, the NIH’s spending power has remained relatively constant; the average NIH grant size was $247,000 in 1998 and in 2022, it was $288,000 in 1998 dollars (see go.nature.com/3uh4mup ). And although the funding has stayed the same, the money has to go further, because the NIH approved an 8% pay raise for postdoctoral researchers earlier this year.

The NIH, which is the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, gave out just shy of 59,000 awards in 2023, a total of $34.9 billion.

Around only one-quarter of grant proposals that are submitted to major funding bodies are successful. Credit: Adapted from Getty

The US National Science Foundation (NSF), meanwhile, handed out more than 11,000 awards in the 2020–21 fiscal year, the latest year for which statistics are available. Applicants had a success rate of 26%. The situation in the United Kingdom is similar; the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding agency gave out £3.1 billion (US$3.9 billion) in the 2022–23 fiscal year, with a success rate of 27%.

The success rate for Horizon Europe, a European Union funding scheme with €95.5 billion (US$103.6 billion) to give out between 2021 and 2027, is even lower. As of 2022, applicants had a success rate of 16% for 5,509 grants, up from 12% in the final year of Horizon 2020 (the EU’s previous funding scheme that ran from 2014 to 2020). The European Commission says that 71% of high-quality proposals don’t get funded (see go.nature.com/3yuzhp4 ). Germany is the leading European country in research expenditures, and the German Research Foundation (DFG) had around €3.9 billion to work with in 2022. It funded 26.5% of applications, including humanities and social sciences.

Boom and bust

Post-pandemic spikes in inflation have caused researchers to run out of grant money quickly, especially in the United Kingdom, where prices have soared much more rapidly than in the United States. Researchers estimate their costs when applying for a grant, says Bryony Butland, a former programme director at UKRI and now director of research and innovation at Queen Mary University of London, but thanks to inflation, those estimates don’t hold over four or five years of funding. “You’re in the middle of spending it, and suddenly you find that goods prices, things that you want to do, consumables have all gone up,” she says.

The uncertainty in funding can be hard on researchers, says Stuart Buck, a lawyer based in Houston, Texas. Buck runs the Good Science Project, which is searching for more sustainable ways to fund research. He says he spoke to a principal investigator with several postdoctoral students at a leading university, who told him that because of the 20% success rate, he applies for multiple grants at one time. One year the researcher applied for ten five-year grants, and not one was funded, Buck says. The next year, three applications that he resubmitted were successful.

US postdocs on strike: how will demands for higher wages be met?

Aside from the stress that this kind of boom-and-bust cycle creates for researchers, Buck says, it also introduces uncertainty. “It’s hard to have long-term planning for who to offer multi-year positions to when you’re not sure whether your funding might double one year because you got two grants, or it might be cut in half one year because you lost one of your grants.” And time spent submitting proposals is time not spent doing research. “We want people who are trained scientists to be able to focus on science and not just worry about having to hustle for money,” Buck says.

Toll on trainees

The loss of grants can also take a toll on trainee researchers’ careers. Wei Yang Tham, an economist at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, and his colleagues compared data from a group of NIH grants with data from the US census and tax records to look at what effect lapses in funding had on people working in labs with a single grant (see go.nature.com/4br9fli ). After a grant ran out, personnel in these labs were 40% more likely than others to disappear from the tax records, he found, meaning that they probably became unemployed. A lot of those people, many of whom had gone to the United States to study, end up leaving the country, Tham says. The largest effects are not on the faculty members, but on postdocs, graduate students and non-research staff such as project managers. Those who do stay, Tham and his colleagues found, earn on average 20% less five years later than do their continuously funded peers.

Bridging the gap

To avoid such problems, many institutions have programmes that provide labs with bridge funding, which can be used to tide over labs for a relatively short period of time while a larger package of money is sought from a research funder. A portion of research grants are intended to pay for the indirect costs of an academic lab, including fees for building maintenance, student services and utilities, which are distributed among the academic department, the school it’s in or the university as a whole. University administrators might be able to use some of that funding to provide a cushion for researchers whose money runs low.

Bridge-funding programmes are important both to make sure that a university can treat its employees well and to ensure the continuity of the science, says Deborah Thomas, a geographer and interim associate vice-chancellor for research at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Labs would prefer not to lose their graduate students, postdocs and research scientists, and then have to look for new staff members when funding is restored. “If you have to let that person go, then you have to rehire, there’s a lot of time involved in that. Plus, you lose knowledge,” she says.

Allan Jacobson, a molecular biologist at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, agrees. “We’ve put so much into these people and see them as assets,” he says. “Just because they have a bit of a funding problem doesn’t mean you should let them sink. It’s in the department’s interest to keep everybody happy and functional.”

Jacobson, who spent 30 years as chair of the department of microbiology and physiological systems at the Chan Medical School, negotiated funding from the school to develop what he called a rejuvenation programme. If faculty members were struggling to get grants, he would offer them multi-year in-house ‘sabbaticals’, with funding for supplies and technical help, to work with another researcher at the medical school and learn something new that could bolster their own research.

Jacobson says there can be other creative ways to drum up research support. That includes considering whether research that is struggling to get funding might have some commercial potential, and if so turning to the university’s commercialization office, which can sometimes provide “fairly sizeable grants”, he says. That can then be used for the translation of that research into a product. For instance, one researcher in his department whose funding was on the edge had done work which showed promise as a treatment for an eye disease. The department helped him to team up with a researcher in ophthalmology to develop a mouse model for the study, and the commercialization department helped to license the technology.

How philanthropy can nurture your research

Funding policies and support structures differ across countries. For example, some researchers at German universities have access to bridge funding. Postdocs whose positions are expiring can apply for funding from the DFG to set up their own groups, through the Emmy Noether Programme. At the University of Potsdam in Germany, applicants to the programme who are waiting for a decision and whose applications look promising can receive up to six months of bridge funds, says Barbara Höhle, a linguist and vice-president for research at the university.

Tenured and tenure-track faculty members in Germany, by contrast, don’t have to look to funding agencies to pay their salaries. They have salaries and a budget guaranteed by the universities, which are publicly funded, and agency funding goes towards the implicit cost of hiring researchers. “It’s more the employees in the projects that can be affected by these gaps,” Höhle says. The downside for aspiring researchers, she says, is that universities don’t have much room to increase the number of faculty members.

Planning helps

Researchers can keep their projects going when their laboratory income drops by planning ahead, Jacobson says. It’s a good idea to apply for several grants with different expiration dates, so that money doesn’t run completely dry. And careful budgeting can allow faculty members to save some of their grant in a rainy-day fund; the NIH allows one-time ‘no-cost extensions’ using unspent funds to complete or phase out a project for up to 12 months. Jacobson has twice had a grant expire with no replacement, and was able to survive for a few months until the next grant came along thanks to both of these strategies, he says. “It’s easy to lose funding,” he says. “Most divisions of the NIH are funding 10–12% of approvable grants. It’s a rough world out there.”

The University of Houston in Texas holds grant-writing workshops for its faculty members, says Claudia Neuhauser, a mathematician and the university’s interim vice-chancellor for research. For those who might be funded by, for example, the NIH, but whose research might also appeal to the grants office at the US Department of Defense, the university introduces them to proposal-writing companies that can provide researchers with insights on how to tailor their grant applications for each agency. “Helping somebody make that transition so they can expand the types of grants they can apply for, that’s obviously important,” she says. The university also provides bridge funding of up to $100,000 that faculty members can apply for if their proposal has received a high enough score from the funding agency, which means there’s a good chance it could win funding after a revision.

“We do push team science at the moment quite strongly because there are many more opportunities where you can apply as a team,” Neuhauser says. Collaborating with other scientists can lead to larger grants that are funded for longer and that often include funding for shared equipment.

Some researchers might think that they can improve their odds of success by making the costs in their proposals as low as possible. Butland cautions against this. Not only might the researchers run out of money sooner that way, but they’re also misleading funding agencies about the true costs of research. “We need to try and not underprice ourselves, which then just feeds that underfunding of the system as well,” she says.

New funding opportunities

There is new hope for UK researchers. After being cut out of the EU’s Horizon Europe funding programme by Brexit, the country rejoined it in January this year. Therefore, UK scientists can once again apply to it and to Copernicus, a component of the EU’s space programme.

Butland worries about the effects of the low success rates. “You can be spending a lot of time putting in a research application and actually never winning anything,” she says. “There is a point at which running a full competitive process doesn’t make any sense. It’s a lot of bureaucracy and burden on people.”

But competitive funding is a fact of life in science, she concedes. So researchers whose grants are nearing an end should try to expand their horizons when it comes to looking for funding sources, Butland says. UK researchers shouldn’t just stick with the research council they’re used to, and scientists in the United states can look to other NIH institutes and even other funding agencies. “Maybe another part of the funding landscape actually would find your work really interesting,” she says. “You just need to think about it a little bit differently, speak a slightly different language, but relate to their challenges and opportunities in a way that maybe you haven’t thought about before.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01570-y

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Source: NEEF

"The average number of grants awarded varies from 55-200 depending on the year,” said Whitney Shuttleworth, NEEF's director of grants administration. 

As interest in NEEF’s grants program continues to grow and attract additional sponsors, awards are becoming more competitive. Currently, about 23% of grant requests are approved, due in part to the popularity of the Biodiversity Conservation Grant and new Veterans and Nature Grant .

Understanding the Grant Application Process

The majority of NEEF’s grantmaking is through competitive grant award programs. Grant proposals are submitted through NEEF’s online application system . Deadlines and review eligibility criteria and guidelines vary by grant program throughout the year.

Understanding how to write grants is a crucial part of being awarded funding. However, if your organization is new to grant writing, we don’t want you to feel intimidated or overwhelmed! We understand that some of the financial terminology or record-keeping requirements may be new to certain organizations.

“We recognize that the person managing a grantee’s finances is rarely the one applying for the grant,” Shuttleworth said.

NEEF strives to ensure our grant process is accessible to all. Below are some tips for specific sections of the application that organizations often have questions about. 

Project Description

This section is the “core” of the proposal. It is your opportunity to share the goals, outcomes, and impact that your proposed project will have for the target audience.

What to include:

• Outline the goals of the proposed project and explain how it is aligned with the goals and requirements of the grant.
• Identify the project’s target audience—be specific.
• Show how your project addresses existing gaps.
• Answer all questions asked in the Request for Application (RFA) directly and thoroughly.

What to leave out:

• Don't waste time providing supplemental information—NEEF’s objectivity standards for grant funding prevent us from reviewing anything but the answers to the questions asked in the RFA.

Project Budget

Outline the exact funding you are seeking from the grant to reach your project’s goals. If necessary, explain how each cost is important to the project’s success, especially if it is not immediately obvious. A detailed budget provides transparency and shows a well-thought-out plan. 

• Use NEEF’s budget template . This user-friendly template in Microsoft Excel helps applicants organize their financial information to ensure accuracy and clarity in their grant proposals.
• Thoroughly review the grant guidelines and requirements to understand the funding limitations and eligible expenses.
• Be as specific as you can to show how the project’s expenses align with the requirements of the RFA.
• You don’t need to fill out every column. Adjust it to fit your organization’s project. 
• If there are terms you don’t understand (i.e., “in-kind match”), you don’t have to incorporate them into your budget.

Organizational Budget/Financials

Share your organization’s current financial status. NEEF is required by our federal partners to ask for this information to ensure there is no risk involved if funding is provided. Please note that we evaluate applicants based on their ability to complete projects as described, not simply the size of their organizational budget. 

• The most recent complete budget you have regardless of the fiscal year. 
• Your organization’s income statement, balance sheet, or profit/loss sheet. Together, these documents provide a snapshot of an organization’s revenue and expenses that show its financial position during a particular time period. 

Conflict of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest policy outlines how you identify and address any conflicts of interest within the organization. This demonstrates that your organization avoids granting awards or work contracts for private profit or benefit.

• If your organization does not already have a standard policy, feel free to use NEEF's Conflict of Interest Policy Form template.

Additional Grant Terminology to Know

Shuttleworth highlighted two other financial terms that might cause environmental grant applicants to scratch their heads. 

First, fiscal sponsorships are formal arrangements where a nonprofit organization (the fiscal sponsor) provides administrative and financial oversight to another project or organization (the sponsored entity) without its own tax-exempt status. 

This arrangement allows the sponsored entity to operate under the fiscal sponsor's tax-exempt status. It can help emerging projects and small organizations focus on organizational growth and programmatic goals and initiatives, while the fiscal sponsor takes responsibility for administrative responsibilities and financial reporting.

For example, NEEF is currently acting as a fiscal sponsor for WRAP , an NGO based in the UK that educates the public on eliminating food waste and promoting sustainable packaging. NEEF manages their payroll and monthly bookkeeping and creates financial statements for WRAP UK. This allows them to operate in the US as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity.

Organizations operating under a fiscal agent or sponsorship are eligible to apply for NEEF grants. When applying, clearly state the name of your fiscal agent and submit the requested financial documents for the fiscal agent.

Secondly, applicants should be aware of the requirements of a uniform guidance audit. This independent compliance audit referred to as a “Single Audit” is required by the federal government if an organization expends $750,000 or more in federal funding in a fiscal year. The $750,000 threshold includes funds received directly from a federal agency and federal funds passed through another entity first. 

The good news is, for many grantees, such an audit won’t be necessary. “If you're not already sure what [a uniform guidance audit] is, chances are good it doesn't apply to you,” Shuttleworth said.

Learn How to Write Environmental Grants

Ultimately, preparation is key to submitting a successful grant application. The following resources for grantees from NEEF will help you feel ready to ace your next grant application.

• 7 Tips for Writing an Effective Grant Proposal
• Grants Glossary of Terms and FAQ
• Want to Write Better Grants? Become a Grant Reviewer

Research and Engagement Grants for 2023-2024

2023-2024 IPaT/GVU Research & Engagement Grants

Request for Proposals Application (deadline: Friday, July 14, 5pm) IPaT/GVU, with additional support from GTRI, announce the call for proposals for Research and Engagement Grants for 2023-2024. As in past years, we will support two separate types of grant proposals: Research Grants will provide seed funding for new research collaborations, and Engagement Grants will provide support for new forms of internal and external community engagement and collaboration. RESEARCH GRANTS Research Grants will provide seed funding to conduct interdisciplinary research. The objective of the Research Grant program is to promote research activities involving faculty and students from the many disciplines represented in IPaT/GVU. We seek bold new work that by its preliminary nature would be difficult to fund through ordinary channels. Preference will be given to early-stage research with a high probability of leading to extramural funding, and with a strong interdisciplinary component. All funds must be spent by the end of the spring semester. Research Grant proposals can be either single-semester (fall or spring) or academic year (fall and spring) duration. We expect most research proposals will request funding for a GRA between ⅓ and ½ time for the proposal duration. Proposals can also request research faculty time; in these cases, it is highly encouraged but not required to collaborate with academic faculty as well as GTRI research faculty. Proposals from academic faculty can request other critical resources, such as materials and supplies, but cannot include academic faculty salary support. ENGAGEMENT GRANTS Engagement Grants are designed to foster new sorts of engagements and collaboration, whether internal or external to Georgia Tech. Examples of potential engagement grants could include: • Support for an artist-in-residence (or X-in-residence) program • Support for new sorts of community engagements, such as installation spaces or "pop up" displays of research • Support for new faculty and student workshops, seminars or social events • Support for new undergraduate "hack fests" or laboratories We do not expect most Engagement Grant proposals to include GRA support or other personnel time. In cases where such support is requested, please justify why such support is essential to the activity. Travel, and materials and supplies budgets (as required by the specific plans of the proposal) can be requested, but proposals cannot include academic faculty salary. Budget requests for travel and food should be modest and called out separately.

GRANTEE RESPONSIBILITIES If you receive a Research or Engagement Grant, you must: • Present your planned work at an introductory GVU brown bag panel in the fall, present your final results at a GVU brown bag panel the following spring, present at the fall or spring IPaT Townhall, and produce a brief final report. • Produce an interim and final project video to be used for IPaT/GVU, and GTRI websites. • Acknowledge IPaT/GVU, and potentially GTRI support for the project in any talks, papers, proposals, or other outreach based on the project. • Aim to acquire additional funding for parallel and subsequent research activities and notify us about these efforts. • All funds must be spent by the end of the spring academic semester. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION The proposal should be submitted as a single PDF document no more than three pages in length, and should describe: (1) the problems addressed by the proposed research or engagement, (2) methods or overall approach, (3) benefits anticipated from the research or engagement, (4) a clear description of how the grant will enable subsequent external funding (if appropriate), and (5) an outline of the required budget (please do not include overhead or tuition remission in your budget). Please let us know in your proposal if you require administrative staff time or other resources from IPaT/GVU, or GTRI. If the student who will be involved in the project has already been determined, then the student and his/ her academic unit should be identified in the proposal. Proposals must be submitted to [email protected] by July 14. Awards will be announced in the summer. Late submissions cannot be considered. PROPOSAL REVIEW CRITERIA AND AWARD Submissions will be reviewed on the basis of merit, originality, plans for furthering the collaboration through external funding, synergy with IPaT/GVU, and GTRI themes and activities, and the degree of interaction between different disciplines and between the faculty members from the different academic units. For both Research and Engagement Grants, preference will be given to proposals that span at least two different academic units (e.g., computer science/psychology, or digital media/music) and/or academic and applied units, and which set the stage for new collaborations in the IPaT/GVU community. If you have questions about process, review criteria, or program goals, please address them to IPaT/GVU Interim Director Leigh McCook ([email protected]).