Developing a Proposal& Short Form Proposals

Terry A. RIngCH EN 4905

The Purpose of a Proposal

• Address a need.

• Offer & define a solution.

• Sell that solution to a client.

• Layout potential benefits and risks of the work.

• Secure the needed funding, and/or permission.

Proposal’s Audience

• A government agency.– NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD…

• A supervisor or another division within your company.– Your College, University.

• Another company.

• A philanthropic foundation or organization.– Gates, Keck, Ford…

Proposal’s Authors

• Universities.• Industry.

– Large companies.• Internal proposals.• External proposals.

– Small companies.• Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR).

• Government.– National Labs.

• Some Mixture of Various Organizations.– Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR).

Proposal Process

• It can include several painful rounds…• …or it can be quite simple.

Proposal Process in 4905

Short-Form Proposals• Why do they exist?

• Decision makers don’t have a lot of time.

• Saveyou time.

• Weed outbefore too muchis invested.

Short-Form Proposal Formats

• Single page.• 1-4 page concept paper.• Single slide.• Pitch.

– Formal.– Informal.

Concept Paper

Single Page Proposal

Our

One

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Our

One

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atShort description of

entire proposed project. What your

audience will get for their support.

Material Costs.

What existing equipment and space

will you tie up?

Personnel needed & roles.Freshmen…

Description of important EHS

concerns

Short description of the need.

Vital details: names, total costs, title.

Concept Slide

METHODS AND ENGINEERED MATERIAL FOR NONINVASIVE REAL-TIME MEASUREMENTS OF TEMPERA-TURE DISTRIBUTION ACROSS CONFINEMENTS DURING THERMOCHEMICAL BIOFUEL PRODUCTION

Mikhail Skliar, University of Utah

• Use non-invasive ultrasound (US) to measure temperature distributions across and inside containments of energy conversion processes characterized by extreme operating conditions.

• Use US measurements to control operation of biofuel gasifiers to optimize process efficiency, allow flexibility of biofuel feedstock, and prolong service life of refractory.

Technology Summary

Technology Impact• Solve one of the top 3 technological needs in the biofuel

gasification industry.• Improve the economic viability of carbon-neutral fuels

use and increase US energy independence.

ARPA-E funds: $2.80M

Cost share: 5%

0670-4970

Metric Inferred from Methane ppm in Syngas

Proposed Technology

Data Provided • Temperature • Temperature• Refractory Thickness• Pitting & Slagging

Accuracy ±300ºC ±5ºC

Time Delay 20-60 min 5 sec

Spatial Resolution Not Available Measured in multiple locations

Proposed Targets

Enables efficient gasification with bio-feedstock flexibility

Improved Laboratory Safety through the Development of Homo Coprophagus Somnambulus Management Tools

• Conduct research on mitigating zombie infestations within our projects laboratory.

• Develop new analytical equipment and collect database on zombie properties.

• Develop and validate novel zombie pacification devices.

Project Summary:

Project Impact:• Remedy one of the top 5 causes of death within our

projects laboratory.• Develop a life and cost-saving zombie database, SOP,

preparedness kit.• Our students gain marketable undead management skills.

Author: Anthony Butterfield Team: The Sweetbreads

Funds $125Freshmen: 4

Metric State of the Art Proposed Technology

Measurable Zombie Properties

• Velocity • Flashpoint• Tensile strength• Fugacity

Lab deaths attributable to zombie attack

14 deaths/yr < 2 deaths/yr

Lab’s primary zombie pacification device

Glassware, GC, safety showers

Baseball bat / shotgun hybrid

Proposed Targets:

Prevent Deaths, Equipment Damage, & Litigation Resulting from Zombie Apocalypse

Improved Laboratory Safety through the Development of Homo Coprophagus Somnambulus Management Tools

• Conduct research on mitigating zombie infestations within our projects laboratory.

• Develop new analytical equipment and collect database on zombie properties.

• Develop and validate novel zombie pacification devices.

Project Summary:

Project Impact:• Remedy one of the top 5 causes of death within our

projects laboratory.• Develop a life and cost-saving zombie database, SOP,

preparedness kit.• Our students gain marketable undead management skills.

Author: Anthony Butterfield tony.butterfield@utah.edu

Funds $125Freshmen: 5

Metric State of the Art Proposed Technology

Measurable Zombie Properties

• Velocity • Flashpoint• Tensile strength• Fugacity

Lab deaths attributable to zombie attack

14 deaths/yr < 2 deaths/yr

Lab’s primary zombie pacification device

Glassware, GC, safety showers

Baseball bat / shotgun hybrid

Proposed Targets:

Prevent Deaths, Equipment Damage, & Litigation Resulting from Zombie Apocalypse

Descriptive Project TitleVital Project Info

Short description of entire

proposed project

Short description of what audience will get for their

support.

Measurable, quantifiable outcomes.

Right half left for easy-to-digest

visual depiction of work.

Short central idea of the work

• Panel will have & use your concept slide.

• Deliver a great deal of persuasive information quickly.

• Convey important visual info.– Schematics.– P&IDs.– Preliminary &

Projected Data.– Plots.

• Images also convey your understanding & attention to detail.

Images

Where Do ProposalsCome From?

• Your needs.• Your skills & knowledge.• Your creativity.

• Needs of those with the resources.• Requests for

proposals.

The first digital image made on a computer in 1957 showed researcher Russell Kirsch's baby son.

Credit: NIST

Before You Start You Need To Know• What exactly does my target audience say they want?

– What don’t they know they want?

• What is their proposal process & format?– Pitch? Concept Paper? Full Proposal?...– Format? Style? – Rounds? Negotiations?

• What resources are they offering in trade?– Money, time, personnel, facilities?– How much?

• In what time frame do they expect results?

Where do you find such information?

Request For Proposals (RFP)• Informal.

– Chance workplace conversations.• May start vague but pin down details.

– Meetings.– Create your own RFP.

• Formal.– 100 page document from a government agency.– Our RFP:

Our Request For Proposals

• Education.– Improve, add to, or expand upon a 1705 project.– Expand on a 4903 project.

• Research.– Conduct a manageable portion of a faculty

research project.• Service.

– Community outreach module.http://www.che.utah.edu/community_and_outreach/teaching_modules.php

Our Request For Proposals

• Categories:– Characterization of New Equipment– Addition of New Equipment – Improvement of the Capabilities of Existing Equipment– Research Use of the Projects Laboratory – Industry project…

• Target Benefactors:– Students in CH EN 1705– Students in CH EN 4903– K-12 Students– Professors & Student Researchers– Outside company

As You Deliberate, Keep in Mind…

1. You’re pitch and proposal should be on the project you most would like to execute…

…but you may actuallyhave to do whatyou say you’lldo...

Pedal operated mowerUnited States Patent 4455816

As You Deliberate, Keep in Mind…2. You should ask around to determine what

equipment peers are proposing to use.– Some major pieces of equipment in the lab can

only accommodate one team per semester.

– You have opponents.– Your second

choice may be your most strategic choice.

As You Deliberate, Keep in Mind…

3. The best proposals are likely to be funded, but not necessarily.– A good idea can be poorly proposed.– Logistics may mean the choice between two

terrific & similar projects.– Limited resources

may mean a great proposal has to wait.

As You Deliberate, Keep in Mind…4. You will be responsible for “employees.”

– Your proposals must account for about 4 hr of work from 2 to 4 freshmen in March.

– An exercise in both management and mentoring.– Please,

please,please,be a good,supportive, &nurturing“boss”…

Mike's Birdshttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mother_and_Baby_Ducks_(5828496140).jpg

Possible Project Ideas

Possible Project Examples• Hot wire anemometer• Pump apparatus with drag reducing

agents, (carboxymethylcellulose) • pH control apparatus• New reaction for the CSTR• CH EN 1705

– Heat transfer– drug delivery module– biodiesel analysis…

• Outreach module• Algae oil harvesting methods• New micro-reactor strategies

– 3-D Printer– Laser cutter

• Catalysis experiment• Measure PM 2.5, cheaply.• Microfluidics

– 3-D Printers– Laser cutter

• FFF• Improve the distillation column.• Feed forward for liquid level control

apparatus.• New & improved drag-control.• Ask around.• Your idea…

Selling Your Idea to This Panel• Follow the requested format.

– In some cases, 0.05 pt of a font can kill a proposal.

• Show clear and thoughtful consideration of desires expressed in the RFP.– Your product will clearly satisfy the expressed need.– Time, personnel, $, health, safety…

• Show what engineers want to see.– Preliminary data collection, simulation, and literature

search say a lot about our possible return on investment.

What Now?1. Think about it for a while.2. Research possibilities.

– Talk to me and other professors.– Search online.

3. Strategize and stake a claim with peers.4. Produce preliminary data.

– Quick experiments.– Calculations & simulations.– Data from teams previously on same equipment.

5. Find preliminary estimations of cost.6. By the Friday January 17:

– One single-page proposal from each of you.– One concept slide from each of you.