DevelopingCompetitive Proposals

A Sampling of Success Rates

High: The National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program awarded 65 grants out of 249 applicants in FY 2005 (26 percent).

Low: The U.S. Department of Education Fund for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education - 8% of preliminaries approved for final submission.

Getting Started

Define your project Estimate your

budgetary needs List your goals Matching your project

to the funding opportunities

Evaluate the Funding Source:– Eligibility– Priorities– Types of Support– Application Process– Past Awards

Use Your Resources Director of Grants The Internet

– Community of Science (www.cos.com)– The Foundation Center (fdncenter.org)– www.grants.gov– Corporate web sites

Your Peers

Strategies for Success

Start Early! Talk to the Sponsor/Program Officer Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite Follow the guidelines Don’t make mistakes (spelling,

grammar, logical errors, etc.)

“Success is going from failure to failurewithout a loss of enthusiasm.”

-Sir Winston Churchill

Parts of a Proposal

Title/Abstract Needs Statement Objectives Methods Budget & Budget

Justification Evaluation

Management Plan Personnel Institutional

Capabilities Letters of Support Agency Forms

Title & Abstract Be intriguing Fit into the space provided Be understandable as a separate item

from the rest of the proposal Reflect the content of the rest of the

proposal Important elements:

– Why the project is important– Objectives/Aims– A Concise Overview of Methods

Needs Statement

Related to Agency mission Clearly defined Documented/concrete – use statistics Compelling/unique

Objectives

Outcomes, not methods Specific statements Measurable/operational Realistic in Scope Logically ordered Terms defined

Methods

Consistent with Objectives Reasonable in scope Describe activities Justify activities Include schedule of work/timeline

Budget & Budget Justification

Consistent with Methods Consistent with Agency guidelines Consistent with applicable regulations Credible/realistic Approved by Administrators & KCTCS Indirect Costs (F&A)

Evaluation

Related to Objectives Determine source of data and collection

technique Analyze data Internal v. External Produce reports Impact on project

Writing Tips

Writing: Style

Use proper grammar Use concrete

evidence Be alert to audience

and tone

Avoid discipline-specific terminology and jargon

Avoid redundancy Avoid unnecessary

‘big’ words

Writing: Structure

Use explicit titles, headings, and subheadings throughout your proposal

Use bulleted or numbered lists for series

Use charts and diagrams to explain complex ideas

Be consistent in the use of headings, fonts, and format

Use white space to relieve the eye

Use bold and italics to set off headings and important information

Writing: Editing & Revising

Ask a peer to review your proposal for content

Ask a peer to review for clarity and overall organization

Check for logical, spelling, and grammatical errors

Compare your final proposal version to the program guidelines

Pay attention to page limits, font size, spacing requirements

Writing: Writer’s Block

Make notes or an outline Start in the middle Talk about it Just write it

Writing: General Tips

Read funded proposals

Simplify your writing

Obey the rules in the guidelines

Start early, revise often, and submit before the deadline

Use proper grammar and syntax

Why Proposals Get Rejected

Failure to follow the guidelines

Typos, omissions, inconsistencies, and other general errors

Insufficient detail and lack of clarity

Concerns about feasibility, resources, and qualifications

Problem is vague, uninteresting, or unimportant

If you DIDN’T get funded

Can you resubmit? Conduct further

preliminary studies Keep up with the

current literature Talk to the program

officer

Identify potential reviewers

Volunteer to be a reviewer

Explore other funding opportunities and experiences

If you DID get funded

Maintain contact with your program officer

Keep accurate and readily available project logs

Publish results in a timely manner

Provide reports by established deadlines

Work within the fiscal guidelines

Follow your proposal plan as you presented it

Top 10 Secrets to Getting a Proposal Rejected Immediately

10. Ask the Chrysler Foundation to fund your proposal sponsoring a Toyota Information Conference in Detroit.

9. Mail the proposal to the Program Officer’s home so they will know you do have access to that kind of information.

8. Tack an extra $25,000 to your budget in a line item with the heading, “Slush Fund” to give yourself some slack in case you run out of money.

Top 10 Secrets to Getting a Proposal Rejected Immediately

7. Tell the reviewers you can’t include any objectives because you haven’t done the research yet, but you’d be more than happy to add them to your final report.

6. Make clear in your problem statement that there really is no problem – you just find the topic interesting.

5. When the guidelines ask for the application forms to be in a certain order, completely ignore them because reviewers get bored when everything looks the same.

Top 10 Secrets to Getting a Proposal Rejected Immediately

4. Write in your proposal that you’re asking for 3 years of funding so you’ll be able to support your family until you get funded again, but you could actually do the project in 1 year if needed.

3. Submit your proposal to the same agency under 10 different titles at once with the hope that one of them will slip through.

2. Tell the reviewers that you’re not exactly sure how you’re going to do the research, but you’re confident it will fall into place once you get started.

Top 10 Secrets to Getting a Proposal Rejected Immediately

1. Include a picture of yourself and explain that your looks alone should be enough to get you funded.