Strategies for Grant Seekers Bonnie L. Troupe, Director Office of Academic Development, Duffy 119

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Elements of a Successful Proposal: Getting Started Preparation is crucial; start early. Is collaboration possible? Discuss ideas/questions with funding source. Follow the guidelines. Exactly. Presentation is important; use section headings that correspond to the RFP; selectively use charts, graphs, timeline, maps, etc.; pay attention to font and character size regulations.

Elements of a Successful Proposal: Components Write the abstract summary as though it might be the only thing the reviewer reads. Need/Problem/Background: State the problem/current situation; should be specific; don’t make unsupported claims; give quotes and examples.

Elements of a Successful Proposal: Components, continued Goals: overall direction of the project. Objectives: measurable statements. Activities: how will you achieve the goals/objectives?

Elements of a Successful Proposal: Components, continued Dissemination/Evaluation: how will others find out about what you’ve done? Budget: translate activities into costs. Appendix: letters of support, c.v., bibliography, etc.; can be an opportunity to illuminate the narrative; keep to limits.

Elements of a Successful Proposal: Style Never assume knowledge on the part of the reader. Demonstrate early on a knowledge of the field and its literature. Never underestimate the need for specificity: if you are proposing a workshop, for example, give the daily agenda, the reading list, the topics, etc. Write with the utmost clarity; avoid jargon.

Elements of a Successful Proposal: Voice Don’t use the conditional voice: state “we will” not “we would”; write in a strong positive future tense “the project will” not “the project hopes to.” Use active voice more than passive voice: “The project director will monitor all activities to ensure compliance with the project timetable” not “Timetable compliance will be ensured by the monitoring of the project director.”

Elements of a Successful Proposal: Considerations before Submission Have someone else not involved with the proposal read the proposal. Have any certifications signed off by the appropriate person (most of the time that is not you). For final preparation, know how many copies to send, correct address, deadline (for the proposal to reach there or is postmark sufficient); allow ample time for electronic submissions.

Elements of a Successful Proposal Understand the nature of grant proposal competitiveness; reviewers will simply pick the most memorable, most outstanding, most clearly written projects.

Elements of a Successful Proposal If not funded: acquire readers’ comments; talk with a program officer - ask if there are other foundations more appropriate, would it be worth reworking and submitting to the agency again? Recycle and persist. Perfection is not possible. We cannot edit a proposal until it is written. Success begins with a good idea, good luck, and good timing.

Success Stories! Karen Anderson, Department of Education Heather Bleakley, Department of Biology Contact the Office of Academic Development, Duffy 119, ext Bonnie L. Troupe Stephanie DesRosiers