1. Sponsored Projects Office Preparing Winning Proposals: Grantwriting 101 Sponsored Projects Office Suite 3000 University Hall January 24, 2007

2. Sponsored Projects Office Introduction  Purpose of workshop – “Why a workshop on this topic?”  Goals – “What do we want to accomplish and how?”  Overarching message - $$ is available for your program!

3. Sponsored Projects Office Preparing Winning Proposals  What is a grant?  What is a grant proposal?  Elements of a proposal  Writing Tips  5 Steps to a Winning Grant

4. Sponsored Projects Office What is a Grant? Funds awarded to support a particular activity or facility requiring a specific budget and technical and financial reports.

5. Sponsored Projects Office What Do Grants Fund?  Basic & applied research  Creative Activity  Faculty-guided student research  Interdisciplinary initiatives  Curriculum development  Equipment acquisition & laboratory renovation  Summer / sabbatical support & release time  Community outreach projects  Scholarly conferences

6. Sponsored Projects Office Who Can Fund Your Project/Proposal? Federal Agencies l NSF, NIH, NEH, DOE, Dept. of Education Foundations l John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

7. Sponsored Projects Office What is a Grant Proposal? A request for funding that persuades a reviewer/funder: l Your topic is important l You are qualified to pursue it l Your plan is thought through l You will complete it successfully l You will share your findings/scholarship with others, and l Your project matches their priorities

8. Sponsored Projects Office Elements of a Proposal  Abstract  Problem Statement (Needs Assessment)  Project Narrative  Goal & Objectives  Project Methods or Design  Project Evaluation  Project Personnel and Qualifications  Budget

9. Sponsored Projects Office Steps to A winning Proposal

10. Sponsored Projects Office Step 1 1. Write a concept paper Steps to A winning Grant

11. Sponsored Projects Office Step 1: Step 1: Write a Concept Paper a. Identify the NEED i. What is the problem? ii. Who are the stakeholders? iii. How will you undertake the project? iv. How will you use the grant funds? v. How will you evaluate the outcome?

12. Sponsored Projects Office Step 2 2. Identify a Funder a. match your interests with the funder’s priorities b. obtain guidelines Steps to A winning Grant

13. Sponsored Projects Office Step 2: Step 2: Identify a Funder Tools to conduct searches: a. Community of Science/scholars Database b. Grants.gov the single access point for over 1000 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies

14. Sponsored Projects Office Step 2 Understand the Guidelines thoroughly If you had only 5 minutes to solve a problem, how would you solve it? I would spend the first 4 minutes reading and understanding the problem. Albert Einstein I would spend the first 4 minutes reading and understanding the problem. Albert Einstein

15. Sponsored Projects Office Step 3 3. Outline your BUDGET Needs Steps to A winning Grant

16. Sponsored Projects Office Step 3: Step 3: Outline your BUDGET Needs Link your Budget to specific research/creative activities i. What are your funding requirements? l Block of dedicated TIME? l Personnel? Consultants? l Equipment? Supplies? Travel? ii. How, when, and where will you spend your grant funds? iii. Will you have access to other funds for your project? iv. Will you need institutional matching funds?

17. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4 WINNING Proposal 4. Write a WINNING Proposal Steps to A winning Grant

18. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4: WINNING Proposal Step 4: Write a WINNING Proposal a. Introduction b. Statement of Problem or Need c. Project Narrative i. Goal & Objectives ii. Methodology iii. Evaluation d. Role of Personnel & Qualification e. Budget

19. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4: WINNING INTRODUCTION Step 4: Write a WINNING INTRODUCTION a. Introduction i. Entice the reader with your project’s unique power ii. Sharpen your HOOK l Distill down to one statement the most compelling feature of your research l The HOOK tailors your idea to a particular funder AND aligns your approach with the funder’s goals iii. Tell a story iv. Leave them wanting more…

20. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4: Statement Step 4: Write a Powerful Problem Statement b. Problem Statement i. What’s the problem? ii. Write in plain English  The real power should be in your insight, scholarship, creative perspective, and passion  Less is more  Prose should be transparent iii. State the problem with such clarity and force of logic that it cannot be stated any more clearly  Inverted pyramid style

21. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4: Compelling Narrative Step 4: Create a Compelling Narrative c. The WINNING Narrative i. Goal & Objectives  1 overarching goal  3-5 measurable objectives  State measure you will use to gauge your project’s outcomes ii. Methodology  Describes program design & objectives  Justifies approach  Describes staff and their roles iii. Evaluation  Identifies audience for evaluation  Formative? Summative?  Internal? External? How will it be collected?  Cost?  How evaluation will be reported

22. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4: Step 4: Supercharge your Staffing Summary d. Role of Personnel & Qualifications i. Project Director  Name, Title  Area of Expertise  Specific Role  Curriculum Vitae, Publications ii. Staff  e.g., Clerical, Lab Assistants iii. Consultants? iv. Student Research Assistants

23. Sponsored Projects Office Step 4: Step 4: Develop a Realistic BUDGET Personnel Who will perform the activities? i. Co-PIs, Student workers, Consultants ii. Course buyout, travel, hotels, per diem iii. Fringe benefits 28% Non-Personnel Equipment Shipping, Installation, and Taxes Materials/Consumables Indirect Costs 40% of Salaries and Wages (excluding fringe benefits)

24. Sponsored Projects Office Step 5: Step 5: Polish your Proposal a. Review i. Put away your proposal for a few days, then reread it with a fresh perspective b. Refine i. Can you say it better, more clearly? More concisely? More persuasively? c. Rewrite Grantwriting STYLE VirtueVice Short declarative sentences Long compound sentences Active Voice Passive Voice Confidant Tentative Precise Vague Steps to A winning Grant

25. Sponsored Projects Office Step 5: Step 5: …and Finally… Check your final proposal against the Guideline Requirements or Agency’s Checklist

26. Sponsored Projects Office TIPS a. Consult Ask a colleague from another discipline to review your proposal b. Collaborate Collaborate with colleagues and staff of Sponsored Projects Office professionals to perfect your proposal

27. Sponsored Projects Office ReCap 1. Write a project CONCEPT PAPER 2. Identify your FUNDER Obtain, read, & understand Funder’s Guidelines 3. Outline your BUDGET Needs 4. Write (& rewrite) a WINNING GRANT i.Goal and Objectives ii.Methodology iii.Evaluation 5. Polish your Proposal Steps to A winning Grant

28. Sponsored Projects Office What Distinguishes a Funded Proposal?  The project is excellent and possibly breaks new ground.  The applicant convinces the funder that the project will be well implemented and cost effective.  The project matches and further promotes the funder’s priorities.  The proposal is well organized and presented in a clearly readable format.

29. Sponsored Projects Office www.lmu.edu/spo SPO WEBSITE:  How to Write a Proposal  How to Find Funding Sources  Links to Funding Sources  Grants Awarded to LMU

30. Sponsored Projects Office “ So, Eddie, what does this mean for Student Housing and Residence Life?”

31. Sponsored Projects Office MONEY!!! Well, not quite.

32. Sponsored Projects Office What this means is…  Focus on one specific program, refine it, and pursue funding;  Do your research – In other words, study the foundation’s objectives and ascertain if your program is congruent with its goals and objectives: Afterall, it’s unlikely the DOE would fund a program that had nothing to do with education.  Point: Make sure your program/proposal meets the needs of the foundation.

33. Sponsored Projects Office Let’s Talk Specifics: Local Foundations of Interest  The California Wellness Foundation  The California Endowment  Liberty Hill Foundation  California Community Foundation

34. Sponsored Projects Office Group Discussion  What program do you have that seems congruent with the aforementioned foundations?  Next steps…

35. Sponsored Projects Office Thank You!