This two-day seminar teaches scientists how to write successful grant proposals. It provides step-by-step guidance from developing an initial idea to completing the final proposal. Participants will learn how to find relevant programs, tailor proposals to funder guidelines, develop partnerships, and create financial plans. The seminar leaders have over 10 years of experience and will help workshop one proposal.

1. B o r e k & L ö h r m a n n
Ho w to write a successful pro po sa l
Our seminar:
“How to write a successful proposal”
Dates:
18/19 February 2009: Humanities and Social Sciences in D 432
20/21 February 2009: Natural Sciences in D 432
27/28 March 2009: open for all disciplines in Y 310
Duration: Two days, 9 am to 5 pm
Each group comprises a maximum of 18 participants.
This interdisciplinary two day course will train scientists in writing professional and successful
proposals for research and education programmes funded by national, European and worldwide
funding institutions.
Projects funded by third parties are not only safeguarding jobs but also help young scientists to gain
professional experience and to qualify for their future careers. Scientific institutions of all kinds rely on
these kinds of projects in order to strengthen their statistics and to compete nationally and
internationally.
This course provides a step by step approach from the first idea to the finished proposal giving all kinds
of practical advice every step of the way. It takes a look at the philosophy behind the programmes,
provide tips on how to collect relevant information and give advice on how to find suitable partners.
Furthermore, it explains how to take a first idea and develop it from a rough abstract into detailed work
plans.
Examples will be presented on all topics covered in the course. Aspects of project management will also
be taken into account in order to prevent mistakes during the proposal drafting phase which might lead
to serious consequences when the project is carried out.
We will also deal with the following issues:
- How to elaborate the first idea step by step into a detailed work plan.
- How to find suitable partners and set up a successful consortium.
- How to approach the set-up of a financial plan and how to collect preliminary information.
- How to write a letter of intent and how to deal with legal matters.
Each programme has a different set of conditions. The course will, therefore, concentrate on the
structure and contents of the following programmes:
National programmes financed e.g. by Federal Ministries and the German Research
-
Foundation
European Programmes, e.g. the European Research Framework Programme
-
Other programmes will be covered on demand of the participants.
-
The basic strategy of proposal writing is, however, transferable to most of the other funding
programmes as well.
All project phases and important topics will be dealt with in small working groups. Participants are
encouraged to think about a project idea of their own and present this shortly during the seminar. The
seminar group will jointly decide which idea will be developed further during the two days. This
implies getting important feedback from the other participants and the two lecturers.
.
Cornelia Borek, Tel. 030 - 314 21370 Iris Löhrmann, Tel: 030 - 314 21296
e-mail: borek.loehrmann@googlemail.com

2. B o r e k & L ö h r m a n n
Ho w to write a successful pro po sa l
Our agenda
Day 1
The pre-proposal strategy
- How to develop a project idea – from idea to sketch
- Creativity Techniques
- Drafting an abstract
- Networking
- How to deal with funding organisations
- Funding Policy and the philosophy behind it
Searching phase
- Searching for programmes
- How to find the right programme!
- Information about various funding programmes:
- Framework Programme 7, European Social Fund, European and national education
programmes, National Funding Organisations such as Federal Ministries, German Research
Foundation etc.
- Doing research: Is my idea really unique?
Planning phase
- Optimising and adapting the abstract
- Forms and Bureaucracy: How to survive the administrative part of the proposal
- Adapting your idea to the funding conditions
- From sketch to concept; how to further develop the proposal as regards contents
- Choosing partners, Negotiations with potential partners
- Further adaptations of the concept
Day 2
Planning further details
- Project organisation: Partners and their roles and tasks
- Formulating the project structure: Starting the project management
- Planning the project, overall planning: phases, milestones, deliverables
- Legal questions: Letter of intent, Consortium Agreements, Contracts etc.
- Setting up a financial plan
- The personal wish list
- Financing conditions of the funding institution
- Which additional effort is needed to realise the project?
- What is likely to get funding for? Cost categories and accounting rules
Calculating the co-financing
-
.
Cornelia Borek, Tel. 030 - 314 21370 Iris Löhrmann, Tel: 030 - 314 21296
e-mail: borek.loehrmann@googlemail.com

3. B o r e k & L ö h r m a n n
Ho w to write a successful pro po sa l
About us
We have been carrying out seminars on drafting and writing proposals in German and English for the
last ten years. References include Technische Universität Dresden, Alice Salomon University of
Applied Sciences Berlin (ASFH), TU Berlin Servicegesellschaft GmbH (master studies quot;Science
Marketingquot;), Technische Universität Berlin (Scientific continuing education), several Max Planck
Institutes in Berlin and Potsdam, Fraunhofer FOKUS Institute in Berlin and University of Tromsø,
Norway.
Three recent joint publications on topics like quot;How to deal with funding organisationsquot;, quot;What makes
a proposal successful?quot;, quot;Choosing partnersquot; in Handbuch Praxis Wissenschaftsfinanzierung, Focus
Erfolgreiche Drittmittelakquise und professionelles Projektmanagement, Raabe Fachverlag für
Wissenschaftsinformation (2007-08) and co-authors of the course book on quot;Research promotion and
third-party fundsquot; of the master studies quot;Science Marketingquot; of TU Berlin Servicegesellschaft GmbH.
Cornelia Borek, LLM (University of London), Assessorin
Professional background:
- Lawyer with focus on European Community Law
- Scientific Employee of the EU-Bureau of the German Ministry for Education and Science
(located at the Project Management Agency of the German Aerospace Center) since 1 September
2008. Tasks: National Contact Point for the “Regions of Knowledge” and “Research Potential”
programmes of Framework Programme 7 of the European Commission and member of the
National Contact Point for Legal and Financial Issues
- EC Liaison Officer of Technische Universität Berlin from July 1995 until August 2008
- 2000 – 2003: scientific employee of the European liaison office of the German research
organisations (Koordinierungsstelle EG der Wissenschaftsorganisationen (KoWi)), the EU
Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) and desk officer of the EC Unit
for Research of the BMBF
Iris Löhrmann, Diploma in Politics (University of Munich)
Professional background:
- Since 1995 Head of the Scientific Education Unit within the “Zentraleinrichtung Kooperation”
of Technische Universität Berlin
- From 1989-1995 employee at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin
- Longterm experience as project leader in 23 nationally and internationally funded projects
funded by e.g. European Social Fund, Leonardo II, Socrates Adult Education, Comenius,
German Ministry of Education and Research, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (Germany’s
largest foundation promoting innovative environmental projects). (http://www.tu-
berlin.de/zek/wb/)
- Development and Execution of internal and external concepts for seminars within the scientific
further education unit of Technical University Berlin.
- numerous publications in scientific journals and books (http://www.tu-berlin.de/zek/wb/)
.
Cornelia Borek, Tel. 030 - 314 21370 Iris Löhrmann, Tel: 030 - 314 21296
e-mail: borek.loehrmann@googlemail.com