2015-03GrantWriting

IRTL Grants & Fellowships Workshop
Series
Part III: How to Write a
Competitive Grant
Application
Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning
Doctoral Student Research Support
March 2015

Megan Drangstveit
mdrangst@msu.edu
Doctoral Student
Higher, Adult & Lifelong Education
Graduate Assistant
Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning
Audience members…
Introductions

• Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning
• We hope to be a valuable reference source and
accommodate the busy lives of all doctoral students
• Workshops and other activities
• Overview, writing, budgets, RCR, etc.
• Sessions for groups and classes
• Sample proposals and budgets on the website
• One-on-one consultation
• Budgeting, text review
• http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad
What is IRTL?

MSU Libraries
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad

1. Learn about grants
Learning Objectives

1. Review grants in general
2. Learn about grant writing in detail and the
typical components of grant applications
3. Identify resources to support your grant
applications
Learning Objectives

Today
key
strategies
to make your
dissertation grant
application more
competitive
practical
advice
from successful grant
applicants and reviewers
hands-on
practice
applying these strategies
to a sample proposal
and/or the RFP you
chose
Have your RFPs/proposal out throughout the
presentation and make notes directly on it so you can
target what you will work on after this workshop.
= Key points

• Today’s presentation is not just applicable to dissertation
grant proposals. It will help you write competitive grant
proposals as a faculty member or in positions in non-
profit organizations or government agencies.
• Grants can be used for training, travel, work buy-outs,
supplies, hourly staff, tuition, graduate assistantships,
complete a dissertation, conduct a small research project.
• Proven ability to win grants can advance your career.
• Start small, “earn” your way up to larger awards.
• Cultivate a lifetime professional network.
What role can grants and other
external funds play in my career?

• Your keys to success
• Your identification of a need
• Your idea for a solution
• You commitment to the process
• Your proposal-writing skills
Any well-trained person
can become funded

Target the proposal at the
intersection of:
Money
research
funding is
available
Eligibility
you’re ready
and meet
requirements
Fit
your research
interests map to
RFP
Time
a competitive
proposal can be
written in the
time available

Start local
• Talk to faculty members, people on campus with similar
interests, supervisors, colleagues, those who work in
grant-funded programs.
• Talk with your librarians. MSU Libraries: Jon Harrison
• http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm
• Consider any on-campus funding search resources.
• Focus on community organizations or other entities
located in your area.
• IRTL Selected Funding Opportunities
Search in the right places

Other people of interest may include:
• Grant administrators
• Statisticians or those in charge of databases
• Budget staff
• Development/Fundraising/Advancement staff
• Outreach office
• Technology staff (data management, resources,
etc..)
Search in the right places

Government
databases &
agencies
• Government
databases (e.g.
grants.gov)
• Government
agencies (NSF,
NIH, etc..)
• State governments
(michigan.gov)
Know relevant agencies,
foundations & associations

Sept: APA,
AERA,
Fullbright
IIE, NSF Oct: Spencer,
IRA, NSF
Nov: AAUW, SSRC, IRA,
Ford, Wenner-Gren, ETS,
AERA MDF, NSF GRFP,
Soros
Dec: AAUW,
Boren, ETS
Jan: AERA, APA, NSF,
SSRC, FLAS
Feb: ETS, NSF,
KCP
Mar: WARC,
Tinker
Apr: NSF, NIJ
May: Wenner-
Gren
June: Fulbright
DDRA
July: AIR
Aug: NSF,
NCAA
Grants and
other funding
sources
typically
follow a
regular cycle.
Plan ahead so
you can
prepare your
materials on
time, rather
than waiting
(perhaps a
year) until the
next deadline.
Learn grant
cycles
Fall
Spring
Summer

Funds may be out there … we just need to hunt for them.

My ability to apply to highly relevant funding sources
made my application stand out.
-KIN student
I’m in the process of finding grants that fit my needs.
This is hard to do! The most challenging aspect of
writing a winning grant is finding a granting agency
that is open to the kind of work I’m doing.
-CITE student
From Students:

Introduction to Grants & Fellowships workshop slides:
http://www.slideshare.net/irtl/2014part1
Full list of links at MSU:
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/search.asp
Select funding opportunities, IRTL:
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/deadlines/
Finding Funding Resources

The workshop today assumes that you will write
(or have written) a high-quality research proposal.
You can turn that high-quality research proposal
into a competitive grant proposal.

• You’ve thought about this idea for a long time!
• You’ve received feedback on this idea from faculty in
courses, your advisor, and/or others!
• Some of you have already defended
(or are close to defending)
this idea as a dissertation
proposal to some tough
critics – experts in your field!
Let’s Start With The Good News
YOU ALREADY HAVE A GOOD IDEA!

…but lots of good ideas
DON’T GET
FUNDED.
YOU ALREADY HAVE A
GOOD IDEA!

Sometimes good ideas are
never submitted as a grant
proposal.
WHY?

Lots of people have good ideas – there is fierce
competition among those who do apply.

With increasing numbers of
submitted grant applications and
relatively flat budgets, success rates
are correspondingly low (and going
lower).
The Realities

Good ideas are
not enough –
grant writing is
the fine art of
assembling a
persuasive
narrative that
convinces reviewers
to fund your idea,
and not other
people’s ideas!
Attention to Detail Matters

Good ideas – alone – don’t get funded.
WELL-WRITTEN GRANT
PROPOSALS GET FUNDED.

“There is no amount of
grantsmanship that will
turn a bad idea into a
good one, but there are
many ways to disguise a
good one.”
WILLIAM RAUBFORMER
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Be Knowledgeable
• Learn everything you can about your field & identify a
significant problem/gap/need in the field
Be Creative
• Devote time to thinking about a novel idea for a solution
to the problem/gap/need
Be Open
• Share your ideas with knowledgeable colleagues
Be Adaptable
• Refine the problem and/or solution to maximize impact on
the field
Four Key Elements to
Developing a Good Idea

SKIM
READ
TOSS
Never, ever forget: The review process is
really a process of elimination
NEVER READ
– bad ideas
– don’t fit agency mission
REVIEWED WITH CAUTION
– extensively pursued ideas
– high risk projects
REVIEWED WITH INTEREST
– proposals that are clear,
compelling, creative, distinctive,
current

Reviewers DO NOT Read Every
Proposal With The Same Level of
Interest
NEVER
READ
tossed away
SKIM
get the gist;
general ideas
READ QUICKLY
scan for general outline
and main ideas READ
EXTENSIVELY
develop understanding;
spark curiosity
READ
INTENSIVELY
close reading;
specific detail
Only the proposals reviewers
really read ever have a chance to
be successful

While you want your proposal to “stand out” don’t believe
the urban legends about successful grant proposals:
• Only grants that are heavily theoretical with sweeping
implications will get funded
• Only grants with lots of interesting ideas will get funded
• Only grants that are entirely original will get funded
Urban Legends About Successful
Grant Proposals

1. Examines new topic with a well-
established approach
2. Examines well-established topic with a new
approach
3. Examines new topic with a new approach
Instead, Think of Your proposal in
one of 3 Basic Paradigms
Knowing which paradigm your proposal reflects
will help you know what to emphasize as your
proposal’s “obvious relative advantage”

• Examines new topic with a well-established
approach
• Newly-established (and confirmed) ideas/concepts
are frequently funded
Paradigm 1
Most dissertation proposals take this
paradigm. The proposal promises to
contribute by creating new understanding,
which in turn will call for some
reconsideration of what has already been
done.
BE AWARE

• Examines well-established topic with a new
approach
• Newly-established (and confirmed) ideas/concepts
are frequently funded
• Extensively pursued or “well worn” ideas/concepts
are more difficult to get funded
Paradigm 2
You must make a strong argument for the
need for new approach without
denigrating previous work.BE AWARE

• Examines new topic with a new approach
• High risk ideas/concepts are very difficult to get
funded
Paradigm 3
By definition, the successful completion of
your project will contribute to the field. The
burden of this paradigm, however, is
arguing why your topic and approach is
indeed significant despite neglect by
scholars.
BE AWARE

Keep In Mind That Some
Proposals Just Get Skimmed
What leads to an “early exit”
from the review process:
• doesn’t fit agency mission
• not sufficiently original or
significant idea
• does not follow structure
outlined in the request for
proposals (RFP)
• misspellings or grammatical
errors

• Problem to be studied is not
important
• Lack of rationale for the project
• Insufficient knowledge of the
literature
• Lack of essential experience of
applicant
• Diffuse, superficial, or unfocused
approach
• Applicant failed to follow
instructions
• Unrealistic amount of work
proposed
• Uncertain outcomes and future
directions
• Unrealistic budget
• Not relevant to mission of funding
agency
• Interdependence of aims/goals
• Reader-unfriendly application
• Misinterpreted deadline for
application
• Applicant did not address review
criteria
• Insufficient preliminary data
Common Reasons for
Application Failure

“A good idea, well expressed, with a
clear indication of methods for
pursuing the idea, evaluating the
findings, making them known to all who
need to know, and indicating the broader
impacts of the activity.”
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
What’s The Definition of a
“Good Proposal”?

Have Two Things Clear
Before You Start Writing
CLEAR
IDEA
CLEAR
ADVANTAGE

CLEAR
IDEA
CLEAR
ADVANTAGE
Irresistible
idea

CLEAR
IDEA
Brainstorm several ways to frame
your research, then select the
clearest, most exciting way of
describing your project and idea.
“The best way to have a good
idea is to have lots of ideas.”
LINUS PAULING
Write 1-2 pithy sentences that
help someone understand – and
get excited about – your proposal.

CLEAR
ADVANTAGE
Be brutally honest: “What will
single out my grant application
from all of the others under
consideration?”
 understudied population or
pressing issue (Paradigm 1)
 methodology (Paradigm 2)
 potential for dramatic
breakthrough (Paradigm 3)
 Make sure this advantage
stands out throughout your
proposal!

“The quality of applications is so
high that the difference between
getting an award and an honorable
mention is paper thin. It makes the
review process pretty tough.”
MYLES BOYLAN
Program Officer at the
National Science Foundation (NSF)

You must pay attention to:
• Mechanics – know how to fill out the application
forms correctly
• Concepts – understand the purpose of grant
applications
• Psychology – appreciate that grant applications are
read by people
• Logic – understand that your idea must be
understandable to be successful
The Importance of
Grantspersonship Skills

Characteristics of a Successful
Grantsperson
Contrary to generally-
accepted concepts in
academia, good ideas
do not sell themselves.
You, therefore,
actually have to sell
your idea to an
audience that is not
particularly interested
in buying your idea.
• Makes a good first impression
• Enthusiastic
• Credible in identifying a need
• Knowledgeable about
product/project
• Knows the competition
• Delivers a clear message
• Has something special to offer
• Is persistent

Since all funding agencies have missions, it is important to:
• Know what an agency wants (is mandated) to fund
• Understand that funding your proposal must help the
funding agency achieve its mission
• Therefore, always position your idea so that its relationship
to that mission is obvious
• Addressing the specific need of the funding agency is the
“driving force” for any proposal
• Carefully review what the agency has funded in the past
• Research the organization before contacting a program
officer:
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/pdf/ContactingFunding
Agency.pdf
Know Your “Fit”
With The Agency

Pick a Model and Study It!
• Review several
successful proposals,
then pick 1-2 as models
for your proposals
• Study your model
proposal(s)
• Make some notes
• Keep your model
proposal(s) nearby for
easy reference

but you are really
submitting your
proposal to 2-3
reviewers.
Most people think
they are submitting
their proposal to a
monolithic funding
agency,

Understand the Review Process
From The Reviewer’s Perspective
Your reviewers are:
• accomplished, dedicated,
knowledgeable, conscientious
• possibly past recipients of grants
from the agency, or associated
with it
• reviewing large stacks of
proposals thoroughly and quickly
• busy, busy, busy

Understand the Review Process
From The Reviewer’s Perspective
Your reviewers may also be:
• Overcommitted and overworked
• Very tired
• Underpaid for their efforts (@ the
meeting itself)
• Inherently skeptical and overly
critical
• Looking for the easiest way to get
the job done well
• Foundation family members

“A typical reviewer will read 50
proposals. It's a long, arduous
process. Two reviewers isn't very
much, but this is a huge logistical
problem.”
MYLES BOYLAN

"Remember that most
proposals are reviewed by
multidisciplinary committees.
A reviewer studying a proposal
from another field expects the
proposer to meet her halfway.
After all, the reader probably
accepted the committee
appointment because of the
excitement of surveying other
people's ideas…
Continued >>>

…Her only reward is the chance that
proposals will provide a lucidly-
guided tour of various disciplines'
research frontiers… You should
avoid jargon as much as you can, and
when technical language is really
needed, restrict yourself to those new
words and technical terms that truly
lack equivalents in common
language. Also, keep the spotlight on
ideas."
Source: The Art of Writing Proposals: Some Candid Suggestions for Applicants by
the Social Science Research Council
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/pdf/TheArtofWritingProposals.pdf

• They share your enthusiasm and interest in
the research idea.
• They review each proposal in detail.
• They’re all experts in your topic area.
• They’re all familiar with your research
methodology.
• They’re all fair and impartial in judging the
merits of your proposal.
Urban Legends About
Reviewers

• Keep in mind that the reviewers may not be in your
same discipline / functional area.
• Write clearly in a way that is accessible to non-
academics.
• Grab their attention right away – title, intro
sentence, etc..
• Websites may provide information on past/current
reviewers. Use this knowledge to inform your
writing.
Reviewers

• Talk to colleagues about any past experiences as
reviewers.
• What did they look for?
• What impressed them?
• What were basic mistakes they saw?
• How did they evaluate proposals with others
from different specializations?
• If possible, take advantage of opportunities to serve
as a reviewer for grants, awards, etc. within your
field.
Reviewers

“The proposals that are really
effective are very integrated. The
more you can integrate, the better
you are.”
MYLES BOYLAN

Your proposal works as a whole and
each element should tell one compelling
story.
Each part of your proposal should tell
one integrated story about you, your
project, and advancing the agency
mission.
Your Proposal

RESEARCH
NARRATIVE
PERSONAL
NARRATIVE
REFERENCE
LETTERS
BUDGET,
TIMELINE,
APPENDICES
Multiple Materials =
One Integrated Story

“Frankly, I don't think the transcripts are
very important. If you have a 3.4, 3.8, or 3.9
it doesn't really matter. The other evidence
is more persuasive. The qualifications of
applications is so far beyond basic that the
research plan, personal statement, and
letters of reference matter more.”
MYLES BOYLAN

What do you believe are the most challenging
aspects of grant writing?
• Writing concisely.
• Relating relevance to a general audience.
• Be prepared to write 8+ drafts of your proposal.
• Making my proposal more focused and concise,
and making it accessible to people outside of my
area of expertise.
Words of advice from students:

• Descriptive Title
• Abstract / Summary
• Overview / Narrative
• Significance
• Plan of work
• Background / Bibliography / Literature Review
• Previous experience or preliminary data
• Applicant / Environment narrative / Personal statement
• Budget
• Completion schedule
• Letters of recommendation
Typical Components of a
Grant Application

Let’s Practice on a Sample
Proposal
The Jack Kent Cooke Dissertation Fellowship
Award supported advanced doctoral students
who are completing dissertations that further
the understanding of the educational pathways
and experiences of high-achieving, low-income
students.
2014-2015 was the last year it was awarded.

You are a social psychologist who has a strong interest
in helping children from economically disadvantaged
families to achieve educational successes early on.
Results of your pilot studies suggest that both the
English-speaking skills of the parents and the
opportunities to socialize in the home environment
are likely to be important determinants of success or
failure in making a successful transition to
kindergarten. You decide to apply for support to
study this problem.
Sample Document
Background

• Significance
• Plan of work
• Applicant / Environment narrative
• Budget
Components of a Grant
Application

If you have effectively written page one of
your grant proposal, preparation of the rest of
the proposal will flow more naturally.
This section MUST contain everything that is
important and exciting about your project, but
without a lot of detail.
Narrative

• This is one of the two most important sections in any grant
application.
• It is by far the most difficult section of your application to
write well.
• Your introduction is the section most likely to be read, rather
than scanned or skipped.
• It MUST quickly engender robust enthusiasm for your idea.
• The reviewer often comes to a conclusion about you, the
importance of your ideas, and the clarity of your thinking
after reading only your first page.
• It serves as the template for the rest of your proposal.
• Write the Overview section of your proposal first.
Narrative

1st paragraph: Identify the “need”
• Opening sentence; knowns; unknowns/gap; frame the
problem/need
2nd paragraph: Outline the solution / idea
• Long-range goal; objective in this application; how
hypothesis formulated; rationale
3rd paragraph: Spell out the approach
• Specific aims/goals
4th paragraph: Summarize expectations (payoff to the
funding agency)
• Expectations; impact
Narrative - Format

The primary purpose of the opening paragraph is
to convince all reviewers (through a process of
education) that there is a significant unknown /
issue / debate (i.e., a problem). The problem then
provides the basis for the “critical need” relevant
to the mission of the funding agency.
The first paragraph will likely determine whether
a reviewer reads your proposal with interest or
decides to skim it!
Narrative – First Paragraph

Highlight the essential knowns
• At this point write for the non-expert, and
educate the reviewer with important “knowns”
about your topic
Highlight the critical gaps
• Highlight gaps that are holding back significant
progress
Focus on critical need
Narrative - First Paragraph

The opening sentence.
There’s a lot to integrate into the first sentence – the “hook”. It
should:
• Generally identify what the proposal will be about
• Demonstrate relevance to agency mission
• Highlight distinctiveness of your proposal
• Capture the reviewer’s imagination, and invites them to be
an advocate for your grant proposal
• Answer So what? and Who cares?

OPENING SENTENCE
SAMPLE PROPOSAL
“About 5.5 million children in this country
have at least one parent who is an
undocumented immigrant.”
REVISED EXAMPLE
“Almost half of the 800,000 children of
undocumented immigrants transitioning from
elementary to junior high each year quickly
fall behind because they lack the reading skills
necessary to complete their education.”
Edit Ruthlessly

How NOT to frame a problem
• “Little research has been done … Therefore,
there is a need for more research …”
• “No one has studied the effect of … There is,
therefore, a need to study …”
• “Relatively few studies have been made on …”
• “To the best of our knowledge, there is at
present no information available on …”
• “No publications have examined the reasons
responsible for …”

Penultimate sentence.
Critical need should be the second to last sentence in
the opening paragraph (after you’ve educated the
reader).
• MUST: include keywords that identify what your
proposal is about immediately
• MUST: immediately relate to the mission of the
agency, establish relevance to mission of the agency
• MUST NOT: reiterate knowledge that is obvious to
a reviewer

Last sentence.
Why not solving this problem is important
to the agency, and an issue

You only get one chance to make a
first impression, so send out two or
three different versions of your
opening paragraph to colleagues
and friends.
What aspects of each version help
others understand – get excited
about – your proposed project?

The primary purpose of the second
paragraph is to convince all reviewers that
you have the solution to the problem or
issue identified in the introductory
paragraph.
Narrative - Second
Paragraph

Long-term goal
This is not the goal of the current application;
instead, this is your career goal (of which the
current application will be only one part)
By definition, your long-term goal and the
mission of the funding agency are one
Be realistic: do not overstate or over-anticipate
your capabilities
Narrative - Second
Paragraph

• Specific statement of the objective for your
proposed project
• Should define the overall purpose of the proposed
set of activities, experiments, etc.
• Must be crafted in such a way that it addresses the
critical need that was identified in the 1st
paragraph
• Must be appreciated as a step toward attainment
of the long-term goal
• Must always have a well-defined endpoint
Narrative - Second
Paragraph

LONG-TERM GOAL
SAMPLE PROPOSAL
“The goal of this research project is to ensure
that all children of undocumented immigrants
succeed in reaching sufficient reading
proficiency.”
REVISED EXAMPLE
“My long term goal is to determine the key
factors and contexts that predict successful
transitions to junior high, in order to advocate
for state and local district policies and
programs that ensure children of
undocumented immigrants achieve their full
academic potential.”
Edit Ruthlessly

LONG-TERM GOAL
SAMPLE PROPOSAL
“My objective is to look and see what the
effects of this after-school reading program has
on the preparedness of elementary-aged
students for junior high.”
REVISED EXAMPLE
“My objective for this project is to determine
the key factors and contexts that enable
children of undocumented immigrants to
develop reading proficiencies to successfully
navigate their transition to junior high.”
Edit Ruthlessly

After you have formulated your statement
of the objective in this application, check to
make certain that it closely matches the
identified critical need and that it
represents a step toward the attainment of
the long-term goal. If it does not, you have a
problem.
Narrative - Second
Paragraph

Long-term goal: Broadest
• Projects an obvious progression of career-based research
activities
Objective in this application: More focused
• Current step along the progression of research activities
that will achieve the “critical need” identified
Central hypothesis/Rationale for need: Most narrow
• Best bet among the possible outcomes (rationale)
• MUST be testable and therefore potentially invalid
(hypothesis)
Linkage of Three Key
Components

Narrative - Second Paragraph
Avoid indeterminate objectives
… to study the effects of …
… to explore the reasons for …
… to better understand why …
… to improve our understanding of …
… to investigate the causes of …
… to focus on the underlying basis for
…
… to research why …
… to examine the cause of …
These all mean “stay busy”
Instead, use:
To determine
Other language
items:
“Objective FOR”
or “objective IN”
this application.
NOT “objective
OF”

Objective / research question
• Should directly address the “critical need”
• If needing hypothesis, use:
• “Our hypothesis has been formulated, in
large part, based on the existing
literature and our own preliminary
findings demonstrating that …”
Narrative - Second Paragraph

The primary purpose of the third
paragraph is to provide a logical step-by-
step development of the key activities
(aims/goals/objectives) whereby you will
fulfill the identified objective and/or test
the central hypothesis to completely
address the “critical need.”
Narrative - Third Paragraph

Formulation of aims/goals/objectives
• 2-3 concise, eye-catching “headline” statements
• Each should flow logically into the next
• Must collectively fill the identified objective and/or test
the central hypothesis to satisfy the need
• If possible, conceptual, not descriptions of activities
• Each should be focused by a subordinate working
hypothesis or approach statement
• Each of the goals (aims) should be related to the other
stated goals (aims) but avoid having the feasibility of
one goal (aim) depend upon a particular outcome of
another
Narrative - Third Paragraph

The primary purpose of the fourth
paragraph is to inform the reviewers
(and the funding agency) exactly what
the “return on investment” (the
deliverables) will be and why this will
be of value to the mission of the funding
agency
Narrative – Fourth
Paragraph

Expectations and Impact
• Begin paragraph with expected outcomes, which
must be specific and credible: this is the return on
investment for the funder
• Do not write this in future perfect tense: “This is
what will have been accomplished.” Write it in
future tense: “We expect to determine …”
• Conclude paragraph with positive impact (i.e., a
general statement of how these outcomes will fill
the identified need and thereby advance the
mission of the agency)
Paragraph

Linear progression for a strong overview section
Gap/Critical need
Objective
Specific aims /goals
Expected outcomes
Paragraph

CRISP, CREDIBLE, SPECIFIC IMPACTS
SAMPLE PROPOSAL
“This research study will not only advance our
knowledge about this under-researched population
of students, it will inform state and federal
policymakers as they write legislation affecting
children of undocumented immigrants.”
REVISED EXAMPLE (RELEVANCE TO AGENCY)
“This study will identify the key factors and
contexts that allow children, whose parents have
limited educational opportunities, to overcome
these challenging socioeconomic circumstances and
excel academically.”
Edit Ruthlessly

CRISP, CREDIBLE, SPECIFIC IMPACTS
REVISED EXAMPLE (RELEVANCE TO
STAKEHOLDERS)
“In addition to presenting at national
academic conferences, I will submit a 5-
page summary report highlighting the
projects’ major findings and policy
recommendations to key stakeholder
groups. Both State Representative Mark
Meadows and Jerlean E. Daniel, Executive
Director of the National Association for
the Education of Young Children, have
expressed interest in the findings of my
study (see attachments).”
Edit Ruthlessly

Bottom Line
• Independent of what funding agency you
would ultimately be targeting, or what the
specific format that funding agency
requires, you will always be well served by
preparing an Overview section (or
equivalent) of your proposed research plan
as a critical first step in the development of
any grant application.
Narrative

• Significance
• Plan of work
• Budget
Application

The purpose of the Significance section is to
place your proposed work within the
contextual framework of the overall mission of
the funding agency from whom you will be
requesting funding. (How would the funding
agency be able to justify support of your
project?) Every funding agency, without
exception, considers Significance to be a key
review criterion.
Significance

Never make reviewers guess about significance.
“Do not assume that the project’s significance will be
evident to readers; be explicit about its importance.
Provide examples of the various ways in which the
proposed reference work or research tool would
contribute to scholarship, education, or lifelong
learning in the humanities.”
National Endowment for the Humanities
Significance

Significance paragraph(s):
• This section should preferably follow after the
Overview/Narrative section
• Make it easy for reviewers and the funding agency
to identify the importance and impact of the work
• Significance projected must always be directly
relevant to the mission of the funding agency
(Reread mission statement)
Significance

Significance paragraph(s), no longer than 2/3 of a page, 1-2
paragraphs, no matter the agency:
• Part 1: Substantiate, with documentation from the literature,
there is a critical need, that it’s an important problem/issue, and
point out what your contribution is expected to be (should be last
sentence of paragraph). Include data/#s if available. “Our
contribution is expected to be [cleverly reworded objective]”
• Part 2: Italicized statement of significance: This project is, therefore,
significant because … (related to the mission of the funding
agency)
• Part 3: List of benefits and impact on the field that can be credibly
expected to accrue from the critical need having successfully been
addressed (2-3 could be fine)
Significance

SIGNIFICANCE
SAMPLE PROPOSAL
“This study will improve our understanding of
the effects of educational programs and family
circumstances on the reading preparedness of
children of undocumented immigrants as they
transition from elementary to junior high
school.”
REVISED EXAMPLE
“This study will identify the key factors and
contexts that will allow over 400,000 children,
whose parents have limited educational
opportunities, to overcome these challenging
circumstances and excel academically.”
Edit Ruthlessly

“I sat on the social sciences review board
this year. The intellectual merit so high in
so many cases, that the broader impacts
turned out to be pretty important… So
what can graduate students really say
about broader impacts of their work? You
need to think about that.”
MYLES BOYLAN

The purpose of the Background/Literature
Review section is to place your proposed work
within the contextual framework of the work
done by others. (How have earlier
investigators helped to establish the
intellectual platform from which your own
work will now be launched?)
Literature Review

• The purpose is to justify the approach proposed
• Provide a critical review (not a litany) of relevant
literature
• Make certain each major point discussed allows a
conclusion to be reached
• Logically build toward, and integrate into the
discussion, what you expect your contribution will be
• Try to cite contributions of possible reviewers
• The flow of the logic must be compelling, clear, simply,
easy-to-follow
Literature Review

• Present your idea in a maximally understandable
way
• While you write the first paragraph with an eye
toward the non-expert, the literature review should
be written so it is readable by both generalists and
specialists
• Avoid jargon and unnecessary technical terms
• Use diagrams or flow charts to conceptualize
complex relationships
Literature Review

• Significance
• Plan of work / Research Plan
• Budget
Application

In this section of the application, you will tell the
reviewers/funding agency precisely:
• What you propose to do (in sufficient detail) and why
• Exactly how you propose to do it
• What you expect to accomplish once what you propose to
do has been completed
• What might go wrong and how you will fix it if something
does go wrong
• Alternate names: NIH, AFRI: Approach; NSF: Research
Plan; NEH: Methods and Work Plan
Research Plan

• Focus as much on concepts (why things are being done) in
addition to how they will be done
• Provide sufficient information that reviewers will
understand exactly how the work will be done – leave no
room for guessing
• Avoid emphasis on routine methods/activities, but do not
assume that reviewers are necessarily knowledgeable with
details
• Wherever you can, refer to previous work carried out by
you or your colleagues.
• Express confidence in your ability to accomplish your
objectives
Research Plan

• Expected results/outcomes
• Succinctly summarize what you expect your most important
results will be
• This is the “endpoint” of all of the “we will do this and this”
proposed in your work design
• “At the completion of this part of the project, we expect to have
determined…”
• Emphasize how they will contribute to the achievement of your
overall objective
• Results are important, but they can potentially be compromised
by …
• If potential problems exist, be certain to acknowledge them (you
can be certain reviewers will), and use conditional verb tense
“would” not “will”
Research Plan

• Funding agencies invest in people – and
people’s future, not just “proposals” or
“ideas”.
• Are they fully convinced that you and your
research will represent the agency well?
Personal Statement

Make it Personal
• Your idea or project may have a personal story or
element behind it. Reading an applicant’s personal
statement is the primary way reviewers relate to the
applicant.
• Describe how this line of research interest emerged
within your experience, if appropriate.
• Write something only you could write. Share
poignant personal experiences.
Personal Statement

But remember, it’s not just personal
Applicant’s qualifications and environments in which the
proposed work will be carried out are weighted
heavily in determining the relative merits of a grant
proposal.
Personal Statement

Include Qualifications, prior accomplishments
• Your research is integrated with your doctoral
education and experiences
• You are well-prepared to do proposed work
• You are in an environment conducive to your
project’s success
• You have well-developed forms of social support
from faculty and other scholars in your field
Personal Statement

Include Future plans, scholarly trajectory, career goals
• State your long-term professional goals related to
proposed study. State your how you see this line of
work evolving over your career. Remember,
agencies are investing in your future; they want
you to succeed if they fund you.
• Explain how this one short-term project will
contribute to – or catalyze – your long-term
professional goals.
Personal Statement

“Don’t just say ‘I’m going to be a
researcher.’ Usually that's not
competitive – if you're not a
genius.”
Myles Boylan
Program Officer at the National Science
Foundation (NSF)

The underlying secrets to any successful
budget preparation are to base them on
real costs that have accurately been
determined and then to justify all
budgeted expenses exhaustively in the
proposal. Well-planned budgets reflect
carefully thought-out projects.
Budget

Four things to keep in mind when preparing a budget –
is it:
NECESSARY? Is it required to successfully complete the
project?
ALLOWABLE? Is it permitted within the application
guidelines or has it been explicitly approved by the
funding agency?
REASONABLE? Does the amount reflect a prudent
estimate of the costs?
COMPLETE? Make sure all expenses are included and
explained.
Budget

Links to budget creation resources at MSU:
Budget workshop slides:
http://www.slideshare.net/irtl/201502budgets
Sample budgets:
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/pdf/IRTL_BudgetS
amples.pdf
Budget

• The importance of the title of the application
should not be taken lightly
• It’s the very first thing most reviewers see. Make a
good impression
• It should be informative and engender enthusiasm
• You title may influence the assignment of reviewers
- use key words that convey what your proposal is
about
• Write the title last, along with the abstract
Title

Make it clear, accurate, and succinct. Your title should:
• Resonate with the mission of agency, and titles of
what they've funded in the past
• Implicitly demonstrate the clear advantage of your
idea and approach
• Fit within any restrictions on length (know if
restrictions include characters or characters AND
spaces)
Title

Brainstorm at least three
alternative titles no matter how
much you love the original
title you created.
Poll a diverse group of friends
and colleagues for feedback.

• It is probably the most important section during review,
because it will be ready by all reviewers, not just those
assigned
• It must be written in plain English, because it must be
interpretable by laypersons
• Write it last, but not at the last minute
• Use third person in this section only
• Do not use it to summarize past accomplishments or to
review background material
• Should be a stand-alone section
• Becomes part of the public domain; protect what you don’t
want revealed
Abstract

Draft an abstract, and ignore
the length to start with, then go
back decide what to cut-out or
rephrase.

When writing letters of recommendation, your references
should:
• indicate their department and institution, how long they
have known you, and in what capacity
• on the basis of their knowledge of the your past and
current research experience and activities, comment on
your potential to conduct original research and succeed
post-graduation
• compare you with other successful graduate students at
the institution
• comment on the broader impacts of supporting you,
including your leadership potential in your chosen field
Letters of Recommendation

Assist your recommenders by providing these items well
in advance of the deadline:
• Copy of your CV
• Links/copies of RFP and funding agency information
• Copy of all materials you are going to submit (summary,
background, lit review, etc.)
• Potential bullets that the recommender may be able to
include/address in their letter – Why this award? Why
you? Why them?
• Opportunity to discuss the award with you in person

“Don’t be shy. They know they have
to do it, and it is part of their job to
do it. Just ask.”
-CITE student

A full appreciation of the review
process, including knowing the identity
of those individuals who will be
involved in the evaluation of your ideas,
can significantly improve your chances
of success!
The Review Process

Review Process
The NIH has wonderful
videos available which
give a glimpse into the
reviewing process. These
videos are helpful, even
for those not considering
NIH funding.
• NIH Peer Review
• What Happens to Your
NIH Grant Application
• NIH Tips for Applicants
http://public.csr.nih.gov/aboutcsr/con
tactcsr/pages/contactorvisitcsrpages/
nih-grant-review-process-youtube-
videos.aspx

• Understand the process by which your application will
be reviewed
• If possible to identify potential reviewers, take
advantage of it
• If you are given the option to recommend reviewers,
take it
• Understand who the reviewers really are
• Be compatible with all grant application requirements
• Understand the applicable review criteria
• Look at the funder website for details about their
specific processes
The Review Process

To succeed in peer review, you must win over
the assigned reviewers. They act as your
advocates in guiding the review panel’s
discussion of your application. Write and
organize your application so the primary
reviewer can readily grasp and explain what
you are proposing and advocate for your
application
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/writing_application.htm
The Review Process

Questions Every
Reviewer Asks
 EXPERIENCE: Are you well-
positioned to do this project?
 FEASIBILITY: Can you do this
project in one year with the
available resources?
 WELL-PLANNED: Is the
project itself well-designed and
well-planned?
 DISTINCTIVE APPROACH:
Could just anyone do this your
research project?
 MISSION: Will the
successful completion of the
project advance the agency
mission?
 URGENCY + RELEVANCE:
Does the project relate to
pressing contemporary
social concerns?
 AMBASSADOR: Do you
embody and share agency's
goals?

Section 3: Funding Recommendation
Should AIR fund this proposal?
 Fund
 Fund with Minor Revisions
 Do Not Fund
Section 4: Comments
Reviewer Comments: Please provide specific, constructive
comments to help the applicant improve the quality of the
proposed research. These comments will be shared with the
applicant in the notification letter.
Reviewer Evaluation

Final Checklist:
Mechanics & Style

Carefully read and
follow ALL of the
current/correct
application
instructions!
The Only Instruction for
Success:

What should be in place:
• A critically peer-reviewed and polished
Overview/Narrative section of your proposal
• One or more discussions with the program officer of the
funding agency to which you will be applying
• An intimate familiarity with the idea/field on which the
proposal will be based
• Sufficient time identified on your calendar to commit to
writing the proposal – blocked off AND used
• Unqualified enthusiasm to actually sit down and write the
proposal
Checklist for Writing the
Proposal

• Start early. Give yourself plenty of time to write a competitive
proposal and revise, revise, revise.
• Examples. Read successful proposals.
• Feedback. Have people within and outside of your field review
your application. If your colleagues tell you something is unclear
– trust them. Contact program officers for clarification.
• Writing. Use clear language. Write simple and direct sentences.
Use vivid verbs, avoid too many adjectives. Use repetition and
parallel construction; do not substitute synonyms for repeated
terms. Grab the reviewer’s attention. Avoid jargon.
• Great idea. Have a compelling idea that advances the science and
is reasonable to achieve.
Some practical advice…

• Match. Ensure your project matches the funding announcement
AND the agency’s mission.
• Follow the instructions. Read them. Read them again. Have
someone else read them. Check that you are reading the most
recent instructions. Font size. Margins. Page/word/character
limits. Figures. Appendices. Headings.
• Use the rubric. Understand how your proposal will be evaluated
and follow the instructions.
• Clean. No typos or grammatical errors allowed. Follow the
requested format.
• Budget. Reasonable and accurate.
• On time. Submit early even, just not late.
Some practical advice…

• Avoid technical vocabulary unless it makes an important
distinction.
• Avoid jargon. If you use it, define it – explicitly, implicitly, or by
context and example – the very first time the term is used in your
proposal.
• Avoid associating action verbs with inanimate objects, i.e., “your
study” does not actually do anything, you do!
• Avoid “weak verbs” (e.g. is, am, are, was, were, have, has, had,
be, being, becomes, feels, looks, seems, sounds, etc.). Weak verbs
make your writing boring and wordy; replace them with strong
action verbs.
• Avoid clichés, e.g. “the proposed state-of-the-art study is
expected to advance the field significantly.”
Things to Avoid

The Belcher Diagnostic Test
Edit each sentence for words that:
• need to be cut
• need to be added
• need to be changed
Apply “quick fixes” to weak
phrases.
Fine Tune Each Sentence
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/pdf/BelcherTest.pdf

A reverse outline will reveal the structure – and thus
the structural problems – of your proposal.
• go paragraph-by-paragraph and put the main idea of each
paragraph in one bullet point
• arrange the bullet points in an outline
• analyze the outline; assess key words, logical flow, and
proportion devoted to each idea
• create a new, revised outline
• use revised outline to reorganize proposal
Take a step back and do a
outline

Clear writing organizes the proposal so that each
section contributes to a broader argument. Good structure
includes:
• an early overview of the proposal’s basic structure
and content
• short introductory and concluding statements at
the beginning and end of each section
• headings, and subheadings that distinguish main
points from supporting statements
Review the Proposal for
Clear Structure

Spend the time you want to agonize
about starting an application working
on the application. Doing it will help
you learn how to do it.
-CITE student
Advice and Words of
Encouragement

Speling and gramatticle erors wil sink
an otherwise competitive propsal.
Make sure there are ABSOLUTELY no
typos, spelling, or grammatical errors.
Spelling & Grammar

Successful Proposals
• use headings of the RFP
• fresh, original ideas
• succinct, focused project
plans
• realistic amount of work
• sufficient detail
• evidence knowledge of
subject
• demonstrate experience
in methodology
• clear scholarly trajectory
of applicant
• high impact

Unsuccessful Proposals
• propose work already
done by others
• organized in reader-
unfriendly way
• contain long
paragraphs, run-on
sentences
• unclear work plan
• unrealistic amount of
work proposed
• unrealistic budget
• lacks evidence of
applicant’s experience
• violates RFP format
requirements

“There is a variance in the review
process. If you don't get it the first
time, it does not mean you won't
get it a second time.”
Myles Boylan
Program Officer at the National Science
Foundation (NSF)
If you do get “rejected” know this…

Obtaining funding is hard! Don’t get
discouraged when the first one (or two)
don’t yield anything fruitful.
-KIN student
Words of Advice from
Students

• IRTL list of resources at MSU:
• Planning your proposal:
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/plan.asp
• Writing your proposal:
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/write.asp
• Advice from Dr. Kris Renn: http://vimeo.com/39357523
• Advice from Mike DeSchryver:
http://vimeo.com/39357524
• Slides from this presentation will soon be posted to our
website: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/
Additional Proposal Writing
Resources

• Workshop topic ideas
• Web and newsletter content suggestions
• New award information
• Updates on your grant/fellowship applications
• Corrections on typos, spelling, and grammar
We are always excited for

Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning
2nd Floor, Erickson Hall
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad
https://www.facebook.com/MSUIRTL
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/Subscribe.asp
Bob Floden, Director, floden@msu.edu
Marcy Wallace, Associate Director,
wallacem@msu.edu
Megan Drangstveit, Graduate Assistant,
mdrangst@msu.edu (201C Erickson Hall)
IRTL – Doctoral Student
Research Support

2015-03GrantWriting

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