coach program . consult the trc website and read clearly the call for research proposals as well as...
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Selling your Science: The Art of Effective Proposal Writing
COACh program
http://coach.uoregon.edu
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Focus Today
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Consult the TRC website and read clearly the call for research proposals as well as the criteria against which your proposal will be judged.
Be aware of the priorities and interests of the call for proposals
Know that TRC is looking for unique and important ideas
Getting Started
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Study the TRC and TRESS webpages
Getting Started
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Read (and reread) the grant instructions very carefully…
HIGHLIGHT ALL THE POINTS THAT MIGHT BE RELEVENT!
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Plan your proposal in terms of the aims and objectives of the request for proposals and not just your own.
Make it clear how you will be helping the funders achieve their priorities.
Getting Started
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Use key words in the grant guidelines in your proposal
Make certain that you meet all requirements
Contact the program officer if you have ANY questions
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Consider the questions the funder will be asking:
Why fund your ideas?
Why fund them now?
Why fund you ?
... and make sure that the proposal answers them!
Getting Started
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Why fund this proposal?
What is unique about the ideas in your proposal?
What is the benefit to your field of study?
What is the benefit to your country and society?
How do your ideas align with the interests of the funding agency?
Getting Started Exercise: Briefly answer the following questions
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Why fund this proposal now?
What ideas that you propose address important issues that are needed now and in the near future?
What information/data do you have that supports the need for timely funding of your ideas?
Getting Started Exercise: Briefly answer the following questions
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Why fund you?
What important skills do you bring to the project?
Do you have unique facilities or experiences?
Are you working with a team/colleague that is highly experienced?
Are you at a university that is known for excellence in the area that you are requesting funding?
Getting Started Exercise: Briefly answer the following questions
Optional: Break up into small groups and discuss your answers to these questions.
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What you need to understand
Criteria for evaluation Novelty and Originality (Scientific Merit) Literature Clarity of Proposal Significance (outcomes) Methodology Qualifications of researchers
Reviewers used in review process
Study Comments from previous reviews of proposals
Getting Started: Understand How Your Proposal will be Assessed
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Significance of outcomes
Does this study address an important problem?
If aims are met, will knowledge be advanced?
What will be the effect of these studies on concepts or methods that drive the field?
Common criteria for assessment
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Approach or Methodology
Are the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses adequately developed, well integrated and appropriate to the project goals?
Does the applicant acknowledge potential problems and consider alternative tactics?
Common criteria for assessment
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Innovation, Novelty and Originality
Are novel concepts, approaches and methods employed?
Are the goals original and innovative?
Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or techniques?
Common criteria for assessment
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Investigator(s)
Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work?
Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the researcher(s)?
Common criteria for assessment
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Investigator(s)
Skills training and relevant experience
Relevant publications and other outputs
Demonstrated productivity within opportunities available
Common criteria for assessment
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Executive Summary (6000 Characters)
Intended Research (Keywords 1000 Characters)
I. Introduction and Statement of Problem (8000 Characters)
II. Literature Review and Analysis of Related Work with References
III. Objectives (8000 Characters)
IV. Benefits to Oman (4000 Characters)
V. Outline of proposed activities/Research Methodology (16000 Characters)
VI. Academic, scientific and/or innovation significance (4000 Characters)
VII. Potential Economic Impacts (4000 Characters)
VIII. Expected social, cultural, educational and welfare benefits (4000 Characters)
IX. Intended Research Cost Analysis and Proposed Budget of Expense
Structuring the Proposal
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Write for a broad and busy audience of reviewers
Don’t assume that reviewers will be experts in your field
Don’t assume that reviewers will have hours to study your proposal
Success in grant writing is a matter of style and format as much as content!
Warning!
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Additional Warning!Academic Writing is different than Proposal Writing
Academic Proposal
Scholarly pursuit Sponsor goals
Individual passion Service Attitude
Past Oriented Future Oriented
Theory and thesis Objectives and activities
Explaining to reader “Selling” the reader
Objective & dispassionate Conveys excitement
Few length constraints Strict length constraints
Verbosity rewarded Brevity rewarded
Specialized terminology Accessible language
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Additional Warnings!
Reviewers are notoriously skeptical and look for reasons to reject a proposal
Writers much use language strong enough to win their support.
A good proposal is an elegant sales pitch.
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TITLE and SUMMARY
-- descriptive, concise, and memorable!
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Should be short and clear
Should allow the reviewer to understand the intentions of the research
A title posing a question or including a apparent contradiction may be more interesting and easily remembered
Elements of a Good Title
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It should be a concise summary of the WHOLE project.
Use the abstract to identify the need for this research, state what you intend to do and how you intend to do it.
Do not include unnecessary detail
Make each phrase count.
Remember: it’s the first impression a reviewer gets of an applicants worth!
YOU DON”T NEED TO HAVE 6000 CHARACTERS
Elements of a Good Executive Summary
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Ask a colleague to read your summary.
If it is well written, they should be able to understand the essence of the project from the abstract alone
Elements of a Good Executive Summary
TIPS
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• Provides an overview of the proposed project.
• Motivates the reviewer to want to continue reading the proposal.
• Convinces the reviewer that you know what you are talking about.
• Expands the abstract but without all the details that are to be presented in oncoming sections.
• Break it up into at least two sections.
Elements of a Good Introduction and Statement of the Problem
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Answers the “So What” question
Intellectual: why is it being done?
Benefits: Social, economic, environmental
(with an emphasis on the interests of the funder.)
Elements of a Good Introduction
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Answers the “Why you” question
What unique talents and expertise you and your team bring to the problem
How your laboratory/institution is uniquely equipped to aid in the success of the project
Elements of a Good Introduction
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Answers the “Why now” question
Why is the problem that you seek to solve important now?
What unique opportunities can you bring together at this time to solve the problem?
Elements of a Good Introduction
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Put the work into context a:
What has been done before?
How will the proposed work add to it?
What is the innovative aspect in the research project?
Build your case by demonstrating your capability and familiarity in the area
Elements of a Good Literature Section
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What you intend to achieve by this piece of work.
Small steps you need to reach to achieve your goal.
Needs to be specific and clearly stated
Should be realistic, consistent and link to the methods, timetable and outcomes.
Bulleted points are particularly good in this section.
Questions can also be effective.
Project Objectives Section
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Clearly describe your:
Implementation plan
Timelines
Milestones
Elements of a Good Methodology Section
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Provide a clear research plan:
Demonstrate how the specific goals are to be investigated
Be specific and demonstrate your knowledge of where barriers may arise and how you would move around or over them.
Make it clear that appropriate facilities and personnel are available for the research.
If your own experience is limited, consider adding collaborators.
Describe any preliminary work.
Break this up into readable sections.
Elements of a Good Methodology Section
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How will your studies advance your field?
Could it lead to new technologies in such areas of energy,
environmental sustainability, health or new product
development?
What else?
Academic, scientific and/or innovation significance
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What are the broader impacts of your work to a broad
range of beneficiaries?
What are the benefits beyond your field of study?
to students?
to families?
to how we educate students?
Expected social, cultural, educational and welfare benefits
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If successful, Will your projects result in new ways of doing business?
Will it reduce the costs of the delivery of health, energy and
education?
What else?
Potential Economic Impact
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The budget request should be in proportion to the volume and complexity of the work activities
Be realistic! Can you recruit the necessary personnel that matches with the project needs?
Make certain that your supplies and expenses truly reflect what is needed by the project
Do not build a budget largely based on “bragging rights”
Intended Research Cost Analysis
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Program Assessment: Help the reviewer
Position your important points strategically
·...and make it easy for a busy reviewer to pick them out of the surrounding text
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Program Assessment:
Understand the review process
Invite potential reviewers to register to review proposals.
Study past proposals and their reviews.
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The Review Process
Position in the ranking is important – it could mean the difference between success and failure.
Proposals are often ranked into the following categories:
Fund
Fundable
Invite resubmission (used by some funders)
Reject
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Most proposals do not fail because of bad science — but because of
Failure to follow directions
Poor logical organization
Lack of detail
Failure to consider the funder’s objectives
Failure to anticipate reviewers’ objections
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Allow plenty of time to revise
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Avoid jargon – say what you mean in clear, simple language
Don’t be afraid to state the obvious
Anticipate questions that may arise, before they arise
Ask a colleague to review your proposal
Present your proposal in terms of the aims and objectives of the funder
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Be enthusiastic about your idea – if you don’t sound interested, why should anyone else be ?
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The Review Process
If the project is retained for funding – Celebrate!
If invited for resubmission
- revise proposal based on feedback from review
If rejected DO NOT GIVE UP, - try to get feedback and remember - it is a learning process
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Progress Report
Progress reports are important. Take them seriously.
Always be thinking about what will go in your
next progress report
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And Finally -
Best wishes for a successful research
proposal and research program!