• Not clear what impact the research will have (“so what…?”)

• “Worthy” “solid” (but dull)

• More of the same, duplicative, unambitious

• No clear hypothesis or important question

• Unfocused. Overambitious – too much, no clear plan

• Methodology insufficiently detailed, limitations not appreciated

• Lack of preliminary data / appropriate experience

• Modest publication record (for experienced researchers)

• Inadequate knowledge and expertise

• Lack of collaborators, supervision & mentorship

Common reasons why proposals fail

Being successful

Understand the funder

– Science: remit and opportunities

– Administrative: Forms; CV; page length & number; finance & signatures…

Be bold

– Ambitious, original… and NOT boring

Plan well & be realistic

– You will be over-optimistic! A complex study will roll out slower than you think.

– Agreements and authorisations will take time.

– Not everything will work. Clarify dependencies, risks and plan contingencies

Being successful

Discuss and learn

– Draw on experienced colleagues, mentors, research Board members, funding officials & patient groups

– Learn from “failure” and feedback (<25% of proposals may be funded)

Present clearly: person, project, ‘place’

– Be specific: what you aim to achieve, why and how

– You will need to inform and persuade a diverse audience

– Explain and justify

• research question / hypothesis

• design / strategy

• delivery (methods, collaborations, management);

• ethics

• resources

Remember…

Your application will only be as strong as its weakest link

Deliverability

Resources

Design

Need & Potential for Impact Ethics