• Individual Grants
• Preparing Research Proposals for Funding
• Institutional Grants

Faculty

PREPARING RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING

A considerable amount of careful planning must go into the development of a successful grant proposal. Typically there are submission deadlines, and ample time must be allowed for adequate preparation, institutional coordination and agency review.

Before beginning to write a formal proposal requesting financial support, a faculty member should clearly establish the project idea and identify the specific agency to which the proposal will be submitted. A proposal for a research or other individual project grant should reflect the project director's wish to accomplish a specific goal and should have a clearly designed process to meet that goal.

Most government agencies and many foundations have specific requirements for funding requests. To save unnecessary labor, these requirements should be ascertained before beginning work on a proposal. In planning a proposal, a useful first step is to pose the question, "Why should they give me money to do this?" Consider the following:

• What specifically is the project, how much will it cost and how much time will it take?
• How does the proposed project relate to the sponsor's interests, the interests of the college, the academic discipline and, if possible, the community, the state or the nation?
• What has already been done in the area of this project ?
• What is the plan to accomplish it?
• Are necessary institutional resources available?

In the early planning stages of a project a faculty member will benefit by consulting his or her department chair and dean, since they are responsible for faculty and physical resource commitments.

The preparation of a proposal summary or letter of inquiry is often helpful.

1. Letter of inquiry

   Many foundations require an initial letter of inquiry before they will consider a full proposal. Typically, a letter of inquiry serves two purposes. First, it provides a summary of the proposed project and establishes the basic objectives and procedures. Second, it can serve as a vehicle for obtaining advance and informal agency comment.

   Funding agencies often have specific guidelines for letters of inquiry. Normally such a letter should be from one to three pages long and should summarize the major aspects of the project, including:

   • The title
   • A description of the project, including well-defined objectives
   • A rationale for the project
   • The project design (how the objectives are to be accomplished)
   • The expected results
   • A time schedule
   • A description of the applicant’s qualifications
   • A preliminary budget estimate

2. Proposal form and content

   Decisions by government agencies and foundations on funding for research are typically based on the recommendations of outside reviewers with the requisite technical expertise. It should be remembered that reviewers frequently must read through a large number of proposals within a limited time. This makes it imperative for the reviewer to ascertain the crux of the proposal as rapidly as possible. A proposal that has sound structure and content and is presented in clear language will create the most favorable impression because of its genuine assistance to the evaluator.

   The proposal must be objectively written and guide the reader's judgment in a single direction–toward the acceptance of the proposed program. The following is an outline of a typical proposal.

   1. Abstract

      The abstract is presented on the first page following the title page and should be no more than about 250 words in length. It should give a clear statement of the objectives and scope of the project, including anticipated results and their significance, in such a manner that the reader can easily determine the essential points of the proposal.

   2. Table of contents

      A table of contents should be submitted only if the proposal is lengthy.

   3. Introduction and background

      The introduction should normally begin with a statement of the amount being requested and a precise description of the activity to be funded. It should make clear the importance of the project to the mission of the potential sponsor.

   4. Project description

      This part of the proposal is of primary interest to the technical reviewers, but it should also convey a general understanding of the project to a lay reader. Although content may vary, the description should contain several sections describing the work being proposed, previous experience, how the work will be accomplished, and why it is significant.

   5. Budget

      Most program sponsors specify how budgets should be presented. The budget should reflect the actual anticipated costs of the described project and should be neither padded nor understated. Proposal reviewers generally use the budget as one criterion to determine whether or not the investigator or project director is actually aware of the requirements of the proposed program. Items included are personnel, expendable supplies, capital equipment, computer costs, miscellaneous and indirect costs.

   6. Appendices

      Appendices to proposals are occasionally used for such supporting material as letters of endorsement or promises of participation, curricula vitae and reprints of relevant articles.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For further information, call Catherine Jarmin Miller, director of corporate and foundation relations, at x2494, or e-mail cjarmin@linfield.edu