Basic Proposal Writing

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Basic Proposal Writing

• Richard White

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Alice Would you tell me, please, which way I
ought to go from here? The Cat That depends a
good deal on where you want to get to.
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Contents

• Writing

• Game

• Organizing

• Editing

Conceiving
Submitting

• Conceiving

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Ready, Fire Aim?
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Fantastic Four principles
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Research Funding Sources
Public Private
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Proposal Parts List
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Best Proposal Draft Reviewers

• Someone very knowledgeable in your field
• An intelligent non-expert

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Know your Target
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Importance of clear communication

• 120- 600 hours
• 7-8 hours
• 1 hour
• 20 minutes

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Electronic submission Grants.gov
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Snail Mail
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Its no joke

• Proposals not in conformance with
• this guidance may be returned without review.--
  NSF

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Writers Ju-Jitsu
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First Impressions
Abstract
Project Summary
Relevance Statement
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Dont make your reader work
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Form vs. Function

• Dont write impressive sentences that say
  nothing "We will put
  the project to the test by studying factors that
  have some opportunity of enhancement of its
  various facets to lead to successful working
  partnership."

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Better?

• "Project evaluation will include
  pre- and post-questionnaires for participants
  with questions specifically designed to measure
  their perceptions of the effectiveness of the
  community partnership."

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Better still?

• Evaluation will include pre- and post-project
  participant surveys. Questions will be
  specifically designed to measure the
  perceived effectiveness
  of the community partnership.

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Voice Control
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Editing
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Importance of Punctuation

• A woman without her man is useless.
• A woman without her, man is useless.

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END GAME

• Agencies do not want to see bad proposals Use
  their resources!
• Focus on the funders agenda
  match to your expertise
• Consult your mentors
• Do the details ASAP budget, timeline

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Brought to you by
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Handouts

• Project Summary
• Relevance Statement
• Original Foundation document
• Edited Foundation document
• NIH Formatting Instructions
• Dept of Ed Solicitation
• Dept of Ed Outline
• Foundation concept paper guidelines
• Active vs. Passive Voice
• 3 kinds of sentences