susan lewis presentation
DESCRIPTION
Susan's presentation on writing an effective grant proposalTRANSCRIPT
10/17/2012
1
Grantsmanship EssentialsGrantsmanship Essentials
Developing a Competitive
Proposal
Susan LewisOffice of Proposal Development
A Good Proposal
A good proposal is a good idea, well d ith l i di ti f th expressed, with a clear indication of the
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.
- National Science Foundation
10/17/2012
2
Essential Elements of Solid Grantsmanship
Find the right ContactFind the right funding agency and opportunity
Contact Program Officers
Follow directions
Understand the review process
Present realistic goals
Describe expected outcomes thoroughly
Think through potential pitfalls
Develop a realistic and reasonable
budget
Use supporting documents
appropriately
Assess your qualifications
accurately
Write with clarity and with sufficient detail
Solicit an honest critique
(or three)
Most Important Step:
Read the Directions.
Read them again.
Re-read them.
Ask a colleague to read them.
(Then follow them!)
10/17/2012
3
Following Directions
• Read the Funding Opportunity A t (FOA) lik lAnnouncement (FOA) like a lawyer.
• Give the agency exactly what it asks for, in the order it specifies.
• Do not deviate from the forms suggested.
Follo all links to supplementar • Follow all links to supplementary instructions.
What do I do if the instructions are not clear?
How to Read an FOA
1. Initial Questions: Deadlines; letters of intent; eligibility; limited submissions.intent; eligibility; limited submissions.
2. Program Description: Agency’s objectives; agency’s vision; help documents.
3. Document Specification: Page limits; fonts & margins; headers & footers; submission method.
4 B dget B dget caps n mber of a ards 4. Budget: Budget caps; number of awards expected; cost-sharing; time commitment; format; specific costs required; indirect costs; constraints on allocation of funds; sub-awards; budget justification.
10/17/2012
4
How to Read an FOA5. Narrative Structure: Required sections; required
or suggested subheadings; organization; language th t fl t th i i d FOAthat reflects the agency mission and FOA.
6. Review Criteria: Identify the criteria reviewers will use to evaluate your proposal.
7. Special Sections Required: Identify all required sections aside from the main narrative; required letters of support or collaboration; appendix materialsmaterials.
8. Further Questions: Find out who in your institution is responsible for grants management; learn which colleagues have successfully applied for grants and use them as resources; contact program officers at agencies.
Grant Description Matriculated graduate students at any of Tufts University’s graduate programs and professional schools are eligible to apply for TIE fellowships to schools are eligible to apply for TIE fellowships to conduct interdisciplinary environmental research projects. The work completed as a TIE fellow must be part of an independent research project and not otherwise possible without TIE funding. Preference will be given to proposals likely to result in a publication or presentation at the professional level. p p
Applicants must identify a faculty member who will serve as a mentor to the student for the duration of the project. This faculty member must provide a letter of support for the student’s project, to be included in the student’s proposal. However this fellowship is NOT i d d k f l b ’
10/17/2012
5
Evaluation Criteria • The research project is interdisciplinary. • The problem or issue addressed is significant and
timely. Th h h h d l l • The approach that the student plans to explore or develop is appropriate to the problem.
• Applicants are highly encouraged to identify more than one faculty mentor from different departments to highlight the interdisciplinarity of the research project.
• The project relates directly to TIE’s mission • The project relates directly to TIE s mission. • The student has relevant and exemplary
qualifications. • The budget meets TIE guidelines on expenditures
(see “Funding Restrictions,” below). • The proposal is well-written and referenced, and
conforms to the format requested.
Looking Beyond the RFP:Common Characteristics of
Funding Agenciesu d g ge c es
• They have a mission.
• They have a granting mechanism.
• They have some form of review.y
• They have limited funds.
10/17/2012
6
Aligning Your Project with the Agency’s Mission
• Your ideas should fit within the mission and culture of the funding agency.
• Your project should help the agency fulfill its mission (or mandate).
• Your ideas should be clearly and obviously y yrelated to the agency’s mission.
Aligning Your Project with the Mission Statement
• Step 1: Read the mission statement carefullycarefully.
• Step 2: Read the funding agency’s website beyond the mission statement.
• Step 3: Find out what the agency, or – in the case of particular RFAs – the program h f d d b fhas funded before.
• Step 4: Call your program officer! (And follow their advice)
10/17/2012
7
From TIE Fellowship RFP 2012:
TIE is devoted to advancing and gdisseminating knowledge about the many ways human interactions affect the environment. TIE focuses on environmental research, technology, policy development and education recognizing the and education, recognizing the interdependence of human welfare, animal health, and ecological integrity.
Our MissionThe Tufts Institute of the Environment (TIE) is an interdisciplinary university-wide institute that initiates, facilitates, and promotes environmental education, research, and outreach toward a research, and outreach toward a sustainable future.
10/17/2012
8
Be Aware of Your Reviewers
Why are reviewers reading your t li ti ?grant application?
Because they have to!
So….
• Don’t bore them.
• Do make it easy for them.– Provide all the information they need to
understand what you propose and why it is understand what you propose and why it is important.
– Make it easy to look at and read.
10/17/2012
9
Be Kind to Your Reviewers
Be Kind to Your Reviewers
10/17/2012
10
The joys of formatting
• WHITE SPACE and selective use of font formatting for emphasis.
• Formatting may seem unimportant in the context of your exciting research idea, but it can make a huge difference to your overworked reviewers!
The joys of formatting
• WHITE SPACE and selective use offont formatting for emphasis.
• Formatting may seem like an unimportant detail in the context of your exciting and important research idea, but it can make a huge difference to your overworked reviewers!
10/17/2012
11
Include Sufficient Detail
• Don’t be vague.• Do NOT assume your
How are they going to • Do NOT assume your
reader shares your background.
• Do not omit necessary detail.
• Justify, justify, justify.
accomplish that?
Why are they measuring that?
Why do they need so many consultants?y j y j y
Organization
• Before you write, understand your goals
“If any man wish to write in a clear style let him beunderstand your goals
and be able to state them clearly.
in a clear style, let him be first clear in his
thoughts…”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(1749 - 1832)
10/17/2012
12
Organization
• Before you write, understand your goals
“Say all you have to say in the fewest possible wordsunderstand your goals
and be able to state them clearly.
• Write so that someone outside your field can understand
the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the
plainest possible words, or he will certainly
misunderstand them.” field can understand your project. - John Ruskin
(1819 - 1900)
Developing a compelling idea
• Define the problem or need you will address• Collect and analyze background information• Collect and analyze background information• Generate a preliminary idea
– Will it make a significant contribution?• Assess potential for success/ modify
– Assess your ability and your competition• Seek input from colleaguesp g• Refine
-adapted from: Successful Proposals to Any Agency, Russell and Morrison, Grant Writer’s Seminars and Workshops
10/17/2012
13
Presenting Realistic Goals
Specific Aims or Goals Section
• This section is your best opportunity to th i t ll iconvey your enthusiasm to all reviewers.
• You have to do it in writing.
• The writing style is fundamentally different from other scholarly activities: you must tell reviewers a compelling storyyou must tell reviewers a compelling story.
• You have to be clear, because you are not there to answer questions.
10/17/2012
14
Crafting Your Goals
• Aims succinctly describewhat you are going to do. y g g
• Aims for training grants integrate education and research goals.
• Establish realistic goals, before you begin to write. -“well suited to the stage
f d l t”
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
SpecificMeasurableAttainableRealisticTi lof career development”
• If you have clearly written, measurable goals, the rest of the proposal will be easy.
Timely
Writing Your Specific Goals1. Open with a big-picture statement that frames
your project: What overall issue will your project address?address?
2. Specify the problem: What problem will your project seek to solve?
3. Describe briefly your long-term objective: What will you do that will help to solve the overall problem?
4 State your specific goals: What are your plans?4. State your specific goals: What are your plans?5. Summarize the rationale for each of your goals:
Why will you be doing these particular activities?6. End with a “payoff” paragraph: What will the
outcomes of your project be? How will the funding agency benefit from your project?
10/17/2012
15
Writing Your Goals Section1. Open with a big-picture statement of
need that frames your project: What need that frames your project: What overall problem will your project solve?
“Throat clearing”: Homelessness among youth is a critical issue that impacts society, and substance abuse compounds this problem.
Much better: Substance abuse is twice as common among homeless youth as among youth living at home and attending school.
this problem.
Writing Your Goals Section2. Specify the problem: What problem will
your project seek to solve?your project seek to solve?
The risk behaviors associated with substance abuse have long-term health consequences, including HIV infection. A majority of homeless youth however do notmajority of homeless youth, however, do not receive substance abuse treatment.
10/17/2012
16
Writing Your Goals Section3. Describe briefly your long-term objective:
What will you do that will help to solve What will you do that will help to solve the overall problem?
Our long-term goal is to increase participation in substance abuse treatment in this population as a way to address the multiplepopulation as a way to address the multiple problems these youth face.
Writing Your Goals Section4a. State your specific goals: What are your
plans (procedural goals)?plans (procedural goals)?
Goal 1. We will create a manual based upon the Community Reinforcement Approach to guide individual therapy.Goal 2. We will recruit and randomize a cohort of h l thhomeless youth.Goal 3. We will evaluate and document the efficacy of the interventions.
10/17/2012
17
Writing Your Goals Section4b. State your specific goals: What will you
learn (conceptual goals)?learn (conceptual goals)?
Goal 1. Determine the factors necessary for the adaptation of the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) for a youth-oriented individualtherapy intervention.Goal 2. Through a randomized controlled trial, determine the extent to which the modified CRA determine the extent to which the modified CRA intervention affects sobriety and risk behaviors among the cohort.Goal 3. Identify dependent and independent variables that impact sobriety and risk behaviors within the cohort.
Writing Your Goals Section5. Summarize the rationale for each of your
goals: Why will you be doing these particular activities?
Our experience with homeless adults demonstrates that using approaches that create a community, with community norms of desired beha iors has a more immediate impact on thebehaviors, has a more immediate impact on the development of sobriety and the reduction of risk behaviors.
10/17/2012
18
Writing Your Goals Section
6. End with a “payoff” paragraph: What will the outcomes of your project be? How the outcomes of your project be? How will the funding agency benefit from your project?
By using the evaluation to modify the manual, we expect to create a transportable model for effective intervention with homeless youth.
Questions on developing and Q p gwriting goals?
10/17/2012
19
Approach to the Research Strategy
M k li t f l i l i• Make a list of your logical progression.
• Turn that list into prose.
• Use concrete examples.
• Leave out unnecessary detail.
T ll d lli • Tell a good, compelling story.
Outcomes
• Have realistic outcomesoutcomes.
• Make sure that your expected outcomes include those things you identified as important to the important to the funding agency!
10/17/2012
20
Outcomes
• Have measurable • Have measurable outcomes.
• Sometimes, these outcomes are in the form of a white paper, or the acquisition of or the acquisition of new skills.
Outcomes: A Caveat• Sometimes the funding agency expects an
outcome in the form of a specific deliverable (e.g., a white paper, a dissertation.)
• For most grants, outcomes should be related to what you expect to learn from the research. What will your research add to the body of knowledge about your field?
li bl h b k d h• Deliverables such as books and other publications should be discussed as ways of disseminating the knowledge you have gained.
10/17/2012
21
Outcomes
• Have a plan to assess your outcomes.
• Make sure that your outcomes are explicitly connected to your goals.
• Make sure that your expected outcomes don’t rely on the acceptance of your research hypotheses if applicable There research hypotheses, if applicable. There should still be a valuable outcome even if your hypothesis proves wrong.
Outcomes
• Expected Outcomes: We expect that this project will result in a transferable intervention model for reducing substance abuse among homeless youth.
• We anticipate that our intervention will significantly reduce substance abuse in our target population.
• To ensure the efficient dissemination of the model to other regions with high numbers of at-risk to other regions with high numbers of at-risk teens, we will create a manual based on the Community Reinforcement approach geared toward youth to guide individual therapy.
10/17/2012
22
Potential Problems & Alternative Strategies
Potential Problems
• Recognizing and acknowledging pitfalls ( d l ti ) d t t th t (and solutions) demonstrates that you have thoroughly thought your project through.
• Carefully thinking about possible outcomes helps you to recognize potential outcomes helps you to recognize potential pitfalls.
10/17/2012
23
Potential Problems
Acknowledge pitfalls:It i ibl th t ill t b
Provide alternatives:W h l d b t It is possible that we will not be
able to make our recruitment targets in Albuquerque and Phoenix.
Youth in the intervention group will have past and current substance abuse problems, and
i h h bl
We have already begun to establish partnerships with shelter organizations in Las Vegas and Reno to broaden our base.
Our research team has significant experience in working with homeless youth, and we have d l d i f might not have a stable current
address. The potential exists for the research team to lose contact with a substantial number of participants.
developed strategies for maintaining contact with this population. Additionally, we have based our power calculations on a 25% attrition rate to ensure that our results will be meaningful.
Writing Clearly & Concisely
10/17/2012
24
Writing Clearly
Before
h lThese two protocols produce different effects that are important and that need to be taken fully into account when studies of the outcomes following these two particular interventions two particular interventions are conducted.
From “Good Scientific Writing: Advice from the Editors of Chiropractic & Osteopathy,” Hartman, S., Cameron M., French, SD, et al.
Writing Clearly
Before
h l
After
h ffThese two protocols produce different effects that are important and that need to be taken fully into account when studies of the outcomes following these two particular interventions
When comparing efficacies of these interventions, side effects must be considered.
two particular interventions are conducted.
From “Good Scientific Writing: Advice from the Editors of Chiropractic & Osteopathy,” Hartman, S., Cameron M., French, SD, et al.
10/17/2012
25
Empty Phrases
One of the easiest Example:
"May " "Might " "Could" strategies to improve clarity while writing more concisely is to replace “empty” phrases with single words.
May, Might, Could =
• it is possible that
• there is a chance that
• it could happen that
• the possibility exists for
From Purdue’s OWL Resource site http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl
Empty Phrases
Before
l ll bPlant allergens may be allergens due to the fact that they resemble microbial pathogens that the immune system has the ability to recognize.
10/17/2012
26
Empty Phrases
Before
l ll b
After
l ll bPlant allergens may be allergens due to the fact that they resemble microbial pathogens that the immune system has the ability to recognize.
Plant allergens may be allergens because they resemble microbial pathogens that the immune system can recognize.
Empty Sentences
Th d t di d If anyone could have written your sentence, leave it out.
The understanding and appreciation of
research is considered an essential component
of the Department of Occupational Therapy’s Occupational Therapy s
curriculum.
10/17/2012
27
“Throat-Clearing”
• Empty sentences are particularly common i i t d ti d t th b i i f in introductions and at the beginning of paragraphs.
• In your opening sentence(s), do not tell your reviewers obvious things.
• Instead try to take it to a higher level and • Instead, try to take it to a higher level, and give the reviewers an idea of where you’re going and why this is exciting.
“Throat-Clearing”
Before
d l d
After
l b l lCardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death.
Glucose metabolism plays a key role in heart function, both at the myocardial level and through hormonal consequences of “metabolic syndrome.”
(Y I j t d thi )(Yes, I just made this up).
10/17/2012
28
Jargon and Acronyms
Avoid jargon: Remember that your reviewers may not be in your field or your specific subfieldbe in your field or your specific subfield.
We will compare such usage variants as CCR, /ay/ monophthongization, and nasal stop deletion between varieties of AAVE and the Crusoe Island dialect.
Jargon and Acronyms
Avoid acronyms when possible, especially those not in common usage or that mean something else not in common usage or that mean something else more commonly.
Wavelength Throughput Frequency measuring device should not be turned into an acronym, nor should your Far Infrared Astronomical Super-should your Far Infrared Astronomical SuperColossal Observatory.
10/17/2012
29
Be Aware of Emphasis
Within sentences, your main idea should be in your primary clauseyour primary clause.
Catherine has weathered many hardships, although she has rarely been discouraged.
vs.
Although Catherine has weathered many hardships, she has rarely been discouraged.
Use Strong, Active Prose
• Using There + to be or It + to be at the b i i f t t k th beginning of sentences takes away the impact of the sentence, in addition to adding unnecessary words.
• While not all of these constructions can be avoided, examine those sentences carefully avoided, examine those sentences carefully to see if they can be rewritten.
10/17/2012
30
Use Strong, Active Prose
Before
f h lBecause of the large amounts of data generated by biomedical research, there is a growing need for professionals trained in bioinformatics.
Use Strong, Active Prose
Before
f h l
After
f l dBecause of the large amounts of data generated by biomedical research, there is a growing need for professionals trained in bioinformatics.
Professionals trained in bioinformatics are increasingly needed to analyze the large amounts of data generated by biomedical research.
10/17/2012
31
Use Strong, Active Prose
Before
h f hIt is the norm at Tufts that undergraduates are mentored by a network of faculty members in addition to graduate students and post-docs.
Use Strong, Active Prose
Before
h f h
After- active voice
f k fIt is the norm at Tufts that undergraduates are mentored by a network of faculty members in addition to graduate students and post-docs.
At Tufts, a network of faculty members, graduate students and post-docs mentor undergraduates.
10/17/2012
32
Use Strong, Active Prose
Before
h f h
After
f k fIt is the norm at Tufts that undergraduates are mentored by a network of faculty members in addition to graduate students and post-docs.
At Tufts, a network of faculty members, graduate students and post-docs mentor undergraduates.
Or
At Tufts, undergraduates are typically mentored by a network of faculty members, graduate students and post-docs.
Developing a Strong Proposal with a Team
10/17/2012
33
Essentials for a Strong Proposal Team
• Trust
• Clearly understood and agreed-upon goals
• Strong leadership
• Clear roles & responsibilities both for proposal preparation and the proposed projectproject
• Open and honest communication
• Willingness to tolerate a certain amount of healthy tension
Challenges
• Short time frames & need for relationships t i t i t l f f di to exist prior to release of funding opportunity
• Need for contribution from all members of the team
• Need for one person to take responsibility • Need for one person to take responsibility for managing the project and making sure all proposal elements are completed correctly and on time
10/17/2012
34
Solutions
• Develop relationships with potential ll b t i t f di collaborators prior to funding
opportunities
• Once a funding opportunity is released, develop a project management plan– Internal timelineInternal timeline
– Checklist with person responsible noted
– Outlines, templates
Internal Timeline• Provide plenty of time for multiple
iterations of project drafts• Don’t forget about adding extra time for
letters of support or commitment, particularly if they are for collaborators overseas
• Allow extra time for budget approvals and g ppfinal copyediting of every element
• Aim for an internal deadline to finalize everything at least 10 days prior to the agency’s deadline
10/17/2012
35
Checklists• “Project management light”
• Columns for:Columns for:– Name of element
– Instructions from the agency
– Person responsible
– Internal deadline
• Customization for each FOA
• Find what works for your team.
• One person should keep track of this
Outlines & Templates• It’s easier to edit than to write from
scratch
• Elements such as biographical sketches should follow a similar (if not identical) format
• Provides each member of the team with structure
• Ensures that all instructions are followed and all review criteria addressed
10/17/2012
36
Office of Proposal Development Resources
• Website: • Website: http://viceprovost.tufts.edu/grantwriting/– Outlines, templates, helpful tips, contact info
• Twitter: @TuftsOPD– Grant writing news and informationg
• Email: [email protected]
• E-list: Sign up through our website– News and events
GOOD LUCK!