Let’s assume you have a great team of scientists and researchers. You have an intriguing hypothesis with big implications. Let’s say you even have an action plan for collecting data, analyzing it, and representing it. These things are all essential… but worthless, unless you have the funding you need to turn these ideas into actions.
Unless you have significant institutional support, grants are the best way for your plans to become a reality. The time you spend developing grant proposals is the cost of entry.
Crafting a compelling grant proposal not only increases your chances of securing funding but also frees up everyone on your team to focus on what they’re best at—conducting groundbreaking research. Written Progress wants to make it as easy as possible for you to conduct your research and claim your findings. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps of creating a persuasive grant proposal that captures the attention of reviewers and funders alike.
Recommendations for Structuring Grant Proposals
It may sound obvious, but it’s worth remembering that the effort you put into developing your proposal will only be worth the time if the selection committee can follow and understand your ideas. By far, the easiest and most effective way to ensure their comprehension is to structure your grant proposal in a clear, methodical, and logical way.
In short: make their job as easy as you can, and they’ll thank you for it.
Most grant applications use a unique template and pose specific questions to applicants, but they often follow this kind of broad sequence, which can be used to describe most research projects in a comprehensive and user-friendly way:
Significance: Start your grant proposal by clearly articulating the significance of your research. Define the problem or gap in knowledge that your research aims to address and explain why it matters. What are the broader implications of your work? How will it contribute to advancing scientific understanding or solving real-world problems? Clearly conveying the significance of your research sets the stage for the rest of your proposal.
Innovation: Highlight the innovative aspects of your research that set it apart from existing knowledge or approaches. What novel ideas, methodologies, or technologies will you bring to the table? How is your team uniquely positioned to contribute to the current discourse about the topic? Emphasize how your research builds upon existing work while pushing the boundaries of your field. Demonstrating innovation not only captures the interest of reviewers but also positions your research as cutting-edge and impactful.
Approach: Outline your research plan and methodology in detail, demonstrating your ability to execute the proposed project successfully. Break down your research objectives into manageable tasks and describe the experimental design, data collection methods, and analysis techniques you will employ. Are you planning to collaborate with other teams across disciplines? Address potential challenges or limitations and explain how you will overcome them. A well-defined approach instills confidence in reviewers that you have the expertise and resources to carry out the proposed research effectively.
Impact: Conclude your grant proposal by highlighting the potential impact of your research. How will your findings advance scientific knowledge, address societal needs, or contribute to positive change? Clearly articulate the expected outcomes and benefits of your research, both within your field and beyond. Consider the broader implications for policy, industry, or public health. Demonstrating the potential impact of your research enhances its relevance and appeal to funding agencies.
Tips for Effectively Addressing Selection Criteria
Read and reread the specific selection criteria and priorities of the funding agency or program you are applying to. Tailor your proposal to align closely with these criteria and emphasize aspects that are particularly important to the funder. Consider how your choice of language, research methodologies, and expressed priorities can all emphasize how aligned you are with the values that matter to your reader.
Provide evidence to support your claims and assertions. Use data, literature references, and preliminary results to demonstrate the feasibility and significance of your research.
Make sure to also be diligent about how you develop and describe your budget.
Clearly communicate your qualifications, expertise, and track record of success in relevant areas. Highlight any previous funding, publications, or awards that showcase your ability to conduct high-quality research.
Examples and Best Practices for Grant Proposals
1. Above all else: designate a “control center”.
Developing the concept for a research project requires a lot of focus and attention—and so does crystallizing complex concepts into a limited amount of text that a complete stranger can understand easily. It obviously helps for the person who oversees the writing process to have deep knowledge of your field—but it also helps for them to have some amount of “distance” from the research itself.
Think about it: their “outsider status” makes their perspective more similar to the people whose point-of-view matters most: the selection committee.
2. Use clear and concise language to communicate complex scientific concepts.
Avoid jargon and technical terms that may be unfamiliar to reviewers.
Lots of our clients are either very used to talking about their work with peers or are eager to prove their advanced knowledge by “sounding scientific”. 9 times out of 10, our clients’ first drafts contain prohibitively advanced vocabulary, making it difficult for the reader to focus on the ideas themselves.
Would your cousin who hasn’t taken a science class since high school be able to get the gist of your project?
3. Consider the visual layout and aesthetic experience of reviewing your proposal.
When possible, provide illustrative examples, diagrams, or figures to enhance understanding and clarity. Structure your proposal in a logical and organized manner, with clear headings and subheadings to guide the reader through the document.
If you print out your proposal and look at it from a few feet away, does it look like a giant block of text? To the extent that you can, give it a visual identity.
4. Seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or grant writing professionals to ensure that your proposal is clear, compelling, and well-organized.
Of course we’re biased and hope you’ll choose to work with us (we’ve been around the block more than a few times and have insights that will help you develop your proposal efficiently and successfully…) but either way: give your draft to someone else for an initial review before submitting it for the review that actually counts.
You’re too close to the thing to be objective about it. Choose somebody who you can trust to be supportive—and honest.
Conclusion
Crafting a compelling grant proposal is essential for securing funding and advancing your research goals. By following the steps outlined in this guide and incorporating best practices for effective communication, you can increase your chances of success and make a meaningful impact in your field. Remember to tailor your proposal to the specific requirements and priorities of the funding agency, and don’t hesitate to seek guidance and feedback throughout the process. With a well-crafted proposal, you can free up everyone on your team to focus on what they’re best at—driving scientific discovery and innovation.
You also don’t need to facilitate the process yourself. We pride ourselves at Written Progress at having both the objectivity and scientific fluency necessary to actively listen to your ideas and translate them into an award-worthy proposal that looks and feels like you wrote it.
Click here to learn how Written Progress can help you develop an award-winning grant proposal that your team can be proud of!