Write a Grant Proposal to Obtain Funding for Research
Writing a grant proposal to obtain funding for research can be a daunting process. Because grant sources, ranging from state and federal government agencies to private companies to nonprofit foundations, each have a specific process, it can seem difficult to develop a simple method or approach. All grant proposals have similar components, however, that can make the grant-writing process somewhat simpler.
Instructions
1. Prepare a strategy and organize materials before writing the actual grant. Most funding organizations will have specific instructions for grant proposals; locate these and follow them explicitly. Both the NIH and experts at Albert Einstein College of Medicine recommend lining up one or two experienced grantees to critique your proposal once you have completed a draft. All grantors will provide a checklist of items that should be in the proposal (see examples in References); review this before beginning, as you write the proposal, and after you have completed your writing.
2. Write a strong hypothesis and description of how you plan to perform the research. Reviewers will evaluate your proposal based on several critical elements, such as the proposal's intellectual merit, potential impact, novelty of the research question, validity and feasibility, according to the NIH grant writing guide. Make sure your abstract lists the specific aims of your proposed research, why the research idea is important, any preliminary data you have already gathered to help prove your case, and what methods you plan to use to complete the research. Does your research involve human subjects? Be sure to address all ethical and legal questions directly. The NIH reiterates the importance of following the specific proposal instructions for writing the abstract, especially when it comes to format, style and space limitations.
3. Focus on concisely describing the resources you have to complete the research and what specifically the research funding will cover. Provide details about the education, content expertise, scientific experience and estimated effort for each of the staff assigned to the project. Note whether instructions require a full curriculum vitae, brief resume or biosketch. A grantor may request that budgets appear on specific forms, or in specific formats; complete the project budget according to the grantor's requirements.
4. Attach additional materials to the proposal as required by the grantor. Some grantors--such as some of the individual institutes within the NIH--will ask to see abstracts, published data or journal articles authored by you or your proposed project team as evidence of expertise. Others will want to see evidence that shows your institution manages grant funds efficiently; Albert Einstein College of Medicine experts note that all grant proposal budgets should include the indirect costs that your institution will charge for handling the grant, for lab facilities and other fees. Check with your department business manager, grants administrator or department chair for more details.
