Resources for Proposal Preparation

Tips and Suggestions:

Register with COS Pivot and claim the associated profile.  Make sure the profile is up to date.

  • Act as a reviewer for a funding agency.  The experience is beneficial and develops deeper understanding of the proposal review process.

  • Research, publication, and teaching should all speak to one another and work to achieve the singular goal of a successful academic career.

  • Collaborating with peers within and outside of the University is instrumental in making proposals fundable.

  • Time is essential when preparing a proposal.  Waiting for a funding opportunity reduces the preparation time for a strong research or sponsored agenda and proposal.

  • Mentoring faculty new to proposal development helps to keep skills sharp, informed of the latest funding trends, and updated on compliance issues.

Proposal Drafting Hints:

  • Ensure that all bio sketches are up to date.

  • Download application packages and review well in advance.

  • Talk to the Chair and Dean about the idea.

  • Consider letters of support to help strengthen the proposal.

  • Protocols submitted to the IRB, IACUC, or IBC are required if human participants, animals, or biohazards are a part of the research.

  • Check with the U.S. Department of State if foreign travel is part of your project.  Also, adhere to the Fly America Act as modified by the Airline Open Skies Agreements.

  • Develop a timeline going back from the due date of the proposal and plan accordingly.

  • Review the program announcement, application package, and proposal with OSP staff...EARLY AND OFTEN.

Order of Drafting - The last two sections written are the budget and the abstract.

Reviewing the Proposal - Take into consideration the reviewer who ultimately votes on the fundability of the proposal.   Logic models and evaluation designs aid in the visualization of the proposed work.

Use Letters of Support- Certain agencies such as the NSF frown on congressional letters of support.  Other agencies and foundations prefer to see this type of letter or letters from the community, the Governor's Office, testimonials and collaborators.  Be judicious in the use of letters of support as too many may push your proposal over a page limit.

Version Control- Version control is imperative.  The proposal is viewed by OSP as well as peers, mentors, and collaborators.  Ensuring that the most complete and current version is the one submitted confirms that the experience and wisdom of all who have contributed is included.

Lead Writing Time- A strong proposal may take up to a year to fully develop.  Allowing ample time to develop the research and proposal is critical to success.  OSP maintains a listing of annual Program Announcements and RFP's providing a lead time to the author.

Sponsor Guidance- Provided by all federal and many non-federal sponsors regarding the structure of the proposal requires strict adherence for the proposal to make it to review.  Font size, margins, section headers, and page length are some of the areas mandated by sponsors. Content and scoring criteria are included in this guidance.  These guide any successful proposal.

The Author- The Principal  Investigator (PI) or Project Director (PD) must be enthusiastic about the topic but realistic about what can be accomplished.