What is a Grant Proposal ?

Executive Summary Proposal in a Nutshell – Most proposals, unless specified in the guidelines, should include a concise (200 words maximum) summary of project’s major objectives, methodology, benefits, and broader impacts. The purpose of the abstract is to engage the reader and summarize the entire proposal. The abstract is prepared after the proposal is written and should provide a quick snapshot of your project and its significance. Keep in mind that this page is frequently the only G E T T I N G S T A R T E D October 2007 v.2.1 20 page that administrators, legislators, news media, and other lay audiences may see. Therefore, communicate simply and clearly. An abstract should fit on one side of one page and be placed at the beginning of the proposal. Need / Problem / Situation Statement Why This Project is Necessary – This section answers the questions “What is the need exactly?” “What is not known that must be known to resolve the need?” A good Need Statement identifies the reason(s) for the project, its goal and objectives, and its hypothesis or research questions. This is where the applicant ‘sets up’ the issue that the project will address for the reviewer. The objectives of this section are to: 1) Persuade the reviewer that the project topic is important, 2) Show that the project staff and organization are well qualified and have specific roles and the capacity to research the issue and carry out the proposed activities. 3) Convince the funder you are the expert to conduct this project. 4) Briefly introduce the predicted outcomes and deliverables of the research. Literature Review State of the Scholarship in this Area – The significance or need for a research project is documented by reviewing the relevant literature. As in any scholarly endeavor, the applicant is expected to know the current literature in the research area and to refer to it in the discussion of the need/problem. Citing the existing literature helps create a strong sense of the context in which the research will operate, the applicant’s professional authority, and lends third party support to the project’s relevance in its field. Citing the most current literature demonstrates an up-to-date knowledge of the subject and population of experts. Project Goal and Objectives Project’s Plan of Achievement – The goal is the applicant’s vision and overarching idea for the project. Think big here to create a ‘top level’ sense of achievement that will be made possible by the project. Objectives are, by definition, measurable and progressive. If they cannot be measured in some tangible way, then they are not suitable for this section. Quantifiable project objectives provide a means for the applicant and the funding agency to gauge success in achieving the funding agency’s stated goal. G E T T I N G S T A R T E D October 2007 v.2.1 21 Research projects are described in terms of hypotheses that state the relationship between variables. These hypotheses will be tested by working through an orderly progression of objectives. Project Description How the Project Will be Implemented – In many ways, THIS IS THE PROPOSAL. This narrative section answers every question the reviewer might have about the who, what, when, where, and how of the proposed project. “Who is doing what activity in your project scheme?” “What specific activities will enable you to reach your objectives?” “When do you anticipate each activity to occur and where?” And “How will each activity produce the results you seek?” Walk the reader through the project. Give them a tour of this exciting research project step by step so that they can get a sense of how well reasoned it is. This is the applicant’s best opportunity to win the reviewer over with detailed and specific visions. By providing the reviewer with a detailed overview of the project activities, you will inspire confidence that every aspect has been thought through in advance. Methodology What Techniques Will be Applied to Achieve Results – Depending upon the funding agency’s guidelines, the methodology discussion is often included within the project description. For those grants where it is a separate section, the applicant should write how best scientific methodologies and practices will be implemented. Here again is an opportunity to expose the reviewer to the project team’s expertise, training, and scientific sophistication. Most research measures change over time. How the change is measured and quantified from one point to the next is the methodology tool(s) that you will detail in your proposal. While this change is part of the scientific process, it is not always discernable in disciplines farther away from science: the humanities or business for example. Where qualitative changes require quantitative analysis, the more specific and definable the starting point and outcomes – and the difference in change over time – the more persuasive your proposal will be. Roles of Key Personnel Who’s On First – Describe the project team, beginning with the Principal Investigator/Project Director. Introduce colleagues or faculty associates, collaborators from other institutions, project staff, consultants, students, and other key members of the team, making sure to describe their specific roles and responsibilities. Hook the reader and tell a story. G E T T I N G S T A R T E D October 2007 v.2.1 22 Curriculum Vitae Just the Facts, Please – Most sponsors require abbreviated curriculum vitae (2-3 pages). These should include only the references, publications, and activities that pertain directly to the proposed project. Timeline When Everything is Happening – Here are many of the benchmarks that you can identify in advance. Pre-proposal planning activities Needs assessment Hiring schedule Schedule for ordering equipment and supplies Meeting schedules for key participants Means of acquiring subjects Data collection milestones Formative and summative evaluation benchmarks Report preparation Follow-up activities Assessment Plan The Measure of Success – Always include an evaluation or assessment plan in every programmatic proposal, even if it is not specifically requested. The funder will want to know if the proposed project plan will be monitored, assessed, and produce results. Upon completion of the project, the funder will want to know to what extent the grant activity met its goal(s) and objectives. What succeeded? What did not work out as planned? Why? The FORMATIVE assessment plan will help the Principal Investigator/Project Director, and the project team to identify any gaps that exist between the project’s stated goal and the knowledge, insights, or understandings that emerge during the course of continuing work on the project. The SUMMATIVE evaluation at the conclusion of the project will assess the final outcomes of the project. G E T T I N G S T A R T E D October 2007 v.2.1 23 Dissemination Plan Publishing, Publicizing, and Promoting Results – Funders want to know that the applicant will share the results of the project with other researchers, scholars, and educators. Your contribution advances your field of inquiry or creative activity. It also furthers the sponsor’s priorities and provides highly valued publicity to the participant institutions. Whether the dissemination plan stands alone or is incorporated into another section of the proposal is determined by the grant guidelines. Wherever this section appears in the proposal, it should address the way results will be shared: in published articles, a book, a new course, or in a presentation to a specific conference or scholarly meeting. If new instructional materials are contemplated, how will they be published, marketed, advertised, and distributed? Budget and Budget Narrative Dollars & Sense – While this section appears after the narrative, it is often wise to start the proposal process with the budget – which necessarily prescribes how much money you have to address the scope of work. Many projects have been thwarted because a team tried to realize high ambitions only to have their work significantly diminished by a limit on funding – and time. The applicant is expected to detail the cost of the project and provide brief narrative justification of line-item amounts, insights into calculations, and cost rates. The budget must be accurate and adequate to accomplish the results identified as the Funder’s goal. Shipping, installation costs, and sales taxes are frequently overlooked line items that must be included. No Padding, Please – The budget narrative must be well justified. The funder must be confident that the costs are current, allowable, and have been well researched. Include every reasonable cost to the project, but do not pad. Example: Budget Justification entry Statistician (consultant), will assist in technical aspects of research design and analysis, (15 days x $300/day = $4,500). COST SHARE – INSTITUTIONAL AND MATCHING FUNDS Whenever Loyola Marymount University agrees to commit to a portion of the allowable costs of a sponsored project costs that would normally be paid by the sponsor the University makes a commitment referred to as “cost sharing” or “matching”. Cost sharing can be voluntary or mandatory and can take the form of a Cash match, In-Kind match, or both. G E T T I N G S T A R T E D October 2007 v.2.1 24 In general, because of the high liability for Cost Share accounting, if Cost Share is not required by a sponsor, LMU does not offer it voluntarily. Federal sponsors are clear that including Cost Share, when not required, will not increase funding probability. And LMU will be held responsible for reporting on and documenting any cost sharing indicated in the proposal. CASH contributions, including third party cash contributions to the recipient, represent the money contributed by the University toward the project costs. In-kind is non-cash support in the form of goods, commodities, or services and also includes third party contributions.