Developing Grant ProposalsDeveloping Grant Proposals Purdue grant writing strategies and assistance...

Developing Grant ProposalsPurdue grant writing strategies and assistance

Sally BondAssistant Director of Research Development ServicesProposal CoordinationOffice of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships

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Purdue Research Development Services

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Purdue Research Development Services

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Grant Writing Assistance and Resources

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Quick Overview

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Ask for Grant Writing Help

• Any award size• Any agency• External proposals only• When? Sooner is better• Concept storylines to

shop your idea

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Proposal Preparation ProcessTailored and intentional plan

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Key StrategiesStrategies for the strongest proposal submission

•tell a compelling story•respond to solicitation•answer “Why Purdue?”•know your reviewer•conduct internal review

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Build the StorylineStoryline first!

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Build the StorylineGap analysis


Good science is a story that… • begins with a problem• provides coherence in

narrative• hooks reviewer so

weaknesses are not fatal• sets “north star”

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Build the StorylineFour key questions


• What is the problem?• What has been done already to

address the problem?• What is the gap that remains?• How do you propose to

address this gap?

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Build the StorylineFunnel of logic flow


• What is the problem?• What has been done already to

address the problem?• What is the gap that remains?• How do you propose to

address this gap?

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Build the StorylineExample narrative for NIH

Carolina Wählby of the Broad Institutehttp://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/pages/appsamples.aspx

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/pages/appsamples.aspx

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Storyline to Concept Paper

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Build the StorylineOne-page…taste of your entire grant in a single, bite-sized piece

It forces you to distill all aspects down to their essences and to find a way of piecing things together that is economical, coherent, logical, and compelling […] is totally unforgiving, revealing problems in the clarity of your thinking and presentation, weaknesses in the logic of your research, vagueness in your methods, and failures in the all-important ‘so what?’ realm. Given the luxury of length, additional verbiage has a way of camouflaging weaknesses (at least from the writer but not so often from the reviewer).

—Robert Levenson, UC-Berkeley

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Key StrategiesAddressing common trouble spots


• follow all instructions!• outline before writing

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Respond to SolicitationKnow the agency guidelines as well as solicitation

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Respond to SolicitationSleuth what was funded previously to identify trends

• What type of science and how does it compare to yours?

• What was team composition?• What type of education integration?• What type of institution?• What type of budget?

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Respond to SolicitationAgency websites often show what was previously funded.

http://www.nsf.gov/

www.nsf.gov

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Respond to SolicitationEach program page has “what has been funded” and map of recent awards.

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Respond to SolicitationNIH RePORTer http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm.

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Respond to SolicitationNIH RePORTer http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm.

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Respond to SolicitationOutline before you write. Be consistent with formatting.

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• win differentiators of expertise, facilities, prior work, campus environment

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• writing for expert and non-expert

• busy, rushed• did not choose to

read your proposal

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Know Your ReviewerBe kind…you are not writing for yourself.

•use formatting as a roadmap•be generous with white space• fix grammar and proof proposal•write clearly…shorter sentences

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Know Your ReviewerParallel formatting provides a roadmap to help your reviewer

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Know Your ReviewerParallel formatting provides a roadmap to help your reviewer

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Know Your ReviewerAvoid dense text by adding white space

Format 1 Format 2

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Know Your ReviewerAvoid dense text by adding white space

Format 1 Format 2

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Know Your ReviewerSloppy writing = sloppy science

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Know Your ReviewerMechanics matter. Sloppy writing = sloppy science

Elemental mapping of animal tissues has been investigated, and results have been documented.

changed to:

We investigated elemental mapping of animal tissues and documented results.

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Know Your ReviewerBe concise. Less is better.

There are a growing number of scientists who believe the system is capable of addressing user demands. (17 words)

A growing number of scientists believe the system can address user demands. (12 words)

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Know Your ReviewerUse high-quality, easy-to-read graphics for conceptual and organizational info

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Know Your ReviewerUse visuals to summarize narrative when possible.

Program Initiatives Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5Indiana administrationMembership approved by Executive Council for working committeesPartner retreatCreate I-hubCreate Passport trackingExternal Advisory Board meetingsAnnual Alliance-wide conferenceGoal 1: Alliance-wide practicesCampus director monthly centralized trainingAugmented training setsFaculty/students training on I-hubCross-Alliance recruiting, including veteransGoal 2: Effective community college partnership facilitating transfer to four-year STEM programsCo-mentored domestic research experience at partner campusesCo-mentored international research experience Industry guest speakersCross-Alliance teaching symposia and workshops with community college facultyGoal 3: Aligning experiences with Tinto’s principles of iterationMap activities and identify gapsPair scholars with mentors Create individualized portfoliosMap incentives to Passport BadgesCross-Alliance international research cohortDisseminate model-based best practicesGoal 4: Research longitudinal model of Scholar developmentCompile a list of Scholar attributesTest and validate Scholar attributesCollect Scholar dataAnalyze Scholar data and portfoliosConduct interviews with ScholarsEvaluation and AssessmentFormative site visitsFormative focus groups/interviewsFormative web-based surveysFormative analysis and reportingSummative data plan developmentSummative quantitative data gatheringSummative analysis and final reporting

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• planned from beginning• formal or informal

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Internal ReviewNew eyes on your draft before submission

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Internal ReviewBecause sometimes what is obvious to you is not obvious to others

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Templates and Step-by-Step Guidance

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Drop-in Text for Resource/Facilities

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Data Management Plans

Questions?

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Developing Grant ProposalsDeveloping Grant Proposals Purdue grant writing strategies and assistance...

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