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Effective Proposal Writing Guidelines for Research Grants

This presentation provides guidelines for writing effective research proposals for grants. It covers proposal formats, specific aims, background and significance, preliminary results, methods, and miscellaneous tips. The aim is to help researchers enhance their grant proposals and secure funding for their projects.

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Effective Proposal Writing Guidelines for Research Grants

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  1. Proposals • Steven A. Jones • Biomedical Engineering • Louisiana Tech University • Created for Louisiana Tech’s NSF-Funded • Research Experiences in Micro/Nano Engineering • Program

  2. Disclaimer • It is recognized that certain aspects of proposal writing are a matter of taste. Some statements in this presentation are opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Louisiana Tech University or the National Science Foundation.

  3. Exercise • Write a brief letter to a friend asking him/her to send you $100. • Why do you need the money? • How important is it? • How far along are you toward your goal? • What will you do with the money? • What will he/she get out of it?

  4. Proposal Formats • NIH Format (Our Graduate School) • Summary (Project Summary) • Specific Aims (Objectives) • Background (Related Research; Research Need) • Preliminary Results (-) • Research Plan (Methodology and Research Plan)

  5. Proposal Formats • Summary – Will have elements of 2-5 • Specific Aims – Questions you want to answer and how you intend to do so. • Background – Make an argument that what you are doing is important. • Preliminary Results – Show that you know what you are doing & that it should work. • Research Plan – Details of your proposed work.

  6. Specific Aims • Identify the general problem you are trying to solve. • State what specific hypotheses or research questions you are trying to answer. • State each objective or experiment that you intend to carry out to answer your hypotheses. It is highly recommended that if you have 3 hypotheses, you should have 3 objectives, each of which matches up with a stated hypothesis. • State in what way the accomplishments of the objectives will address the hypotheses. • State what impact the results of each hypothesis will have on the general problem.

  7. Background & Significance • Purposes: • Educate the reviewer. • Establish the importance of the problem. • Demonstrate need. • Demonstrate that the problem has not yet been solved. • Show that the direction you propose is the next logical step in the evolution of the solution. • Do not give information to impress. A clear concise argument is far more effective in demonstrating your mastery of the literature.

  8. Background & Significance • Background: Tell the reader what he/she needs to know to understand the rest of the proposal. • Analysis of Need: State the problem. State why an answer is needed. Identify progress toward an answer. Discuss papers that have raised the question. • Current Status: Discuss work that is closest to what you propose. Show that your question has not been answered. • Research Need: Give a statement of the problem you intend to solve.

  9. Question • If I ask: • Is chondroitin sulfate biocompatible? • You will respond with … Say what?

  10. Research Pyramid Diabetes Cure Diagnosis Insulin Pumps Genetic Engineering Finger Prick Chemical Optical Artificial Pancreas Eye Spectroscopy Sub-Cutaneous Chondroitin Sulfate: Good optical properties, good diffusion properties, etc.

  11. Preliminary Results • Results that you personally produced or • Results that your lab has produced • Generally have not yet been published • Demonstrate: • Probability of success • Ability to do the experiments

  12. Methods/Research Plan • Detailed design: • Experimental apparatus. • Protocols to be used. • Positive controls • Negative controls • Data Analysis: • Underlying theory. • Modeling. • Comparison of theory and experiment. • Statistical analysis. • Organizational Structure and Schedule: Roles of different personnel. Time table of specific landmarks

  13. Most references will be cited in: Background Preliminary Results Methods

  14. Miscellaneous • Include the date on all drafts of your proposal. • Use good grammar, spelling and organization. • Make tables and figures as complete as possible. • Do not make the reviewer flip back to the text to find out what “Alternative 1” is, or what a particular abbreviation stands for. • Do not say simply: “Figure 3: Number of Diabetics vs. Time.” Say: “Figure 3: Number of Diabetics vs. Time. This figure shows that the number of diabetics have increased exponentially in the past 10 years.” • Number all pages.

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