Proposal Writing Guides
Preparing a strong proposal requires a significant investment of time, ingenuity, and energy. The sections below will help you focus your efforts on specific principles helping you accomplish this goal. A host of factors impact the probability of success. It is best to use each suggestion as a guideline and not as a hard and fast rule. Knowing how to draft a good proposal and having the time to do it may be two separate things. Be sure to have a sound plan prior to putting the application together; this will help make certain you do not run out of time or get discouraged and rushed in the proposal preparation process.
“A good proposal is a good idea, well expressed, with a clear indication of the methods for pursuing the idea, evaluating the findings, and making them known to all who need to know.” – National Science Foundation
Proposals should be concise if responding to a solicitation. Contact the program officer at the sponsoring agency for details as you develop your concept and subsequent proposal. Also consider getting input from peers prior to discussing new lines of research you have developed. If your proposal is petitioning for unsolicited funding, you still need to meet some basic guidelines; your idea‟s impact on your industry or the community as a whole, expertise available and needed, the cost effectiveness of your plan, and how you will evaluate and disseminate findings.*
* This is not an all inclusive list. Refer to standard proposal guidelines from potential sponsors or grant writing resources for specific instructions.
Check out some useful resources to help you prepare a proposal
- In the Information for Researchers and Administrators section of the RF Home page, click on Sponsored Program & Business Development Funding. (Scroll to the bottom for some self-paced resources)
- Check with SUNY Center for Professional Development on the next session of the Grants and Proposals: If You Write It, They Will Fund, a virtual (SUNY) instructor-led course
Other Resources
National Science Foundation
National Institutes of Health
Writing your Application NIAID
All About Grants: Tutorials and Samples
Sample R01 and R21 Applications and Summary Statements
Insider’s Guide to Peer Review for Applicants
Social Science Research Council
Foundation Center
Human Frontier Science Program
The Art of Grantsmanship, by Jack Kraicer
Other Resources
Online Evaluation Resource Library
Having a clear and concise plan of how to carry out your project will help you scale your project. Each potential funder will want to know how far along your project is in development, what your intended goals and objectives are (both short and long term), why is the idea important or revolutionary, how much will the project cost (not just in the short term), and how long might it take until progress is made. Knowing, or at least attempting to answer, a majority of these questions will help you bring attention to your project‟s potential. Creating enthusiasm for your idea helps get funders behind your work. Also, being aware of the current stage of your idea will determine which solicitations are best to pursue. So, this exercise is important to undertake prior to beginning to respond to a solicitation in earnest.