Transcript Grant Writing - Arkansas State University

Grant Writing Basics
Presenter:
Julie Thatcher
Office of Research & Technology Transfer
November 9, 2010
Today’s Topics
ASU Research Administration
 Academic vs. Grant Writing
 General Tips for Effective Writing
 Standard Proposal Formats & Sections
 Getting Started
 Concluding Questions
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Today’s Attendees
Academic
Service
ABI
Continuing Education
Business
Disability Services
Education
Fowler Center
Engineering
Learning Support Services
Heritage Studies
McNair Scholars Program
Humanities & Social Sciences
Small Business & Tech Development
Nursing
Wilson Advising
Science & Mathematics
University College
ASU Research Administration
LIFE CYCLE
Pre-Awards
Post-Awards
Compliance
Intellectual Property
Centers & Institutes
DIRECTOR
Julie Thatcher
Brandy Hampton
Marie Dockter
Brian Rogers
Michael Dockter
Why Focus on Basic Writing?
Limited funding
 Increasingly competitive marketplace
 Reviewers are busy & impatient
 Looking for a reason NOT to fund
 Good proposals die from bad writing
 Build your personal reputation
 Build institutional reputation

Academic vs. Grant Writing
Academic Writing: thesis, dissertation,
scholarly papers, journal articles
Grant Writing: completely different set of
writing skills necessary to “win” grants
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Scholarly Pursuit
• Individual passion
• Advance your career
Sponsor Goals
• Service attitude
• Adapt expertise
•
Know the sponsor
•
Mirror key phrases and terminology
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Past Oriented
• Work that has been done
Future Oriented
• Work that should be done
•
Find a healthy balance
• Contextualize proposed work in literature
• Extend boundaries
• Okay to imagine
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Theme-Centered
• Theory & thesis
• Realm of ideas
• Examine issue
• Final conclusions
Project-Centered
• Objectives & activities
• World of action
• Accomplish goals
• Expected outcomes
Avoid proposing a “study” or “examination”
unless specific to RFP
Ever-present Questions:
•
•
•
•
How will I do this?
How will I measure the outcomes?
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Expository Rhetoric
• Explaining
• Logical progression
Persuasive Rhetoric
• Selling
• Strong pitch
•
LEAD with your exciting ideas
•
Use strong, active language
•
Write with funders & reviewers in mind
•
Why are you uniquely deserving?
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Impersonal Tone
• Objective
• Dispassionate
Personal Tone
• Conveys excitement
• Active voice
•
Encourage excitement for your project
•
Seek their endorsement
•
Use first-person voice
•
May seem like violation of editorial rules
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Individualistic
• Solo activity
Team-Focused
• Feedback needed
Seek counsel on concept before writing
• Contact program officer
• Collaborate across colleges & institutions
• Share the writing responsibility
• ALWAYS have someone proofread
•
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Few Length Constraints
Strict Length Constraints
• Verbosity rewarded
• Brevity rewarded
• Sentence, paragraph, paper • Clear, concise
•
Follow ALL formatting directions
•
Grammar & sentence structure matter
•
Flag sentences more than 3 lines long
•
Be precise with word choice
Academic vs. Grant Writing
ACADEMIC
GRANT
Specialized Terminology
• Insider jargon
• Inflated prose
Accessible Language
• Easily understood
• Generalist audience
•
Describe your project to your mother
•
Seek proofreaders outside your discipline
•
Read one sentence at a time from back
to front
General Writing Tips
You probably learned everything you
need to know before high school!
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Begin with an outline (use solicitation)
Subject and verb
One main idea per paragraph
Avoid lengthy sentences
Use commas & semi-colons
Spelling & grammar matter
Hunt Which’s; Kill Be’s
Problem: “Which” clauses often pack a sentence
with too many ideas.
Solution: Replace a which with a period, and create
two or more sentences.
Problem:“Be” verbs are weak and cause unneeded
words. They also encourage a weak, passive voice.
Solution: Replace any form of the verb “to be” (be,
is, are was, were, been, being, am) with a stronger,
active verb.
Cut the Fluff
Instead of: In view of the fact that, a large number
of, for the purpose of, in order to, in view of…
Use: Because, many, if, to, since…
Instead of: The manager’s report was carefully
illustrated, and it covered five pages.
Use:The manager’s carefully illustrated, five page
report…
Instead of: If the error does not involve data
correction, the special function key should not be
used.
Use: Use the special function key to correct data.
Test Your New Skills
Improve these sentences by cutting
unneeded words.
1. The degree of importance in the level of accuracy
depends upon the particular situation.
2. The fact that the recruit had not succeeded was
brought to my attention recently.
3. The reason why we failed to reply is that we were not
apprised of the fact until yesterday that somehow the
report had been unavoidably delayed by engineering.
Standard Proposal Content
Summary or Abstract
Program Narrative or Project Description
◦ Goals/Objectives; Research Questions
◦ Background & Significance
◦ Framework
◦ Research Plan
◦ Personnel
◦ Assessment
Budget & Budget Justification
Attachments
◦ CVs
◦ Letters of support/commitment
◦ Other supporting documentation
Getting Started – ASU Resources

Visit ITTC for research support modules
◦ http://www2.astate.edu/ittc/
◦ SPIN Plus, Cayuse, CITI, IRB Net
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Visit ORTT
◦ http://www2.astate.edu/research-transfer/
◦ Archived training modules
External Resources

Grants.gov
◦ http://www07.grants.gov/search/advanced.do
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The Foundation Center
◦ http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/
◦ Dean B. Ellis Library maintains subscription
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Grants Resource Center
◦ http://www.aascu.org/grc/
◦ Username: astate
◦ Password: service
Questions?
Future topics?
 Agencies of interest?
 Collaborators in the room?

Hernandez, D. (2009). Preparing quality proposals [PowerPoint slides].
Retrieved from https://umdrive.memphis.edu/g-researchworkshops/.
Porter, R. (2007). Why academics have a hard time writing good grant
proposals. The Journal of Research Administration, 38 (2), 37-43.
Future Presentations

Ali Mohamed, USDA NIFA, live via
webinar on Monday, January 17
◦ Agency Overview
◦ Summary of Solicitations
◦ Writing Good Proposals

ASU Faculty Research Awards panel on
Friday, January 21
◦ Program Overview
◦ Writing Good Proposals