The following documents originate with the seminar “Breaking Through the Barriers to Writing Proposals,” presented by Dr. Robert A. Lucas, Director, Institute for Scholarly Productivity

THE ESSENTIALS OF PRODUCTIVE WRITING

from Robert Boice, Professors as Writers (Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press, 1990)

  • Write in small, regular increments of .5 hour a day.
  • Avoid writing in binges. Abandon the notion that writing is best done in large, undisrupted blocks of time.
  • Write while you’re fresh; schedule less mentally demanding tasks; e.g., literature search, for times of the day when you’re less alert and energetic.
  • Make a recurrent and pleasant activity contingent on writing for .5 hour; e.g., a shower, opening your email.
  • Don’t stop writing when you feel blocked.
  • End your writing session at a place where it will be easy to pick up; Hemingway suggested the middle of a sentence.
  • Share your writing with supportive, constructive friends as well as seasoned critics before you go public. The work is communication, not meditation. The earlier shared, the more likely to be published. Ask your readers to respond to specific questions about which you’re concerned.
  • Establish one or a few regular places where you do nothing but serious writing, if possible, a place where you can leave your work spread out.
  • Make regular writing sites sacred: no other temptations such as magazines, newspapers; no distractions and interruptions.
  • Keep a daily writing log: date, time in, time out, pages drafted, pages edited.

STRATEGIES FOR EFFICIENT COMPOSING

(The order is intentional.)

Freewrite, dictate thoughts on tape, mindmap/brainstorm/cluster diagram (see Gabriele L. Rico, Writing the Natural Way (Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1983)

Create rough outline: cut, sort freewrite; dictate from figures, traditional outline

Begin softwrite, any section, not necessarily in order; keep expectations low and keep it simple

Softwrite through two or three drafts

Get thought in the right order; reorganize large sections, small sections, paragraphs

Get words right; begin serious revising; introduce logic, causality, transitions

Walk through any process described and check for completeness, clarity

Read into tape recorder, editing aloud and questioning on the tape as you go

Play back the tape and make changes on the manuscript

Print out a copy and hand edit

Let it sit for 4-6 weeks, then reread and revise

Send to supportive friend for feedback; incorporate helpful suggestions

Edit

Send to your toughest critic; incorporate helpful suggestions

THE CONCEPT PAPER

A concept paper, usually no more than 2-4 pages long, highlights the key features of a proposal. You can use it to inform colleagues about your intentions as well as to give a potential sponsor advance notice of the idea you wish to pursue.

Studies of the success rate of grant applications have shown that the major variable in getting proposals funded is contact with the program officer prior to submission. The concept paper, sometimes called a prospectus or preliminary proposal, is the perfect follow-up to a phone conversation with the PO. It allows you another chance to convey your ideas in a form that the PO can absorb. After reviewing a concept paper, a PO will be better able to give advice about areas that should be emphasized, ideas that are not considered fundable, and activities that must be included to satisfy requirements that may not be apparent in the guidelines.

Some agencies now require that a preliminary proposal be submitted for review before a formal proposal is invited. Even if your sponsor does not require one, it is wise to send one in. The concept paper/preliminary proposal can save you time and effort in two ways: by helping you 1) to identify an idea that is not considered timely or fundable, and 2) to avoid mistakes that would kick your proposal out of this review cycle and force you to wait until the next deadline - perhaps as much as a year - before you can resubmit.

A clear and concise concept paper should cover:

PROJECT TITLE: It should be short and descriptive. Note sponsor limits; NIH = 56 characters

NEED: This section describes the importance of the problem and the timeliness and innovativeness of the project. The relevance and applicability of the project to the sponsor’s priorities should also be clearly stated. Supporting statistical data may be included in the body but should be kept brief.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: The overall goal should be stated succinctly and the objectives enumerated briefly, clearly, precisely, and, if possible, quantitatively.

METHODOLOGY, OPERATIONS, OR PROCEDURES: This section should relate directly to the objectives and focus on the most significant points. Demonstrate that you have thought through the scope of your study and anticipated most reasonable questions or objections.

RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL: This section lists significant facilities and equipment for your project plus information on key personnel and their previous experience.

BUDGET: Only major category totals need be given. Cost-sharing contributions, if any, and indirect costs should be mentioned.

The above list is neither exhaustive nor inflexible; modifications should be made to suit your project or the sponsor’s guidelines, if a preliminary proposal is required.

TYPICAL COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL

(UNIVERSAL GUIDELINES)

TITLE PAGE (Cover Sheet, Application Form)

Title of project, name and address of applicant organization, name of agency to receive proposal, inclusive dates of project, total budget request, signatures of authorized personnel approving submission (from applicant agency), and date of submission

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT (Summary, Executive Summary)

Brief review of the major points in the statement of need, objectives, procedures, evaluation, and dissemination components; stress the end products; usually 250-500 words; lay language

INTRODUCTION (Background)

Background information on applicant organization and introduction to structure of proposal; may highlight particularly pertinent information; e.g., an unusually well-qualified staff or an exceptionally critical need

PROBLEM STATEMENT (Statement of Needs, Questions to be Addressed)

Clear and precise statement of the problem to be addressed and the need for solution; should establish significance, relevance, timeliness, generalizability, and benefits of the project; innovativeness of proposed methodology may also be substantiated; usually includes references to previous research or earlier works; statistical data describing the need are cited

GOALS (General Objectives, Solutions)

General statement, describing in qualitative terms the ultimate end to be achieved at some future but undetermined date: unquantifiable

OBJECTIVES (Measurable Objectives, Expected Outcomes, Hypotheses)

A specific indication of the proposed outcomes of the project stated as objectives, hypotheses, and/or questions: quantifiable; flows logically from the identified needs, problems, and goals

METHODOLOGY (Activities, Operating Plans, Action Plan, Strategies, Procedures)

Describes how the objectives will be met or the hypotheses or questions tested; in nonresearch projects, usually starts with description of the overall approach before describing details about methodology, participants, organization, and timeliness; in research projects, usually describes design, population and sample, data and instrumentation, analysis, and time schedule; may end with clear identification of short- and long-term products expected

EVALUATION (Formative and Summative Evaluation, Assessment)

States how the applicant organization and the funding agency will know the project has accomplished its purpose; purpose of evaluation and type of information to be collected; describes instruments, data collection, analysis and use; and tells how results will be reported; provides evaluative criteria for each objective

FUTURE FUNDING (Continuation, Institutionalization)

Describes plans to provide future funding, if program is to be continued; accounts for other needed expenditures if program includes equipment purchase

DISSEMINATION (Transferability, Distribution of Results, Utilization Plan, Replicability)

Summarizes how the final product and findings will be shared with others; details reporting to the funding agency

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT (Resources)

Describes facilities and equipment required and how they will be provided; unique equipment or facilities that will facilitate the project.

PERSONNEL (Administrative Organization)

Surveys the personnel who will work on the project, their roles, backgrounds, and credentials; includes vitae of key project personnel; details new staff, how many, what type, and how they will be selected; includes a description of the project’s administrative organization; identifies individuals who will serve as consultants, describes their backgrounds, and justifies their use

BUDGET (Cost Volume)

Cost of the project, usually divided into categories, such as personnel, supplies and materials, travel, data processing, facilities or equipment, and indirect costs or administrative services

APPENDICES

Include relevant materials too lengthy to include in the text, vitae for key project personnel or large projects, letters of endorsement, documentary material such as maps, graphs, charts, bibliographies