Grant Writing Basics

Presenter:Julie Thatcher

Office of Research & Technology Transfer

November 9, 2010

Today’s TopicsASU Research AdministrationAcademic vs. Grant WritingGeneral Tips for Effective WritingStandard Proposal Formats &

SectionsGetting StartedConcluding Questions

Today’s AttendeesAcademic 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 DIRECTORPre-Awards Julie ThatcherPost-Awards Brandy HamptonCompliance Marie DockterIntellectual Property

Brian Rogers

Centers & Institutes

Michael Dockter

Why Focus on Basic Writing?Limited fundingIncreasingly competitive

marketplaceReviewers are busy & impatientLooking for a reason NOT to fundGood proposals die from bad

writingBuild your personal reputationBuild institutional reputation

Academic vs. Grant WritingAcademic 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• Verbosity rewarded• Sentence, paragraph,

paper

Strict Length Constraints• Brevity rewarded• 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!Begin with an outline (use solicitation)Subject and verb One main idea per paragraphAvoid lengthy sentencesUse commas & semi-colonsSpelling & grammar matter

Hunt Which’s; Kill Be’sProblem: “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 FluffInstead 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 SkillsImprove 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 ContentSummary 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

Visit ORTT ◦http://www2.astate.edu/research-tra

nsfer/

◦Archived training modules

External ResourcesGrants.gov

◦http://www07.grants.gov/search/advanced.do

The Foundation Center◦http://foundationcenter.org/findfunde

rs/

◦Dean B. Ellis Library maintains subscription

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 PresentationsAli 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