Services: Proposal Preparation

There are many "Resources Supporting Research @ Western". In addition to this information the key elements of a well written funding application are as follows.

 

Know what kind of funding you are applying for
Ensure that your funding proposal:
  • speaks to the "flavour" of the sponsor, and the mandates of their funding purpose.
  • strictly adheres to the content and format guidelines of the sponsor, keeping within the indicated format.
  • answers all of the review criteria indicated in the guidelines.
  • has a budget which aligns with the sponsors guidelines with respect to content and detail.
Ensure that your funding proposal "reads well"
Make sure your funding proposal:
  • is well organized and is easy to follow. Don't make the reviewers guess.
  • follows outlines provided within the guidelines to all for information to be easily followed.
  • includes some white space for ease of review.
  • includes, titles, consistent page numbers, headers and footers as defined in the guidelines.
  • uses visual materials effectively and for appropriate reasons.
  • has been proof read by several individuals to avoid simple and sometimes drastic spelling, grammatical and detail errors that can otherwise be easily avoided.
Know who will review your request
Ensure that your funding proposal:
  • is written with the audience in mind (will the reviewers be discipline specific or multi disciplinary?).
  • is written in a style that is concise, informative, and persuasive, is free of disciplinary jargon and clearly indicates that you are capable of completing the proposed research.
Ensure that your funding proposal "answers the question"
Make sure your funding proposal:
  • states the goals and objectives of the proposed research clearly at the outset.  Don't make them "find" the information they want to know.
  • indicates the reason this research is important and what will be solved by the proposed project. Answers the question... "So what?"
  • respond to previous review statements in a professional and positive manner.  Declaring your dissatisfaction with the review committee may feel good at the time, however, you may experience an expensive result to venting your frustration. 
  • indicates that the project's hypotheses rest on sufficient evidence and are conceptually sound.
  • clearly shows the ability of the individual(s) involved and that the project can be completed in the timeline indicated.
  • describes the work, who will do it, who will benefit, what methods and which facilities will be used and includes a timeline of the project.
  • has a budget that is sufficient to support the application, includes all major elements or indicates how budget elements not included in the funding request will be covered.

The Art of Grantsmanship is a great resource document that describes the proposal preparation process extremely well. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us directly.

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