Grant Writing Basics Presenter: Julie Thatcher Office of Research & Technology Transfer November 9,...
-
date post
21-Dec-2015 -
Category
Documents
-
view
213 -
download
0
Transcript of Grant Writing Basics Presenter: Julie Thatcher Office of Research & Technology Transfer November 9,...
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