How to Craft a Well-How to Craft a Well-Written Grant Written Grant ProposalProposal

MBP 1018YMBP 1018Y

March 17, 2011March 17, 2011

Your Midterm Your Midterm AssignmentAssignment ““Letter of Intent”/Statement of Letter of Intent”/Statement of

Research InterestsResearch Interests– Individual submissionsIndividual submissions

FormattingFormatting– 2 pages2 pages– Single spacedSingle spaced– Not counting figures, tables, Not counting figures, tables,

referencesreferences

Precedents You May Precedents You May Draw OnDraw On OGS application research OGS application research

proposal (1 page)proposal (1 page) CIHR graduate scholarship CIHR graduate scholarship

research proposal (1 page)research proposal (1 page) NSERC scholarship research NSERC scholarship research

proposal (2 pages)proposal (2 pages)

Why Should You Do Why Should You Do This?This? Learn how to frame your questionLearn how to frame your question

Allows you (and me!) to identify gaps in Allows you (and me!) to identify gaps in your proposalyour proposal

Helps you think through your problemHelps you think through your problem

Good precedent for future, similarly-Good precedent for future, similarly-scaled, writing projectsscaled, writing projects

What Do We Expect?What Do We Expect?

Tell us about your area of interestTell us about your area of interest– Why did you pick that area to focus on?Why did you pick that area to focus on?– How will your work have How will your work have

clinical/translation relevance or clinical/translation relevance or application?application?

– What is your research question, and What is your research question, and how will you go about breaking that how will you go about breaking that question down?question down?

Think of this as your “RATIONALE” pieceThink of this as your “RATIONALE” piece

The 5 W’sThe 5 W’s

WHAT do you plan to do?WHAT do you plan to do? WHO’s going to do it?WHO’s going to do it? WHERE – level of detail for your WHERE – level of detail for your

final grantfinal grant WHEN – level of detail for your WHEN – level of detail for your

final grantfinal grant WHY do you want to do it?WHY do you want to do it? HOW – level of detail for your final HOW – level of detail for your final

grantgrant

WHAT do you plan to WHAT do you plan to do?do? Statement of the Problem and Statement of the Problem and

Research QuestionResearch Question

Overall HypothesisOverall Hypothesis

List of Specific AimsList of Specific Aims– Specific HypothesesSpecific Hypotheses

HypothesesHypotheses

VERY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE VERY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE THESE!!THESE!!

Each hypothesis should correlate, Each hypothesis should correlate, where possible, with a specific where possible, with a specific objective or question being objective or question being addressedaddressed

EXCEPT when you are addressing a EXCEPT when you are addressing a technical objective (e.g., the technical objective (e.g., the creation of an experimental system)creation of an experimental system)

WHY do you want to WHY do you want to do it?do it? Background and literature Background and literature

reviewreview

Rationale for research questionRationale for research question

Translational relevance and Translational relevance and human impacthuman impact

Background and Background and Literature ReviewLiterature Review Review the RELEVANT literatureReview the RELEVANT literature This is not meant to be an exhaustive This is not meant to be an exhaustive

literature review, but rather a literature review, but rather a discussion of what is most important to discussion of what is most important to what you want to dowhat you want to do

Provide background for the disease and Provide background for the disease and questions you will be addressingquestions you will be addressing

Also provide background about any Also provide background about any novel technical approachesnovel technical approaches

Include a succinct rationale for the Include a succinct rationale for the project (concept and approach)project (concept and approach)

Translational Translational ApplicationApplication How is your project relevant to the How is your project relevant to the

human condition, and to patients?human condition, and to patients?

Describe the relevance and importance Describe the relevance and importance of your work to the diagnosis, of your work to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer or prevention and treatment of cancer or the appropriate diseasethe appropriate disease

WHO’s going to do it?WHO’s going to do it?

In this section, tell us how your In this section, tell us how your work fits in to the rest of your work fits in to the rest of your team’steam’s

ALSO – please hand in an EXTRA ALSO – please hand in an EXTRA 0.5 page description of how all 0.5 page description of how all group members’ work gets group members’ work gets integrated into the overall project integrated into the overall project – this is a group written piece– this is a group written piece