Proposals

Steven A. JonesBiomedical Engineering

Louisiana Tech University

Created for Louisiana Tech’s NSF-FundedResearch Experiences in Micro/Nano Engineering

Program

Disclaimer

It is recognized that certain aspects of proposal writing are a matter of taste. Some statements in this presentation are opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Louisiana Tech University or the National Science Foundation.

Exercise

Write a brief letter to a friend asking him/her to send you $100.

Why do you need the money?How important is it?How far along are you toward your goal?What will you do with the money?What will he/she get out of it?

Proposal Formats

NIH Format (Our Graduate School)

• Summary (Project Summary)• Specific Aims (Objectives)• Background (Related Research; Research

Need)• Preliminary Results (-)• Research Plan (Methodology and Research

Plan)

Proposal Formats

1. Summary – Will have elements of 2-5

2. Specific Aims – Questions you want to answer and how you intend to do so.

3. Background – Make an argument that what you are doing is important.

4. Preliminary Results – Show that you know what you are doing & that it should work.

5. Research Plan – Details of your proposed work.

Specific Aims

1. Identify the general problem you are trying to solve.2. State what specific hypotheses or research questions

you are trying to answer.3. State each objective or experiment that you intend to

carry out to answer your hypotheses. It is highly recommended that if you have 3 hypotheses, you should have 3 objectives, each of which matches up with a stated hypothesis.

4. State in what way the accomplishments of the objectives will address the hypotheses.

5. State what impact the results of each hypothesis will have on the general problem.

Background & Significance

Purposes:1) Educate the reviewer.2) Establish the importance of the problem.3) Demonstrate need.4) Demonstrate that the problem has not yet been solved.5) Show that the direction you propose is the next logical

step in the evolution of the solution.

Do not give information to impress. A clear concise argument is far more effective in demonstrating your mastery of the literature.

Background & Significance

Background: Tell the reader what he/she needs to know to understand the rest of the proposal.

Analysis of Need: State the problem. State why an answer is needed. Identify progress toward an answer. Discuss papers that have raised the question.

Current Status: Discuss work that is closest to what you propose. Show that your question has not been answered.

Research Need: Give a statement of the problem you intend to solve.

Question

If I ask:

Is chondroitin sulfate biocompatible?

You will respond with …

Say what?

Research PyramidDiabetes

Optical

Finger PrickInsulin Pumps

CureDiagnosis

Chemical

Artificial Pancreas

Genetic Engineering

EyeSub-Cutaneous

Spectroscopy

Chondroitin Sulfate: Good optical properties, good diffusion properties, etc.

Preliminary Results

Results that you personally produced or Results that your lab has produced Generally have not yet been published

Demonstrate: Probability of success Ability to do the experiments

Methods/Research Plan

Detailed design: Experimental apparatus. Protocols to be used.

Positive controlsNegative controls

Data Analysis:Underlying theory.Modeling.Comparison of theory and experiment.Statistical analysis.

Organizational Structure and Schedule:Roles of different personnel.Time table of specific landmarks

Most references will be cited in:

Background

Preliminary Results

Methods

Miscellaneous

Include the date on all drafts of your proposal.Use good grammar, spelling and organization.Make tables and figures as complete as possible.

Do not make the reviewer flip back to the text to find out what “Alternative 1” is, or what a particular abbreviation stands for.Do not say simply: “Figure 3: Number of Diabetics vs. Time.” Say: “Figure 3: Number of Diabetics vs. Time. This figure shows that the number of diabetics have increased exponentially in the past 10 years.”

Number all pages.