GRANTS TOOLBOX:
Proposal Elements

Many funding agencies designate specific guidelines for each element to include in the proposal. Follow any written guidelines to the letter and prepare a checklist to help you organize your proposal. The following ideas are offered as a general guide to proposal preparation.

1. Title Page

• Name and address of the sponsor to whom the proposal is being submitted
• Institutional information (evidence of tax exemption may be requested)
• Place of performance
• Title of proposed project which should:
  • be descriptive of the proposed project
  • express the end result of the project
  • be short and easy to remember.
• Total funds requested (for multi-year proposals it is helpful to show both the total request and the request for the first year)
• Name and title of the Principal Investigator
• Signatures of authorizing officials
• Often a Title Page form is included with proposal application which may request specific institutional information

2. Abstract or Executive Summary

While an abstract is not required by all funding agencies, it is a highly effective means of presenting a project to a reviewer or review board. Typically, an abstract is no longer than 200 or 250 words. It is a brief exposition which summarizes the objectives and significance of the project, the procedures to be followed in carrying it out, and the plans for evaluating the results. Unless specifically required, facts given on the title page need not be repeated in the abstract.

An executive summary is generally one page, double spaced and should contain items mentioned above and be expanded to include the budget amount.

3. Introduction

If extensive introductory remarks are appropriate to "set the stage" for the specific proposal, you should devote a separate section to them. This section generally includes background information on the institution and why the project is important to the institution. However, if only a brief introduction is necessary, it should be included as the introductory paragraph on the next section.

4. Description of the Project

The description of the proposed project is an expansion of the abstract. It should attempt to make the plan very clear to the reader with a full and detailed explanation of the Principal Investigator's proposed research plan and should include:

• a clear statement of the goals of the research. Be sure to differentiate between ends and means;
• a detailed description of the work to be undertaken;
• a justification of the need of such research including its relation both to the present state of knowledge in the field and to comparable work known to be in progress elsewhere;
• the projected length of time for the project. Most funders will not consider grants beyond three years;
• the plan to continue the project after the completion of the grant.

5. Personnel

Personnel of prime importance to the project should be introduced and their expertise noted. The following categories of personnel are often used.

• Project Director (or Co-Directors)/Principal Investigator
• Faculty Associates (generally members of the faculty holding the rank of instructor and above)
• Graduate student and research assistants
• Consultants

Resumes of the Principal Investigator and other significant personnel involved should be included in the appendix.

6. Evaluation/Assessment

How will the funder know if the project was successful and the funds well spent? The evaluation is important to demonstrate validity of the project by showing its effectiveness. Research goals should be stated in specific, measurable terms so they can be evaluated. To insure objective evaluation, often an outside evaluator should be requested in the budget. Progress reports to the grantor should be discussed as part of the summative evaluation. Evaluations can be useful in providing information necessary to make changes in the original program.

7. Dissemination of Results

Discuss how you plan to disseminate your results, i.e., through an article, book, conference presentation. Remember that funders want to know how their money is being used to serve a greater good.

8. The Budget

9. Copies/eRA & Additional Material

In preparing the proposal, it should be noted that many foundations require varying numbers of copies to be submitted along with the original. Check the Request for Proposal for this information. Additional requirements such as whether or not to staple copies or place each copy in a binder may be noted.

Most federal, and many foundations, now require electronic Research Administration of grants; proposal and reports are filed electronic by email or more commonly over the Internet.

The proposal may be supported by additional material, such as resumes of key personnel or program or institutional information, and can be added in appendices.

Specific additional material may be requested by the funding agency. For copies of such items as the latest audit, the annual report, the list of the Board of Directors, or the tax status the University, contact the Office of Sponsored Research.

10. Format

Pay attention to formatting requirements as many agencies will automatically deny a proposal which has been improperly presented. The agency may require a particular font size, margin, and/or page count. A page count may be specified for

The final document should have a professional look and should be proofread for correct style, grammar, and spelling. The Office of Sponsored Research would be happy to assist in proofreading.