The format or presentation of a particular proposal document will depend on the requirements of the sponsor to whom you are applying: most government agencies have application forms or very specific proposal guidelines, while other sponsors are often less directive. The “Golden Rule” of grant writing is: “He, who has all the gold, makes all the rules”. There are, however, certain elements that all proposals should contain.
Please be aware that some sponsors, such as NIH, have very specific guidelines for developing and submitting a proposal. In all cases individual sponsor guidelines should be followed.
Introduction
There are three major components to the standard research proposal. They are the text, the budget, and the supporting documents, referred to as the appendices, attachments or exhibits. This section outlines each piece of a GENERIC proposal, and concludes with a discussion of certain variations in format required if one is seeking support for other kinds of academic programs.
Cover Sheet or Face Page
Most sponsoring agencies specify the format for the cover sheet, and some provide special forms to summarize basic administrative and fiscal data for the project. Generally, the principal investigator and the provost sign the cover sheet. In addition, the cover sheet usually includes the Southern Utah University's reference number for the proposal, the name of the agency to which the proposal is being submitted, the title of the proposal, the proposed project period, the total funds requested, the name and address of the Southern Utah University unit submitting the proposal, and the date submitted. Some agencies want the cover sheet to specify whether the proposal is for a new or continuing project.
While most sponsors require applicants to fill out an official cover page for the proposal, in the absence of that cover page, applicants should include a cover letter on Southern Utah University stationery addressed to the sponsoring organization specifying the following information:
Abstract or Project Summary
Every proposal, even very brief ones, should have an abstract. Some readers read only the abstract, and most readers rely on it to give them an initial quick overview of the proposal and later to refresh their memory of the project's main points. Agencies often use the abstract alone in their compilations of research projects funded or in disseminating information about successful projects.
The abstract speaks for the proposal when it is separated from it, provides the reader with a first impression of the request, and, by acting as a summary, frequently provides the reader also with his last. Thus it is the most important single element in the proposal.
Although it often appears at the beginning of the proposal, the abstract should be written last, as a concise summary (approximately 200 words) of the proposal. It should appear on a page by itself numbered with a small roman numeral if the proposal has a table of contents and with an arabic number if it does not.
Table of Contents
The convenience of the reader should be the guiding consideration in producing a table of contents. Very brief proposals with few sections ordinarily do not need a table of contents. Long and detailed proposals should list all major parts and divisions, including the abstract and significant preliminary pages. Subdivisions usually need not be listed. The table of contents may require a list of illustrations (or figures) and a list of tables. If all of these are included, they should follow the order presented in the text, and each should be numbered with lower-case roman numerals. The table of contents should be simply labeled "Contents" in the header of the page.
Introduction
The introduction should begin with a capsule statement of what is being proposed and then should proceed to introduce the subject to someone unfamiliar with the topic. One cannot assume that the proposal reviewer is familiar with the topic of the proposal. The introduction should briefly outline the goals and objectives of the project, how long it will take, and give enough background to enable the reviewer to place this particular research problem in a context of common knowledge.
The introduction should very specifically and concisely state the importance of the research being proposed. The introduction may introduce the concept of how this project's approach and resulting work will advance the field of knowledge and prove an important contribution to other related research. It may also be helpful to state what the proposal does not expect to accomplish or address.
Project Goals and Objectives
Goals and objectives are not the same and should be dealt with separately. The goal of the project is what one hopes to accomplish as a result of the completed project. Objectives are statements of precise outcomes that can be measured in support of the project's goals. Properly written objectives should be specific, measurable, and time bound. Unless specifically requested by the sponsor, do not include milestone activities. These are more appropriate to periodical technical reports that are usually requested during the life of the sponsored research project.
Ability of the Project Staff to Undertake this Project
Sponsors want assurance that the funds invested in a project will yield results. One indicator of success is the researcher's professional reputation and past experiences in managing sponsored research projects.
Description of Relevant Institutional Resources
It is useful to think of this section of the proposal as an opportunity for the researcher to assure the proposed sponsor that the institution is solidly in support of the research proposal, has the resources to devote to the project's undertaking, and is willing to commit a portion of those resources to this project.
Review of the Literature
Discussions of work done by others should give the reviewer a clear impression of how this project will build upon what has already been done. Additionally, a review of the literature will highlight how the project under consideration differs from other related projects. It is important to establish what is original in the project's approach, what circumstances have changed since related work was done, or what is unique about the time and place of the currently proposed research.
Description of Proposed Research
A project must always be considered as an allocation of resources toward a specified goal. Using this definition as a framework, the project description is the heart of the proposal and is the primary concern of the technical reviewers. It should persuasively describe what is to be undertaken and how it will be accomplished. The comprehensive explanation of the proposed research is addressed not to the general reader but to other specialists in the field.
Points to consider when writing this section of the proposal:
Plan of Action, Methodology, and Design
Methodology of a project is clearly and directly related to the project description. While the description outlines in more general terms what the project is about and how long it will take to complete, the action plan spells out in specific steps and procedures how the research will take place. This section of the proposal typically answers four important questions in exacting detail:
The plan or methods section will be the longest section of the technical narrative and will present a description of the work to be done in accomplishing the project objectives. It should account for all activities and individuals to be involved in the project. This section of the proposal often includes a time chart or flow chart showing the order of activities to take place.
Project Staffing
The explanation should specify how many persons at what percentage of time and at what administrative level will be participating in the project. If the program is complex and involves people from other departments or Southern Utah University, the organization of the staff and the lines of responsibility should be made clear. Project position descriptions should be included in the appendices.
If a consultant is to be used to accomplish specific project tasks, the researcher should provide a description of the work to be performed and the length of time the project will need the consultant's services.
Current and Pending Support
Many sponsors request that applicants supply information on both active and pending support. Faculty should include a complete list of current sponsored projects including:
This information should be included in the appropriate spaces on required application forms or, in the absence of any required form, typed neatly on a separately numbered page in the appendix to the proposal.
Faculty should also list the same information about pending applications. This is particularly important when applying to Federal programs where possible sources of support may come from several different funding agencies. Private foundations often want to know if the proposal under consideration has also been submitted to other foundations for support.
Facilities and Equipment
Information pertaining to resources available to the PI for the conduct of the project should be described in detail. Examples of such resources include:
Evaluation
Well-planned research proposals include a method of evaluating the success of the project. Evaluation represents the logical conclusion to the proposal and sends a clear message that the researcher has not only thought through the execution of the project, but is also concerned that the stated goals have been achieved. Most sponsors ask that an evaluation methodology and outcome statement be part of the submitted proposal. These two parts of the evaluation are known as product and process evaluation. Product evaluation judges the end result of the project.
To write an effective product evaluation section, the researcher must first have had clearly defined and measurable objectives for the project. The process evaluation measures how well the execution of the project matched the plan initially proposed.
Dissemination of Findings
While projects generally result in published papers in professional journals, many agencies require additional means of disseminating the results of the research. A statement of how this is to be done should be included. Note: for example, the NIH requires a specific data sharing plan for applications of over $500,000 per year (see GPS--Availability of Research Results).
Award Database (Virginia Commonwealth University) These links take you to databases that provide information on who has been recently funded by the particular agency/organization. Many also provide a basic description of the project.
