Tips for Beginners
- Download and use the template provided on the website. Complete all sections of the proposal.
- Follow the criteria and proposal requirements carefully; keep them at hand while you complete the proposal. Grant applications that do not follow the criteria and requirements may be returned without review.
- Write for a lay audience. Most likely reviewers will not be from your discipline, and will not be familiar with technical terms or disciplinary jargon.
- Keep in mind the Five Ws maxim. Carefully and succinctly explain who, what, when, where, why, and how.
- Research all budget items before including them in the proposal. Attach quotes for each item. Do not include any restricted items (e.g., computers, stipends).
- Make all sections of the proposal congruent. For example, if you list an expenditure in the budget, make sure that you justify it in the narrative. If you mention a task in the narrative, make sure that you list it in the timeline.
- The quality of this proposal should be commensurate with the quality of proposals submitted off-campus: well thought out, cogent, and professional.
- Solicit feedback from colleagues before submission. Reviewers should not be the first to read the proposal.
- Save the proposal as a PDF.
Note that the Criteria and Proposal Requirements are updated and differ slightly each year. Thus, applicants should use the current Criteria and Proposal Requirements as guides. |
