Strategies for Effective Grantwriting

1. Strategies for Effective Grantwriting Katherine (Katie) McGraw Howard University Graduate School Responsible Conduct of Research Workshop October 25, 2011

2. What is a grant? • What ISN’T it? • A grant is not a gift or “free money” – there are “strings” attached • A grant is not (usually) given to an individual, but to an organization, like a university, with an individual as the contact person

3. All grants are not the same. Types of grants • Graduate fellowships (pre-doctoral, dissertation, post-doctoral) – many times awarded to an individual student • Research grants – big grants that pay for a major research project • Training grants – grants to a university to train students about research • Equipment grants – grants just to purchase a large piece of equipment • Service grants – grants to conduct a project that serves a community (i.e, a tutoring project)

4. What’s the difference between a grant and a fellowship? Fellowships….. • Fellowships are for students in training at some level • Fellowships are often (although not always) awarded to individuals • Fellowship proposals/applications often ask for more information about the individual as well as the research • Fellowships often are limited to paying student tuition and sometimes a stipend, but not always other expenses. Grants…. • Grants usually require the “principal investigator” or key contact person to be a faculty member or staff member, not a student. • Grants are almost always awarded to the institution, not the individual. • Grant proposals are almost entirely about the research or other project work to be conducted. • Grants can pay a variety of costs, depending on the grant.

5. What goes into a grant proposal? A SAMPLE TEMPLATE 1. Title 2. Abstract/Project Summary 3. Project Narrative a. Background Information/Statement of the Problem/Literature Review b. Objectives/Aims/Research Questions c. Methods/Procedures/Analysis d. Administration e. Evaluation

6. What goes into a grant proposal? Most important is the Project Narrative – the description of your research – THIS is what will win or lose your grant • Follow the instructions EXACTLY • In most cases, you will need to have: • Discussion of background or preliminary data that you already know or have • A hypothesis or goal for your project • Specific aims or objectives that you will carry out • A plan for experiments or procedures • Discussion of what you expect to find, potential problems, and contingency plans

7. What goes into a grant proposal? SAMPLE GUIDELINES Project Narrative. This section should provide a clear description of the work to be undertaken and how you plan to accomplish it. Relevance and Justification. This section should explain the relevance of the effort to the objectives Project Activities and Schedule This section should identify the activities/tasks to be performed and provide a time for the accomplishment of the activities/tasks Evaluation Phase: This section must include a plan and metrics to be used to assess the success of the project. Facilities and Other Resources. Identify the facilities to be used at each performance site listed. Equipment. List important items of equipment already available for this project

8. What goes into a grant proposal? SAMPLE GUIDELINES SIGNIFICANCE: If the aims of the application are achieved, will scientific knowledge be advanced? Will there be a significant impact of these studies on the concepts or methods that contribute to the reduction of health disparities? APPROACH: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses of data adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? o Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative methods/approaches? INNOVATION: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods and are the aims original and innovative? INVESTIGATOR: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? ENVIRONMENT: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?

9. What goes into a grant proposal? You will need to highlight the SIGNIFICANCE of your project A grant proposal is not just a description of research; it’s a sales pitch and YOU have to make the case To do this, you include: -ways your research can make a difference in the world -how your research can change or advance your field of study -ways your research is innovative or an advance on how similar research has been done in the past

10. What goes into a grant proposal? • Creating a budget • Follow the instructions for what you can and can’t include • Work out a budget that addresses everything you say you plan to do • If there is a limit on how much you can request, you may need to scale back your project • Keep in mind that everything in your budget has to be a justifiable expense • Things like personal expenses, entertaining, etc. are almost always off-limits • Items like international travel usually need to be well-justified

11. What goes into a grant proposal? • Creating a budget • For fellowships, the entire budget will go to support YOU • For grants to an institution to support your research, the institution has infrastructure costs that make research possible • To compensate the institution, organizations (usually) allow the institution to budget a portion of the grant for its “indirect” costs. • Each institution has a rate negotiated with the federal government – Howard’s is currently 48% • For comparison – Harvard’s current rate is 68%; University of Michigan’s is 55.5%

12. What goes into a grant proposal? Indirect Costs (also called “overhead”; “F&A”) • If the sponsor says they will fund a maximum grant of $150,000, here’s how you calculate the indirect cost: • TOTAL of salaries, supplies, etc. = $100,000 • 48% of that total = $48,000 is Indirect Cost • Your budget - $148,000 - is within the sponsor’s maximum • When constructing your budget, determine what you need first to do your research, then calculate how much the indirect costs will add. • You’ll know whether your project needs to be scaled back or whether you need to request a contribution from your institution or another partner.

13. How do I apply for a grant? • Other parts of a grant proposal: • Cover pages or forms • Abstract • CV (yourself and others who will work on the project) • Letters of reference or support • Budget narrative • Appendices of various kinds

14. How do I submit a grant proposal? • Follow the institutional procedures – at Howard, contact Research Administrative Services (RAS) to be sure you have everything required • Make sure you have all the required forms, signed by the right people in the right places • Check, recheck, and check again for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. • Follow all the directions (page limits, numbers of copies, etc.)

15. What if my proposal is not funded? • Don’t give up! • Request and review the reviewers’ comments • Address the comments in your new proposal

16. What happens after you submit a proposal? • Is it responsive? • Yes – then it goes to a review panel • NO – The proposal will be returned to you UNREAD! • Who reads it? • Usually a panel of 2 or more reviewers • Similar, but not identical, disciplines or research areas to yours • How do you find out if you are funded? • Some grants can take 6 months to be reviewed • The organization may give you a target date • What if your proposal is rejected? • Find out why – reviewers’ comments • Revise and resubmit as long as you’re eligible

17. Always Write to Your Audience Be Persuasive Make Life Easy for Your Reviewers Edit, Edit, Edit Follow Directions Check and Recheck for Errors Divide the Document Up Use Bullets and Lists Use Short Sentences If Writing is Not Your Forte, Ask For Help Some General Tips for Grantwriting

18. Questions? Katie McGraw Office of the Associate Provost for Research 202-806-6205 kmcgraw@howard.edu THANK YOU!