Seven insider tips to writing the perfect funding proposal
It's grant writing season, with聽several major NHMRC and ARC applications due over the next few months.聽
To help get you through, the University of Sydney's聽Research Portfolio聽shares their top tips to help researchers ace their funding proposal. While the content of applications will vary from one discipline to another, competitive funding proposals have a number of things in common.聽
Gather knowledge聽
Before putting pen to paper, make sure you read all the documentation, including the funding rules, peer review guidelines and instructions to applicants. Consider the scheme鈥檚 objectives and the selection criteria and whether you can build a strong case.
You might also find it helpful to talk to colleagues who have received funding in your proposed scheme before. Ask around in your School or Faculty, and remember, a聽high-quality application will go through multiple drafting cycles, with feedback from your peers, mentors,聽Faculty research support staff聽and the Research Portfolio, so start as early as possible.
Decide on your angle
To capture your assessors鈥� interest, start your application with why your project is important and what problems it will solve. Detail how the outcomes will affect change and benefit the community: Will the project save lives or improve wellbeing? Will it pave the way for new technologies or creative engagements? Will it help with global issues such as climate change, managing an ageing population, or bring about major savings for governments or industry sectors?
Write for an intelligent, but non-expert audience
Depending on the scheme, some (or all) of your assessors will not be experts in your field. To test-drive your proposal and ideas, why not write your application with a scholarly friend from another discipline in mind, then send your draft application to them for feedback?
Remember to minimise jargon and acronyms, and if you do use them, always define what they mean.
Strike the right tone
Your tone should be confident and authoritative. Use phrases such as 鈥淚 will鈥�, 鈥淚 plan to鈥�, 鈥淢y work has enabled鈥�, 鈥淭here is evidence that compound X is a strong candidate for鈥�, 鈥滿y new interpretation of Weber's philosophy is鈥�, 鈥淚 was an invited speaker at...鈥�
Avoid weaker phrases such as 鈥淚 hope to鈥�, 鈥淢y work has contributed to鈥�, 鈥淚 believe that鈥�, 鈥淚 have spoken at one conference on鈥︹��
Build a strong case for feasibility
Include efficacy and cost-effectiveness of your proposal. If appropriate, build an outstanding team with breadth and depth 鈥� to cover every aspect of the project 鈥� and describe your own expert background and trajectory. If you use equipment in your work, detail the high-quality facilities you have access to. Outline contingency plans where needed and always support any statements you make with evidence or theoretical justification.
Justify your budget
You may need to consider聽personnel costs,聽fees to use research facilities聽and聽indirect costs. Describe each item thoroughly, including how it will be used in the project and how it contributes to the project outcomes. For example: 鈥淎 senior postdoc with four years鈥� experience in the field with A skill set for activity X to achieve outcome Y鈥�. Rather than, 鈥淧ostdoc 0.5 FTE to do field work鈥�. Or, "Travel expenses to attend X high-profile conference in the field, which will lead to a publication (journal paper or monograph)". Rather than, "Travel expenses".
Ask for help
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