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Grant Writing Process

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2024

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BY MIEASIA EDWARDS

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Objectives

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  • Unpack the purpose and components of a grant
  • Generate ideas regarding how you articulate and compel others around your research
  • Learn about research and project funding opportunities at the CUNY Graduate Center
  • Output:
    • Part of the grant application you can later refine based on your needs – white paper (data-based descriptions, define outcomes, build evaluation plans, create budgets)

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STARTING WITH THE END IN MIND

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Step 1: GENERATING YOUR IDEA

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KNOW YOUR WHY

  • What kind of research are you doing and WHY?
  • Define your ultimate purpose & convince others to fund that project
  • Think of your project in terms of
    • Research Design
    • Hypotheses
    • Research Questions
    • Results & Contributions to the Field
  • Idea to Plan to Research to Impact

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  • In pairs - talk about your research in furtherance of your “WHY”…2 mins share (partner A), 1 min restate (partner B), swap = 6 minutes allotted
  • Three sentence description:
  • Problem
  • Solve the problem [or] Learn more about the problem (further research)
  • Why are you (your team) the right people to solve the problem or dig deeper?
  • Share - 2-3 people

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Step 2: FINDING FUNDING

There are several ways to find funding for a grant, including:

  • Grants.gov: A hub for applying for federal grants, with a blog series that can help you learn more about federal grant programs
  • Foundation Directory Online: A database of private foundations that you can search by subject area, geography, and more
  • Candid: A database of grant-makers and their funding opportunities, with a searchable application called Foundation Directory
  • Community Foundation Locator: A tool to find grant-making foundations in your region
  • State government funding: You can research agency-specific grants and contracts by reviewing agency websites or contacting agency staff
  • SFS Vendor Portal: A one-stop-shop for identifying New York State grant funding opportunities
  • USA.gov: A site that links to government benefits, grants, and loans
  • Schools Websites/Libraries/Departments with Specific Information

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Step 2: FINDING FUNDING

When looking for grants, you can consider things like:

  • Subject: Whether your mission is compatible with the funder's
  • Population served: Whether you help people or will engage in research that the funder cares about
  • Geographic region: Whether the funder has given grants to other organizations/fellows in your area/school
  • Eligibility: Making sure you're actually eligible for the grant
  • Target audience: Who will benefit from your research/program/study

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Step 3: DEVELOPING YOUR PROPOSAL

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DATA-BASED / WELL-INFORMED �DESCRIPTIONS & OUTCOMES

  • What is the topic? Why is this topic important?
  • What are the research questions that you’re trying to answer?
  • What relevance do your research questions have?
  • What are your hypotheses?
  • What are your research methods?
  • Why is your research/project important? What is its significance?
  • Do you plan on using quantitative methods? Qualitative methods? Both?
  • Will you be undertaking experimental research? Clinical research?

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STANDARD ELEMENTS

  • Title Page / Cover Page
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
    • statement of the problem
    • purpose of research or goals
    • significance of research
  • Literature Review

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  • Statement of problem – background, need and relevance of the research.
  • How is your project different from previous research on the same topic?
  • Will you be using new methodologies or covering new theoretical territory?
  • Research goals or objectives with the anticipated outcomes of the research � (should match up to the needs identified in the statement of problem)

*List only the principle goal(s) or objective(s) of your research and save � sub-objectives for the project narrative.

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  • Published information in a particular areas (sometimes within a certain time period)
  • Summary of the sources
  • Organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis.
  • A new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations.
  • It might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates.
  • It may evaluate the sources and advise the reader

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STANDARD ELEMENTS

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  • Project Narrative
    • methods & procedures
    • objectives
    • outcomes or deliverables
    • evaluation
    • dissemination
  • Personnel
  • Budget and Budget Justification
  • Timeline

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  • Detailed statement of problem
  • Research objectives or goals, hypotheses, methods, procedures, outcomes or deliverables
  • Evaluation and dissemination of the research.
  • Pre-empt and/or answer all of the reviewers’ questions.
    • Examples:
      • if you propose to conduct unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, be sure you’ve explained why this methodology is best suited to the specific research questions in your proposal.
      • if you’re using item response theory rather than classical test theory to verify the validity of your survey instrument, explain the advantages of this innovative methodology.
      • if you need to travel to Valdez, Alaska to access historical archives at the Valdez Museum, make it clear what documents you hope to find and why they are relevant to your historical novel on the ’98ers in the Alaskan Gold Rush.

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  • Clearly and explicitly state the connections between your research objectives, research questions, hypotheses, methodologies, and outcomes.

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  • The requirements for a strong project narrative vary widely by discipline, consult a discipline-specific guide to grant writing for some additional advice.

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PERSONNEL

  • Explain staffing requirements in detail & make sure that staffing makes sense. �
  • Be very explicit about the skill sets of the personnel already in place & those you will recruit (include their Curriculum Vitae/resume as part of the proposal)�
  • To minimize expenses, phase out personnel who are not relevant to later phases of a project.

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  • Project costs – spreadsheet or table with line items
  • Budget Narrative; Budget Justification
  • Make sure all items meet the funding agency’s requirements
  • Even when proposal guidelines do not specifically mention a narrative, include an explanation of the budget (1-2 pages).
  • If a line item falls outside an agency’s requirements (e.g. some organizations will not cover equipment purchases or other capital expenses), explain in the budget justification that other grant sources will pay for the item.

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BUILD AN EVALUATION PLAN, AS APPLICABLE

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  • Preliminary or pilot research?
  • Funding for dissertation research? Pre-dissertation research? Postdoctoral research? Archival research? Experimental research? Fieldwork?
  • Stipend so that you can write a dissertation or book? Publish a manuscript?
  • Fellowship in residence at an institution for programmatic support or other resources?
  • Large research project that will last for several years and involve multiple staff members?

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Step 4: SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL

  • Triple check all parties�
  • Please keep a copy�
  • “i’s” and “t’s”�
  • Make your 1st chance your best chance.�

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Step 5: AWARD NEGOTIATION & SETUP

  • If you are disappointed in a partial award, follow-up�
  • Determine how you will be best situated to conduct your research�
  • Keep the end in mind

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Step 6: MANAGING YOUR AWARD

  • Be accountable
    • Meet targets
    • Prepare reports
    • Communicate with grantors (as needed)
    • monitor spending�
  • Maintain your proverbial “receipts”

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  • Be anticipatory & avoid surprises

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Step 7: CLOSE-OUT PROJECT

  • Submit final reports�
  • Ensure compliance�
  • Maintain a positive relationship

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Bringing it All Together

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TIMEFRAME

  • Explain the timeframe for the research project in some detail.
  • When will you begin and complete each step?
  • It may be helpful to reviewers if you present a visual version of your timeline.
  • For less complicated research, a table summarizing the timeline for the project will help reviewers understand and evaluate the planning and feasibility
    • Example 1: Table
  • https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/grant-proposals-or-give-me-the-money/#example2
    • Example 2: Chart
  • https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/grant-proposals-or-give-me-the-money/#example3

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TIMEFRAME: SAMPLE 1

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Exploratory Research

Completed

Proposal Development

Completed

Ph.D. qualifying exams

Completed

Research Proposal Defense

Completed

Fieldwork in Rwanda

Oct. 1999-Dec. 2000

Data Analysis and Transcription

Jan. 2001-March 2001

Writing of Draft Chapters

March 2001 – Sept. 2001

Revision

Oct. 2001-Feb. 2002

Dissertation Defense

April 2002

Final Approval and Completion

May 2002

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TIMEFRAME: SAMPLE 2

Example #3: Project Timeline in Chart Format

           

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GENERAL PROPOSAL�WHITE PAPER

  • Develop a general proposal and budget – white paper
  • Your general proposal should explain your project to a general academic audience.
  • Before you submit proposals to different grant programs, you will tailor a specific proposal to their guidelines and priorities.
  • Review an example and you will then develop one aspect of your white paper…

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ART & FEMINISM GRANT �(AN EXAMPLE)

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  • Renewal

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IEG/Art%2BFeminism_Editathon_training_materials_and_network_building/Renewal

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  • Summary, Goals & Results

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Simple/Applications/Art%2BFeminism/2016-2017

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REVISING YOUR PROPOSAL

  • Get feedback from readers
  • Specialists in your area and non-specialists
  • Request help for special areas, i.e. statistician for methodology section
  • Ask your readers:
    • Is this a compelling case?
    • Is my hypothesis explicit?
    • Does my project seem feasible? Too ambitious? Weaknesses?
    • Is the evaluation for grantors clear upon execution?

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GENERAL TIPS

  • Begin & Apply Early
  • Cover letter with application
  • Questions: Be Preemptive, Anticipatory & Answer them All
  • Feed the guidelines
  • Make explicit the connections between your research questions and overarching objectives, methods, budget, timeline, evaluation and dissemination plan.

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RESEARCH & PROJ. FUNDING OPPS AT THE GC

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  • Select an area of a sample grant application to develop
    • Introduction (4-5 sentences)
    • Budget
    • Timeline
  • 5 minutes of independent work time
  • Each person will share for 3 mins, 2 mins for reflection, feedback and/or comments
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Share as a group

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REFERENCES

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