|
Center
for Public Health Studies
|
|
Grantwriting
Tips Getting
started • Bigger funders (NSF, NIH) will often have a mechanism for "beginning" grant such as 'early investigator' awards. • Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) recommends collaboration with outside institutions or with outside departments. General rule is 50-50 split of credit. • ORSP recommends finding collaborators outside academia where appropriate. Debbie Murdock (5-5040) is a great resource for finding collaborators. Don't establish non-academic relationships (e.g. regarding contracts) without consulting ORSP first. • When responding to major RFPs such as NSF and NIH, check your proposal ideas with Tracy Prince (5-5209), director of development officer for CUPA, to make sure there is no duplication from within the University. • Never send a proposal blind. Good sources of help are people who have been on review committees for that agency or foundation; people who have been awarded grants from that agency or foundation. You can usually get a list from the program officer. However, keep in mind that speaking to people on a review committee may may them ineligible to review your grant. Check with funding agency. • Pay attention to cycles of RFPs. Some are one-or two times annually; some are ongoing. If you miss a deadline, there may be another chance. • One strategy for getting beyond the money limit of a funder is to submit tandem proposals with another institution. Make this explicit in your proposal (the funding decision could be joint or separate). Explore with a program officer first. back
to top Writing
proposals • Look for language in the agency/foundation mission statement. Use it up front in your proposal. Also look for changes in their mission: Can you help them with that change? • Abstracts can serve two purposes: as a winnowing device for the reviewers (in which case it should be appropriately academic), or for publication purposes (in which case it should be appropriately "jargony"). Know which kind they want. back
to top Elements
of a good proposal • Have a "hook" that explains why this research is vital. What can you offer that can't be done anywhere else or by anyone else? • Is this research a continuation of previous research? Indicate your track record. • Is the proposal crucial to development of facilities, etc. at PSU or CPHS? Explain how. • Dissemination. At a minimum, propose to present your findings at conferences and in scholarly articles. Also propose presentation/reports to professional groups, and government and private agencies as appropriate. • If you are re-submitting a previously rejected project, explain up front how this proposal addresses their previous concerns. Don't just resubmit an unrevised proposal. back
to top Data
ownership: Is the data yours or theirs? • Some private agencies (with contracts) retain control, or 'own' the data. • In general, it is yours. But remember you are an employee of PSU, so PSU technically owns the data. • Federal agencies allow universities to keep the profits from invention "for the public good." But state agencies and private entities don't work that way. Make sure you know what the funding source expects. ______________________________________________________________ Thanks to Regina Lawrence for offering these grantwriting tips. ______________________________________________________________ Center
for Public Health Studies
|