How do you write a good grant proposal? How do you write a good proposal for any type of project?<\/p>\n
Jim Olds\u2013 the former head of NSF\u2019s Biological Sciences Directorate \u2013provides some fantastic advice in his post \u201cWhat Grant Reviewers Actually Look For (and What They Ignore)<\/a>\u201c. He distills what grant reviewers want into 5 questions: <\/p>\n Can I explain this to the panel in 3 minutes?Is the question worth answering?Can this person actually do this?Is this the right approach?Will this move the field forward? <\/p>\n He also advocates the use of storyboarding before actually writing your proposal. Quoted below. <\/p>\n Before you write a single word:<\/em><\/p>\n Can you explain your project in three sentences?<\/em>Can someone outside your subfield understand why it matters?<\/em>Do you have a clear narrative arc from question to approach to impact?<\/em><\/p>\n If not, you\u2019re not ready to write. You\u2019re prepared to storyboard.<\/em><\/p>\n Build the simple, clear story first. Then elaborate carefully, making sure every detail serves that core narrative.<\/em><\/p>\n Reviewers are smart, busy people trying to identify good science under time pressure. Please don\u2019t make them work to understand your brilliance. Give them a story they can grasp, defend, and champion.<\/em><\/p>\n