How do you write a good grant proposal? How do you write a good proposal for any type of project?
Jim Olds– the former head of NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate –provides some fantastic advice in his post “What Grant Reviewers Actually Look For (and What They Ignore)“. He distills what grant reviewers want into 5 questions:
- 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?
He also advocates the use of storyboarding before actually writing your proposal. Quoted below.
Before you write a single word:
- Can you explain your project in three sentences?
- Can someone outside your subfield understand why it matters?
- Do you have a clear narrative arc from question to approach to impact?
If not, you’re not ready to write. You’re prepared to storyboard.
Build the simple, clear story first. Then elaborate carefully, making sure every detail serves that core narrative.
Reviewers are smart, busy people trying to identify good science under time pressure. Please don’t make them work to understand your brilliance. Give them a story they can grasp, defend, and champion.
You can read the full article here.
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