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Proposal Writing Tips

General Tips

  • Read the sponsor guidelines, then read them again
  • Do your homework; gather your background/supporting data and information
  • Outline/draft your project concepts
  • Reflect your enthusiasm and commitment
  • Ask colleagues, friends, collaborators, family, to CRITICALLY read your draft
  • Revise the draft
  • Ask colleagues, friends, collaborators, family, to CRITICALLY read your revision
  • Revise again, if necessary
  • Cut the jargon
  • Double check your language, grammar, style and logic
  • Be clear, concise, consistent and readable
  • Check for transition and continuity
  • Put sections where the reviewers expect to find them (follow the format given in the guidelines)
  • Define abbreviations and acronyms
  • Include appendices for statistical detail, drawings, and charts as may be necessary
  • Ensure good physical appearance on final copy-clean type, margins, etc., as appropriate
  • Do not rely on the sophistication of the reviewers to read into what is not in your proposal

  

Very important considerations

The Office of Sponsored Research is happy to give your proposal a critical review before it's submitted, but as many people as possible should read your proposal and give you critical feedback before it goes out.  Please be kind when asking colleagues and friends to read it, though.  Finish a draft, then circulate it to your readers giving them enough lead time to give it a good read.  Collect their comments, then revise. Don't give a new draft to someone who's still reading an older version.

You have one chance to make your first impression with the reviewers; the abstract/summary and the introductory section should be perfect and should grab the reviewers' attention.  If your friends/colleagues can only review limited portions of your proposal for you before submission, these should be the sections they read.

The reviewers are not necessarily experts in your field and may be reading your proposal on the check-out line in the grocery store.  Take this into account when you're writing.

If you need substantial help with your proposal, please begin communication with our the Office of Sponsored Research well in advance of the submission deadline.