Quite often we have staff come to us with a great idea for a research project but no idea of how to turn their idea into a funding proposal. Our first piece of advice to anyone who finds themselves in this seemingly daunting position is not to worry. Writing research grant proposals is a skill that everyone has to learn but there is plenty of support to help you through the process!
The Wellcome Trust has produced a guide for researchers – ‘Top Tips for success‘ – looking to submit a proposal to their Public Engagement schemes, but these tips can be applied to any proposal. Here are a few of our own tips:
Ensure your aims and objectives are clear
If you are finding it difficult to make your aims and objectives clear, it is not because your project is too complicated for others to understand, you just need to master the art of communicating to a non-expert audience. Don’t leave it to the reviewers to tell you they don’t know what the project is about. Give your proposal to friends, family and colleagues and ask them to tell you what your aims are – if they are wrong it’s because you have not made them clear enough.
Know your funder
Every funder, whether you are looking to submit an application to a Research Council or a charity, has a remit. Find out what it is and write your proposal accordingly.
Be realistic
Whilst funders do want to support innovative and exciting research, don’t be overambitious. Whilst it can be tempting to make lots of promises please resist if you want a successful outcome! This also applies to your budget – don’t think that the reviewers will look more favorably on your proposal if you only ask for £100,000 for a project that will cost £200,000. Rather than value for money it indicates a project which will not deliver the outcomes promised in the proposal. Request what you need and justify everything.
Read the Guidelines
Admittedly the guidance document is not the most interesting of documents to read, however it provides invaluable guidance on eligibility, what you can use the funding for, how long the project can be, deadlines and procedures for submission… Set aside some time and read it.
Ensure you have enough time
Writing a proposal takes time, and can often involve several re-writes just for a small project. The amount of time you will need to dedicate to the bid writing process will vary depending on the proposal, but never leave your proposal to the last minute.
If you are considering submitting a research proposal or not sure where to go with your idea, come and talk to us. We will also be holding a series of workshops and seminars this Wednesday which are open to both academics and staff who support research activity. To read more about our Researcher Development Day visit the blog post.