Tips for Writing an Easy-to-Read and Persuasive Grant Proposal

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Tips for Writing an Easy-to-Read and
Persuasive Grant Proposal
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
General Tips for Writing Grant Proposals
1. Start early
• Get the ideas down – even in incomplete form. This process
of brainstorming is an essential first step. At this point avoid
self-criticism and do minimal editing.
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
General Tips for Writing Grant Proposals
1. Start early
• Get the ideas down – even in incomplete form. This process
of brainstorming is an essential first step. At this point avoid
self-criticism and do minimal editing.
2. Develop and clarify your ideas
• As you develop your ideas and create a detailed plan, focus
on answering the “why”: Why is this project significant and
original? Why should it be funded?
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
General Tips for Writing Grant Proposals
1. Start early
• Get the ideas down – even in incomplete form. This process
of brainstorming is an essential first step. At this point avoid
self-criticism and do minimal editing.
2. Develop and clarify your ideas
• As you develop your ideas and create a detailed plan, focus
on answering the “why”: Why is this project significant and
original? Why should it be funded?
3. Revise, revise, revise
• Even the best writers have drafts that are
disorganized, disconnected, dense, and too long.
Revise for coherence, clarity, and concision.
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Coherence
The logical and organized flow of sentences, paragraphs,
and ideas
1. Paragraphs
• Open each paragraph with an introductory sentence (or two). All the
ideas in a paragraph should connect to this opening sentence.
• These introductory (or topic) sentences are the scaffolding of your
document and provide a logical structure.
2. Sections
• Open each section with a paragraph that states the main point of the
section and the key concepts that will follow.
• Every paragraph should support the larger goal of the
section. Thus, each paragraph should have a specific
purpose that contributes to reaching this goal.
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Coherence
cont.
3. Across sections
• Make the infrastructure the unifying theme of every section.
• Link sections together by cross referencing. For example, “For details on
HQP, see the ‘Training of HQP’ section.”
• Although you will be required to include similar information in more than
one section, avoid replicating the exact same sentences; instead, rephrase.
• Map out the information you will include in each section to ensure that you
cover everything but don’t repeat yourself. Keep in mind that each section
requires different levels of detail (depending on the focus of that section).
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Coherence
cont.
The following is an example of an opening paragraph of the
Project Overview (CFI-LOF):
“Overfishing has led to the demise of many fish stocks in Canada. As a result,
future generations will be left with crippled ecosystems and aquaculture economy.
My research responds to this emerging crisis by combining X and Y to examine the
effect of overfishing on Canada’s west coast. The requested infrastructure will
enable the measurement of A and B, which will allow the more precise estimation
of C. Over the long term, this should lead to improved population modeling and
more sustainable fisheries in Canada and worldwide.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Clarity
Making your meaning transparent
1. Use the active voice
• Make important actions the verbs of your sentences.
• Make main characters the subjects of those verbs.
“Prof. X’s more effective presentation of her study resulted in
success, despite stiff competition from other researchers.”
Who is the main character? Prof. X
What is she doing? Presenting and succeeding
“Prof. X succeeded because she presented her
study more effectively than the other
researchers.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Clarity
cont.
2. Avoid jargon
• Grant reviewers include non-specialist readers. Avoid using
technical or discipline-specific language.
• If such language is necessary, be sure to explain the term(s).
• Have a colleague from another discipline read your proposal.
“The requested chocosphere capacitor will synthesize the
production of anandamide to promote a response within the
euphoria matrix.”
“The requested chocosphere capacitor, a
supercapacitor for the production of high quality
chocolate, will enable the synthesis of anandamide,
the ‘bliss molecule,’ in order to increase happiness
in Canada and, ultimately, throughout the world.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Clarity
cont.
3. Use precise words
Choosing the right word(s) has a huge impact on successfully expressing
your ideas.
• Avoid vague words like it, this, there, that, aspect, kind, sort, issue.
• Use a thesaurus to ensure you have the right word.
“This important aspect shows the impact of the requested
nanoindenter on my research.”
“The ability to measure the structural integrity of X
provided by the requested nanoindenter will lead
to the creation of a new Y.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Clarity
cont.
4. Use concrete language
Include concrete nouns and verbs (words that evoke the five senses)
to make your writing more vivid.
“The modes of feeding of insects are believed to be a result of
the formation of their mouths, and are considered to have
evolved to various degrees of specialization as a direct
consequence.”
“Insects suck, chew, parasitize, bore, store, and
even cultivate their foods to a highly sophisticated
degree of specialization.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Concision
Making every word count
1. Delete words that mean little or nothing
“Most HQP generally find some kind of work in this field.”
“Most HQP find work in this field.”
2. Delete words that repeat the meaning of other words
“In the business world of today, official government
red tape seriously destroys initiative among individual
businesses.”
“Government red tape destroys business initiative.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Concision
cont.
3. Delete words implied by other words
“Energy used to power industries and homes will in years to
come cost more money.”
“Energy will eventually cost more.”
4. Replace a phrase with a word
“A sail-powered craft that has turned on its side or
completely over must remain buoyant enough so that it
will bear the weight of those individuals who were
aboard.”
“A capsized sailboat must support those on it.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Concision
cont.
5. Change negatives to affirmatives
“There is no reason to believe that engineering malfunctions in nuclear
energy systems can be anticipated.”
“Malfunctions in nuclear energy systems may surprise us.”
6. Avoid excessive metadiscourse
“It is almost certainly the case that totalitarian systems
cannot allow a society to have what we would define
as stable social relationships.”
“Totalitarianism prevents stable social relationships.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Concision
cont.
7. Avoid excessive use of hedges and intensifiers
“Some of my recent research seems to imply that there may be a risk
that certain people with a gun in their homes could be more prone to
use it to kill themselves or a family member than to protect
themselves from possible intruders.”
“In my research, I prove that people with a gun in their home use it to
kill themselves or a family member instead of to protect themselves
from an intruder.”
“My research indicates that people with a gun in
their home are more likely to use it to kill
themselves or a family member than they are to
protect themselves from an intruder.”
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Take Home Messages
1. Start early
• Get the ideas down.
• Informally discuss your ideas with peers and incorporate
their feedback.
2. Develop and clarify your ideas
• Why is the research significant and original?
• Why should it be funded?
• Back this up with literature, plausible
numbers, etc.
3. Revise, revise, revise
• Budget lots of time for revisions
• Revise for coherence, clarity,
and concision.
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Style Guides that Inspired these Tips
Stylish Academic Writing
by Helen Sword
Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace (Tenth edition)
by Joseph M. Williams and Gregory G. Colomb
The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr.
and E. B. White
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT,
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Contact Information
Gabrielle Sugar, PhD (English Literature),
Editorial and Proposal Development Officer
Phone: 416-978-3205,
gabrielle.sugar@utoronto.ca
Shaun Young, DPhil; SSHRC Postdoc
Editorial and Proposal Development
Officer
Phone: 416-978-2762
shaun.young@utoronto.ca