Proposal Development: A Path to Competitive Proposals

          The process developing a competitive grant or research proposal can seem like a complicated and daunting one. Breaking it into a series of phases can help an investigator along the way. By structuring the process around an original idea, compelling research question, or an identifiable and persistent need, an investigator can begin thinking about the grant proposal process in familiar terms and within the context of their teaching, research, or service goals. Once identified, the pathway to funding involves developing a preliminary concept with an explanation of the research and a preliminary budget, and searching various sources for programs with an alignment toward the project or activity. Once funding is identified, the investigator can begin to gather the resources needed to refine and structure their proposal to fit the submission requirements of the grant. Once written, and prior to final submission, all grant narratives and budgets must be received and processed by the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs (OGSP). The OGSP staff is available to assist with every step of this process.

During proposal development, the faculty/principal investigator’s responsibilities include:           

National Science Foundation

National Institutes of Health