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Successful Grant Proposal Examples: The Ultimate List for 2024

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January 29, 2024

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Writing grant proposals can be a stressful process for many organizations. However, it's also an exciting time for your nonprofit to secure the funds needed to deliver or expand your services.

In this article, we'll dig into successful grant proposal examples to show how you can start winning grant funding for your organization.

By the time you finish reading this, you'll understand the characteristics of successful proposals, examples of grant proposals in a variety of program areas, and know exactly where you can find more sample grant proposals for nonprofit organizations .

Ready? Let's dig in!

Why Should You Find Successful Grant Proposal Examples?

Whether you are a seasoned grant writer or are preparing your first proposal ever, grant writing can be an intimidating endeavor. Grant writing is like any skill in that if you apply yourself, practice, and practice some more, you are sure to increase your ability to write compelling proposals.

Successful grant proposals not only convey the great idea you have for your organization but convince others to get excited about the future you envision. Many follow similar structures and developing a process that works best for your writing style can help make the task of preparing proposals much easier.

In addition to showing what to and not to do, finding successful grant proposals can help you see significant trends and structures that can help you develop your grant writing capabilities.

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What characteristics make a grant proposal successful.

"Grant writing is science, but it's not rocket science." - Meredith Noble

There's a lot that goes into creating a successful grant proposal. If you're feeling overwhelmed, Meredith Noble, grant writing expert, shares a straightforward step-by-step process to win funding.

1. Successful grant proposals have a clear focus.

Your first step when searching for funds is to clearly understand why you need those funds and what they will accomplish. Funders want to invest in programs they believe will be successful and impactful.

In your proposals, you want to instill confidence in your organization's commitment to the issue, dedication to the communities you serve, and capacity to fulfill the proposed grant activities.

Some questions that you may want to consider include:

• Are you looking for funds to establish a new program, launch a pilot project, or expand an existing program?
• Will your proposed program be finished in a year, or will it take multiple years to achieve your goal?
• Who is involved in your program, and who will benefit from its success?
• What problem will the proposed program address, and how is that solution unique?
• What are the specific, tangible goals that you hope to accomplish with the potential grant award?

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2. Successful grant proposals are supported with relevant data.

Before starting your grant proposal, you want to take the time to do your research and make sure that your action plan is realistic and well-supported with data. By presenting yourself as capable and knowledgeable with reliable data, a thorough action plan, and a clear understanding of the subject matter.

It can also be beneficial to include data that your organization has collected to show program impacts and staff successes. Conduct regular analysis of program activities, grant deliverables, and collect success stories from clients and community members.

Some tips for when you collect your grant research :

• Make sure that you gather data from reputable sources. For example, at government sites such as Data.Census.gov , the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for demographic data, or the U.S. Small Business, Explore Census Data Administration for industry analyses.

• Include diverse data. There may be some statistics where the numbers are enough to grab the reader's attention; other times, it may be helpful to have illustrations, graphs, or maps.
• In addition to quantitative data, qualitative data such as a story from an impacted community member may be extremely compelling.
• Make sure that the data you include is relevant. Throwing random numbers or statistics into the proposal does not make it impressive. All of the included data should directly support the main point of your proposal.
• You may find it useful to log important notes around what data you want to include in your grant proposal using a grant tracking tool such as Instrumentl .

By the way, check out our post on grant statistics after you finish this one!

3. Successful grant proposals are well-organized

Make sure to pay close attention to all of the requirements that a potential funder includes in their grant details and/or request for proposals (RFP). Your submission and all accompanying attachments, which may also include any graphs and illustrations, should adhere precisely to these guidelines.

Frequently the RFP or grant description will include directions for dividing and organizing your proposal. If, however, it does not, it is still best practice to break your proposal into clear sections with concise headings. You can include a table of contents with page numbers as well.

Standard grant proposal sections include:

• Proposal Summary: Also called the Executive Summary, this is a very brief statement (1-3 paragraphs) that explains your proposal and specifically states the amount of funding requested.
• Project Narrative: The bulk of your proposal, the Project Narrative, will do most of the work introducing your organization, the program, and describing your project. - Organization History: Who you are, what you do, where and how you do it. - Statement of the Problem: Background information on the problem and how it will be solved through the grant. - Project Description: Detailed explanation of the program you intend to implement with the grant, including a detailed timeline.
• Budget and Budget Justification: A breakdown of the project resources into specific budget categories, the amount allocated to each category, and appropriate reasons for that breakdown.

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4. Successful grant proposals are tailored to the funder.

In addition to finding the basic details on the funding opportunity and application guidelines, you should also look into the funder, their giving priorities, and history.

Funders are much more likely to select your organization among others if they clearly understand and empathize with your cause and recognize the impact your work has in the community.

For more details on establishing meaningful relationships with funders, check out our article on How to Approach and Build Grant Funder Relationships .

The first step in determining whether a funding opportunity is a good fit, do some research to ensure your organization's programs and financial needs meet the funder’s interests and resources.

A few questions to ask include:

• What are the organization’s values, written mission, and goals?
• How is what you want to do aligned with the overall mission of this agency?
• Do their giving priorities match with the vision of your proposed program?
• Will this grant cover the entire cost of your program, or will you need to find additional funds?
• Does the grant timeline meet the budget needs of your organization?
• Are there other considerations that might be useful for us to know in preparing your application?

5. Successful grant proposals are proofread!

If you have been in the grant writing game for any extended period of time, chances are that you’ve dealt with tight deadlines. Nonprofit staff often have a lot on their plates, and if you happen to find an attractive funding opportunity when there’s only a handful of days before its deadline, it may be difficult to walk away.

It is crucial to plan an appropriate amount of time to review and proofread your proposal. Grammar mistakes can make or break your submission and they are easy to fix.

General strategies for editing your proposal include:

• Use one of the many available grammar-checking software such as Grammarly or GrammarCheck.me . These online tools are often free to use and can help you quickly and accurately review your work.

• Ask other members of your team to peer-review the proposal. It is especially important to have staff working on or who are directly impacted by the program proposed to ensure everyone is on the same page. Additionally, these staff members have the most information about the program's implementation and can catch inconsistency or unrealistic promises in the proposal.
• It is also helpful to ask someone unfamiliar with your program and the subject matter discussed in the proposal. Sometimes the grant reviewer may not have the same level of knowledge you or your staff have about the subject matter, and so you want to ensure you stay away from overly-specific jargon and undefined acronyms.
• Read through it (again!). A final read-through, maybe out loud, after all the edits have been made, can help you catch overlooked mistakes or inconsistencies in the proposal.

If you're looking to start building your own nonprofit financial statement and nonprofit membership application, get started quickly by using our Nonprofit Financial Statement Template and Nonprofit Membership Application Template . The template is made in Canva, an an easy-to-use creative design tool. You can jump right in, change colors, add your logo, and adjust the copy so it fits your brand.Why start from scratch when you can use one of our templates?

The Ultimate List of Grant Proposal Examples

As stated early on in the article, every grant proposal is unique. We have curated a list of sample grants for various types of projects or nonprofit organizations. This list is in no way exhaustive, but several examples cover common program designs and focus areas that receive philanthropic support through grants.

Research Grant Proposal Samples

Finding a grant opportunity to fund research can be a challenge. These types of grants are typically intensive and require in-depth expertise, a proposed research design, explanation of methodology, project timelines, and evidence of the principal investigator(s) qualifications.

The following are examples of grant proposals in support of research projects or studies.

Harvard University - Proposal to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2009) :

Researchers at Harvard University proposed to research the “growth of policies in the United States around the use of genomic science in medicine and racial identity.”

For grants focused on research, it is important to ensure that the proposal can be understood by different kinds of stakeholders. While the research may be very specific and require some expertise to understand, the purpose and need for the research undertaken should be able to be understood by anyone.

For example, being cognizant of jargon and when it is and isn’t appropriate to use is incredibly important when developing a research grant proposal.

This proposal to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, while very detailed and specific, still lays out the intent of the proposal in laymans terms and includes the appropriate amount of detail while ensuring that a broader audience can read and understand the request and purpose of the study.

Northwestern University - Annotated Grant Proposal Sample (2016)

For individuals or organizations who are interested in developing a great grant proposal in support of a research project, Northwestern University has a catalog of grant proposal samples with annotations denoting notable strengths and weaknesses of the application.

Linked above is one such example, a grant proposal in support of a project titled “Understanding the Stability of Barium-Containing Ceramic Glazes”. Review Northwestern University’s catalog of sample proposals here for additional guidance and inspiration.

Clinical Trial Grant Proposal Sample

Clinical trials are important research projects that test medical, behavioral, or surgical inventions to prove or disprove hypotheses about their efficacy. These trials are an important component of scientific and medical advancement. Oftentimes, hospitals or research institutions require robust funding from grants to initiate a trial of this kind.

While clinical trials are highly specific and require a great deal of expert input to develop, reviewing a grant proposal sample can help you prepare should your nonprofit organization decide to pursue a funding opportunity of this kind.

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Center for Clinical and Translational Science – NIH Grant R Series Samples :

If your nonprofit organization is seeking funding for a clinical trial, a great place to begin for tools and resources is the University of Alabama’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

The Center’s website has several sample proposals submitted to the National Institutes of Health . For professionals hoping to submit a grant proposal in support of a clinical trial, you may find one among these excellent examples that aligns closely with your work and can guide the grant development process.

Community Garden Grant Proposal Sample

Community gardens are idyllic cornerstones of their neighborhoods, cultivating lush, green spaces where residents can build a thriving community. Some community gardens are run by nonprofits such as land trusts or are born out of special projects initiated by nonprofit organizations.

Either way, to ensure the sustainability of local community gardens, gardeners and community garden managers may need to apply for funding through grant opportunities. Below is just one grant proposal sample in support of a community garden that may help you develop your own winning community garden grant application.

Stockton University – Community Garden 2020 Proposal :

This grant proposal submitted on behalf of Stockton University does an excellent job of illustrating the success of their community garden project and justifies the need for funding to sustain the momentum of the project going forward.

This proposal is also visually compelling and well-designed, incorporating photos and color schemes that directly evoke the image of a flourishing community garden. Ensuring your proposal document is easy to read and incorporates a strong layout and design can sometimes make or break an otherwise strong proposal that is being judged in a competitive pool of applicants. Strong design elements can set your proposal apart and make it shine!

Government Grant Proposal Samples

Government grants are some of the most complex and challenging funding opportunities that a person can come across. Funding from government entities is allocated from tax-payer dollars, and as such the government employs strict requirements and rigorous oversight over the grantmaking process.

Having a successful template or sample in hand can help position you for success when you need help applying for a government grant.

National Endowment for the Humanities - Challenge Grant Proposal Narrative Sample :

Developing a grant narrative is a challenge regardless of the opportunity. Government grants, which require very specific detail, can pose an even greater challenge than most opportunities. Linked here is a successfully funded project of the Alexandria Archive Institute, Inc . through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

This project is a great example of how to develop a grant narrative that successfully addresses the stringent requirements associated with grant proposals. Note how each section is laid out, the double spacing, citations, and other key elements that are required in a government proposal to adhere to specific standards.

Even though this is a great example, also be aware that every government agency is different and while this proposal was a successful application for the NEH, other agencies may have different requirements including specific narrative sections, attachments and work plans, among other key items.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – City of Pleasantville Clean School Bus, Clean Snow Removal Trucks and Clean Bulldozers Project Proposal Sample :

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers an example grant for potential grantees to review. This sample proposal envisions a project by a local municipality to procure buses, snow removal trucks, and bulldozers that produce less emissions thereby decreasing air pollution in the region. This sample proposal is a great guide for developing a compelling narrative and weaving in evidence-based data and information to support throughout.

Conference Grant Proposal Sample

Conferences are an important aspect of a nonprofit or educational institution's operations. Conferences can help bring together like minded individuals across sectors to find solutions and sharpen their skills, and they can facilitate the formation of powerful coalitions and advocacy groups.

Identifying funding for conferences can be difficult, and requires a thoughtful, strategic approach to achieve success. Following a template or grant proposal sample can help guide you through the application process and strengthen your chances of submitting a successful application.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – American Urological Associations Quality Improvement Summit :

This sample proposal provides an extensive template to follow for writing a successful conference grant proposal. The proposal follows an easily understood, structured narrative, and includes a detailed budget and key personnel profiles that will help anyone applying for grant support strengthen their chances of developing a high-quality application.

Dance Grant Proposal Sample

There are countless arts and cultural nonprofit organizations in the United States. According to Americans for the Arts , there are over 113,000 organizations (nonprofit or otherwise) devoted to promoting arts and culture in communities throughout the country—including dance.

Whether a theater that focuses on dance performance or a studio that teaches beginners how to appreciate the art form, there are a variety of dance-focused nonprofits that exist. Identifying strong grant proposal samples for dance-focused organizations or projects can be helpful as you work to help your dance program grow and gain revenue.

Mass Cultural Council – Dance/Theater Project Grant Sample :

This is an example proposal for an interactive dance/theatrical puppet project that focuses on engaging families. While this example captures a very unique and specific project, it also provides a good example of how to craft a case statement , write a strong project description, and develop a detailed project budget.

Daycare Grant Proposal Sample

In the United States, daycares are a vital component of childhood development, but unfortunately many families are unable to access them due to cost or accessibility. Studies show that in 2020 alone, over 57% of working families spent more than $10,000 on childcare while 51% U.S. residents live in regions classified as “childcare deserts”.

Given this, nonprofit daycares are vital to supporting future generations and providing accessible and affordable childcare for parents throughout the country. Many nonprofit daycares rely on generous funding through grants. Nonprofit day care professionals can use all the help they can get to submit winning proposals and sustain their daycare’s operations.

Relying on a high-quality grant proposal sample or template can be a huge help when working on a grant application or writing a proposal in support of a daycare.

AWE - Digital Learning Solutions – Grant Proposal Template :

While not a straightforward grant proposal sample, this grant template provides detailed guidance and helpful examples of how to respond to common questions and how to craft essential elements of a grant proposal focused on childcare and childhood development.

For example, the template provides easy to understand steps and bulleted lists for every key component of the grant proposal including a case statement, organizational capacity and information, project sustainability, project budget, and project evaluation.

Literacy Grant Proposal Sample

Promoting literacy is a very common mission for nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and the world. Literacy projects and programs are typically provided by educational institutions or education focused nonprofits.

In fact, according to the Urban Institute , Education focused nonprofits made up 17.2% of all public charities. With numbers like these, it can be helpful to gain insights from a grant proposal sample that will help you win grants and grow your organization.

Suburban Council of International Literacy (Reading) Association “Simply Reading” – Grant Proposal Sample :

This sample proposal to the Suburban Council of International Literacy (Reading) Association (SCIRA) is a great example of a strongly developed narrative that makes a powerful case for how fostering a love for reading among young students can result in improved educational outcomes. This helpful guide provides a framework for drafting a high-quality grant narrative while also giving examples of other key proposal elements such as a project budget.

Successful Educational Grant Proposals

Educational programming can be highly diverse in its delivery. Check out these examples of successful grant proposals for education to help you get started winning funds for your next educational program.

Kurzweil Educational Systems : In addition to this being a successful grant proposal, this example also includes detailed explanations of each section and provides useful guidelines that can help you frame your proposal.

Salem Education Foundation : This foundation has posted a sample application of a school seeking funding for increasing youth enrichment opportunities for their annual grant.

This is a great example for funding opportunities that ask specific questions about your organization and the proposed project instead of requesting a general proposal or narrative.

Successful Youth Grant Proposals

These examples of grant proposals for youth programs can help you tap into one of the largest categories of charitable dollars.

Family Service Association (FSA): This example of a grant proposal that is well-written and comprehensive. It is for a community block grant focused on youth development to expand services and cover staff salaries.

The Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA): This is a sample produced by the national office of the BGCA to assist local branches in securing funds for youth programming and expanding services.

Successful Health-Related Grant Proposals

There is a large amount of funding for health-related initiatives, from healthcare grants to individuals, operational support for organizations or clinicians, and supporting researchers advancing the field. These sample grants give a bit of insight into this diverse sphere.

Centerville Community Center : Follow this link to read a grant to support community-based programming to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease prevention. This proposal does a great job of breaking down the project description, proposed activities, tracking measures, and timeline.

Prevention Plus Wellness : This is a sample grant proposal for nonprofit organizations to assist those looking to secure funds to address substance use and wellness programming for youth and young adults.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID): The NIAID has released several examples of proposal applications and scientific research grant proposal samples that successfully secured funding for scientific research related to healthcare.

Other Successful Grant Proposals

Of the over 1.6 million nonprofit organizations in the United States , your funding requests may fall out of the three general categories described above. We have included additional grants that may help meet your diverse needs.

Kennett Area Senior Center : Submitted to a local community foundation, this proposal requests funding between the range of $1,000 to $10,000 to provide critical services and assistance to local seniors.

In addition to being very detailed in describing the program details it also carefully describes the problem to be addressed.

Region 2 Arts Council: This comprehensive grant proposal requests funds to support an artist to continue expanding their skills and professional experience. This is a useful example for individual grants or scholarships for professional or scholastic opportunities in supported fields.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church: This is an excellent example of a faith-based organization’s proposal to secure funds for a capital project to repair their building. The framing of this proposal and the language in the narrative can be used to help shape proposal letters to individual donors and to foundations, which can be especially useful for faith-based organizations or other groups looking to secure funds.

Tips to Get More Successful Grant Proposal Examples

If you are interested in finding more grant proposal examples, especially those directly related to your organization's priorities and service area, you can look at a few places.

1st: Foundation Websites

Sometimes a foundation will include past proposal submissions publicly on the website. These are especially useful if you are seeking grants from the organization. You can see exactly what kind of proposals they found compelling enough to fund and see if there are any trends in their structure or language.

2nd: Online Tools and Workshops

Sites like the Community Tool Box or Non-Profit Guides offer free online resources for organizations working to support healthier communities and support social change. They provide helpful advice for new nonprofits and provide a whole suite of sample grants to help you start winning grants step by step.

You may also be able to ask other members of the Instrumentl community for their past successful grant proposals by attending our next live workshop. Hundreds of grant proposals attend these every few weeks. To RSVP, go here .

3rd: Collect your own! 

As you start submitting grants, you are also creating a collection of sample grants tailored to your subject area. Every response offers an invaluable learning opportunity that can help you strengthen your grant writing skills.

Perhaps there are similarities among proposals that do exceptionally well. If a submission is rejected, ask for feedback or a score breakdown. Then, you may be able to see what areas need improvement for the future. Read our post on grant writing best practices for more on how to evaluate your past proposals.

Wrapping Things Up: Successful Grant Proposal Examples

Grant writing is a skill that anyone can learn. And as you begin to build your skills and prepare to write your next proposal, let these examples of successful grant proposals act as a guide to successful grant writing. Don’t however mistake a useful example as the ultimate guide to winning a grant for your organization.

Make sure to keep your unique mission, vision, and voice in the proposal!

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ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANT PROPOSALS

How to Use Annotated Sample Grants

Are these real grants written by real students.

Yes! While each proposal represents a successfully funded application, there are two things to keep in mind: 1) The proposals below are  final products;  no student started out with a polished proposal. The proposal writing process requires stages of editing while a student formulates their project and works on best representing that project in writing. 2) The samples reflect a wide range of project types, but  they are not exhaustive . URGs can be on any topic in any field, but all must make a successful argument for why their project should be done/can be done by the person proposing to do it.  See our proposal writing guides for more advice. The best way to utilize these proposals is to pay attention to the  proposal strengths  and  areas for improvement  on each cover page to guide your reading.

How do I decide which sample grants to read?

When students first look through the database, they are usually compelled to read an example from their major (Therefore, we often hear complaints that there is not a sample proposal for every major). However, this is not the best approach because there can be many different kinds of methodologies within a single subject area, and similar research methods can be used across fields.

• Read through the Methodology Definitions and Proposal Features  to identify which methodolog(ies) are most similar to your proposed project. 
• Use the Annotated Sample Grant Database ( scroll below the definitions and features) filters or search for this methodology to identify relevant proposals and begin reading!

It does not matter whether the samples you read are summer grants (SURGs) or academic year grants (AYURGs).  The main difference between the two grant types is that academic year proposals (AYURG) require a budget to explain how the $1,000 will be used towards research materials, while summer proposals (SURG) do not require a budget (the money is a living stipend that goes directly to the student awardee) and SURGs have a bigger project scope since they reflect a project that will take 8 weeks of full time research to complete.  The overall format and style is the same across both grant cycles, so they are relevant examples for you to review, regardless of which grant cycle you are planning to apply.  

How do I get my proposal to look like these sample grants?

Do not submit a first draft:  These sample proposals went through multiple rounds of revisions with feedback from both Office of Undergraduate Research advisors and the student’s faculty mentor. First, it helps to learn about grant structure and proposal writing techniques before you get started. Then, when you begin drafting, it’s normal to make lots of changes as the grant evolves. You will learn a lot about your project during the editing and revision process, and you typically end up with a better project by working through several drafts of a proposal.

Work with an advisor:  Students who work with an Office of Undergraduate Research Advisor have higher success rates than students who do not. We encourage students to meet with advisors well in advance of the deadline (and feel free to send us drafts of your proposal prior to our advising appointment, no matter how rough your draft is!), so we can help you polish and refine your proposal.

Review final proposal checklists prior to submission:  the expectation is a two-page, single-spaced research grant proposal (1″ margins, Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11), and proposals that do not meet these formatting expectations will not be considered by the review committee.  Your bibliography does not count towards this page limit.

Academic Year URG Submission Checklist

Summer URG Application Checklist

METHODOLOGY DEFINITIONS & PROPOSAL FEATURES

Research methodologies.

The proposed project involves collecting primary sources held in archives, a Special Collections library, or other repository. Archival sources might include manuscripts, documents, records, objects, sound and audiovisual materials, etc. If a student proposes a trip to collect such sources, the student should address a clear plan of what will be collected from which archives, and should address availability and access (ie these sources are not available online, and the student has permission to access the archive).

Computational/Mathematical Modeling

The proposed project involves developing models to numerically study the behavior of system(s), often through computer simulation. Students should specify what modeling tool they will be using (i.e., an off-the-shelf product, a lab-specific codebase), what experience they have with it, and what resources they have when they get stuck with the tool (especially if the advisor is not a modeler). Models often involve iterations of improvements, so much like a Design/Build project, the proposal should clearly define parameters for a “successful” model with indication of how the student will assess if the model meets these minimum qualifications.

Creative Output

The proposed project has a creative output such playwriting, play production, documentary, music composition, poetry, creative writing, or other art. Just like all other proposals, the project centers on an answerable question, and the student must show the question and method associated with the research and generation of that project. The artist also must justify their work and make an argument for why this art is needed and/or how it will add to important conversations .

Design/Build

The proposed project’s output centers around a final product or tool. The student clearly defines parameters for a “successful” project with indication of how they will assess if the product meets these minimum qualifications.

The project takes place in a lab or research group environment, though the methodology within the lab or research group vary widely by field. The project often fits within the larger goals/or project of the research group, but the proposal still has a clearly identified research question that the student is working independently to answer.

Literary/Composition Analysis

The project studies, evaluates, and interprets literature or composition. The methods are likely influenced by theory within the field of study. In the proposal, the student has clearly defined which pieces will be studied and will justify why these pieces were selected. Context will be given that provides a framework for how the pieces will be analyzed or interpreted.

Qualitative Data Analysis

The project proposes to analyze data from non-numeric information such as interview transcripts, notes, video and audio recordings, images, and text documents. The proposal clearly defines how the student will examine and interpret patterns and themes in the data and how this methodology will help to answer the defined research question.

Quantitative Data Analysis

The project proposes to analyze data from numeric sources. The proposal clearly defines variables to be compared and provides insight as to the kinds of statistical tests that will be used to evaluate the significance of the data.

The proposed project will collect data through survey(s). The proposal should clearly defined who will be asked to complete the survey, how these participants will be recruited, and/or proof of support from contacts. The proposal should include the survey(s) in an appendix. The proposal should articulate how the results from these survey(s) will be analyzed.

The proposed project will use theoretical frameworks within their proposed area of research to explain, predict, and/or challenge and extend existing knowledge. The conceptual framework serves as a lens through which the student will evaluate the research project and research question(s); it will likely contain a set of assumptions and concepts that form the basis of this lens.

Proposal Features

Group project.

A group project is proposed by two or more students; these proposals receive one additional page for each additional student beyond the two page maximum. Group projects must clearly articulate the unique role of each student researcher. While the uploaded grant proposal is the same, each student researcher must submit their own application into the system for the review.

International Travel

Projects may take place internationally. If the proposed country is not the student’s place of permanent residence, the student can additionally apply for funding to cover half the cost of an international plane ticket. Proposals with international travel should likely include travel itineraries and/or proof of support from in-country contacts in the appendix.

Non-English Language Proficiency

Projects may be conducted in a non-English language. If you have proficiency in the proposed language, you should include context (such as bilingual, heritage speaker, or by referencing coursework etc.) If you are not proficient and the project requires language proficiency, you should include a plan for translation or proof of contacts in the country who can support your research in English.

DATABASE OF ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANTS

• About Grants
• How to Apply - Application Guide

Samples: Applications, Attachments, and Other Documents

As you learn about grantsmanship and write your own applications and progress reports, examples of how others presented their ideas can help. NIH also provides attachment format examples, sample language, and more resources below.

On This Page:

Sample Grant Applications

Nih formats, sample language, and other examples.

With the gracious permission of successful investigators, some NIH institutes have provided samples of funded applications, summary statements, and more. When referencing these examples, it is important to remember:

• The applications below used the form version and instructions that were in effect at the time of their submission. Forms and instructions change regularly. Read and carefully follow the instructions in your chosen funding opportunity and the Application Guide .
• The best way to present your science may differ substantially from the approaches used in these examples. Seek feedback on your draft application from mentors and others.
• Talk to an NIH program officer in your area of science for advice about which grant program would be a good fit for you and the Institute or Center that might be interested in your idea.
• Samples are not available for all grant programs. Because many programs have common elements, the available samples can still provide helpful information and demonstrate effective ways to present information.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

• Sample Applications and Summary Statements (R01, R03, R15, R21, R33, SBIR, STTR, K, F, G11, and U01)
• NIAID Sample Forms, Plans, Letters, Emails, and More

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

• Behavioral Research Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21)
• Cancer Epidemiology Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21, R37)
• Implementation Science Grant Applications (R01, R21, R37) 
• Healthcare Delivery Research Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21, R50)

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

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How to Write a Successful Research Grant Proposal: An Overview

Writing a research grant proposal can be a challenging task, especially for those who are new to the process. However, a well-written proposal can increase the chances of receiving the necessary funding for your research.

This guide discusses the key criteria to consider when writing a grant proposal and what to include in each section.  

Table of Contents

Key criteria to consider  

When writing a grant proposal, there are five main criteria that you need to consider. These are:  

• Significance  
• Innovation  
• Investigators  
• Environment  

The funding body will look for these criteria throughout your statement, so it’s important to tailor what you say and how you say it accordingly.  

1. Significance  

Significance refers to the value of the research you are proposing. It should address an important research problem and be significant in your field or for society. Think about what you are hoping to find and how it could be valuable in the industry or area you are working in. What does success look like? What could follow-on work lead to?  

2. Approach  

Approach refers to the methods and techniques you plan to use. The funding body will be looking at how well-developed and integrated your framework, design, methods, and analysis are. They will also want to know if you have considered any problem areas and alternative approaches. Experimental design, data collection and processing, and ethical considerations all fall under this group.  

3. Innovation  

Innovation means that you are proposing something new and original. Your aims should be original and innovative, or your proposed methods and approaches should be new and novel . Ideally both would be true. Your project should also challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies.  

4. Investigators  

Investigators here refer to you and your team, or proposed team. The funding body will want to know if you are well-trained and have the right qualifications and experience to conduct the research . This is important as it shows you have the ability to undertake the research successfully. One part of this evaluation will be, have you been awarded grants in the past. This is one reason to start early in your career with grant applications to smaller funds to build up a track record.  

5. Environment  

Environment refers to the scientific environment in which the work will be done. The funding body will want to know if the scientific environment will contribute to the overall probability of success. This could include your institution, the building or lab you will be working in, and any collaborative arrangements you have in place. Any similar research work conducted in your institution in the past will show that your environment is likely to be appropriate.  

Writing the grant proposal  

It’s almost impossible to generalize across funders, since each has its own highly specific format for applications, but most applications have the following sections in common.  

1. Abstract  

The abstract is a summary of your research proposal. It should be around 150 to 200 words and summarize your aims, the gap in literature, the methods you plan to use, and how long you might take.  

2. Literature Review  

The literature review is a review of the literature related to your field. It should summarize the research within your field, speaking about the top research papers and review papers. You should mention any existing knowledge about your topic and any preliminary data you have. If you have any hypotheses, you can add them at the end of the literature review.  

The aims section needs to be very clear about what your aims are for the project. You should have a couple of aims if you are looking for funding for two or three years. State your aims clearly using strong action words.  

4. Significance  

In this section, you should sell the significance of your research. Explain why your research is important and why you deserve the funding.  

Defining Your Research Questions  

It’s essential to identify the research questions you want to answer when writing a grant proposal. It’s also crucial to determine the potential impact of your research and narrow your focus.  

1.Innovation and Originality  

Innovation is critical in demonstrating that your research is original and has a unique approach compared to existing research. In this section, it’s essential to highlight the importance of the problem you’re addressing, any critical barriers to progress in the field, and how your project will improve scientific knowledge and technical capabilities. You should also demonstrate whether your methods, technologies, and approach are unique.  

2. Research approach and methodology  

Your research approach and methodology are crucial components of your grant proposal. In the approach section, you should outline your research methodology, starting with an overview that summarizes your aims and hypotheses. You should also introduce your research team and justify their involvement in the project, highlighting their academic background and experience. Additionally, you should describe their roles within the team. It’s also important to include a timeline that breaks down your research plan into different stages, each with specific goals.  

In the methodology section, detail your research methods, anticipated results, and limitations. Be sure to consider the potential limitations that could occur and provide solutions to overcome them. Remember, never give a limitation without providing a solution.  

Common reasons for grant failure  

Knowing the common reasons why grant proposals fail can help you avoid making these mistakes. The five key reasons for grant failure are:  

• Poor science – The quality of the research is not high enough.  
• Poor organization – The proposal is not organized in a clear way.  
• Poor integration – The proposal lacks clear integration between different sections.  
• Contradiction – The proposal contradicts itself.  
• Lack of qualifications or experienc e – The researcher lacks the necessary qualifications or experience to conduct the research.  

By avoiding these pitfalls, you will increase your chances of receiving the funding you need to carry out your research successfully.  

Tips for writing a strong grant proposal  

Writing a successful grant proposal requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips to help you create a strong grant proposal:  

• Begin writing your proposal early. Grant proposals take time and effort to write. Start as early as possible to give yourself enough time to refine your ideas and address any issues that arise.  
• Read the guidelines carefully . Make sure to read the guidelines thoroughly before you start writing. This will help you understand the requirements and expectations of the funding agency.  
• Use clear, concise language . Avoid using technical jargon and complex language. Write in a way that is easy to understand and conveys your ideas clearly. It’s important to note that grant reviewers are not likely to be domain experts in your field.  
• Show, don’t tell . Use specific examples and evidence to support your claims. This will help to make your grant proposal more convincing.  
• Get feedback . Ask colleagues, mentors, or other experts to review your proposal and provide feedback. This will help you identify any weaknesses or areas for improvement.  

Conclusion  

Writing a successful grant proposal is an important skill for any researcher. By following the key criteria and tips outlined in this guide, you can increase your chances of securing funding for your research. Remember to be clear, concise, and innovative in your writing, and to address any potential weaknesses in your proposal. With a well-written grant proposal, you can make your research goals a reality.  

If you are looking for help with your grant application, come talk to us at GrantDesk. We have grant experts who are ready to help you get the research funding you need.  

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Samples of Award-Winning Grant Proposals

These award-winning grant proposals were chosen as the most effective by a panel of judges. Each proposal reflects a unique voice and style, while adhering to sound grant writing principles.

These proposals are available to GrantStation Members who are logged in. If you aren't a Member, become one today !

• Mary Connor For Soccer Without Borders

      Sector Awards

• Diana Pupillo / Alisha Vianello for Gateway Pet Guardians (Private)
• Dimitri Teixeira for The Capital Good Fund (Private)
• Molly Woodbury for Women's Audio Mission (Government)
• Lindsay White for Knox, Inc. (Government)

     Honorable Mentions

• Suzanne Roberts for Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic
• Stephanie DeChambeau for The Core Collective at Saint Vincent
• Kim Godfrey Lovett for PbS Learning Institute, Inc
• Edith Bowles for Central Virginia Health Services
• Jill Moses for The Inspired Community Project
• Lauren Bernstein for Jack & Jill Center
• Emily Winburn for The United Way of Greater Charlotte
• Kristen Cresante for Hospitality House of Charlotte
• Chris Canfield of Conservation Trust for North Carolina
• Mary E. Chown of MECAdvising for Clare House
• Molly Woodbury for Women's Audio Mission
• Anna Hutchins for Camp Twin Lakes
• Jenji Henson for EcoRise
• Christi Lyn Rice for Broward Center for the Performing Arts
• Kristein Johnson for Castelgar & District Community Services
• Danielle Ivanovich for Denver Health Foundation
• Chelsie Baldwin of Coppertop Consulting for NAHON
• Lauren Swern for New Jersey Highlands Coalition
• Hamna Khuld for Oasis – A Haven for Women and Children
• Rhonda Shipley for Recycle Force
• Mary Rivers of Rivers Consulting for San Francisco Housing Development Corporaton
• Kristi Albertson for Lake Health District
• Paula Shell for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida
• Annie Chavez for Catholic Charities of Central Texas
• Jamie Simek for Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
• Lisa Yalkut for Memorial Healthcare
• Anne Walker for Global Game Changers
• Brooke Durham for The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
• Elizabeth Simpson for Okefenokee Heritage Center
• Holly Barbera for Good Grief
• Elyse Jennings for Health Brigade
• Katherine King for City of Kalispell
• Rev. John Udo-Okon for Word Of Life Christian Fellowship International, Inc.
• Deborah Steinkopf for Portland Street Medicine
• Jeff Bauknecht for The Museum of Flight
• Scott Fitzpatrick for the New Hampshire Catholic Charities
• Kim Johnson for Friends of Bellevue, Inc.
• Annie Chavez for Catholic Charities of Central Texas
• Darlene Blair for A Home 4 Spot Rescue
• Colin Fleming for Olmsted Center for Sight
• Michael Murphy for Affinia Healthcare
• Pamela Thyng for Community Partners
• Rachel Hurst for National Safe Place Network
• Russell Health for Downeast Salmon Federation
• Stephanie Heaton for Health West, Inc.
• Angie Thompson for Children's Musical Theatre of Bartlesville
• Lesley Gulledge for Humane Society of Utah
• Amy McDaniel, M.A., M.Phil., M.S.H.E. for the Lampasas County Higher Education Center
• Keri McDonald for Austin Sunshine Camps
• Judy Riffle, Ed.D. for Santa Cruz Grants & Consulting, LLC/Sunnyside Unified School District
• Violet S. Rush for CAP Tulsa
• Anthony (Tony) Spearman-Leach for Montgomery Community Media/Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Marcy Luedtke, MSW for MVNA/Hospice of the Twin Cities/Hospice of the Valley
• Ray Delia for Camps for Kids
• Kara Bundy for CASA Prince George's County, Inc.
• Scott M. Fitzpatrick for Catholic Charities New Hampshire
• Bruce J. Stedman for Tri-Valley CAREs
• Janet Ruprecht for Humboldt Senior Resource Center
• Amy O’Donnell for the JourneyCare Foundation
• Carrie Frank for The Jewish Home for the Elderly
• Peggy Kreimer for Stepping Stones
• Mary Katzke for Affinity Films/SoundStories
• Laurie Whitaker for the Ocala Police Department

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Blog Business Grant Proposal Examples: Win Funding for Your Project

Grant Proposal Examples: Win Funding for Your Project

Written by: Sneha May 08, 2024

If you need funds to execute a project or initiative, seeking grants is a great solution. However, most charitable organizations are inundated with grant proposals, so yours needs to be exceptional.

So, how do you create grant proposals that stand out from the competition? Whether for research, a social project, business, or further education, the formula is simple — convey your purpose, goals and objectives, implementation plan, expected outcomes, and proposed budget. 

In this blog, I’ll review compelling grant proposal examples of varying themes you can use as inspiration.

PS: You can make grant proposals using our  Grant Proposal Maker  or edit free grant proposal templates (no design skills necessary).  

Click to jump ahead: 

List of grant proposal examples

• How to write a grant proposal?

In this section, I’ll review 12 winning grant proposal examples covering various industries.

1. Art grant proposal example

As  Herbert Lui,  a renowned motion director and author once said: “Artists should be able to create art without worrying about money to focus on the process and serve their artistic practice.”

However, most artists struggle financially, which impacts their creativity. Art grant proposals help artists pursue their passion without constraints. 

This art grant proposal template starts with a minimalistic cover page. It then continues with a cover letter expressing the purpose behind the application.

It continues with a cover letter section to demonstrate your skills and highlight why you’re the ideal candidate to receive funding. It also has project details, budget breakdown, and artist bio sections. 

You can replace image placeholders with your own or customize the colors to match your identity.

In Venngage, you can rearrange or add new pages from other templates to personalize your art grant proposal.

Pick a template you like, click it, and it’ll automatically reflect in the initial template.

2. Nonprofit grant proposal example

Non-profit organizations rely on financial aid in the form of grants or donations to fund initiatives for the benefit of society. However, creating a nonprofit grant application can be time-consuming.

Use our nonprofit grant proposal template to create a proposal that includes all the necessary details — sections such as ‘about us’,’ ‘our team’,’ project details, required budget, and more. 

A great nonprofit grant proposal starts with an eye-catching title page. 

Once you have a reader’s attention, you’ll want to build credibility and trust by editing content in the ‘about us’ or ‘our team’ page.

3. Education grant proposal example

Providing access to quality education is the top priority of most institutions; however, lack of funds limits the ability to hire skilled instructors, build infrastructure, and provide students with relevant amenities. 

Education grant proposals are designed to fund institutions seeking to create better learning environments and build a better future. 

This education grant proposal template includes an engaging title page, cover letter, executive summary that describes challenges faced by the institution and separate pages to discuss its goals and objectives, and expected project budget to overcome challenges.

In education grant proposals, the goals, objectives, and strategy are your ‘money pages’.

4. Simple grant proposal example

A simple grant proposal can be used in almost every scenario. Simple grant proposal templates start with an executive summary that clearly and concisely captures your request. 

Other sections you’ll commonly find in grant proposal examples include organizational background, project overview, key objectives, and expected outcomes. 

One of the best elements of this simple grant proposal template is the description of project phases. It creates a clear flow so funders can easily understand the project details.

5. STEM grant proposal example

STEM is an educational approach that combines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to create a cohesive learning experience.  

A core principle of the STEM field is that institutions carry out research and experiments. 

STEM grant proposals help you fulfill that goal by providing the funding you may need to procure or maintain necessary to be successful, such as equipment or software requirements. 

This STEM grant proposal template starts with an appealing cover page.  

It also includes a section for a cover letter, organization overview, problem statement, project goals, and strategies. 

You can customize this template by adding your details and images. There is also a separate page for proposing a budget where you can add potential expenses. 

6. Technology grant proposal example

Technology grants are beneficial for any company wanting to promote digital inclusion. You can use it to secure funding to provide students access to computers, hire skilled faculty and support staff, and promote tech-related initiatives like AI workshops.

Here’s a great example of a minimalist technology grant proposal that can make a strong first impression.

This template has an impactful design and keeps text to a minimum. You can replace the placeholder text and images in each section, which includes the executive summary, project details, and budget details. 

The project details page has been divided into a listicle format to make scanning easy. 

7. Community garden grant proposal example

Recreational spaces are important places in communities as they allow social interaction, promote mental well-being, and serve as locations for celebrating culture.  

Though private residential communities usually have the resources to provide residents with the best facilities and experience, some public communities struggle to improve services, which is why communities can apply for grants.

Our community garden proposal template has multiple sections, including an executive summary, an area to explain issues faced by residents, and a project plan and proposed budget.

You can edit this template to add your information and visuals for maximum impact.

8. Startup grant proposal example

Many startups struggle, especially in initial years, due to insufficient funds. This impacts innovators’ confidence and is a loss to society. Grants help founders scale without worrying about finances.

Entrepreneurs or founders with novel ideas but lack resources to hit the ground running can use our startup grant proposal template to seek financial aid.

Our startup proposal template uses a minimalist gray color theme for a professional look. It has an eye-catching cover page where you can add a quick one-liner on why you’re seeking aid — for example, promoting AI-driven transformation. 

Start by editing the template to define a statement of need, business goals, and objectives. 

Next, define your core business methods and strategies to help investors understand your value proposition and increase the odds of winning the grant. 

9. Teen empowerment grant proposal example

Our teen empowerment grant proposal helps any organization wanting to promote youth skill development and empowerment secure financial aid.

In a rapidly changing world, a digital divide can leave the elderly feeling isolated and excluded from essential services.

Digital training institutes or organizations involved in social welfare can use this digital literacy template to convince grant-giving agencies. 

10. Small business grant proposal example

Grants are a great way for small businesses to adapt to changing technologies and grow in a competitive market. Our small business grant proposal template helps small business owners achieve success.

This small business grant proposal template is designed for a small business that makes child care affordable for working parents and wants to scale operations.

You can edit this template to replace the placeholder information with your business name, goals and objectives, methods and strategies, project description and estimated budget.

This grant proposal template uses a professional color theme, however, you can replace it to reflect your branding in one click using My Brand Kit (available to Business users only).

11. Digital literacy for seniors grant proposal example

Our digital literacy for seniors grant proposal template uses an evergreen color combination for a sleek and professional look. It has three separate sections to explain your needs. 

The budget page helps you provide clear details of the total grant amount, project activities, and the budget allocated to such activities.

12. Scholarship grant proposal example

High tuition fees and rising expenses make higher education inaccessible to underprivileged children and young.

If you are an organization helping students get the education they deserve, you can use this scholarship grant proposal to convince grantmaking bodies.

This scholarship grant proposal template includes an executive summary section where you can describe your organization’s mission, achievements, and principles.

You can also list your objectives and the strategies you will use to achieve the goals. 

How to write a grant proposal

If you’re trying to write a grant proposal and don’t know where to start, start by answering the following “whys”:

• Why have you chosen a particular project or initiative?: Explain the problem statement clearly and the expected outcome of the project.
• Why do you need funding?:  Explain why you need funds and provide a breakdown of how you will allocate the grant amount.
• Why should an investor fund your project?:  Discuss your project’s potential impact and how it aligns with an investor’s initiatives or goals.

Once you have these answers, it’s time to create your proposal structure. List the sections you want to include and gather details such as project scope, budget, mission statement, and team details. 

Next, shortlist a grant proposal template on Venngage and use our drag-and-drop editor to edit the template to make it your own.

Related: How to Write a Grant Proposal [Templates Included]

Conclusion: Create winning grant proposals in minutes using Venngage

Creating grants from scratch can be tedious. You have to brainstorm the design of each page and then manually add elements, text, tables, and images. Unless you’re a professional designer, your design will probably be mediocre.  

Why put in so much effort when you can create grant proposals using  grant proposal templates  from Venngage? Our templates have professional layouts, proper text alignment, relevant sections, and image placeholders that are ready for you to edit. 

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How to write a grant proposal: a step-by-step guide

What is a grant proposal?

Why should you write a grant proposal, format of a grant proposal, how to write a grant proposal, step 1: decide what funding opportunity to apply for, and research the grant application process, step 2: plan and research your project, preliminary research for your grant proposal, questions to ask yourself as you plan your grant proposal, developing your grant proposal, step 3: write the first draft of your grant proposal, step 4: get feedback, and revise your grant proposal accordingly, step 5: prepare to submit your grant proposal, what happens after submitting the grant proposal, final thoughts, other useful sources for writing grant proposals, frequently asked questions about writing grant proposals, related articles.

You have a vision for a future research project, and want to share that idea with the world.

To achieve your vision, you need funding from a sponsoring organization, and consequently, you need to write a grant proposal.

Although visualizing your future research through grant writing is exciting, it can also feel daunting. How do you start writing a grant proposal? How do you increase your chances of success in winning a grant?

But, writing a proposal is not as hard as you think. That’s because the grant-writing process can be broken down into actionable steps.

This guide provides a step-by-step approach to grant-writing that includes researching the application process, planning your research project, and writing the proposal. It is written from extensive research into grant-writing, and our experiences of writing proposals as graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in the sciences.

A grant proposal is a document or collection of documents that outlines the strategy for a future research project and is submitted to a sponsoring organization with the specific goal of getting funding to support the research. For example, grants for large projects with multiple researchers may be used to purchase lab equipment, provide stipends for graduate and undergraduate researchers, fund conference travel, and support the salaries of research personnel.

As a graduate student, you might apply for a PhD scholarship, or postdoctoral fellowship, and may need to write a proposal as part of your application. As a faculty member of a university, you may need to provide evidence of having submitted grant applications to obtain a permanent position or promotion.

Reasons for writing a grant proposal include:

• To obtain financial support for graduate or postdoctoral studies;
• To travel to a field site, or to travel to meet with collaborators;
• To conduct preliminary research for a larger project;
• To obtain a visiting position at another institution;
• To support undergraduate student research as a faculty member;
• To obtain funding for a large collaborative project, which may be needed to retain employment at a university.

The experience of writing a proposal can be helpful, even if you fail to obtain funding. Benefits include:

• Improvement of your research and writing skills
• Enhancement of academic employment prospects, as fellowships and grants awarded and applied for can be listed on your academic CV
• Raising your profile as an independent academic researcher because writing proposals can help you become known to leaders in your field.

All sponsoring agencies have specific requirements for the format of a grant proposal. For example, for a PhD scholarship or postdoctoral fellowship, you may be required to include a description of your project, an academic CV, and letters of support from mentors or collaborators.

For a large research project with many collaborators, the collection of documents that need to be submitted may be extensive. Examples of documents that might be required include a cover letter, a project summary, a detailed description of the proposed research, a budget, a document justifying the budget, and the CVs of all research personnel.

Before writing your proposal, be sure to note the list of required documents.

Writing a grant proposal can be broken down into three major activities: researching the project (reading background materials, note-taking, preliminary work, etc.), writing the proposal (creating an outline, writing the first draft, revisions, formatting), and administrative tasks for the project (emails, phone calls, meetings, writing CVs and other supporting documents, etc.).

Below, we provide a step-by-step guide to writing a grant proposal:

• Decide what funding opportunity to apply for, and research the grant application process
• Plan and research your project
• Write the first draft of your grant proposal
• Get feedback, and revise your grant proposal accordingly
• Prepare to submit your grant proposal

• Start early. Begin by searching for funding opportunities and determining requirements. Some sponsoring organizations prioritize fundamental research, whereas others support applied research. Be sure your project fits the mission statement of the granting organization. Look at recently funded proposals and/or sample proposals on the agency website, if available. The Research or Grants Office at your institution may be able to help with finding grant opportunities.
• Make a spreadsheet of grant opportunities, with a link to the call for proposals page, the mission and aims of the agency, and the deadline for submission. Use the information that you have compiled in your spreadsheet to decide what to apply for.
• Once you have made your decision, carefully read the instructions in the call for proposals. Make a list of all the documents you need to apply, and note the formatting requirements and page limits. Know exactly what the funding agency requires of submitted proposals.
• Reach out to support staff at your university (for example, at your Research or Grants Office), potential mentors, or collaborators. For example, internal deadlines for submitting external grants are often earlier than the submission date. Make sure to learn about your institution’s internal processes, and obtain contact information for the relevant support staff.
• Applying for a grant or fellowship involves administrative work. Start preparing your CV and begin collecting supporting documents from collaborators, such as letters of support. If the application to the sponsoring agency is electronic, schedule time to set up an account, log into the system, download necessary forms and paperwork, etc. Don’t leave all of the administrative tasks until the end.
• Map out the important deadlines on your calendar. These might include video calls with collaborators, a date for the first draft to be complete, internal submission deadlines, and the funding agency deadline.
• Schedule time on your calendar for research, writing, and administrative tasks associated with the project. It’s wise to group similar tasks and block out time for them (a process known as ” time batching ”). Break down bigger tasks into smaller ones.

Now that you know what you are applying for, you can think about matching your proposed research to the aims of the agency. The work you propose needs to be innovative, specific, realizable, timely, and worthy of the sponsoring organization’s attention.

• Develop an awareness of the important problems and open questions in your field. Attend conferences and seminar talks and follow all of your field’s major journals.
• Read widely and deeply. Journal review articles are a helpful place to start. Reading papers from related but different subfields can generate ideas. Taking detailed notes as you read will help you recall the important findings and connect disparate concepts.

• Writing a grant proposal is a creative and imaginative endeavor. Write down all of your ideas. Freewriting is a practice where you write down all that comes to mind without filtering your ideas for feasibility or stopping to edit mistakes. By continuously writing your thoughts without judgment, the practice can help overcome procrastination and writer’s block. It can also unleash your creativity, and generate new ideas and associations. Mind mapping is another technique for brainstorming and generating connections between ideas.
• Establish a regular writing practice. Schedule time just for writing, and turn off all distractions during your focused work time. You can use your writing process to refine your thoughts and ideas.
• Use a reference manager to build a library of sources for your project. You can use a reference management tool to collect papers , store and organize references , and highlight and annotate PDFs . Establish a system for organizing your ideas by tagging papers with labels and using folders to store similar references.

To facilitate intelligent thinking and shape the overall direction of your project, try answering the following questions:

• What are the questions that the project will address? Am I excited and curious about their answers?
• Why are these questions important?
• What are the goals of the project? Are they SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely)?
• What is novel about my project? What is the gap in current knowledge?
• What methods will I use, and how feasible is my approach?
• Can the work be done over the proposed period, and with the budget I am requesting?
• Do I have relevant experience? For example, have I completed similar work funded by previous grants or written papers on my proposed topic?
• What pilot research or prior work can I use, or do I need to complete preliminary research before writing the proposal?
• Will the outcomes of my work be consequential? Will the granting agency be interested in the results?
• What solutions to open problems in my field will this project offer? Are there broader implications of my work?
• Who will the project involve? Do I need mentors, collaborators, or students to contribute to the proposed work? If so, what roles will they have?
• Who will read the proposal? For example, experts in the field will require details of methods, statistical analyses, etc., whereas non-experts may be more concerned with the big picture.
• What do I want the reviewers to feel, and take away from reading my proposal?
• What weaknesses does my proposed research have? What objections might reviewers raise, and how can I address them?
• Can I visualize a timeline for my project?

Create an actionable plan for your research project using the answers to these questions.

• Now is the time to collect preliminary data, conduct experiments, or do a preliminary study to motivate your research, and demonstrate that your proposed project is realistic.
• Use your plan to write a detailed outline of the proposal. An outline helps you to write a proposal that has a logical format and ensures your thought process is rational. It also provides a structure to support your writing.
• Follow the granting agency’s guidelines for titles, sections, and subsections to inform your outline.

At this stage, you should have identified the aims of your project, what questions your work will answer, and how they are relevant to the sponsoring agency’s call for proposals. Be able to explain the originality, importance, and achievability of your proposed work.

Now that you have done your research, you are ready to begin writing your proposal and start filling in the details of your outline. Build on the writing routine you have already started. Here are some tips:

• Follow the guidelines of the funding organization.
• Keep the proposal reviewers in mind as you write. Your audience may be a combination of specialists in your field and non-specialists. Make sure to address the novelty of your work, its significance, and its feasibility.
• Write clearly, concisely, and avoid repetition. Use topic sentences for each paragraph to emphasize key ideas. Concluding sentences of each paragraph should develop, clarify, or summarize the support for the declaration in the topic sentence. To make your writing engaging, vary sentence length.
• Avoid jargon, where possible. Follow sentences that have complex technical information with a summary in plain language.
• Don’t review all information on the topic, but include enough background information to convince reviewers that you are knowledgeable about it. Include preliminary data to convince reviewers you can do the work. Cite all relevant work.
• Make sure not to be overly ambitious. Don’t propose to do so much that reviewers doubt your ability to complete the project. Rather, a project with clear, narrowly-defined goals may prove favorable to reviewers.
• Accurately represent the scope of your project; don’t exaggerate its impacts. Avoid bias. Be forthright about the limitations of your research.
• Ensure to address potential objections and concerns that reviewers may have with the proposed work. Show that you have carefully thought about the project by explaining your rationale.
• Use diagrams and figures effectively. Make sure they are not too small or contain too much information or details.

After writing your first draft, read it carefully to gain an overview of the logic of your argument. Answer the following questions:

• Is your proposal concise, explicit, and specific?
• Have you included all necessary assumptions, data points, and evidence in your proposal?
• Do you need to make structural changes like moving or deleting paragraphs or including additional tables or figures to strengthen your rationale?
• Have you answered most of the questions posed in Step 2 above in your proposal?
• Follow the length requirements in the proposal guidelines. Don't feel compelled to include everything you know!
• Use formatting techniques to make your proposal easy on the eye. Follow rules for font, layout, margins, citation styles , etc. Avoid walls of text. Use bolding and italicizing to emphasize points.
• Comply with all style, organization, and reference list guidelines to make it easy to reviewers to quickly understand your argument. If you don’t, it’s at best a chore for the reviewers to read because it doesn’t make the most convincing case for you and your work. At worst, your proposal may be rejected by the sponsoring agency without review.
• Using a reference management tool like Paperpile will make citation creation and formatting in your grant proposal quick, easy and accurate.

Now take time away from your proposal, for at least a week or more. Ask trusted mentors or collaborators to read it, and give them adequate time to give critical feedback.

• At this stage, you can return to any remaining administrative work while you wait for feedback on the proposal, such as finalizing your budget or updating your CV.
• Revise the proposal based on the feedback you receive.
• Don’t be discouraged by critiques of your proposal or take them personally. Receiving and incorporating feedback with humility is essential to grow as a grant writer.

Now you are almost ready to submit. This is exciting! At this stage, you need to block out time to complete all final checks.

• Allow time for proofreading and final editing. Spelling and grammar mistakes can raise questions regarding the rigor of your research and leave a poor impression of your proposal on reviewers. Ensure that a unified narrative is threaded throughout all documents in the application.
• Finalize your documents by following a checklist. Make sure all documents are in place in the application, and all formatting and organizational requirements are met.
• Follow all internal and external procedures. Have login information for granting agency and institution portals to hand. Double-check any internal procedures required by your institution (applications for large grants often have a deadline for sign-off by your institution’s Research or Grants Office that is earlier than the funding agency deadline).
• To avoid technical issues with electronic portals, submit your proposal as early as you can.
• Breathe a sigh of relief when all the work is done, and take time to celebrate submitting the proposal! This is already a big achievement.

Now you wait! If the news is positive, congratulations!

But if your proposal is rejected, take heart in the fact that the process of writing it has been useful for your professional growth, and for developing your ideas.

Bear in mind that because grants are often highly competitive, acceptance rates for proposals are usually low. It is very typical to not be successful on the first try and to have to apply for the same grant multiple times.

Here are some tips to increase your chances of success on your next attempt:

• Remember that grant writing is often not a linear process. It is typical to have to use the reviews to revise and resubmit your proposal.
• Carefully read the reviews and incorporate the feedback into the next iteration of your proposal. Use the feedback to improve and refine your ideas.
• Don’t ignore the comments received from reviewers—be sure to address their objections in your next proposal. You may decide to include a section with a response to the reviewers, to show the sponsoring agency that you have carefully considered their comments.
• If you did not receive reviewer feedback, you can usually request it.

You learn about your field and grow intellectually from writing a proposal. The process of researching, writing, and revising a proposal refines your ideas and may create new directions for future projects. Professional opportunities exist for researchers who are willing to persevere with submitting grant applications.

➡️ Secrets to writing a winning grant

➡️ How to gain a competitive edge in grant writing

➡️ Ten simple rules for writing a postdoctoral fellowship

A grant proposal should include all the documents listed as required by the sponsoring organization. Check what documents the granting agency needs before you start writing the proposal.

Granting agencies have strict formatting requirements, with strict page limits and/or word counts. Check the maximum length required by the granting agency. It is okay for the proposal to be shorter than the maximum length.

Expect to spend many hours, even weeks, researching and writing a grant proposal. Consequently, it is important to start early! Block time in your calendar for research, writing, and administration tasks. Allow extra time at the end of the grant-writing process to edit, proofread, and meet presentation guidelines.

The most important part of a grant proposal is the description of the project. Make sure that the research you propose in your project narrative is new, important, and viable, and that it meets the goals of the sponsoring organization.

A grant proposal typically consists of a set of documents. Funding agencies have specific requirements for the formatting and organization of each document. Make sure to follow their guidelines exactly.

• IT/Operations
• Professional Services & Consulting
• IT and Software Solutions
• Facilities & Maintenance
• Infrastructure & Construction

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Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Grant Proposal

Writing a grant proposal is incredibly time-consuming.

No joke. It's one of the most complicated documents you could write in your entire life.

There are different requirements, expectations, and formats—not to mention all the prep work you need to do, like market research and clarifying your project timeline.

Depending on the type of company or organization you represent and which grants you’re applying for, your grant could run anywhere from a dozen to a hundred pages. It’s a lot of work, and we’re here to help.

In this guide to grant proposals, we offer writing steps and examples, as well as resources and templates to help you start applying for funding right away.

Types of grant proposals

Grant proposals typically fall into one of these main categories:

Research grant proposals - Research grant proposals are usually sent by university professors or private research organizations in order to fund research into medical, technological, engineering, and other advancements.

Nonprofit grant proposals - Nonprofits send grant proposals to philanthropic organizations and government agencies to acquire funds for community development, health, education, and similar projects.

Technology grant proposals - Grant proposals can also be sent by technology companies (software, hardware, solar, recycling, environmental, manufacturing, health, and other types of tech companies). These proposals are often sent to large government organizations looking for solutions to current and future problems, as well as VC firms looking to invest in smart startups.

Small business grant proposals - Local governments often give grant awards to small businesses to help them kickstart, market, or expand.

Arts grants - Grants allow artists that would otherwise lack the financial resources to devote extended periods of time to their art. They might need to complete an installation that can be enjoyed by the community as part of the grant.

Grant RFP proposals - There can also be a request for proposals (RFP) for just about anything. From multinational organizations like the UN to family philanthropic grants, you can find RFPs for a variety of projects.

How to prep before you write

Before you can sit down to write your grant proposal, you’ll need to have a deep understanding of:

Existing scientific literature (for research grants) or relevant reports and statistics

Market and competitor landscape

Current available solutions and technologies (and why they’re not good enough)

Expected positive impact of your project

The methods and strategies you’ll employ to complete your project

Project phases and timelines

Project budget (broken down into expense categories)

With these things all buttoned down, you’ll have a much easier time writing the sections that cover those details, as well as the sections that highlight their meaning and importance (such as your statement of need and objectives).

Create a document where you can play around. Take notes, write down ideas, link out to your research, jot down different potential budgets, etc.

Then, when you’re ready to write, create a fresh document for your actual grant proposal and start pulling from your notes as needed.

How to write a grant proposal (ideal format)

Now, let’s get writing.

The ideal outline for a grant proposal is:

Cover Letter

Executive summary, table of contents, statement of need, project description, methods and strategies, execution plan and timeline, evaluation and expected impact, organization bio and qualifications.

If you’re not writing a super formal grant proposal, you might be able to cut or combine some of these sections. When in doubt, check with the funding agency to learn their expectations for your proposal. They might have an RFP or other guidelines that specify the exact outline they want you to follow.

Note: In business proposals, the cover letter and executive summary are the same, and those phrases are used interchangeably. But for grant proposals, the cover letter is a short and simple letter, while the executive summary offers a description of key aspects of the proposal.

In your cover letter, you'll write a formal introduction that explains why you are sending the proposal and briefly introduces the project.

What to include :

The title of the RFP you are responding to (if any)

The name of your proposed project (if any)

Your business or nonprofit organization name

A description of your business or organization, 1-2 sentences

Why you are submitting the proposal, in 1-2 sentences

What you plan to do with the funds, in 2-4 sentences

Dear [Name], The Rockville Community Garden is responding to the city of Rockville’s request for proposals for nonprofit community improvement projects. The Rockville Community Garden is a space for relaxation, healthy eating, exercise, and coming together. We are submitting a proposal to request funding for Summer at the Garden. Every summer, parents are tasked with finding childcare for their children, and we have received countless requests to host a summer camp. We're requesting funding to cover tuition for 100 low-income children ages 5 to 12. The funds will make our summer camp accessible to those who need it most. Thank you for your consideration, [Signature] [Title]

The executive summary of a grant proposal goes into far more detail than the cover letter. Here, you’ll give

Statement of Need overview, in 2 - 5 sentences

Company Bio and Qualifications, in 2 - 5 sentences

Objectives, in 2 - 5 sentences

Evaluation and Expected Impact, in 2 - 5 sentences

Roman architecture stands the test of time until it doesn’t. Roman building techniques can last thousands of years but will crumble to dust instantaneously when earthquakes strike. Meanwhile, our own building techniques of reinforced concrete and steel last only a couple of centuries. Ancient Architecture Research firm is dedicated to modernizing roman building techniques to create new structures that are earthquake safe and sustainable. Our principle investigators hold PhDs from renowned architecture universities and have published in numerous journals. Our objectives for the research grant are to create a prototype structure using Roman building techniques and test it on a shake table to simulate an earthquake. The prototype will pave the way for our application for an amendment to the California building code to permit unreinforced masonry construction. With the success of the prototype, we will prove the safety and viability of this technique. This project will have an enormous potential impact on several crises plaguing the state of California now and in the future: disaster relief, affordable housing, homelessness, and climate migration. Unreinforced masonry construction can be taught and learned by amateur builders, allowing volunteers to quickly deploy temporary or permanent structures.

Next up, you need your Table of Contents! Make sure it matches the names of each of your following sections exactly. After you’ve written, edited, and finalized your grant proposal, you should then enter accurate page numbers to your TOC.

Next up is the statement of need. This is where you sell why you’re submitting your grant request and why it matters.

A description of who will benefit from your proposal

Market and competitive analysis

Statistics that paint a picture of the problem you’re solving

Scientific research into how the problem is expected to worsen in the future

Reasons why your small business deserves funding (founder story, BIPOC founder, female founder, etc.)

While women hold 30% of entry-level jobs in tech, they only make up 10% of C-suite positions. The Female Leadership Initiative seeks to develop women tech leaders for the benefit of all genders. Female leaders have been proven to positively impact work-life balance, fairer pay, creativity, innovation, teamwork, and mentorship.

In this section, you’ll describe the basics of your research project, art project, or small business plan. This section can be kept fairly short (1 - 3 paragraphs), because you’ll be clarifying the details in the next 5 paragraphs.

The name of your project (if any)

Who will benefit from your project

How your project will get done

Where your project will take place

Who will do the project

The Fair Labor Project will seek to engage farm workers in the fields to identify poor working conditions and give back to those who ensure food security in our communities. Trained Spanish-speaking volunteers will visit local farms and speak with workers about their pay and work conditions, helping to uncover any instances of abuse or unfair pay. Volunteers will also pass out new work gloves and canned food. Volunteers will also place orders for work boots and ensure that boots are later delivered to workers that need them.

You should also write out clear goals and objectives for your grant proposal. No matter the type of agency, funding sources always want to see that there is a purpose behind your work.

Measurable objectives tied directly to your proposed project

Why these objectives matter

We seek to boost volunteer turnout for our voter registration efforts by 400%, allowing us to reach an additional 25,000 potential voters and five additional neighborhoods.

Now it’s time to clarify how you’ll implement your project. For science and technology grants, this section is especially important. You might do a full literature review of current methods and which you plan to use, change, and adapt. Artists might instead describe their materials or process, while small business grant writers can likely skip this section.

The names of the methods and strategies you will use

Accurate attribution for these methods and strategies

A literature review featuring the effectiveness of these methods and strategies

Why you are choosing these methods and strategies over others

What other methods and strategies were explored and why they were ultimately not chosen

“We plan to develop our mobile app using React Native. This framework is widely regarded as the future of mobile development because of the shared codebase that allows developers to focus on features rather than create everything from scratch. With a high workload capacity, react native also provides user scalability, which is essential for our plan to offer the app for free to residents and visitors of Sunny County.”

You’ll also need to cover how you plan to implement your proposal. Check the RFP or type or grant application guidelines for any special requirements.

Project phases

The reasoning behind these phases

Project deliverables

Collaborators

In our experience and based on the literature,11,31-33 program sustainability can be improved through training and technical assistance. Therefore, systematic methods are needed to empirically develop and test sustainability training to improve institutionalization of evidence-based programs. This will be accomplished in three phases. In Phase 1, (yr. 1, months 1-6) we will refine and finalize our Program Sustainability Action Planning Model and Training Curricula. As part of this refinement, we will incorporate experiential learning methods3-6 and define learning objectives. The Program Sustainability Action Planning Training will include action planning workshops, development of action plans with measurable objectives to foster institutional changes, and technical assistance. We will also deliver our workshops in Phase 1 (yrs. 1 and 2, months 6-15) to 12 state TC programs. Phase 2 (yrs. 1, 2, and 3) uses a quasi-experimental effectiveness trial to assess the Program Sustainability Action Planning Training in 24 states (12 intervention, 12 comparison). Evaluation of our training program is based on the theory of change that allows for study on how a change (intervention) has influenced the design, implementation, and institutionalization of a program.7,8,11,28 We will collect data on programmatic and organizational factors that have been established as predictors of sustainability9,11 using state level programmatic record abstraction and the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT)43 to assess level of institutionalization across intervention and comparison states at three time points. Data will be used to establish the efficacy of the Program Sustainability Action Planning Model and Training Curricula. In Phase 3 (yr. 4, months 36-48), we will adapt our training based on results and disseminate Program Sustainability Action Planning Model and Training materials. - From Establishing The Program Sustainability Action Planning Training Model

A budget table with various expense categories

An explanation of what each category entails

Expenses broken down by month or year (if this fits your proposal)

Here’s an example budget table with expense categories:

You can then include a brief description of each category and the expenses you expect within them.

A great grant proposal should clarify how you will measure positive outcomes and impact.

Details on the expected impact of your project

Who will benefit from your project and how

Your plan for evaluating project success

How you will measure project success

We will measure the success of the project by monitoring the school district’s math scores. We are expecting an 8% increase in state testing scores from the fall to the spring across grades 1 through 3.

And lastly, finish up your grant proposal with a bio of your organization, your company, or yourself.

Company name

The names of people on your team

Professional bios for everyone on your team

Your educational background

Any relevant awards, qualifications, or certifications

Jane Doe received her masters in fine arts specializing in ceramics from Alfred University. She has received the Kala Fellowship and the Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence.

Successful grant proposal examples

Want to write winning grant applications?

We’ve rounded up examples of successful, awarded grants to help you learn from the best.

Check out these real examples across science, art, humanities, agriculture, and more:

Funded arts and research grants from the University of Northern Colorado

Samples of awarded proposals from the Women’s Impact Network

National Cancer Institute examples of funded grants

Institute of Museum and Library Services sample applications

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awarded grants examples

Grant application and funding resources

To help you get started writing and sending grant proposals, we’ve found some great application resources.

Research grants:

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants

William T. Grant Foundation grants on reducing inequality

Russel Sage Foundation research grants

Nonprofit grants:

Walmart’s Local Community Grants

Bank of America’s Grant Funding for Nonprofits

Canada GrantWatch’s database of nonprofit grants

Technology grants:

Google Impact Challenges

UN Sustainable Development Goals Fund

US Department of Energy Funding

Small business grants:

US Chamber of Commerce Small Business grants

Canada Small Business Benefits Finder

US Small Business Administration (SBA) grants

Arts grants :

National Endowment for the Arts grants

Art Prof Artist Grants

Canada Council for the Arts grants

Get started with our proposal writing templates

The best way to start any proposal is with a template. A template informs your writing, while drastically speeding up the time it takes to design an attractive proposal.

All of our 75+ proposal templates can easily be adapted for any purpose, including grants or requests for funding. Try our project proposal template and make it your own by adding your executive summary, statement of need, project description, execution plan, budget, and company bio.

Start a free trial to check out all of our proposal software features , including reusable content snippets, e-signatures, viewing and signing analytics, and more.

Dayana Mayfield is a B2B SaaS copywriter who believes in the power of content marketing and a good smoothie. She lives in Northern California. Connect with her on LinkedIn here: linkedin.com/in/dayanamayfield/

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Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!)

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise grant proposals for research funding in all academic disciplines (sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts). It’s targeted primarily to graduate students and faculty, although it will also be helpful to undergraduate students who are seeking funding for research (e.g. for a senior thesis).

The grant writing process

A grant proposal or application is a document or set of documents that is submitted to an organization with the explicit intent of securing funding for a research project. Grant writing varies widely across the disciplines, and research intended for epistemological purposes (philosophy or the arts) rests on very different assumptions than research intended for practical applications (medicine or social policy research). Nonetheless, this handout attempts to provide a general introduction to grant writing across the disciplines.

Before you begin writing your proposal, you need to know what kind of research you will be doing and why. You may have a topic or experiment in mind, but taking the time to define what your ultimate purpose is can be essential to convincing others to fund that project. Although some scholars in the humanities and arts may not have thought about their projects in terms of research design, hypotheses, research questions, or results, reviewers and funding agencies expect you to frame your project in these terms. You may also find that thinking about your project in these terms reveals new aspects of it to you.

Writing successful grant applications is a long process that begins with an idea. Although many people think of grant writing as a linear process (from idea to proposal to award), it is a circular process. Many people start by defining their research question or questions. What knowledge or information will be gained as a direct result of your project? Why is undertaking your research important in a broader sense? You will need to explicitly communicate this purpose to the committee reviewing your application. This is easier when you know what you plan to achieve before you begin the writing process.

Diagram 1 below provides an overview of the grant writing process and may help you plan your proposal development.

Applicants must write grant proposals, submit them, receive notice of acceptance or rejection, and then revise their proposals. Unsuccessful grant applicants must revise and resubmit their proposals during the next funding cycle. Successful grant applications and the resulting research lead to ideas for further research and new grant proposals.

Cultivating an ongoing, positive relationship with funding agencies may lead to additional grants down the road. Thus, make sure you file progress reports and final reports in a timely and professional manner. Although some successful grant applicants may fear that funding agencies will reject future proposals because they’ve already received “enough” funding, the truth is that money follows money. Individuals or projects awarded grants in the past are more competitive and thus more likely to receive funding in the future.

Some general tips

• Begin early.
• Apply early and often.
• Don’t forget to include a cover letter with your application.
• Answer all questions. (Pre-empt all unstated questions.)
• If rejected, revise your proposal and apply again.
• Give them what they want. Follow the application guidelines exactly.
• Be explicit and specific.
• Be realistic in designing the project.
• Make explicit the connections between your research questions and objectives, your objectives and methods, your methods and results, and your results and dissemination plan.
• Follow the application guidelines exactly. (We have repeated this tip because it is very, very important.)

Before you start writing

Identify your needs and focus.

First, identify your needs. Answering the following questions may help you:

• Are you undertaking preliminary or pilot research in order to develop a full-blown research agenda?
• Are you seeking funding for dissertation research? Pre-dissertation research? Postdoctoral research? Archival research? Experimental research? Fieldwork?
• Are you seeking a stipend so that you can write a dissertation or book? Polish a manuscript?
• Do you want a fellowship in residence at an institution that will offer some programmatic support or other resources to enhance your project?
• Do you want funding for a large research project that will last for several years and involve multiple staff members?

Next, think about the focus of your research/project. Answering the following questions may help you narrow it down:

• What is the topic? Why is this topic important?
• What are the research questions that you’re trying to answer? What relevance do your research questions have?
• What are your hypotheses?
• What are your research methods?
• Why is your research/project important? What is its significance?
• Do you plan on using quantitative methods? Qualitative methods? Both?
• Will you be undertaking experimental research? Clinical research?

Once you have identified your needs and focus, you can begin looking for prospective grants and funding agencies.

Finding prospective grants and funding agencies

Whether your proposal receives funding will rely in large part on whether your purpose and goals closely match the priorities of granting agencies. Locating possible grantors is a time consuming task, but in the long run it will yield the greatest benefits. Even if you have the most appealing research proposal in the world, if you don’t send it to the right institutions, then you’re unlikely to receive funding.

There are many sources of information about granting agencies and grant programs. Most universities and many schools within universities have Offices of Research, whose primary purpose is to support faculty and students in grant-seeking endeavors. These offices usually have libraries or resource centers to help people find prospective grants.

At UNC, the Research at Carolina office coordinates research support.

The Funding Information Portal offers a collection of databases and proposal development guidance.

The UNC School of Medicine and School of Public Health each have their own Office of Research.

Writing your proposal

The majority of grant programs recruit academic reviewers with knowledge of the disciplines and/or program areas of the grant. Thus, when writing your grant proposals, assume that you are addressing a colleague who is knowledgeable in the general area, but who does not necessarily know the details about your research questions.

Remember that most readers are lazy and will not respond well to a poorly organized, poorly written, or confusing proposal. Be sure to give readers what they want. Follow all the guidelines for the particular grant you are applying for. This may require you to reframe your project in a different light or language. Reframing your project to fit a specific grant’s requirements is a legitimate and necessary part of the process unless it will fundamentally change your project’s goals or outcomes.

Final decisions about which proposals are funded often come down to whether the proposal convinces the reviewer that the research project is well planned and feasible and whether the investigators are well qualified to execute it. Throughout the proposal, be as explicit as possible. Predict the questions that the reviewer may have and answer them. Przeworski and Salomon (1995) note that reviewers read with three questions in mind:

• What are we going to learn as a result of the proposed project that we do not know now? (goals, aims, and outcomes)
• Why is it worth knowing? (significance)
• How will we know that the conclusions are valid? (criteria for success) (2)

Be sure to answer these questions in your proposal. Keep in mind that reviewers may not read every word of your proposal. Your reviewer may only read the abstract, the sections on research design and methodology, the vitae, and the budget. Make these sections as clear and straightforward as possible.

The way you write your grant will tell the reviewers a lot about you (Reif-Lehrer 82). From reading your proposal, the reviewers will form an idea of who you are as a scholar, a researcher, and a person. They will decide whether you are creative, logical, analytical, up-to-date in the relevant literature of the field, and, most importantly, capable of executing the proposed project. Allow your discipline and its conventions to determine the general style of your writing, but allow your own voice and personality to come through. Be sure to clarify your project’s theoretical orientation.

Develop a general proposal and budget

Because most proposal writers seek funding from several different agencies or granting programs, it is a good idea to begin by developing a general grant proposal and budget. This general proposal is sometimes called a “white paper.” Your general proposal should explain your project to a general academic audience. Before you submit proposals to different grant programs, you will tailor a specific proposal to their guidelines and priorities.

Organizing your proposal

Although each funding agency will have its own (usually very specific) requirements, there are several elements of a proposal that are fairly standard, and they often come in the following order:

• Introduction (statement of the problem, purpose of research or goals, and significance of research)

Literature review

• Project narrative (methods, procedures, objectives, outcomes or deliverables, evaluation, and dissemination)
• Budget and budget justification

Format the proposal so that it is easy to read. Use headings to break the proposal up into sections. If it is long, include a table of contents with page numbers.

The title page usually includes a brief yet explicit title for the research project, the names of the principal investigator(s), the institutional affiliation of the applicants (the department and university), name and address of the granting agency, project dates, amount of funding requested, and signatures of university personnel authorizing the proposal (when necessary). Most funding agencies have specific requirements for the title page; make sure to follow them.

The abstract provides readers with their first impression of your project. To remind themselves of your proposal, readers may glance at your abstract when making their final recommendations, so it may also serve as their last impression of your project. The abstract should explain the key elements of your research project in the future tense. Most abstracts state: (1) the general purpose, (2) specific goals, (3) research design, (4) methods, and (5) significance (contribution and rationale). Be as explicit as possible in your abstract. Use statements such as, “The objective of this study is to …”

Introduction

The introduction should cover the key elements of your proposal, including a statement of the problem, the purpose of research, research goals or objectives, and significance of the research. The statement of problem should provide a background and rationale for the project and establish the need and relevance of the research. How is your project different from previous research on the same topic? Will you be using new methodologies or covering new theoretical territory? The research goals or objectives should identify the anticipated outcomes of the research and should match up to the needs identified in the statement of problem. List only the principle goal(s) or objective(s) of your research and save sub-objectives for the project narrative.

Many proposals require a literature review. Reviewers want to know whether you’ve done the necessary preliminary research to undertake your project. Literature reviews should be selective and critical, not exhaustive. Reviewers want to see your evaluation of pertinent works. For more information, see our handout on literature reviews .

Project narrative

The project narrative provides the meat of your proposal and may require several subsections. The project narrative should supply all the details of the project, including a detailed statement of problem, research objectives or goals, hypotheses, methods, procedures, outcomes or deliverables, and evaluation and dissemination of the research.

For the project narrative, pre-empt and/or answer all of the reviewers’ questions. Don’t leave them wondering about anything. For example, if you propose to conduct unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, be sure you’ve explained why this methodology is best suited to the specific research questions in your proposal. Or, if you’re using item response theory rather than classical test theory to verify the validity of your survey instrument, explain the advantages of this innovative methodology. Or, if you need to travel to Valdez, Alaska to access historical archives at the Valdez Museum, make it clear what documents you hope to find and why they are relevant to your historical novel on the ’98ers in the Alaskan Gold Rush.

Clearly and explicitly state the connections between your research objectives, research questions, hypotheses, methodologies, and outcomes. As the requirements for a strong project narrative vary widely by discipline, consult a discipline-specific guide to grant writing for some additional advice.

Explain staffing requirements in detail and make sure that staffing makes sense. Be very explicit about the skill sets of the personnel already in place (you will probably include their Curriculum Vitae as part of the proposal). Explain the necessary skill sets and functions of personnel you will recruit. To minimize expenses, phase out personnel who are not relevant to later phases of a project.

The budget spells out project costs and usually consists of a spreadsheet or table with the budget detailed as line items and a budget narrative (also known as a budget justification) that explains the various expenses. Even when proposal guidelines do not specifically mention a narrative, be sure to include a one or two page explanation of the budget. To see a sample budget, turn to Example #1 at the end of this handout.

Consider including an exhaustive budget for your project, even if it exceeds the normal grant size of a particular funding organization. Simply make it clear that you are seeking additional funding from other sources. This technique will make it easier for you to combine awards down the road should you have the good fortune of receiving multiple grants.

Make sure that all budget items meet the funding agency’s requirements. For example, all U.S. government agencies have strict requirements for airline travel. Be sure the cost of the airline travel in your budget meets their requirements. If a line item falls outside an agency’s requirements (e.g. some organizations will not cover equipment purchases or other capital expenses), explain in the budget justification that other grant sources will pay for the item.

Many universities require that indirect costs (overhead) be added to grants that they administer. Check with the appropriate offices to find out what the standard (or required) rates are for overhead. Pass a draft budget by the university officer in charge of grant administration for assistance with indirect costs and costs not directly associated with research (e.g. facilities use charges).

Furthermore, make sure you factor in the estimated taxes applicable for your case. Depending on the categories of expenses and your particular circumstances (whether you are a foreign national, for example), estimated tax rates may differ. You can consult respective departmental staff or university services, as well as professional tax assistants. For information on taxes on scholarships and fellowships, see https://cashier.unc.edu/student-tax-information/scholarships-fellowships/ .

Explain the timeframe for the research project in some detail. When will you begin and complete each step? It may be helpful to reviewers if you present a visual version of your timeline. For less complicated research, a table summarizing the timeline for the project will help reviewers understand and evaluate the planning and feasibility. See Example #2 at the end of this handout.

For multi-year research proposals with numerous procedures and a large staff, a time line diagram can help clarify the feasibility and planning of the study. See Example #3 at the end of this handout.

Revising your proposal

Strong grant proposals take a long time to develop. Start the process early and leave time to get feedback from several readers on different drafts. Seek out a variety of readers, both specialists in your research area and non-specialist colleagues. You may also want to request assistance from knowledgeable readers on specific areas of your proposal. For example, you may want to schedule a meeting with a statistician to help revise your methodology section. Don’t hesitate to seek out specialized assistance from the relevant research offices on your campus. At UNC, the Odum Institute provides a variety of services to graduate students and faculty in the social sciences.

In your revision and editing, ask your readers to give careful consideration to whether you’ve made explicit the connections between your research objectives and methodology. Here are some example questions:

• Have you presented a compelling case?
• Have you made your hypotheses explicit?
• Does your project seem feasible? Is it overly ambitious? Does it have other weaknesses?
• Have you stated the means that grantors can use to evaluate the success of your project after you’ve executed it?

If a granting agency lists particular criteria used for rating and evaluating proposals, be sure to share these with your own reviewers.

Example #1. Sample Budget

Jet travel $6,100 This estimate is based on the commercial high season rate for jet economy travel on Sabena Belgian Airlines. No U.S. carriers fly to Kigali, Rwanda. Sabena has student fare tickets available which will be significantly less expensive (approximately $2,000).

Maintenance allowance $22,788 Based on the Fulbright-Hays Maintenance Allowances published in the grant application guide.

Research assistant/translator $4,800 The research assistant/translator will be a native (and primary) speaker of Kinya-rwanda with at least a four-year university degree. They will accompany the primary investigator during life history interviews to provide assistance in comprehension. In addition, they will provide commentary, explanations, and observations to facilitate the primary investigator’s participant observation. During the first phase of the project in Kigali, the research assistant will work forty hours a week and occasional overtime as needed. During phases two and three in rural Rwanda, the assistant will stay with the investigator overnight in the field when necessary. The salary of $400 per month is based on the average pay rate for individuals with similar qualifications working for international NGO’s in Rwanda.

Transportation within country, phase one $1,200 The primary investigator and research assistant will need regular transportation within Kigali by bus and taxi. The average taxi fare in Kigali is $6-8 and bus fare is $.15. This figure is based on an average of $10 per day in transportation costs during the first project phase.

Transportation within country, phases two and three $12,000 Project personnel will also require regular transportation between rural field sites. If it is not possible to remain overnight, daily trips will be necessary. The average rental rate for a 4×4 vehicle in Rwanda is $130 per day. This estimate is based on an average of $50 per day in transportation costs for the second and third project phases. These costs could be reduced if an arrangement could be made with either a government ministry or international aid agency for transportation assistance.

Email $720 The rate for email service from RwandaTel (the only service provider in Rwanda) is $60 per month. Email access is vital for receiving news reports on Rwanda and the region as well as for staying in contact with dissertation committee members and advisors in the United States.

Audiocassette tapes $400 Audiocassette tapes will be necessary for recording life history interviews, musical performances, community events, story telling, and other pertinent data.

Photographic & slide film $100 Photographic and slide film will be necessary to document visual data such as landscape, environment, marriages, funerals, community events, etc.

Laptop computer $2,895 A laptop computer will be necessary for recording observations, thoughts, and analysis during research project. Price listed is a special offer to UNC students through the Carolina Computing Initiative.

NUD*IST 4.0 software $373.00 NUD*IST, “Nonnumerical, Unstructured Data, Indexing, Searching, and Theorizing,” is necessary for cataloging, indexing, and managing field notes both during and following the field research phase. The program will assist in cataloging themes that emerge during the life history interviews.

Administrative fee $100 Fee set by Fulbright-Hays for the sponsoring institution.

Example #2: Project Timeline in Table Format

Example #3: Project Timeline in Chart Format

Some closing advice

Some of us may feel ashamed or embarrassed about asking for money or promoting ourselves. Often, these feelings have more to do with our own insecurities than with problems in the tone or style of our writing. If you’re having trouble because of these types of hang-ups, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it never hurts to ask. If you never ask for the money, they’ll never give you the money. Besides, the worst thing they can do is say no.

UNC resources for proposal writing

Research at Carolina http://research.unc.edu

The Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences https://odum.unc.edu/

UNC Medical School Office of Research https://www.med.unc.edu/oor

UNC School of Public Health Office of Research http://www.sph.unc.edu/research/

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Holloway, Brian R. 2003. Proposal Writing Across the Disciplines. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Levine, S. Joseph. “Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal.” http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/ .

Locke, Lawrence F., Waneen Wyrick Spirduso, and Stephen J. Silverman. 2014. Proposals That Work . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Przeworski, Adam, and Frank Salomon. 2012. “Some Candid Suggestions on the Art of Writing Proposals.” Social Science Research Council. https://s3.amazonaws.com/ssrc-cdn2/art-of-writing-proposals-dsd-e-56b50ef814f12.pdf .

Reif-Lehrer, Liane. 1989. Writing a Successful Grant Application . Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Wiggins, Beverly. 2002. “Funding and Proposal Writing for Social Science Faculty and Graduate Student Research.” Chapel Hill: Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science. 2 Feb. 2004. http://www2.irss.unc.edu/irss/shortcourses/wigginshandouts/granthandout.pdf.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Home » Grant Proposal – Example, Template and Guide

Grant Proposal – Example, Template and Guide

Table of Contents

Grant Proposal

Grant Proposal is a written document that outlines a request for funding from a grant-making organization, such as a government agency, foundation, or private donor. The purpose of a grant proposal is to present a compelling case for why an individual, organization, or project deserves financial support.

Grant Proposal Outline

While the structure and specific sections of a grant proposal can vary depending on the funder’s requirements, here is a common outline that you can use as a starting point for developing your grant proposal:

• Brief overview of the project and its significance.
• Summary of the funding request and project goals.
• Key highlights and anticipated outcomes.
• Background information on the issue or problem being addressed.
• Explanation of the project’s relevance and importance.
• Clear statement of the project’s objectives.
• Detailed description of the problem or need to be addressed.
• Supporting evidence and data to demonstrate the extent and impact of the problem.
• Identification of the target population or beneficiaries.
• Broad goals that describe the desired outcomes of the project.
• Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives that contribute to the goals.
• Description of the strategies, activities, and interventions to achieve the objectives.
• Explanation of the project’s implementation plan, timeline, and key milestones.
• Roles and responsibilities of project staff and partners.
• Plan for assessing the project’s effectiveness and measuring its impact.
• Description of the data collection methods, tools, and indicators used for evaluation.
• Explanation of how the results will be used to improve the project.
• Comprehensive breakdown of project expenses, including personnel, supplies, equipment, and other costs.
• Clear justification for each budget item.
• Information about any matching funds or in-kind contributions, if applicable.
• Explanation of how the project will be sustained beyond the grant period.
• Discussion of long-term funding strategies, partnerships, and community involvement.
• Description of how the project will continue to address the identified problem in the future.
• Overview of the organization’s mission, history , and track record.
• Description of the organization’s experience and qualifications related to the proposed project.
• Summary of key staff and their roles.
• Recap of the project’s goals, objectives, and anticipated outcomes.
• Appreciation for the funder’s consideration.
• Contact information for further inquiries.

Grant Proposal Template

Here is a template for a grant proposal that you can use as a starting point. Remember to customize and adapt it based on the specific requirements and guidelines provided by the funding organization.

Dear [Grant-making Organization Name],

Executive Summary:

I. Introduction:

II. Needs Assessment:

III. Goals and Objectives:

IV. Project Methods and Approach:

V. Evaluation and Monitoring:

VI. Budget:

VII. Sustainability:

VIII. Organizational Capacity and Expertise:

IX. Conclusion:

Thank you for considering our grant proposal. We believe that this project will make a significant impact and address an important need in our community. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposal further.

Grant Proposal Example

Here is an example of a grant proposal to provide you with a better understanding of how it could be structured and written:

Executive Summary: We are pleased to submit this grant proposal on behalf of [Your Organization’s Name]. Our proposal seeks funding in the amount of [Requested Amount] to support our project titled [Project Title]. This project aims to address [Describe the problem or need being addressed] in [Target Location]. By implementing a comprehensive approach, we aim to achieve [State the project’s goals and anticipated outcomes].

I. Introduction: We express our gratitude for the opportunity to present this proposal to your esteemed organization. At [Your Organization’s Name], our mission is to [Describe your organization’s mission]. Through this project, we aim to make a significant impact on [Describe the issue or problem being addressed] by [Explain the significance and relevance of the project].

II. Needs Assessment: After conducting thorough research and needs assessments in [Target Location], we have identified a pressing need for [Describe the problem or need]. The lack of [Identify key issues or challenges] has resulted in [Explain the consequences and impact of the problem]. The [Describe the target population or beneficiaries] are particularly affected, and our project aims to address their specific needs.

III. Goals and Objectives: The primary goal of our project is to [State the broad goal]. To achieve this, we have outlined the following objectives:

• [Objective 1]
• [Objective 2]
• [Objective 3] [Include additional objectives as necessary]

IV. Project Methods and Approach: To address the identified needs and accomplish our objectives, we propose the following methods and approach:

• [Describe the activities and strategies to be implemented]
• [Explain the timeline and key milestones]
• [Outline the roles and responsibilities of project staff and partners]

V. Evaluation and Monitoring: We recognize the importance of assessing the effectiveness and impact of our project. Therefore, we have developed a comprehensive evaluation plan, which includes the following:

• [Describe the data collection methods and tools]
• [Identify the indicators and metrics to measure progress]
• [Explain how the results will be analyzed and utilized]

VI. Budget: We have prepared a detailed budget for the project, totaling [Total Project Budget]. The budget includes the following key components:

• Personnel: [Salary and benefits for project staff]
• Supplies and Materials: [List necessary supplies and materials]
• Equipment: [Include any required equipment]
• Training and Capacity Building: [Specify any training or workshops]
• Other Expenses: [Additional costs, such as travel, marketing, etc.]

VII. Sustainability: Ensuring the sustainability of our project beyond the grant period is of utmost importance to us. We have devised the following strategies to ensure its long-term impact:

• [Describe plans for securing future funding]
• [Explain partnerships and collaborations with other organizations]
• [Outline community engagement and support]

VIII. Organizational Capacity and Expertise: [Your Organization’s Name] has a proven track record in successfully implementing projects of a similar nature. Our experienced team possesses the necessary skills and expertise to carry out this project effectively. Key personnel involved in the project include [List key staff and their qualifications].

IX. Conclusion: Thank you for considering our grant proposal. We firmly believe that [Project Title] will address a critical need in [Target Location] and contribute to the well-being of the [Target Population]. We are available to provide any additional information or clarification as required. We look forward to the

opportunity to discuss our proposal further and demonstrate the potential impact of this project.

Please find attached the required supporting documents, including our detailed budget, organizational information, and any additional materials that may be helpful in evaluating our proposal.

Thank you once again for considering our grant proposal. We appreciate your dedication to supporting projects that create positive change in our community. We eagerly await your response and the possibility of partnering with your esteemed organization to make a meaningful difference.

• Detailed Budget
• Organizational Information
• Additional Supporting Documents]

Grant Proposal Writing Guide

Writing a grant proposal can be a complex process, but with careful planning and attention to detail, you can create a compelling proposal. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the grant proposal writing process:

• Carefully review the grant guidelines and requirements provided by the funding organization.
• Take note of the eligibility criteria, funding priorities, submission deadlines, and any specific instructions for the proposal.
• Familiarize yourself with the funding organization’s mission, goals, and previous projects they have supported.
• Gather relevant data, statistics, and evidence to support the need for your proposed project.
• Clearly define the problem or need your project aims to address.
• Identify the specific goals and objectives of your project.
• Consider how your project aligns with the mission and priorities of the funding organization.
• Organize your proposal by creating an outline that includes all the required sections.
• Arrange the sections logically and ensure a clear flow of ideas.
• Start with a concise and engaging executive summary to capture the reader’s attention.
• Provide a brief overview of your organization and the project.
• Present a clear and compelling case for the problem or need your project addresses.
• Use relevant data, research findings, and real-life examples to demonstrate the significance of the issue.
• Clearly articulate the overarching goals of your project.
• Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives that align with the goals.
• Explain the strategies and activities you will implement to achieve the project objectives.
• Describe the timeline, milestones, and resources required for each activity.
• Highlight the uniqueness and innovation of your approach, if applicable.
• Outline your plan for evaluating the project’s effectiveness and measuring its impact.
• Discuss how you will collect and analyze data to assess the outcomes.
• Explain how the project will be sustained beyond the grant period, including future funding strategies and partnerships.
• Prepare a comprehensive budget that includes all the anticipated expenses and revenue sources.
• Clearly justify each budget item and ensure it aligns with the project activities and goals.
• Include a budget narrative that explains any cost assumptions or calculations.
• Review your proposal multiple times for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy.
• Ensure that the proposal follows the formatting and length requirements specified by the funder.
• Consider seeking feedback from colleagues or experts in the field to improve your proposal.
• Gather all the necessary supporting documents, such as your organization’s background information, financial statements, resumes of key staff, and letters of support or partnership.
• Follow the submission instructions provided by the funding organization.
• Submit the proposal before the specified deadline, keeping in mind any additional submission requirements, such as online forms or hard copies.
• If possible, send a thank-you note or email to the funding organization for considering your proposal.
• Keep track of the notification date for the funding decision.
• In case of rejection, politely ask for feedback to improve future proposals.

Importance of Grant Proposal

Grant proposals play a crucial role in securing funding for organizations and projects. Here are some key reasons why grant proposals are important:

• Access to Funding: Grant proposals provide organizations with an opportunity to access financial resources that can support the implementation of projects and initiatives. Grants can provide the necessary funds for research, program development, capacity building, infrastructure improvement, and more.
• Project Development: Writing a grant proposal requires organizations to carefully plan and develop their projects. This process involves setting clear goals and objectives, identifying target populations, designing activities and strategies, and establishing timelines and budgets. Through this comprehensive planning process, organizations can enhance the effectiveness and impact of their projects.
• Validation and Credibility: Successfully securing a grant can enhance an organization’s credibility and reputation. It demonstrates to funders, partners, and stakeholders that the organization has a well-thought-out plan, sound management practices, and the capacity to execute projects effectively. Grant funding can provide validation for an organization’s work and attract further support.
• Increased Impact and Sustainability: Grant funding enables organizations to expand their reach and increase their impact. With financial resources, organizations can implement projects on a larger scale, reach more beneficiaries, and make a more significant difference in their communities. Additionally, grants often require organizations to consider long-term sustainability, encouraging them to develop strategies for continued project success beyond the grant period.
• Collaboration and Partnerships: Grant proposals often require organizations to form partnerships and collaborations with other entities, such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or community groups. These collaborations can lead to shared resources, expertise, and knowledge, fostering synergy and innovation in project implementation.
• Learning and Growth: The grant proposal writing process can be a valuable learning experience for organizations. It encourages them to conduct research, analyze data, and critically evaluate their programs and initiatives. Through this process, organizations can identify areas for improvement, refine their strategies, and strengthen their overall operations.
• Networking Opportunities: While preparing and submitting grant proposals, organizations have the opportunity to connect with funders, program officers, and other stakeholders. These connections can provide valuable networking opportunities, leading to future funding prospects, partnerships, and collaborations.

Purpose of Grant Proposal

The purpose of a grant proposal is to seek financial support from grant-making organizations or foundations for a specific project or initiative. Grant proposals serve several key purposes:

• Funding Acquisition: The primary purpose of a grant proposal is to secure funding for a project or program. Organizations rely on grants to obtain the financial resources necessary to implement and sustain their activities. Grant proposals outline the project’s goals, objectives, activities, and budget, making a compelling case for why the funding organization should invest in the proposed initiative.
• Project Planning and Development: Grant proposals require organizations to thoroughly plan and develop their projects before seeking funding. This includes clearly defining the problem or need the project aims to address, establishing measurable goals and objectives, and outlining the strategies and activities that will be implemented. Writing a grant proposal forces organizations to think critically about the project’s feasibility, anticipated outcomes, and impact.
• Communication and Persuasion: Grant proposals are persuasive documents designed to convince funding organizations that the proposed project is worthy of their investment. They must effectively communicate the organization’s mission, vision, and track record, as well as the specific problem being addressed and the potential benefits and impact of the project. Grant proposals use evidence, data, and compelling narratives to make a strong case for funding support.
• Relationship Building: Grant proposals serve as a platform for organizations to establish and strengthen relationships with funding organizations. Through the proposal, organizations introduce themselves, highlight their expertise, and demonstrate their alignment with the funding organization’s mission and priorities. A well-written grant proposal can lay the foundation for future collaborations and partnerships.
• Accountability and Evaluation: Grant proposals outline the expected outcomes, objectives, and evaluation methods for the proposed project. They establish a framework for accountability, as organizations are expected to report on their progress and outcomes if awarded the grant. Grant proposals often include plans for project evaluation and monitoring to assess the project’s effectiveness and ensure that the funding is being used appropriately.
• Sustainability and Long-Term Planning : Grant proposals often require organizations to consider the long-term sustainability of their projects beyond the grant period. This includes identifying strategies for continued funding, partnerships, and community involvement. By addressing sustainability in the proposal, organizations demonstrate their commitment to long-term impact and the responsible use of grant funds.

When to Write a Grant Proposal

Knowing when to write a grant proposal is crucial for maximizing your chances of success. Here are a few situations when it is appropriate to write a grant proposal:

• When There is a Funding Opportunity: Grants become available through various sources, including government agencies, foundations, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. Keep an eye out for grant announcements, requests for proposals (RFPs), or funding cycles that align with your organization’s mission and project goals. Once you identify a relevant funding opportunity, you can begin writing the grant proposal.
• When You Have a Well-Defined Project or Program: Before writing a grant proposal, it’s important to have a clearly defined project or program in mind. You should be able to articulate the problem or need you are addressing, the goals and objectives of your project, and the strategies and activities you plan to implement. Having a solid project plan in place will help you write a more compelling grant proposal.
• When You Have Conducted Research and Gathered Data: Grant proposals often require evidence and data to support the need for the project. Before writing the proposal, conduct thorough research to gather relevant statistics, studies, or community assessments that demonstrate the significance and urgency of the problem you aim to address. This data will strengthen your proposal and make it more persuasive.
• When You Have a Strong Organizational Profile: Funding organizations often consider the credibility and capacity of the applying organization. Before writing a grant proposal, ensure that your organization has a strong profile, including a clear mission statement, track record of accomplishments, capable staff or volunteers, and financial stability. These factors contribute to the overall credibility of your proposal.
• When You Have the Time and Resources to Dedicate to Proposal Writing: Writing a grant proposal requires time, effort, and resources. It involves conducting research, developing project plans, creating budgets, and crafting compelling narratives. Assess your organization’s capacity to commit to the grant proposal writing process. Consider the timeline, deadline, and any additional requirements specified by the funding organization before deciding to proceed.
• When You Have Identified Potential Partnerships or Collaborators: Some grant proposals may require or benefit from partnerships or collaborations with other organizations or stakeholders. If your project can be enhanced by partnering with other entities, it’s important to identify and secure these partnerships before writing the grant proposal. This demonstrates a collaborative approach and can strengthen your proposal.
• When You Are Committed to Project Evaluation and Accountability: Grant proposals often include requirements for project evaluation and reporting. If you are willing and able to commit to evaluating the project’s outcomes, tracking progress, and reporting on the use of funds, it is an appropriate time to write a grant proposal. This shows your dedication to transparency, accountability, and responsible use of grant funds.

Also see Proposal

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Proposal – Types, Examples, and Writing Guide

Proposal library - Samples of successful grant proposals and project overviews

Research & Proposal Development Services maintains a library of recent successful grant proposals and project overviews written by University of Nevada, Reno faculty. This library has been created to support our faculty in their grant writing and has been made possible by recent award recipients who have generously agreed to share their work. These proposals are available for viewing only, and only to full-time University of Nevada, Reno faculty members.

If you are interested in viewing a successful sample from any of the funding programs listed below, please submit a request, and our office will contact you to discuss the loan.

Request a proposal or project overview

Currently the library includes samples for these funding programs:

• American Council for Learned Societies – Fellowship
• American Political Science Association – Centennial Center Grant
• Department of Defense – Office of Naval Research
• Department of Defense – DURIP Instrument Grant
• DARPA Young Faculty Award
• Department of Energy – Office of Fusion Energy Sciences
• Department of Energy – Office of Science
• Fulbright U.S. Scholar
• Kauffman Foundation
• Mountain West CTR-IN – Pilot Grant
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Endowment for the Humanities – Fellowship
• National Endowment for the Humanities – Public Scholars
• National Endowment for the Humanities – Summer Stipend
• National Institutes of Health – COBRE Phase I – overviews and Cores
• National Institutes of Health – K01
• National Institutes of Health – R01
• National Institutes of Health – R03
• National Institutes of Health – R21
• National Institutes of Health – R35
• National Science Foundation – CAREER award
• National Science Foundation – EPSCoR Track 4 Fellowship
• National Science Foundation – Major Research Instrumentation
• National Science Foundation – Research Traineeship (NRT)
• National Science Foundation – Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE)
• National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Undergraduates
• National Science Foundation – Core Proposals (various)
• Sloan Foundation – Fellowship

Project overviews

Request a sample project overview , or contact us to discuss best practices in writing overviews and white papers.

• Department of Defense – Executive summary (Office of Naval Research)
• Department of Energy – Office of Science preproposal
• Fulbright Scholar Program – Overview
• National Institutes of Health – Specific aims
• National Science Foundation – CAREER proposal overview
• National Science Foundation – Core proposal overview
• United State Department of Agriculture – Logic model
• M. Keck Foundation – Concept paper

Successful sample proposals are also available on the following websites: NIH - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Endowment for the Humanities . We caution our faculty about proposals available at websites like Jabberwocky and Open Grants – these sites contain both funded and unfunded proposals, often out of date.

How to Write a Successful Grant Proposal

You’re passionate about your research. Your work is crucial for scientific discovery and deserves to be carried out. We know that, and we love what you’re doing. So why can it be so challenging for academic researchers to obtain research funding? At Nicoya, we speak with researchers all over the world. We hear the same story about an amazing research project that can’t get funded. A worthy research proposal might not even get read by a reviewer if it lacks key elements stated in the grant requirements. Or, a well-structured grant proposal can fall short if the project isn’t a good fit for the grant that it was submitted to.

At Nicoya, we aim to improve human life by helping scientists succeed. We’re here to help you write a successful grant proposal to bring your next big idea to life. From grant prospecting to grant submission, we did our research to provide insight on each stage of the grant writing process. Let’s start at the beginning and choose the right grant for your project!

Choosing The Right Grant

If you’ve looked for academic funding before, you know that there is an alarming amount of publicly funded grants available. This overwhelming process is a lot easier when you know what you’re looking for. Before diving into open grants, take some time to identify the needs and focus of your research:

What will your research accomplish? Who directly benefits from the outcome of your research? This might sound like an obvious tip, but having a clear picture of the significance of your research will make it much easier to filter by the right research area. Choosing an appropriate audience from the beginning will also significantly increase your chances of success.

What are your credentials? If you’re a newer researcher, there are funding opportunities specifically tailored for you! These grants usually come with smaller budgets and timelines to help you get started. Alternatively, if you are a distinguished professor, you likely have a full team to support and a long project to carry out. This means that you will need a more competitive grant that offers significant funding and multiple years of support. Luckily, your previous experiences have set the stage for you to take on a larger project. Think about what size of budget and timeline fits well with your current career stage to help you be more selective of different grants.

So where should you look? If you’re based in the United States, here are some great places to start:

• grants.gov – A great general search engine that captures grant announcements from a number of different funding agencies.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – The largest funding body in the country. This page also includes important due dates associated with each grant.

If you are based in Canada, check out the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) . NSERC is the major funding source in Canada for natural science researchers – students and professors alike.

Writing The Research Funding Proposal

Now that you have selected some grants that fit your research and needs, it’s time to start working on the application. The next thing you should do – and I cannot stress this enough – is read through the grant application guidelines ( Grants.gov). These guidelines will cover the elements required in your proposal, the questions that the reviewers want answered, and how the application should be structured. We’ve summarized some tips for the most common elements of a proposal in a format that you can keep handy for later:

• Carefully follow your grant guidelines here for what information to include and how it should be formatted.
• In addition to a clear, explicit title, other elements such as your title, affiliations, and the funding agency are usually required as well.
• The most read section of your research funding proposal (The Writing Center, UNC).
• Be explicit, clear and concise. Make your project’s goals, significance (who does your research benefit?), and relation to the theme of the grant easy to find!
• Use future tense to summarize your plan to accomplish your goals.

Introduction

• Use this section to elaborate on everything you have stated in the abstract.
• Set the stage for your research: give a background on the research area, the knowledge gap you are addressing, and how your research is going to fill that gap. Start very general about the area of research and get increasingly more specific.
• Your introduction should sufficiently justify why your research is a good fit for this grant.

 Project Narrative

• The main section of your proposal. There is a lot of information here so organize your information into subheadings as necessary.
• Elaborate on the problem you’re addressing and its significance again – this is why the funding agency is giving you money after all.
• Break down step by step how you’re planning to solve this problem and justify each step. The more thorough you can be here, the more confidence your reviewer will have in you.
• Focus on techniques that will provide quantitative data to back your claims. Using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to measure binding kinetics for any biomolecular interactions will significantly increase your credibility to a reviewer. Check out The Power of OpenSPR below to see how easily SPR can be included in your proposal.
• Finally, recheck your grant guidelines! Make sure that every question the reviewers had was answered sufficiently.
• The more specific you can be about how you plan to spend the money, the more credibility you will have.
• Include an itemized list of each anticipated expense. Think about instrument requirements, reagents, travel expenses, and personnel wages.
• Also, include a budget narrative explaining why each expense is crucial to your project and worth the funding agency’s money (The Writing Center, UNC).
• Follow the funding agency’s regulations closely here. Do your research to see what purchases they don’t cover and their limits around items such as air travel.

 Timeline

• Justify the time frame of your project and set some approximate deadlines for the various stages of your project.
• Using an itemized list or a visual representation of your timeline will keep your reviewers happy here (The Writing Center, UNC).

Cover Letter

• The bonus section! A cover letter likely is not explicitly required but is highly recommended (The Balance; Kurzweil Educational Systems, 2002).
• Treat this like the cover letter on your resume; its purpose is to sell your project.
• Introduce your research group, highlight the significance of your project, and state the budget you are requesting.

These are just some of the elements that are normally required in a grant application. Each grant application will have its required elements and structure, so follow your grant guidelines meticulously.

Taking Your Research Funding Proposal To The Next Level

Congratulations! You now have a draft of your proposal completed. Stretch your legs, grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we highlight a few more tips to increase the chances of getting your project funded substantially.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. While quality is better than quantity, applying for multiple grants will give you more opportunities to get funded. Since these proposals are incredibly time-consuming, write a general grant application for your project and then tailor it to each funding body.

Know your audience . It doesn’t matter how impactful your research is if it isn’t a good fit for the funding agency you’re applying to. The goals of your research should always circle back to the overall theme of the grant. This may require some rewording of your research outcomes to align better with the views of the funding agency. Check out our tips on publication writing for more advice on writing for your audience.

Use innovative techniques. As technology advances, so should your research techniques. For instance, using SPR to measure quantitative binding kinetics for your bio-molecular interactions will give you a huge advantage against your competitors. Since the OpenSPR is affordable and easy-to-use, we’ve had many researchers use the OpenSPR as leverage to get their grants approved. Check out The Power of OpenSPR below to see how easily SPR can be included in your proposal.

Review, review, review. Plenty of eyes should see your research funding proposal before the reviewers do. Consider getting your work reviewed by experts and non-experts in your field. It is also recommended to have a writing expert review your work for structure and style. If you let your proposal sit for a week and then pick it up again, you will be able to catch more mistakes with fresh eyes.

Read your grant requirements. Have we mentioned this already? A funding agency’s first screening of your proposal will be to see if you have followed their instructions. Just sticking to their guidelines will significantly increase your chances of success (Grants.gov; The Writing Center, UNC).

The Power of OpenSPR

With the finishing touches added to your award-winning grant proposal, we wanted to leave you with some closing thoughts on the difference SPR will make in your research. More and more reviewers (funding agencies and academic journals alike) are asking for quantitative binding kinetics data over simple yes/no binding confirmation for biomolecular interactions. SPR is a label-free technique that gets you this data in real-time and has never been more accessible with the OpenSPR . Your reviewers are going to love that you’ve chosen an instrument that provides the same quality of data of instruments over ten times its cost.

Let us help you take your grant proposal to the next level.

Request a quote today to see how easily the OpenSPR can be budgeted into your next project.

• The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!). Retrieved from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/grant-proposals-or-give-me-the-money/
• Grants.gov. Grants 101 – Pre-Award Phase. Retrieved from https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html
• The Balance. How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-write-a-grant-proposal-2501980
• Kurzweil Educational Systems (2002). Sample Grant Proposal. Retrieved from https://www.kurzweiledu.com/files/proof_resources_grant1.pdf
• Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). Funding Facts. Retrieved from https://report.nih.gov/fundingfacts/fundingfacts.aspx

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Where to Find Examples of Grant Proposals | Grantboost

Grant proposals are an important part of fundraising for nonprofits and other organizations. They can be difficult to write, so it can be helpful to look at examples of successful grant proposals to get a better idea of what makes one stand out from the competition. Writing grant proposals is a critical skill for non-profits to possess in order to succeed. The problem is that the work can be akin to technical writing for some and if you’re new to the process, having a few examples of winning grant proposals can help you understand what Grantors are looking for.

But where do you find these examples?

In this blog post, we will cover the best resources that can help you find quality examples of grant proposals. We’ll provide examples of some grant applications we liked plus an overview of where you can find examples of grant proposals that will help you as you write yours.

• Some Quick Examples

Online Resources

• Candid Learning
• Grantstation

Council of Nonprofits

Government websites.

• Libraries and Bookstore

Mentorships, Courses and Networking Events

State and local agencies, grant proposal examples.

If you’re pressed for time and just want to see some examples of good grants - here’s a few good examples to get you started:

• A nonprofit proposal for funding Camp Twin Lakes (via Grantstation.com ).
• Research Grants for funding research at the National Institutes of Health .
• Generate your own custom examples with the help of our AI grant writing tool . Designed to help nonprofits generate proposals faster.

There are many websites and online databases dedicated to providing non-profit organizations with information on grants and funding opportunities. Many of these sites offer sample grant proposals as well, which can serve as helpful guides when writing your own proposal. A few good sources for finding quality examples include Candid Learning , GrantStation , and National Council of Nonprofits . All three sites provide detailed information on how to apply for grants and/or often feature sample proposals from successful applicants.

Candid Learning (GrantSpace)

Formerly known as GrantSpace, Candid Learning is another great resource for examples of successful grant proposals. The information available on Candid is designed to help grant writers at every stage and every level of the grant writing process. From researching grant opportunities to communicating your purpose, the resources offered on candid.org provide exactly what grant writers need to succeed. You can explore examples of successful grant proposals, get inspired with innovative ideas, and discover how to create a successful grant before submitting your application. With an array of comprehensive information and helpful advice, Candid has everything you need to become a great grant writer.

GrantStation

Grantstation.com is a great resource for those looking to research grant opportunities and learn Nonprofit Grant Writing 101. Whether your specialty is federal or foundation grants, grantstation has plenty to offer. The site contains an array of resources such as grant programs databases, active grantmaker directories, grantseeking guidance documents and examples of successful grant proposals. The downside however is that some of these services are only accessible with a paid membership.

Of particular value is the plethora of real-world grant examples found on grantstation.com which are an invaluable part in honing grant writing skills and familiarizing yourself with the expectations of potential funders. Making use of these resources can help to increase your chances of securing funding for projects you care about!

Councilofnonprofits.org is a nonprofit leader in identifying and providing grant resources for nonprofit organizations. The website offers an array of information ranging from up-to-date news on current grants, useful guides on submitting effective grant proposals, and links to foundations seeking nonprofit partnerships. It’s a helpful resource for nonprofit organizations looking to expand their knowledge base and gain valuable insight.

The website offers a variety of information, from in-depth guides on nonprofit governance, fund development and advocacy to tips for writing successful grants and preparing proposals. Additionally, the site provides an array of tools that allow nonprofit members to search articles, join discussion boards and access other members’ resources. This resource is invaluable to nonprofit organizations striving to increase their impact and make meaningful progress in their respective fields.

Whether you’re searching for national or regional funding, general nonprofit organizational support, or grant awards specific to your nonprofit organization, Councilofnonprofits.org can assist with the search process by connecting you with the right grant research tools. It is a great resource for nonprofits needing help finding grants and developing proposals that meet grant requirements and have a greater chance of success.

Government grants are responsible for funding the mission of a lot of nonprofits. So it should be no surprise that another great place to look for examples of grant proposals are government websites.The U.S federal government posts information about grants and provides links to downloadable sample applications on its website at grants.gov.

Grants.gov is a useful resource for individuals and organizations alike who are seeking federal funding for projects or initiatives that improve public services or advance research in areas of interest to the government. A common first stop for new and experienced grant writers to find information from 26 different federal agencies.

As you probably already know (or are soon to learn), getting a grant can be competitive. Making sure your nonprofit has the information to secure funding for your initiatives can be a challenge. Fortunately, many state governments provide helpful websites that list available grants and outline the steps to take in order to submit a proposal. This can be a good way to think outside the box for places to look for grants.

These websites will often include links to application forms as well as guides that explain the eligibility requirements for each grant. Additionally, some sites even provide resources on topics such as nonprofit accounting and nonprofit management, so nonprofit members can get the help they need to apply for the grants with confidence.

Finding this kind of information on state government websites can be invaluable to nonprofit efforts and help streamline fundraising. Many government agencies post sample grant applications online as a resource for organizations looking for funding. You may also be able to find sample applications on state government websites or local city sites, depending on where your organization is located and what type of funding you are applying for.

Grant Writing Software and Services

If your organization has the budget, there are software programs and services available that specialize in helping non-profits write successful grant applications by providing templates and example grants written by experts in the field. These can provide valuable guidance during the application process, especially if your team is new to writing grants or needs help meeting deadlines.

In this day and age, we’re seeing more and more people utilizing cutting edge AI tools to generate custom examples as well. Our grant writing AI can help you write project abstracts faster, for example.

Libraries and Bookstores

Your local library or bookstore is another great resource for finding example grant proposals. Libraries often have vast collections of books on fundraising and grantsmanship that provide in-depth information about the process of writing a proposal. These books typically include real-world examples from successful applications, which can give you an invaluable insight into what works in a proposal and what doesn’t. If your library does not have the book you need, they may be able to order it through interlibrary loan systems or borrow it from another library in the area.

Here are some popular books on Grant Writing:

How to Become a Grant Writing Unicorn

Grant Writing For Dummies

Finally, attending courses, programs or networking events related to fundraising or grantsmanship is also a great way to see example grant proposals while learning firsthand. Many organizations host events like these where experienced grant writers will share their knowledge with newcomers in the field—including advice on how to write successful grant applications as well as sample documents and case studies they’ve used in their own work over the years. It’s a great opportunity to meet people who may be able to help you get started with your project or connect you with resources that could be useful in applying for grants down the line.

With so many resources available, it’s easy to find examples of grant proposals that will help guide your own application process.

Writing a successful grant proposal takes time, effort, and research—but having access to quality examples can make all the difference when it comes time to submit your application. Whether you’re looking online or offline, there are plenty of resources that can help you find inspiring samples of winning grant proposals that can give your own proposal a boost before submitting it for consideration.

From search engines like Google and Bing, government websites, forums, bookstores, software programs, and services like GrantBoost – there’s something out there for everyone looking for examples that will make their job easier.

With the right approach and dedication, you’ll have no trouble finding excellent sources that demonstrate why certain applications succeed while others fail—and hopefully yours will be among the successul! So don’t hesitate – start researching today! Good luck.

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Proposal tools, proposal samples, proposal narrative samples.

• NSF BCS Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program

Complete Proposal Samples

• NSF Proposal (Biological Sciences - DBI)
• NSF Proposal (Geosciences - AGS)
• NSF Proposal (Geosciences - OCE)
• NSF Proposal (Geosciences - DUE - IUSE)
• NSF Proposal (Physical Sciences - DUE - IUSE)
• NSF Proposal (Social Sciences - DUE - ATE)
• NSF CAREER Proposal (Geosciences - EAR)
• NSF EAGER Proposal (Social Sciences - BCS)
• NSF EAGER Proposal (Social Sciences - HRD - Core Research)
• NSF RAPID Proposal (Geosciences - DEB)
• NIH R01 Proposal
• NIH R03 Proposal
• NIH R21 Proposal
• More NIH Proposals (nih.gov)
• NEH Proposal
• More NEH Proposal Narratives (neh.gov)
• ACLS Proposal (Philosophy)
• ACLS Proposal (History)
• ACLS Proposal (World Language)
• NASA Proposal

Cover Page Samples

Biographical sketches.

See NSF Biographical Sketches .

Facilities & Equipment Descriptions

• NSF-USF Facilities, Equipment, & Resources
• Facilities & Equipment Description 1
• Facilities & Equipment Description 2

Data Management Plans

Data Management and Open Access Storage (at USF) blurb :

A long term (indefinite) data preservation plan will be used to store the data beyond the life of the project, using Digital Commons Data, a USF Libraries supported, accessible, data management repository.

Digital Commons Data adheres to FAIR principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse. All data is "archived in perpetuity for long-term availability, with Data Archiving and​ Networked Services" ( https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/digital-commons/data ). To support open data, all published datasets will have a clear license and a DOI for ease of citation.

Digital Commons Data is a module of Digital Commons, an institutional repository system used by the USF Libraries. In use since 2007, the USF Libraries has supported persistent access and preservation to scholarly works and datasets created at USF with Digital Commons. The datasets created as a result of this project align with key library research collections, notably the Florida Environment and Natural History Collections Initiative ( https://lib.usf.edu/library-administration/innovative-research-collections/ ).

See our guide on how to use the repository: https://guides.lib.usf.edu/dcd

• NSF DMP (Biological Sciences - DBI)
• NSF DMP (Geosciences - DEB)
• NSF DMP (Physical Sciences - DUE - IUSE)
• NSF DMP (Social Sciences - HRD - Core Research)

NSF CAREER Post-Doctoral Mentoring Plans

• NSF CAREER Post-Doctoral Mentoring Plan

Graphics & Captions

• Samples that demonstrate how graphics and captions propel proposals forward.

USF CAS Core Facilities Descriptions & Available Equipment

• CAS Core Facilities Descriptions & Available Equipment

Examples of Successful Grant Proposals to Help You Secure Funding

A solid grant proposal can help you get the funding you need. Use these examples and tips to help you write a winning request.

As a college instructor and communication expert with extensive nonfiction and educational writing experience, Mary shares tips and advice related to a wide variety of topics.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Filling out a grant proposal can be nerve-wracking, no matter how many you've applied to. With so much information to compile and so much riding on success, it's important to stack the odds in your favor.

Taking some time to review past successful grant proposal examples can help you determine the important points to emphasize in your own grant application.

Effective Grant Proposal Examples

It's never too early to start the grant proposal process once you've got a project or program in mind. As you research the grant writing process to prep for your own application, it can be helpful to scour through examples of successful grant proposals to get ideas and inspiration.

• 10 Grants for Senior Citizens That Help Improve Their Lives

Fortunately, there are a ton of examples of different types of grant proposals you can read online. These grant writing samples can help you get started with a bit less stress.

Successful Grant Proposals for Education Examples

If you're seeking funding to support an educational initiative, these proposals are great ones to review.

• Kurzweil Educational Systems : The sample of a successful grant proposal at this site walks you through the complete process, beginning with the cover letter and winding up with a sample letter format with all the details in between.
• Salem Education Foundation : Here you can review a sample grant application that a school submitted who was seeking funding to provide enrichment learning opportunities beyond classroom instruction for their history students.
• National Language Resource Center : This George Washington University/Center of Applied Linguistics grant proposal sought funding to establish a National Language Resource Center to provide support foreign language instructors in K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions' needs.

Sample Youth Program Funding Proposals

Children are the future, and funds are available to support programs designed to help kids reach their potential. If that's the kind of grant you're seeking, check out these successful examples.

• William T. Grant Foundation : Here you can view proposals submitted by recent recipients of the William T. Grant Scholars award program, which funds research focused on improving the lives of young people in the United States.
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) : If you're applying for a block grant focused on youth development, review this well-written proposal prepared by Family Service Association (FSA) in Riverside, California for inspiration.

Individual and Family Support Grant Applications

If you're seeking grant funding to provide service to under-served or disadvantaged populations within your community, this sample grant proposal can help you figure out what to include in your proposal.

• Kennett Area Senior Center : This application was submitted to the community foundation in the county where the Kennett Area Senior Center operates to request funding to help them provide much needed services and assistance to local senior citizens.

Arts Funding Grant Proposal Examples

Seeking funding for an arts program or project? Review these examples for ideas on how to approach proposals for your own arts-oriented grant applications.

• Imagine Fund : Explore excerpts from several particularly strong proposals submitted to the University of Minnesota's Imagine Fund program, which provides support for a variety of arts-related endeavors.
• Individual Artist Grants : If you're seeking individual funding through your local arts council or similar organization, check out this sample proposal provided by the Region 2 Arts Council.

Science-Related Grant Proposal Examples

If you're seeking funding for scientific research, conservation, or other science-related endeavors, these grant proposal samples can provide you with a wealth of ideas.

• NIAID : Visit the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) for several examples of successful grant proposal applications written to secure funding for scientific research related to healthcare.
• How to Find Grants for Nonprofit Organizations

Familiarize Yourself With Successful Grant Characteristics

A successful grant proposal can't be cobbled together in a few hours. It's the result of a combination of thorough research, an excellent proposal, and a well-matched funding source. Some aspects that success grants tend to share are:

• Thorough preliminary research: The preliminary proposal research is thorough and covers every detail of the project from start to finish.
• Matched applicants to the right funding opportunities: The applicant researched prospective funders and found an organization that would be interested in the project type.
• Specific proposals: The proposal is tailored to each funding organization prior to submission.
• Applicants followed the instructions: The applicant follows all of the funding agency's writing guidelines when creating the proposal and submitting the proposal application packet by the deadline.
• Proposals are highly detailed: The proposal clearly explains the entire project, especially sections which describe the need for project, the resources, goals and budget sections.
• No questions are left unanswered: The narrative section of the proposal answers every possible question about the project.

Keep these characteristics of successful grant proposals in mind when you write your next grant proposal.

Grant Writing Tips to Make Your Request a Success

Once you learn about grant writing, you can create a winning grant proposal. If you're writing a grant proposal for the first time, here are some great tips to help you master your first proposal:

• Research every detail of your project to make sure it's feasible before applying for a grant.
• Look for funding sources that typically fund similar projects to the ones you're investigating.
• Consider local grant funding sources first. Local sources increase your chances of success because of community interest and a smaller applicant pool.
• Start the grant writing and application process as soon as you know that your project's viable.
• If the funder doesn't provide a specific format, you may want to use a grant proposal template to organize your submission.
• Always submit the grant proposal before the deadline to make sure that it reaches the funding organization in time.

Additional Grant Writing Resources

When you're ready to get started rocking the grant writing process, turn to these great digital resources:

• UNC : The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a detailed grant writing guide anyone can access. The guide can help you understand the grant writing process, structure, and the function of each section so that you're fully prepared to conquer each part.
• EPA : The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides helpful grant proposal structure advice on their website.
• Foundation Center : The Foundation Center offers a free grant writing course on their website.

Funding Might Be One Good Grant Proposal Away

With the right preparation, you can put together a smashingly strong grant proposal. When you have a great idea, and you believe in your cause, the only thing you can do is jump headfirst into the process. When you do the research and carve out some time to review a few successful grant application examples, you're ready to start drafting a proposal of your own.

WTO / Business / Proposals / 35 Successful Grant Proposal Examples (How to Write)

35 Successful Grant Proposal Examples (How to Write)

A grant proposal is a written request to an organization or government for financial assistance for ordinarily a non-profit project but can also be for a profit project.

Once the proposal is approved and the grantee selected, the grantor becomes a partner aiming to achieve the goals laid out in the proposal. In most cases, the proposal must be aligned with the grantor’s interests. It should be an influential and very well-upheld archive for change.

A grant is a non-refundable financial assistance (gift, bounty, subsidy, or contribution) given by an organization, government, or individual for a specific purpose.

It is typically given through a selection process to an eligible recipient (grantee) who satisfies the set conditions for selection. Common grantees are children, organizations, environmentalists, human and animal life, social justice activists, etc.

Grant Proposal Examples

Reviewing successful grant proposal examples can improve your writing skills when it comes to requests for grants. Winning examples are great sources to note formats, persuasive tone, keywords, and structure. Most grantors have specific requirements to align the request with the requirements. You can learn the technique by reviewing one the grantor in question has previously approved.

Types of Grants

You can request diverse types of grants from organizations or governments, depending on how they intend to use the funding. 

Some of the commonly known types are:

Operating support or unrestricted funding

Also referred to as general operating grants, they are awarded to cover operational expenses (administrative costs such as salaries, rent and utility bills, and overhead expenses) within an organization. The utilization of these is not restricted, hence the name, and they are not devoted to a particular project or purpose. They offer maximum flexibility and are the rarest type of grant.

Capital support

Capital support grants are funds given for specific capital investments. Such investments include the construction of new facilities, renovation, and remodeling of existing buildings, land acquisition, and the purchase of costly equipment. Thus, they are sometimes referred to as brick-and-mortar grants.

Program development grants or restricted funding

Program and project grants or restricted grants are the most common types of grants. As the name suggests, program and project grants are more restrictive and can only be used for the purpose specified in the grant proposal. The purpose is usually to create, support, or develop or grow programs or projects you request.

Myths About Non-Profit Grants

There are multiple factors that revolve around the requesting and awarding of grants. The most common myths are:

Grantors operate like charities with gifts

Although grantors have significant sums of money available to award out there, it is not given to anybody who asks for it. Instead, applicants must work for the grants so that the most suitable candidate is awarded. To ensure this is achieved, grantors usually set demanding requirements that applicants must meet.

Grants are only awarded to big NPOs

There are different types and sizes of grants that entities can apply for; therefore, even small entities can request them. In addition, there are no restrictions as to who can request it.

It is intricate and challenging to attain

There is a lot to take into account when coming up with an excellent and persuasive grant that will ensure you get the grant, and it is not impossible or limited to particular people. Once you learn the basics and follow the guidelines given by the grantor, you can increase your chances of getting it.

Pre-Writing Considerations

Before commencing the writing process, there are several things you ought to investigate. Firstly, getting a clear understanding of how grants work should be a priority. You can consult with mentors, professors, previous grant recipients, trusted advisers, and the granting organization to learn more about awards and how to apply for one successfully.

Other pre-writing considerations include:

• Entities and individuals seeking grants should come up with a project and develop objectives and actionable plans that outline what they should do and the reason behind the task.
• Determine how the grant will be used to obtain positive results from the intended use.
• Research and list organizations that fund projects for the type of project or actionable plan previously developed.
• Select the organization(s) to be requested for the grant and determine if their mission and vision align with the project’s objectives.
• Review the guidelines put in place by the awarding agency or organization.
• Look for samples related to similar projects or those submitted to the awarding agency and examine them for tips on how to incorporate them.

9-Steps to Excellent Grant Proposal Writing

The writing process can sometimes be lengthy, especially if there is no adequate planning. However, with enough preparation, writing a grant proposal should not be a complicated task.

In addition to planning, the guide below can be used to develop an excellent one:

Write a strong cover letter. When writing the cover letter, keep it short (three to four paragraphs), precise (amount needed, purpose, and reasons why you deserve the grant), and relatable to the reader. You should avoid repetition and compare yourself to other applicants.

Start with a brief executive summary that introduces the applicant and states what they are trying to accomplish. The executive summary should be kept brief while presenting a complete set of ideas about the request and the project at hand to the grantor. The summary can be a couple of sentences, with one page being the maximum.

Introduce the applicant. This section is meant to prove that the applicant has the ability and capacity to meet all the deliverables in execution, legal, quality, and safety obligations. Therefore, you should be objective and focus on convincing the grantor why you deserve the grant. Avoid going into too much detail to stay objective. Also, try to link your mission or goals to those of the grantor as much as possible.

Write a precise problem statement. This section will always require extensive research to prove that the solution you offer makes a difference compared to other solutions aimed at the same problem. The problem statement uses comparable data that shows how one solution is translated into positive outcomes. It should also show a sense of urgency and be objective—talk about the main problem without diverting.

Outline the goals and objectives of the project. Goals are more broad statements of what you want to do, while objectives are more definite statements of intention with measurable outcomes or results and a time frame. Remember, goals and objectives are not processes but rather measurable outcomes.

Describe the project. Outline what the project entails. This section should highlight all the moving parts of the project. Including a logic model using graphical representations of the project is an efficient way of achieving this. Ensure to illustrate how the different components are interconnected; it helps the grantor understand the project better. Moreover, your timeline should be specific and detailed about who will do what and when.

Outline the monitoring process or key performance indicators. This information shows that the success of the project can be measured at specific milestones and completions. When writing the proposal, define the internal and external evaluation procedures of the project explicitly to avoid ambiguity. 

Indicate additional funding sources and sustainability. Outline any other sources of funding (expected or already received). Additionally, grantors consider the sustainability of a project. Grant proposals for projects that have long-term benefits are more likely to be selected. Therefore, illustrating how your project is sustainable can be a significant boost towards receiving the grant. Also, indicate if the funding required will be a one-time request or progressive.

Provide the project budget. At this point, justify the amount quoted. Demonstrate the services and products that will have a monetary impact. Avoid overcharging or underquoting because this might be seen as greed and might affect the quality of deliverables. Round off numbers to create a more comprehensive budget. Accuracy should be a priority, so carry out cost research thoroughly before quoting a service or product’s price.

Components of a Grant Proposal

A well-written proposal should contain specific essential components. Regardless of the format, these components are typically included, as they will cater to most of the requirements needed by grantors.

The basic components are:

Cover letter

A cover letter contains personal traits and accomplishments that can persuade the awarding committee to review an applicant’s grant proposal. Cover letters can be formal or less formal, depending on the situation.

Executive summary

The executive summary/abstract is a concise synopsis of the overall grant proposal. It introduces the applicant and outlines the proposal, project goals, and use of the money.

Information of the applicant/organization’s qualification

The applicant’s introduction should entail pertinent information that the grantor can use to have a clear picture of who they will be awarding the grant. The information included in this section includes history, mission, infrastructure, biography of crucial staff, business track record, client recommendations, feedback from customers, experience, etc.

Problem/need statement

Also referred to as the statement of need or needs statement. The problem statement indicates a problem existing in one’s community and aims to resolve the problem. A well-crafted problem statement incorporates quantitative data.

Project description 

The project description gives an overall understanding of what the project entails: staff members, services or products, location or region, deliverables, etc.

Objectives and outcomes

Every project ought to have goals/objectives and outcomes for it to qualify as a worthwhile proposal. Objectives can be defined as what the project is meant to achieve. Objectives and outcomes ought to be SMART—measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. In addition, the goals and outcomes should connect with the audience (the community).

Program plan/design

This section addresses “how” you intend to achieve the set objectives. The information to be provided includes new recruitments, additional facilities, support services to be acquired, and methods and strategies that will be used to ensure the applicant meets the deliverables. Also includes aspects such as effective time management, discipline, and methodologies that will influence the quality of the outcomes.

Target audience

The grant proposal should clearly illustrate to whom the project is meant to benefit. Information, such as demographic criteria, can be provided to further clarify the target audience. Statistical data, such as exact figures or percentages of people in a region the project will benefit from, can also be used.

Evaluation plan

The evaluation plan indicates how you will track the progress of the project to ensure the set objectives are met. The proposal should show the timeframe of evaluation, milestones, criteria for quality measurement, requirements such as costs and skills for evaluation, and the designated person to carry out evaluations. The evaluation plan should be progressive, such that it demonstrates how success will be measured from a certain point at a specific time in the future.

Project budget

The project budget is a significant consideration. List all the services and products that will be acquired and the cost implications of each. A reasonable budget ought to have its items well described and quantified. In addition, the proposal should have a budget inclusive of indirect costs as they influence the outcomes.

Sustained impact and expectations from the project

A grant proposal can also look into the long-term impacts of the project or campaign. This section can provide a strong blueprint for the organization’s vision for the next 5 or 10 years. This section can also include projected costs subjected to inflation, potential future growth, ongoing training, decommission expenses, and the final stage of the project life cycle.

Supporting documents

Grant proposals can have supporting documents attached to support your case further. Such documents include letters of support, proof of 501 (c) status, personal resumes, a list of board of directors, tax-exempt IRS letters, etc.

Grant Proposal Examples- by Types

In case you require these documents in different categories or types, you can browse the free library of them that we have provided below for your additional ease and assistance:

General Tips for Writing a Grant Proposal

Below are some tips to assist anyone in writing a winning grant proposal:

Pay heed to the agency’s interest

Most grantors will be looking for specific keywords or items during the review process. Therefore, it is vital to note this and incorporate it into the proposal, especially in today’s world where reviews can be done automatically. However, avoid using too many of the keywords (overstuffing).

Collect the entire data

Carry out extensive research on the problem and solution the project addresses and make statements or proposals based on this data. Factual representation of information is key to persuading agencies to award grants.

Customize your proposal

Make the proposal more reader-friendly and personalized. When writing to different agencies, ensure to customize the proposal to resemble the agencies’ interests, expectations, and guidelines; these vary between agencies. As much as you can borrow items from one proposal and use them on another, avoid reusing the same document. Customizing a proposal will often require a bit of research.

Organize ideas with a numbered list

It is recommended that when you are listing items, you number them, as it improves the proposal presentation and makes it easier for the reader to skim, which might come in handy during the review process.

Do not be generic

A lack of precision (generalization) can hurt your chances of getting a grant. Remain specific to the grant and the project when writing the proposal.

Be clear and concise

Be direct and to the point. Grant proposals are not novels of what is going to happen; therefore, they should include only relevant information that the grantor can use to decide whether to award the grant or not.

Review and get a fresh perspective

Once completed, review it to ensure it is written from a perspective that can be understood by someone not involved in the same industry. Reducing or removing jargon and abbreviations can be helpful to the reader. Alternatively, have a third party review the proposal and ask them to give feedback.

Double-check the application

Look for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, calculations, and due dates before preparing the final draft. Also, check the formatting and supporting documents. Finally, review the document on whether it has met the grantor’s specifications.

Character limits, font size, page numbers, etc.

Key Takeaways

• A grant proposal is defined as a formal written request for funds to carry out a profit or non-profit project or campaign.
• Its essential elements are a cover letter, title page, abstract/introduction, institutional background, problem statement, project goals and objectives, implementation plan, evaluation plan, other funding and sustainability, project budget, and supporting documents.
• Research is part and parcel of writing a winning grant proposal.
• Writing one does not have to be intricate if you are willing to research and abide by the grantor’s guidelines.
• There are different types and sizes of grants: general operating, program and project grants, capacity-building grants, capital grants, endowment grants, matching grants, etc.
• Applicants can request grants from more than one agency at the same time.

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Examples of successful grant proposals.

The following grant proposals were funded during the 1999-2000 review year, and are considered to be examples of excellent applications for funding. Some recommendation letters have been removed to protect the authors' privacy.

TYPE A - SUPPLIES

• Student's Application
• Faculty Recommendation Letter

TYPE B - TRAVEL

• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

The Imagine Fund

• Annual Faculty Research Grants
• Special Events Grants
• AHD Chair Award
• Grant and Award Recipients

Examples of successful proposals

The proposals excerpted below were identified as particularly strong and worthy of funding by the Imagine Fund Awards committee in past award years. Taken together, they constitute a sampling of what the committee looks for in proposals for funding, including articulate statements of context and goals for a project, clear and reasonable budgets, and demonstration that proposed work builds on past knowledge and experience while exploring new directions.

• Design, a book project: Toward Culturally Sensitive Designs - Developing a handbook that bridges theory and practice
• Photography, a book project: The Architecture Photography of Balthazar Korab
• Comparative literature, a book project: The Agon of Comparative Literature
• Music, preservation of scores, lecture and performance: The Legacy of Solon Verret
• Design, a photography project: Re-Imaging and Imagining the Beautiful and Sublime: Phase 5
• Social sciences, a political empowerment curriculum: Facilitating Political Empowerment of Women in Haryana

Toward Culturally Sensitive Designs - Developing a handbook that bridges theory and practice

Tasoulla Hadjiyanni, Department of Design, Housing & Apparel, College of Design, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Goals and Context

In the United States, over 33 million people are foreign born and over 54 million speak a language other than English at home. Displaced groups often struggle to find places that engender a sense of attachment, define their identity, and sustain their well-being. Having an understanding of how design, culture, and identity intersect in the global era can expand the variables through which designers can create spaces that support various ways of living, that is, culturally sensitive designs.

Using knowledge from studying cultural differences for 15 years, I am writing a book that fills this gap in the literature and serves as a handbook by which designers can respond to culture in design. The book’s interdisciplinary nature presents the challenge of translating complex understandings of culture into language that resonates with designers, professionals who are trained to think visually. This Imagine Grant will enhance the book’s appeal by supporting: a) the creation of visual imagery to accompany the book’s text—-maps that highlight cultural diversity; house plans that illustrate culturally sensitive design solutions; diagrams that relate theoretical frameworks, etc.; and b) the pre-testing of the book by professionals for feedback.

Notable Recent Accomplishments

(2010). (Im)materiality and practice – Craft making as a medium for reconstructing Ojibwe identity in domestic spaces. Home Cultures, 7(1), 57-86. (2009). The aesthetics of displacement – Hmong, Somali, and Mexican home-making practices in Minnesota. International Journal of Consumer Studies (Special issue on Consumer Issues in Housing), 33, 541-549. (2009). The spatiality of veiling – Muslim women living in Minnesota homes. International Journal of Architectural Research, 3(2), 35-50. (2009). Re/claiming the past – Constructing Ojibwe identity in Minnesota homes. Design Studies, 30(4), 462-481. (2008). Kitchens as cultural mediums – The food experiences of Mexican immigrants in Minnesota. Housing and Society (Special Issue on Kitchens and Baths), 35(2), 97-116.

Book, visuals, culture, design, displacement

Use of Previous Imagine Fund Awards

In Spring 2010, I was granted an Imagine Fund Single Course Release Support to continue the work on the book that began with my Fall 2009 semester leave. This helped me structure the book’s outline, draft Chapter 5, and begin drafts of all other chapters. This Fall’s IAS Fellowship will help me come closer to the goal of completing the book within the next two years, furthering my own, the Program’s and the College’s goals.

The book has eight chapters. The introductory chapter states the problem and the book’s approach. Chapter 1 builds the case for why designers should engage with culture. Chapter 2 serves as a crash-course on culture, using interdisciplinary theories and findings in ways that are relevant to practitioners. Chapter 3 untangles the spatial implications of cultural expressions in displacement such as religion, dress, food, and family. Chapter 4 focuses on the built environment. Chapter 5 provides practical guidance so that designers can gather knowledge needed during the design process. Chapter 6 challenges designers to go beyond and fully participate in debates around difference. And Chapter 7 gives examples of what culturally sensitive designs can be, from residential to public buildings and urban spaces.

Proposed Budget

NO other funds are available to cover the cost of developing the visual imagery for the book and the pre-testing of the book by professionals.

The $5000 Imagine Funds will be used as follows:

A) 32 images x 4 hours/image x $9.14/hr = $1,169.92 Cover the cost of two undergraduate students, an interior design student and a graphic design student, who will work together to develop the visual imagery for the book—eight chapters with approximately four images per chapter makes around 32 images.

B) 5% for one semester—Fall 2011: $1,379 A graduate RA from Graphic Design who will help supervise the undergraduate students and give them overall direction.

C) An honorarium of $400 to five practitioners: $2,000 Two designers, two affordable housing providers, and one policy maker who will review the book’s draft and provide feedback that will solidify the book’s content and approach. In its final stage, the book will have eight chapters at around 30 pages each. To review a maximum total of 240 pages, it is estimated to take between 15-20 hours. With a $400 bonus, it comes to $20/hr, which seems to be a fair compensation for the reviewers’ time.

D) Other: $451.08 Color prints, copies of the book’s draft for the pre-testing, etc.

Total: $5,000

Additional Resources (List and details)

Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowship, Short-Term Outreach Projects for Issues in Minnesota grant

Project Time Frame

This year's funds will be sufficient to complete this project.

Project Time Frame Detail

The goal is to have the book completed within the next two years—Fall 2012. With the bulk of the writing done by Summer 2011, efforts can be concentrated on developing the visual imagery and pre-testing:

1) Visual imagery: If the Imagine Fund supports this project, the development of the visual imagery will begin Fall 2011. The Graduate Assistant will spearhead this effort and give it the momentum needed so that by the end of Fall 2011, much of the conceptualization of what the imagery will entail will be in place. It is anticipated that the execution of the actual visual imagery will be completed by Spring 2012.

2) Pre-testing: The pre-testing will be completed by Summer 2012. The reviewers would have been identified by Spring 2011 as they would be among the participants of the study noted above.

A manuscript in which images and text complement each other has greater appeal for publishers that cater to the design community and therefore, between Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 proposals will also be submitted to targeted publishing groups.

This project is not anticipating additional funding in future years. If this proposal is honored, the book’s completion will not be relying on additional funding from the Imagine Fund.

Back to list of samples

The Architecture Photography of Balthazar Korab

John Comazzi, Department of Architecture, College of Design, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

This proposal seeks support to offset the cost of a research assistant as well as the costs of securing image rights and pre-press image production necessary for the publication of a monograph on the life and career of Balthazar Korab, one of the most celebrated and prolific photographers of architecture from the twentieth century. While Korab’s photography has been widely acknowledged for its contribution to the collective visual culture representing mid-century Modern architecture and design, there has never been a publication dedicated solely to his life and career. Support from the Imagine Fund will enable me to complete the image collection and production for this book (currently under agreement and in contract negotiations with a major commercial press) that will advance new scholarship on architecture photography through a critical study of Balthazar Korab’s exceptional career. More specifically, I will use the funds to pay licensing fees and pre-press production costs to the Korab Archive for the use of their images. Additionally, funds from this award will be used to hire a research assistant to finalize research, organize references and help prepare the final manuscript for the book (estimated submission date July 2011).

CONFERENCES 1.) 2010 - “Change Over Time: The J. Irwin Miller House in the Photography of Balthazar Korab,” Where Do You Stand?: ACSA National Conference, March 3-7, 2011, Montréal, Canada, (Paper accepted for delivery and publication in proceedings). 2.) 2010 - “Photography Matters: Balthazar Korab’s Legacy in the Saarinen Office,” The Place of Research / The Research of Place: The Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) and the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE)

EXHIBITIONS 3.) 2010 - “Balthazar Korab’s Photography and Eero Saarinen’s Architecture,” Virka Gallery, Helsinki, Finland, March – April, 2010, role: Curitorial image selection, and contributor of exhibition content on the photography of Balthazar Korab. 4.) 2010 - “Inflected Modernism: The Architecture Photography of Balthazar Korab,” University of Wisconsin, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Milwaukee, WI, January – February, 2010, role: Curator and author of exhibition content.

PUBLICATIONS 5.) 2009 - “Balthazar Korab,” EXIT No. 36 Architecture: The Professional View, November 2009, pp. 96-101. ISSN 1577272-1

Architecture, photography, design, publication, manuscript

In 2009 I received an Imagine Fund Grant for the development of an exhibition on the architecture photography of Balthazar Korab entitled “Inflected Modernism.” This exhibition was shown at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in January and February of 2010 and I delivered a lecture and gallery talk to coincide with the opening. There are plans for this exhibition to travel. In 2010 I received an Imagine Fund Grant ($4000) that is being used to pay a portion of the overall subvention funds requested by the publisher to offset printing and production costs in producing the book (total subvention request = $15,000). The final contract is in negotiation and these funds will be paid when the final agreement has been signed.

Costs License Agreement and Pre-Press Image Production ($75/image x 40 images) = $3000 Graduate Student Research Assistant (100 hours during Summer 2011) = $1997 Total costs = $4997

NOTE: while I have received other grants for the development of this book project, I currently have no other sources of funding available to me for the sole purposes of Image Production and a Research Assistant. For example, I have received two grants totaling $11,000 (Imagine Fund Grant 2010 and Metropolitan Design Center Faculty Grant), however this funding is being used to pay subvention funds that have been requested by the publisher as part of the publishing agreement to offset printing costs (total subvention request = $15,000). Therefore, the funding from these two grants and are not available for the purposes of the above image licensing or research assistantship.

Faculty Development Funds

The current publishing contract (currently in negotiation) stipulates a completion date for the forthcoming manuscript in July 2011. Therefore, if awarded, I anticipate using the funding within the first year of receiving the grant.

The Agon of Comparative Literature

Shaden Tageldin, Department of Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Why does an ostensibly internationalist field like comparative literature--even now--assign its origin to nineteenth-century Europe and its elaboration to the postwar United States, ignoring its parallel invention in non-Western contexts like the Arabic-speaking world? By reassessing the act of literary comparison from the latter perspective, might we lay bare the "democratic" imperialism that underpins the genesis of the field? These are key questions I pursue in my second book, _The Agon of Comparative Literature_, which I will continue to research and write in 2011-12. Analyzing the rise of comparative literature in Egypt and greater Syria between 1834 and 1936, my project contests Eurocentric visions of the discipline, which often divorce empire from the comparative impulse. I argue that the dynamics of modern literary comparison emerge in the fraught space of literary/political relation between imperial Europe and the Arabic-speaking world. To limn that space, the book explores the redefinitions of "literature," "prose," and "poetry" in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Arabic, French, and English literatures. Modern Arabic redefinitions of such terms, I suggest, gradually cede to the dominance of European norms.

1) 135,000-word scholarly monograph, in press and forthcoming from the University of California Press (2011).

2) 9,000-word refereed, single-authored scholarly journal article, in press and forthcoming in _PMLA_ (2011). _PMLA_, one of the most selective peer-reviewed journals in the humanities, is the journal of the Modern Language Association.

3) 13,000-word refereed, single-authored scholarly journal article, in press and forthcoming in a special issue of _Comparative Literature Studies_ (2010). _Comparative Literature Studies_ is a major peer-reviewed scholarly journal in the field of comparative literature.

4) 13,000-word refereed, single-authored scholarly journal article, published in _Comparative Literature Studies_ (2009).

5) 7,500-word refereed, single-authored scholarly book chapter, in an edited volume published by Cambridge University Press (2009).

comparative literature, imperialism, Arabic, French, English

My 2009 and 2010 Imagine Fund awards are either already spent or earmarked for outstanding expenses. With 2009 funds, I purchased research materials and defrayed permissions costs for my first book. Remaining 2009 funds will reimburse permissions fees to be paid in 2011, when that book is published, and travel to Egypt in July-August 2010, to begin the current project. In Egypt, I studied Rifa'a al-Tahtawi's 1867 Arabic translation of Fénelon and identified intertexts that shed light on that translation, meeting 2009 objectives. Fulfilling 2010 goals, I also examined early Arabic reflections on comparative literature: Ruhi al-Khalidi's French/Arabic literary history (1904); Sulayman al-Bustani's introduction to his 1904 translation of Homer; and Khalil Hindawi's study (1936). As I did not find the 1835 Arabic translation of Daniel Defoe's _Robinson Crusoe_ attributed to Faris al-Shidyaq, however, I will use some 2010 funds to travel to the British Library in London, which holds this translation. Remaining 2010 funds will support travel to Paris in 2011-12, where I will explore the French-Arabic literary relations that underwrote al-Khalidi's study and al-Shidyaq's first novelistic experiment in Arabic, published in Paris in 1855.

With a 2011 award, I will complete foundational research for my book. To continue in-depth work in Arabic materials not readily available in the US, I will need to return to Egypt. Thanks to a 2009 award, I have begun to analyze Rifa'a al-Tahtawi’s Arabic translation (1867) of Fénelon's _Les Aventures de Télémaque_ (1699), the first major Egyptian translation from European literature. Further research in Egypt on a 2011 award will help me link that translation to other nineteenth-century Arab engagements with Fénelon and, via Fénelon, with early European literary modernity and its relationship to Greco-Roman antiquity. At the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, I will examine 'Abd Allah Husayn al-Misri's Arabic translation of Fénelon’s _Abrégé de la vie des plus illustres philosophes de l’antiquité_, published in 1836-37 as _Mukhtasar tarjamat mashahir qudama' al-falasifa_. At the American University in Cairo Library and Egyptian National Library, I will consider Muhammad 'Abduh's early reaction (1881) to al-Tahtawi's rendering of _Télémaque_ and to the ethical project of the novel in the official gazette _al-Waqa'i' al-Misriyya_ and assess other debates on changing prose and poetic style in Arabic periodicals of the period. Further, I will compare the form of 'A'isha Taymur's _Nata'ij al-Ahwal fi al-Aqwal wa al-Af'al_ (1888)--arguably the first novel by an Arab woman--to that of al-Tahtawi's translation, a key influence. The library of Cairo's Women and Memory Forum, which holds recent Egyptian scholarship and rare materials on Taymur, will be crucial to my work.

Finally, building on preliminary research at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in summer 2010, I will closely examine the pre-print proof copy of the first 3 volumes (over 1,000 pages) of 'Ali Mubarak's _'Alam al-Din_ (1882), sometimes considered the "first" Egyptian novel, and order reproductions of key sections. The novel's characters recall al-Tahtawi's translation of Fénelon: an English Orientalist and an English sailor each play Mentor to an Egyptian Telemachus, the elder to an Azharite shaykh, the younger to the shaykh's son. By studying Mubarak's emendations to this proof, I hope to better grasp the authorial decisions that animated the transition from traditional prose narrative forms to modern novelistic ones.

My budget is as follows:

Round-trip economy airfare--Minneapolis, MN, to Cairo, Egypt: $1,900.00 Lodging (6 weeks)--Cairo and Alexandria: $2,700.00 Photocopying + book expenses: $400.00 TOTAL: $5,000.00

Research Funds

Additional funding may be requested for future phases of this project.

By early 2012, two chapters of the book will be complete; on the basis of these chapters, I plan to propose the manuscript to a major U.S. university press by the end of 2012, and I expect to finish a complete draft of the manuscript by 2013-14. Since I will be returning to Egypt this year to conduct a closer examination of materials I was only able to identify or survey on my 2010 research visit, I expect that this year's award will enable me to complete all foundational Arabic-language research for the proposed project. I will make every effort to conclude this phase of my work with a 2011 Imagine Fund award. It is possible, however, that future work on this book will require further research in U.S. or British libraries. If so, I will submit a new request for funding, focused on new material.

The Legacy of Solon Verret

Jean Perrault, Department of Fine Arts and Music, University of Minnesota Duluth

Some of the great tragedies of the January 12 earthquake were the loss of life and destruction of important landmarks: parliament buildings, national palace, national cathedrals, public libraries, public and private schools…. Irreplaceable artifacts laid exposed to the element. One such manila envelope contained original manuscripts of the little known Haitian composer Solon Verret. The envelope was rescued and taken to the Verret family which subsequently requested my help in preserving the music. This proposal aims to secure funding to travel to Haiti, sift through the vestiges and assess the condition of the manuscripts. Salvageable samples will be copied, catalogued, edited, digitized and assembled into a booklet. The name Verret was widely known in Haitian music circles as a concert pianist, a brilliant man and a master teacher. Nowhere, not even the internet, can one find anything on his contribution as a composer. While in Haiti, I will use that opportunity to find out more about this obscure Haitian composer. After compiling and sorting through the data, a lecture/performance of his music will then be scheduled in Weber Hall, with world-renowned pianist Daryl Hollister.

For nearly 15 years, I have been very involved in the editing process of the piano work of Haitian classical composers. My collaboration with the Société de Recherche et Diffusion de la Musique Haïtienne (Canada) continues to bear fruit. On Sunday October 24, I was invited by the Flushing Council for the Arts and the Institute Monfort to perform a recital at the Flushing Town Hall. In September 2010, I was named one of four Community Liaisons for the Minnesota State Arts Board. The goal is to recruit artists of all kinds and advise them on Grant Opportunities available through the MN State Arts Board. In April 2009, my latest composition, Brother Malcolm, was premièred by Dr. Husby and Dr. Chernyshev. It has since been in high demand for performances throughout the state of Minnesota. This composition, an imaginary conversation between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, was written to commemorate the inauguration of Barack Obama as 44th President of the United States. In January 2009, I was invited to deliver the keynote address at the Haitian American Leadership Organization annual conference (Miami, Florida). It was a great honor to be asked to speak on: “Educating the youth: maintaining cultural identity”.

World music, nationalism, piano, legacy

In 2010, I received my first Imagine Fund award to recreate Shirley Graham’s Opera “Tom-Tom”. Although the opera received its première in 1932, the final score and parts have long been lost. All that remains is a working copy of a score with some degree of what the composer intended as orchestration. So far I have secured a copy of the score and will soon begin the process of digitizing it. Next I will start the editing process and adding new orchestration in incomplete sections as needed. Recreating the score and making it widely available through publication would generate interest in this very important score. This opera, from a much respected African American author and Oberlin-trained composer, depicts a very difficult era in American history. It can very easily be used as a vehicle to teach/educate and engage students of all ages about this period in our history.

Travel Expenses to Haiti - $1,000 Digitizing and editing of manuscripts (using Finale) - $1,500 Publishing, duplicating and binding of selected works - $250 Guest artist fee for lecture/recital - $1,500 Travel expense for guest artist - $750

No other funds, external and internal, have been made available for this project.

I will draw on my vast network of friends and musicologist to complete this project.

This year’s funds will be sufficient to complete this project.

I will travel to Haiti during the summer months (2011) to assess the condition of the manuscripts. An additional month will be needed to enter the music notation and digitize the score. Expected completion of this project is December 2011. Although this project does not rely on additional years for completion, it is my hope that future similar projects will be funded to preserve the arts of notable Haitian artists. Several other institutions and musicologists have already started to accumulate information on Haitian Classical Composers. The University of Minnesota has the opportunity to be on the pioneering end of what is sure to become an important area in ethnomusicology.

Re-Imaging and Imagining the Beautiful and Sublime: Phase 5

Steve Bardolph, Department of Art and Design, University of Minnesota Duluth

My goal is to share, through immersive photographic panoramas, the awe I experience at the flaming shining grandeur in the world around me. I want to help people see, even in everyday events and places, life charged with deep freshness and bright wonder. These panoramas are my primary artistic direction, and I've been exploring the human interaction with beautiful and sublime landscapes for 18 years. These works are like a Japanese garden, at once presenting an awe-inspiring and complete whole, as well as a rich tapestry of individual details spread across singular moments in time. They ground the viewer in real space while employing graphic design’s familiar and comfortable grid, yet they break the window of conventional perspective by reaching around and behind to shift points of view and invite an exuberant interaction with place and time.

Thanks in large part to previous Imagine Awards I have upgraded cameras to gather these visions and a purpose built MacPro computer to assemble them. With this proposal I'm asking for color calibrated widescreen computer monitors that will enable me to accurately see and efficiently construct these massive panoramas.

1. Vis-à-Vis Faculty Art Exhibition, "Pine Lake Panorama" (4' x 10' archival inkjet print), September 2010–October 2010, Katherine E. Nash Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

2. UMD Art+Design Faculty Exhibition, "Reflections on Cloud Gate," "Beneath the Bean," and "Reflections of Millennium Park" (three 3' x 9' archival inkjet panoramas), September 2009–January 2010, Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN.

3. Best of Show, Calvin Alumni Photography Competition, "Orange Hawkweed" and "Lighthouse Honeycomb," (two 3' x 3' 360º layered archival inkjet panoramas), February–March 2008, Grand Rapids, MI.

4. Across Space, Time, and Meaning, “Gene Bank: Old Growth Forest, Three-Mile Island, Minnesota,” a collaborative installation with Alan Sonfist, January 2006–January 2007, Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN.

5. IdeaFestival, "Japan House Panorama," Oberg Mountain Panorama," and "Times Square Panorama" (three 15' x 27' digital panoramas on world's highest resolution seamless display), October 2006, Louisville, KY.

panorama, sublime, beauty, widescreen, calibration

I have been extremely fortunate with two rounds of Imagine Fund awards supporting earlier phases of this same project. In 2009 with $3,000 I upgraded digital cameras to gather natural and urban landscape photos with increased clarity and resolution in Minnesota, Utah, Illinois, and Hawaii. I now have a vast library of forest, mountain, city, and ocean images I'm assembling with an Apple MacPro computer, funded in part by $4,000 in 2010. This incredibly powerful workstation was purpose built to handle the 200-600 images I use to construct the 3 or 4 foot high by 8, 12, or 24 foot wide panoramas. Previous Imagine Fund awards made possible the first two creative accomplishments above, and have opened the doors for upcoming solo exhibitions in Texas and Maryland, as well as other opportunities in Virginia, Michigan, and Montreal, Canada. This proposal would enable me to complete these exhibitions and build exponentially upon the progress I've made these past two years. Imagine Funds are helping me establish a rhythm of productive research to balance my teaching, advising, leadership and service before tenure review in 2012.

Proposed budget for color calibrated double widescreen canvas, optimized for panorama production: I am asking for your support to fund side by side LCD computer displays that will allow me to work efficiently while better visualizing the scale and sweep of upcoming projects including a 60' wide ocean panorama I am eager to share with the world.

1. $2,300-NEC 30" Widescreen LCD Monitor: professional high definition display, pivoting function for pans, and energy savings.

2. $100-SpectraView2 Color Calibration Solution: for accurate, consistent, and repeatable color performance screen to printer.

3. $2,300-2nd NEC 30" Widescreen LCD Monitor: 2nd workspace window for full view and efficient construction of panoramas.

4. $200-2 Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapters: connect LCD monitors to existing Apple MacPro computer.

5. $230-UPS Ground Shipping and Insurance-cheapest option for getting these large and precious displays safely to UMD.

Total Cost: $5,130

Drawn from these funding sources: Imagine Grant Funds: $5,000 Professional Development Funds: $130

Start-up, Faculty Development, and Personal Funds (salary)

Thanks to Imagine Funds I've begun a body of work suitable for national and international exhibition. If this proposal is funded my productivity would be radically enhanced, imagination and production would be more closely linked, and my panoramas would be more faithfully rendered. Art and Design research at the University of Minnesota would advance, teaching would be strengthened, and service be more inspired. This, in turn, would significantly improve my chances of passing tenure review in one and a half years.

This year's funds will be sufficient to complete this phase of this project and its goals, but additional funding may be requested for wider dissemination in the future (additional printing, exhibition fees, and travel for installations).

Thank you for your time, your review participation, and especially your consideration of my request. I am eager to see these immersive experiences of the beautiful and sublime more fully realized.

Facilitating Political Empowerment of Women in Haryana

Pareena Lawrence, Department of Social Science, University of Minnesota Morris

The goal of this project is to use women’s life stories and experiences that were collected in 2009-10, to help them devise strategies and develop a curriculum that will help create a more actualized political identity for women in local governance. This curriculum will be developed together with the women leaders who have participated in phase 1-2 of this project. The first workshop based on this jointly developed curriculum will be conducted in summer of 2011 for newly elected women leaders.

The Government of India instituted reservation for women in 1992 to increase their political participation and include their voices in local governance . Despite their intentions and the desires of elected women Sarpanchs (village council heads) to participate, many in the state of Haryana have been rendered ineffective, beset by cultural and social obstacles that impede their ability to execute their responsibilities. In the bordering state of Himachal, women Sarpanchs have had greater success transcending the socio-cultural barriers.

Working in conjunction with women Sarpanchs, this project will help prepare a new generation of women leaders, so that together we can better address the obstacles they face with concrete strategies for actualizing their political identities.

With Maria Brun, 2010, “NGOs and HIV/AIDS Advocacy in India: Identifying the Challenges.” Forthcoming in the April 2011 issue of South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies.

With S. Dalmia, 2010, "Dowry Inflation in India: An Examination of the Evidence for and against it." Forthcoming in International Journal of Business and Economics.

With S. Nezhad, 2009, “Accountability, Transparency, and Government Co-option: A Case Study of Four NGOs.” International NGO Journal Vol. 4 (3), pp.076–083, March 2009, Academic Journals.

With S. Dalmia, 2009, " Trends and Patterns in Dowry Transactions: Evidence from North and South India.” Ch. 6 in the book, Dowry: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice edited by T. Bradley, E. Tomalin and M. Subramaniam. September 2009, Zed/Women Unlimited.

With M. Mancini, 2008. "La Toma De Decisiones de Los Hogares en Venezuela / Household Decision-Making in Venezuela." Revista de Economia Institucional, Vol. 10, Number 18, Primer Semestre, pp. 213-239, Universidad Externado de Colombia.

identity, power, gender, empowerment, India

The previously awarded Imagine Fund (2010) supplemented by two other grants were used to conduct phase 1 and 2 of the project that included the collection of life histories and focus group discussions with women leaders in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in northern India in Winter 2009 and Summer 2010. This work was supported by District officials in the state of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh who provided transportation for the women Sarpanchs and helped arrange and facilitate the focus group meetings.

Item: Projected Cost TRAVEL 1. Roundtrip from Morris to and from MSP airport: $160 2. Hotel and park and fly: $140 3. Roundtrip airfare from Minneapolis, Minnesota to New Delhi, India: $1,700 4. Per diem (lodging and food): $2,250   ($75/day for 30 days) 5. Domestic Travel in India: $1,000 6. Workshop related expenses  (supplies, food, personnel, and other incidentals): $1,000 TOTAL: $6,250

This research project is requesting funds to complete the 3rd phase of this project. I plan on traveling to India in summer 2011 to help finish the development of the curriculum with input from the women leaders who participated in phase 1 and 2 of the project. This jointly developed curriculum will then be used for a workshop for newly elected women leaders (elections held in July 2010) in Haryana in summer 2011.

Phases 1 and 2 have been completed with curriculum development underway.

Phase 1 and 2 (Dec 2009 – Spring 2011)

• recruit and train two research assistants (completed)
• collect life histories of women in Haryana (completed)
• conduct focus groups discussions with women Sarpanchs from Himachal Pradesh to discuss Haryana life histories (completed).
• analyze the life histories and focus group transcripts to develop curriculum for an educational workshop (ongoing).

Phase 3 (summer 2011)

• refine the curriculum and action plan with Himachal Pradesh Sarpanchs to prepare for the first workshop in Summer 2011.
• compile the life histories, focus group discussions, the curriculum developed, and the workshop experiences, including our reflections of this project into a single book volume.

• Sponsored Programs
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Examples of Funded Grant Proposals

NEA – FOIA Reading Room

Department of Education – Office of Postsecondary Education

American Political Science Association

Projects in the Sciences

Samples from Grant Space – A service of the Foundation Center

Projects funded at CUNY in various disciplines

U.C. Berkeley Institute of International Studies – Proposals to Fulbright and NSF

Science Proposals from Carleton College

Sample Grant Proposals from Weber State University

Sample Funded NEH Proposal from Penn State

Structuring Your Research Proposal

The Outline

    1. abstract/introduction.

A brief overview of the question you’re investigating and your proposed research framework. Although this will probably be the section that you write last, it should not be treated as an afterthought. It will be the section that grabs your readers’ attention, getting them excited to learn more about your project, given the significance and context of the larger problem.

    2. Literature Review

This section should engage with the themes that have emerged from the major pieces of literature you’ve reviewed. Some questions to consider answering include, how is the question that you’re researching situated within the broader discipline it sits in? What are the gaps in research thus far? How will your project build upon and contribute to the scholarly conversation within your discipline or field?

Even if there is little to no previous scholarship on your particular topic, you should connect it to other similar or parallel subjects.

    3. Methodology

One of the most critical parts of the proposal where you answer the “how” of your research project. Questions to answer include, what methods will you be using to collect your data? Through interviews, lab research, archival research, etc.? Have you begun IRB training if working with human subjects? How many people will you be interviewing? What’s your timeline? How much time will be spent during each stage of the research? Once you’ve collected your data, how will you be sorting through and analyzing it?

The key words to keep in mind while writing this section are scope + length.

    4. Discussing Your Credentials

Show, don’t tell. Demonstrate how the projects you’ve previously undertaken, courses you’ve taken, and/or internships and other research opportunities you’ve completed have helped you develop the necessary skills to conduct your proposed research project.

Some questions to answer include: what are your relevant skills? What skills will need to be developed through this process? Are there any necessary skills that you don’t yet possess but that you will be honing before beginning your project?

Don’t provide a laundry list of all the skills that you’ve ever developed in your academic career. Focus on only the experiences and skills that are relevant to this particular project.

    5. Connections Between Your Research & Goals

Your proposed project should build upon your academic and professional experiences thus far and set the stage for what is to follow. Questions to consider include, how does this fit in with your professional and/or academic trajectory? What kind of development will this research opportunity help facilitate?

Tip: When working on your proposal, make sure to meet with your faculty mentor(s), who may provide valuable disciplinary-specific feedback on your research question(s) and methodology.

Access a printable version of this guide here.

How to Write a Research Proposal: (with Examples & Templates)

Table of Contents

Before conducting a study, a research proposal should be created that outlines researchers’ plans and methodology and is submitted to the concerned evaluating organization or person. Creating a research proposal is an important step to ensure that researchers are on track and are moving forward as intended. A research proposal can be defined as a detailed plan or blueprint for the proposed research that you intend to undertake. It provides readers with a snapshot of your project by describing what you will investigate, why it is needed, and how you will conduct the research.  

Your research proposal should aim to explain to the readers why your research is relevant and original, that you understand the context and current scenario in the field, have the appropriate resources to conduct the research, and that the research is feasible given the usual constraints.  

This article will describe in detail the purpose and typical structure of a research proposal , along with examples and templates to help you ace this step in your research journey.  

What is a Research Proposal ?  

A research proposal¹ ,²  can be defined as a formal report that describes your proposed research, its objectives, methodology, implications, and other important details. Research proposals are the framework of your research and are used to obtain approvals or grants to conduct the study from various committees or organizations. Consequently, research proposals should convince readers of your study’s credibility, accuracy, achievability, practicality, and reproducibility.   

With research proposals , researchers usually aim to persuade the readers, funding agencies, educational institutions, and supervisors to approve the proposal. To achieve this, the report should be well structured with the objectives written in clear, understandable language devoid of jargon. A well-organized research proposal conveys to the readers or evaluators that the writer has thought out the research plan meticulously and has the resources to ensure timely completion.  

Purpose of Research Proposals  

A research proposal is a sales pitch and therefore should be detailed enough to convince your readers, who could be supervisors, ethics committees, universities, etc., that what you’re proposing has merit and is feasible . Research proposals can help students discuss their dissertation with their faculty or fulfill course requirements and also help researchers obtain funding. A well-structured proposal instills confidence among readers about your ability to conduct and complete the study as proposed.  

Research proposals can be written for several reasons:³  

• To describe the importance of research in the specific topic  
• Address any potential challenges you may encounter  
• Showcase knowledge in the field and your ability to conduct a study  
• Apply for a role at a research institute  
• Convince a research supervisor or university that your research can satisfy the requirements of a degree program  
• Highlight the importance of your research to organizations that may sponsor your project  
• Identify implications of your project and how it can benefit the audience  

What Goes in a Research Proposal?    

Research proposals should aim to answer the three basic questions—what, why, and how.  

The What question should be answered by describing the specific subject being researched. It should typically include the objectives, the cohort details, and the location or setting.  

The Why question should be answered by describing the existing scenario of the subject, listing unanswered questions, identifying gaps in the existing research, and describing how your study can address these gaps, along with the implications and significance.  

The How question should be answered by describing the proposed research methodology, data analysis tools expected to be used, and other details to describe your proposed methodology.   

Research Proposal Example  

Here is a research proposal sample template (with examples) from the University of Rochester Medical Center. 4 The sections in all research proposals are essentially the same although different terminology and other specific sections may be used depending on the subject.  

Structure of a Research Proposal  

If you want to know how to make a research proposal impactful, include the following components:¹  

1. Introduction  

This section provides a background of the study, including the research topic, what is already known about it and the gaps, and the significance of the proposed research.  

2. Literature review  

This section contains descriptions of all the previous relevant studies pertaining to the research topic. Every study cited should be described in a few sentences, starting with the general studies to the more specific ones. This section builds on the understanding gained by readers in the Introduction section and supports it by citing relevant prior literature, indicating to readers that you have thoroughly researched your subject.  

3. Objectives  

Once the background and gaps in the research topic have been established, authors must now state the aims of the research clearly. Hypotheses should be mentioned here. This section further helps readers understand what your study’s specific goals are.  

4. Research design and methodology  

Here, authors should clearly describe the methods they intend to use to achieve their proposed objectives. Important components of this section include the population and sample size, data collection and analysis methods and duration, statistical analysis software, measures to avoid bias (randomization, blinding), etc.  

5. Ethical considerations  

This refers to the protection of participants’ rights, such as the right to privacy, right to confidentiality, etc. Researchers need to obtain informed consent and institutional review approval by the required authorities and mention this clearly for transparency.  

6. Budget/funding  

Researchers should prepare their budget and include all expected expenditures. An additional allowance for contingencies such as delays should also be factored in.  

7. Appendices  

This section typically includes information that supports the research proposal and may include informed consent forms, questionnaires, participant information, measurement tools, etc.  

8. Citations  

Important Tips for Writing a Research Proposal  

Writing a research proposal begins much before the actual task of writing. Planning the research proposal structure and content is an important stage, which if done efficiently, can help you seamlessly transition into the writing stage. 3,5  

The Planning Stage  

• Manage your time efficiently. Plan to have the draft version ready at least two weeks before your deadline and the final version at least two to three days before the deadline.
• What is the primary objective of your research?  
• Will your research address any existing gap?  
• What is the impact of your proposed research?  
• Do people outside your field find your research applicable in other areas?  
• If your research is unsuccessful, would there still be other useful research outcomes?  

  The Writing Stage  

• Create an outline with main section headings that are typically used.  
• Focus only on writing and getting your points across without worrying about the format of the research proposal , grammar, punctuation, etc. These can be fixed during the subsequent passes. Add details to each section heading you created in the beginning.   
• Ensure your sentences are concise and use plain language. A research proposal usually contains about 2,000 to 4,000 words or four to seven pages.  
• Don’t use too many technical terms and abbreviations assuming that the readers would know them. Define the abbreviations and technical terms.  
• Ensure that the entire content is readable. Avoid using long paragraphs because they affect the continuity in reading. Break them into shorter paragraphs and introduce some white space for readability.  
• Focus on only the major research issues and cite sources accordingly. Don’t include generic information or their sources in the literature review.  
• Proofread your final document to ensure there are no grammatical errors so readers can enjoy a seamless, uninterrupted read.  
• Use academic, scholarly language because it brings formality into a document.  
• Ensure that your title is created using the keywords in the document and is neither too long and specific nor too short and general.  
• Cite all sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism.  
• Make sure that you follow guidelines, if provided. This includes rules as simple as using a specific font or a hyphen or en dash between numerical ranges.  
• Ensure that you’ve answered all questions requested by the evaluating authority.  

Key Takeaways   

Here’s a summary of the main points about research proposals discussed in the previous sections:  

• A research proposal is a document that outlines the details of a proposed study and is created by researchers to submit to evaluators who could be research institutions, universities, faculty, etc.  
• Research proposals are usually about 2,000-4,000 words long, but this depends on the evaluating authority’s guidelines.  
• A good research proposal ensures that you’ve done your background research and assessed the feasibility of the research.  
• Research proposals have the following main sections—introduction, literature review, objectives, methodology, ethical considerations, and budget.  

Frequently Asked Questions  

Q1. How is a research proposal evaluated?  

A1. In general, most evaluators, including universities, broadly use the following criteria to evaluate research proposals . 6  

• Significance —Does the research address any important subject or issue, which may or may not be specific to the evaluator or university?  
• Content and design —Is the proposed methodology appropriate to answer the research question? Are the objectives clear and well aligned with the proposed methodology?  
• Sample size and selection —Is the target population or cohort size clearly mentioned? Is the sampling process used to select participants randomized, appropriate, and free of bias?  
• Timing —Are the proposed data collection dates mentioned clearly? Is the project feasible given the specified resources and timeline?  
• Data management and dissemination —Who will have access to the data? What is the plan for data analysis?  

Q2. What is the difference between the Introduction and Literature Review sections in a research proposal ?  

A2. The Introduction or Background section in a research proposal sets the context of the study by describing the current scenario of the subject and identifying the gaps and need for the research. A Literature Review, on the other hand, provides references to all prior relevant literature to help corroborate the gaps identified and the research need.  

Q3. How long should a research proposal be?  

A3. Research proposal lengths vary with the evaluating authority like universities or committees and also the subject. Here’s a table that lists the typical research proposal lengths for a few universities.  

Q4. What are the common mistakes to avoid in a research proposal ?  

A4. Here are a few common mistakes that you must avoid while writing a research proposal . 7  

• No clear objectives: Objectives should be clear, specific, and measurable for the easy understanding among readers.  
• Incomplete or unconvincing background research: Background research usually includes a review of the current scenario of the particular industry and also a review of the previous literature on the subject. This helps readers understand your reasons for undertaking this research because you identified gaps in the existing research.  
• Overlooking project feasibility: The project scope and estimates should be realistic considering the resources and time available.   
• Neglecting the impact and significance of the study: In a research proposal , readers and evaluators look for the implications or significance of your research and how it contributes to the existing research. This information should always be included.  
• Unstructured format of a research proposal : A well-structured document gives confidence to evaluators that you have read the guidelines carefully and are well organized in your approach, consequently affirming that you will be able to undertake the research as mentioned in your proposal.  
• Ineffective writing style: The language used should be formal and grammatically correct. If required, editors could be consulted, including AI-based tools such as Paperpal , to refine the research proposal structure and language.  

Thus, a research proposal is an essential document that can help you promote your research and secure funds and grants for conducting your research. Consequently, it should be well written in clear language and include all essential details to convince the evaluators of your ability to conduct the research as proposed.  

This article has described all the important components of a research proposal and has also provided tips to improve your writing style. We hope all these tips will help you write a well-structured research proposal to ensure receipt of grants or any other purpose.  

References  

• Sudheesh K, Duggappa DR, Nethra SS. How to write a research proposal? Indian J Anaesth. 2016;60(9):631-634. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037942/  
• Writing research proposals. Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Harvard University. Accessed July 14, 2024. https://uraf.harvard.edu/apply-opportunities/app-components/essays/research-proposals  
• What is a research proposal? Plus how to write one. Indeed website. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/research-proposal  
• Research proposal template. University of Rochester Medical Center. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/MediaLibraries/URMCMedia/pediatrics/research/documents/Research-proposal-Template.pdf  
• Tips for successful proposal writing. Johns Hopkins University. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://research.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tips-for-Successful-Proposal-Writing.pdf  
• Formal review of research proposals. Cornell University. Accessed July 18, 2024. https://irp.dpb.cornell.edu/surveys/survey-assessment-review-group/research-proposals  
• 7 Mistakes you must avoid in your research proposal. Aveksana (via LinkedIn). Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-mistakes-you-must-avoid-your-research-proposal-aveksana-cmtwf/  

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Writing a proposal? Read the NIH grant instructions!

I know that there is a very long and boring set of instructions for writing NIH grants, called the SF424: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html This page is particularly helpful in listing what the review criteria are, and some tips about writing the proposal. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/write-your-application.htm

For example, under Writing Tip #3:

• Write a clear topic sentence for each paragraph with one main point or idea.  This is key for readability.
• Make your points as direct as possible. Avoid jargon or excessive language.
• Write simple and clear sentences, keeping to about 20 words or less in each.

What points should you address?

I can’t find it in the current online version of the guidelines, but the prior PDF version of the SF424 has some very salient questions that you should make sure the various sections of your proposal address.

I f you cannot easily find a single topic (first) sentence of a paragraph that is followed by evidence to address the point below, then you probably haven’t focused your writing enough to what the reviewers want to know. As a reviewer, I scan the document, read the first sentences of each paragraph to see if I can catch the answers to these questions before diving in.

And, as a rule, the first sentence of each paragraph should be coordinated so that they form the logical underpinnings of your research proposal, with the stuff in the paragraphs supplying the necessary evidence for each point. So one paragraph, one topic, and if I agree with your assertion, then I won’t read further into the paragraph in much detail, but if I disagree then I’ll be scrutinizing the data and literature that you present.

Here they are:

Specific Aims

State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved. 

List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology. 

Significance

Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed project addresses.

Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields. 

Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved

Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms. 

Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions. 

Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches  

Approach 

Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Unless addressed separately in the Resource Sharing Plan attachment below, include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted. 

Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims. • _If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high risk aspects of the proposed work. 

More From Forbes

Crafting winning proposals with practical examples.

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Founder at ReDahlia & Entrepreneurs.ng. I help new entrepreneurs start businesses in 30 days & guide companies to scale impact and revenue.

I'm in the thick of it every day: writing, reviewing or advising on proposals. Just recently, a proposal of ours swung open the doors to a leading Nigerian bank partnership. It’s these real-life wins—and the many learning curves—that I’m bringing to you.

The Importance Of A Proposal

In a service-driven business, your proposal is your firm handshake and your compelling pitch rolled into one. It's got to be crisp, clear and compelling. I've been on both sides of the table, and I know a standout proposal is more than a list of services; it’s a story that says who you are and how you'll make your client's life better.

At my company, we've learned through hands-on experience that the best proposals, no matter the industry, all share a few crucial ingredients.

The Basics Of A Proposal

Project summary.

Here, you identify the scope of the work, describe what the project is and how you will do it. You will be explaining what your idea is in this section.

How much will it cost to complete the work? Are there extraneous costs like materials, equipment, flights, rentals or storage? In the budget, state if you will charge an hourly fee or a one-off fee for the project and describe what each cost will entail.

Payment Schedule

Here, you have to state when you expect to get paid—whether you want to be paid in full at the end of the project or if you want an advance payment, especially if you have things that you will have to pay for in advance before you complete the project (e.g., rentals).

Also, you want to clearly communicate how you want to be paid—whether by direct bank transfer or by check, among other options.

This is where you identify and enumerate your concerns about the project. Say you have a project to design a website or edit a video; you have to be clear on how many revisions can be done or how many additions the client can ask for.

You do not want to work for a year on a project that should only take two weeks because a client keeps changing his or her mind. You can also state in your proposal that any such additions outside the initial brief will attract a surcharge. This guards against clients who may want an infinite number of revisions and yet not be satisfied.

While you want to do perfect work that will be loved, you also want to protect yourself, as you do not want to end up committing too much unpaid time to a project.

The trick here is to undertake as many revisions as requested only if you are billing hourly as against an already agreed-upon flat fee. Agree on the number of possible revisions and schedule such revisions appropriately, taking notes of corrections before a final review.

Contact Information

Make sure your clients know how to reach you, as your proposal may pass through different desks. Provide your contact details (telephone number, email address, website address and physical address) in the footer of every page of the proposal.

Delivery Time

You will have to state the timelines to complete each scope of the project and the final delivery time of the project.

Tips For Crafting A Successful Proposal

Make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes; take your time to go through the document once more before you send it out.

You want to show that you have put a lot of thought into the job or project you are bidding for, and this will come across in the project summary. So get creative with the project summary, and really explain in detail what your vision is for the project. Beyond writing it down, you may schedule a presentation virtually or in-person to drive home your salient points.

You can also create multiple proposals, one for each idea you have for the project or the job. This is because not only will the project summary be different, the budget will be different as well.

Have a good design; use clean fonts, bullet points and differentiated font sizes to guide the client through the proposal.

Create a proposal template and reuse it for efficiency. As a business owner, you should always think about efficiency and build it into your business operations.

Practical Steps To Hone Your Proposal Writing Skills

Now that you have learned the content of a compelling proposal, it is time to put it into practice using the following six steps.

1. Remember The Basics

Familiarize yourself with the essential elements of a proposal, including the project summary, budget, payment schedule, provisions, contact information and delivery time.

2. Shape Your Vision

For a practice run, choose a hypothetical project or service to work on. Craft a creative and detailed project summary that clearly communicates your vision for the project. Showcase how your ideas can benefit the client and meet their needs.

3. Develop A Budget And Payment Schedule

Create a sample budget for the project, considering all relevant costs and expenses. Outline a suitable payment schedule, taking into account any advance payments or milestones.

4. Address Provisions

Identify potential concerns or issues that may arise during the project. Set clear boundaries on revisions and additional requests to protect yourself from unreasonable demands.

5. Create A Presentation

Prepare a presentation of your proposal. You can use slides, visual aids or a video recording to make it engaging and persuasive. Practice presenting your proposal to a friend or family member, seeking feedback on clarity and coherence.

6. Craft Your Proposal Design

Finally, design a template for your proposal, incorporating clean fonts, bullet points and a logical flow. Ensure it is visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Creating a successful proposal is a vital skill in business. Your capability to express your ideas, costs and deadlines can greatly impact your ability to secure projects and clients. I can vouch for this from my organization's extensive track record of executing numerous proposals and projects.

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