An external fund is usually needed to succeed in research and it is important to have the proper writing skills for getting this Grant. Because there is so much pressure for publication of the articles and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a fund. Nowadays, the controversial ideas of the researchers are of little importance.
They have to persuade the Grant groups to get the fund with their proposals. Unfortunately, writing a proposal for a grant is much more difficult than writing the research article itself. In this post, we will review what you need to know about writing a good research proposal. Note that this article focuses more on the medical and statistical fields.
Characteristics of an Effective Research Grant Proposal
- Aims to advance science, serve humanity, society, or the environment
- Has focused and measurable goals
- Its results can be generalized
- Uses accurate, well-developed, and appropriate methods to achieve research goals
- Predicts potential problems that may arise during research and provides solutions for them
- Is performed by researchers who have enough experience, training, and knowledge
- Is conducted in an environment with a high probability of success
- Complies with ethical standards
- Has a leading researcher who is independent and capable of leading other authors
What to Do Before Writing the Grant Proposal
Signing up for Grant in each field of research has different requirements. But they also have something in common regardless of their research area. So it’s best to keep in mind a few key points.
A. Learn As Much As Possible About the Fund Provider
Even if you have written a great proposal, your application will be rejected if you do not know about the needs of the institution in question and how to meet them. Members of the Grant Committee consider the link between the research and the purpose of the institution. So you need to clarify in your proposal how your research will help that institution. In fact, look at the institution as your partner and look for common goals and concerns. If you are not aware of the goals of that institution, try to know them by visiting their website or even calling them. This way you can make sure that your proposal is linked to that institution. Besides, they will not reject your proposal because of its irrelevance to their scope.
B. Identify the Target Audience
Proposals are usually studied by scholars and researchers from other disciplines. So don’t use idioms and abbreviations. The best thing to do is to find information about the reviewers. These details are usually available on the institute’s website. This will help you determine what details to include in your proposal.
C. Follow the Sponsor’s Guidelines for Writing the Proposal
By doing this you can make sure that you do not remove the important stuff. Make a list of everything you need to consider, such as the researcher’s resume, budgeting, or endorsement by committee members. Then, thoroughly read the full details of page formatting and the like. Institutions reject proposals that do not follow these formats without even reviewing them. Also, if there are grammatical or spelling errors, the committee members will think that the researcher is careless. Thus, they will assume that the applicant has done the same thing when conducting the research.
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