Getting Started on External Funding
Strategic Research Development Jorja Kimball, Director j-kimball@tamu.edu Margaret Hobson, Assistant Director m-hobson@tamu.edu Laurie Garton, Sr. Research Development Associate lsgarton@tamu.edu Phone (979) 847-8585 http://teesresearch.tamu.edu/
What Is TEES? Texas Engineering Experiment Station State agency of the Texas A&M University System Engineering research agency of Texas STEM education Serve as a catalyst for collaborations that position Texas to be especially competitive for federal dollars http://tees.tamu.edu/v2/
What is SRD? Strategic Research Development Partners with faculty researchers to develop proposals to federal funding agencies Builds capacity STEM education K to gray STEM workforce 3 to 5 technicians for every engineer http://teesresearch.tamu.edu/index.htm
Agenda Introductions Proposal Logic What to think about as you write Discussion and planning for future Your questions Your needs
Proposal Logic
Golden Rule of Grant Writing The one who has the gold, makes the rules RFP guidelines Agency/funder priorities
Funding Sources Federal State Foundations Industry
There is an Important Problem This problem is important because Someone important said so (lit review) The funding agency said so Societal need
I have a solution to the problem Description of the solution (brief) Can be worded as research question or hypothesis Can be worded as goals and objectives
My solution is better Current solutions and their limitations (lit review) Preliminary results (yours)
I believe my solution will work Preliminary results (yours) Other people’s work (lit review)
How I will do the work Bulk of proposal Details of research Tasks Timelines Roles and responsibilities
I can do the work Credentials (in text, CV, C&P) Preliminary results (if not discussed earlier) Facilities available Team members and their credentials Management plan for larger proposals
How you and others will know you did what you promised Proof of solution How you and others will know you did what you promised Evaluation Deliverables
Resources Needed Budget Budget Justification
Parts of Proposal Cover page Executive Summary Project Description References Cited (if needed) CVs Budget Justification Facilities Supplementary Documents
Top 5 Tips Do not make this sound like a journal paper – It is a SALES job Tell me up front WHAT will you do, research, apply And WHY it is important or applicable
Top 5 Tips FOLLOW the rfp/BAA in detail Did I put everything in they wanted? Did I align with their mission and the rfp? By reading this understand the problem I am solving? Provide a GRAPHIC if at all possible
Top 5 Tips Is the Scope of Work realistic for project time-frame i.e. Can I get results or what I promised by end of project? Does the text tie to budget
Top 5 Tips Have someone read if at all possible – EARLY of course If you are off the mark you have time to redo not just edit