1. Katherine McGraw, Ph.D. Associate VP, Sponsored Programs The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Howard University Preparing Future Faculty Program February 26, 2016 Strategies for Effective Grantwriting

2. Promotion and tenure Ability to conduct research, travel, and train students Institutional and disciplinary prestige and leverage Money! Why do future faculty need learn about grantwriting?

3. 1: Understand key features and types of grants 2: Look at templates for grant proposal contents 3: Review major issues related to grant budgets 4: Understand the submission and re-submission process 5: Gain some general grantwriting tips Objectives for today

4. A grant is not a gift or “free money” – there are “strings” attached. A grant comes from a funding organization that has specific needs or goals that it wants to see met. A grant is (usually) not given to an individual, but to an organization, like a university, with an individual as PI or director responsible for the project. Key Features and Types of Grants: What is a grant – and what isn’t it?

5. Types of grants Graduate fellowships (pre-doctoral, dissertation, post-doctoral) – usually awarded to the individual student applicant. Research grants – large or small grants that pay expenses related to a specific research project or group of related research projects. Training grants – grants to a university to train students in how to conduct research Equipment grants – grants just to purchase a large piece of equipment Service grants – grants to conduct a project that serves a community (i.e, a tutoring project) Key Features and Types of Grants: All grants are not the same

6. Fellowships….. Fellowships are for students in training at some level. Fellowships are almost always awarded to individuals. Fellowship proposals/applications often ask for information about the individual applicant’s goals and experiences as well as about the research. Fellowships often are limited to paying student tuition and sometimes a stipend, but not always other expenses. Grants…. Grants usually require the “principal investigator” or key contact person to be a faculty member or staff member, not a student. Grants are almost always awarded to the institution, not the individual. Grant proposals are almost entirely about the research or other project work to be conducted. Grants can pay a variety of costs, depending on the grant. Key Features and Types of Grants: What is the difference between a fellowship and a grant?

7. 1. Title 2. Abstract/Project Summary 3. Project Narrative  a. Background Information/Statement of the Problem/ Literature Review  b. Objectives/Aims/Research Questions  c. Methods/Procedures/Analysis  d. Administration  e. Evaluation 4. Budget/Budget Narrative 5. CVs for Project Personnel 6. Other Appendices Contents of Grant Proposals: The Proposal Template

8. This is the meat of the description of your research – THIS is what will win or lose your grant ● Follow the instructions precisely as written ● In most cases, you will need to have: o Discussion of background or preliminary data that you already know or have o A hypothesis or goal for your project o Specific aims or objectives that you will carry out o A plan for experiments or procedures o Discussion of what you expect to find, potential problems, and contingency plans Contents of Grant Proposals: The Project Narrative

9. Project Narrative. This section should provide a clear description of the work to be undertaken and how you plan to accomplish it. Relevance and Justification. This section should explain the relevance of the effort to the objectives. Project Activities and Schedule. This section should identify the activities/tasks to be performed and provide a time for the accomplishment of the activities/tasks. Evaluation Phase. This section must include a plan and metrics to be used to assess the success of the project. Facilities and Other Resources. Identify the facilities to be used at each performance site listed. Equipment. List important items of equipment already available for this project Contents of Grant Proposals: Sample Guidelines for a Project Narrative

10. SAMPLE GUIDELINES (NIH) SIGNIFICANCE: If the aims of the application are achieved, will scientific knowledge be advanced? Will there be a significant impact of these studies on the concepts or methods that contribute to the reduction of health disparities? APPROACH: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses of data adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative methods/approaches? INNOVATION: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods and are the aims original and innovative? INVESTIGATOR: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? ENVIRONMENT: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Contents of Grant Proposals: More Sample Guidelines (NIH)

11. You will need to highlight the SIGNIFICANCE of your project. A grant proposal is not just a description of research; it’s a sales pitch and YOU have to make the case. To do this, you include things like: ways your research can make a difference in the world how your research can change or advance your field of study ways your research is innovative or an advance on how similar research has been done in the past Contents of Grant Proposals: Making the Case for Significance

12. o Work out a budget that addresses all the costs involved for everything you say in your narrative you plan to do. o Follow instructions for types of expenses you can include. o If there is a limit on how much funding you can request, you may need to scale back your project. o Keep in mind that everything in your budget has to be a justifiable expense  Things like personal expenses, entertaining, etc. are almost always off-limits.  Items like international travel usually need to be well-justified. Grant Budget Basics: Creating the Budget

13. o In fellowship applications, you don’t have to worry about indirect costs because the entire budget will go to support you. o For grants to a university to support your research, the university has infrastructure costs that make research possible. o To compensate the university, funding organizations (usually) allow the institution to budget a portion of the grant for its “indirect” costs. o Each institution has a rate negotiated with the federal government. Howard = 51% o For comparison – Harvard’s current rate is 69%; University of Michigan’s is 55% Grant Budget Basics: Introduction to Indirect Costs

14. ● If the maximum grant award is $150,000, and your institution’s indirect cost rate is 51%, here’s how you calculate the indirect cost: o TOTAL of expenses directly involved in the proposed project (salaries, supplies, etc.) = $100,000 Direct Costs o 51% of Direct Costs = $51,000 is Indirect Cost o Your Total Budget - $151,000 Since the maximum grant is $150,000, you need to scale back your direct costs a little bit. If you cut just $750 out of the direct costs, your new total will be within the maximum grant award amount ($99,250+$50,618=$149,868). Grant Budget Basics: How do Indirect Costs Affect your Budget?

15. ● Follow the institutional procedures. Make sure you have all the required forms, signed by the right people in the right places. ● Check, recheck, and check again for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. ● Follow all the directions (page limits, numbers of copies, etc.) Proposal Complete – What Now? Submitting the Grant Proposal

16. ● Is it responsive? o Yes – then it goes to a review panel o NO – The proposal may be returned to you UNREAD! ● Who reads it? o Usually a panel of 2 or more reviewers o Similar, but not identical, disciplines or research areas to yours ● How do you find out if you are funded? o Some grants can take 6 months to be reviewed o The organization may give you a target date ● What if your proposal is rejected? o Find out why – reviewers’ comments o Revise and resubmit as long as you’re eligible Proposal Complete – What Now? What Happens to a Submitted Proposal?

17. Most Importantly: Don’t give up! ● Request and review comments from reviewers or talk to a program officer. ● Address the comments in your new proposal. Proposal Complete – What Now? What if my Proposal is Not Funded?

18.  Always Write to Your Audience  Be Persuasive  Make Life Easy for Your Reviewers  Edit, Edit, Edit  Follow Directions  Check and Recheck for Errors  Divide the Document Up  Use Bullets and Lists  Use Short Sentences  If Writing is Not Your Forte, Ask For Help Final Notes: Some General Tips for Grantwriting

19. Katherine (Katie) McGraw 202-706-5069 katiemcgraw@thechicagoschool.edu THANK YOU! Questions?