1. Getting Started on External Funding

2. Strategic Research Development
Jorja Kimball, Director
Margaret Hobson, Assistant Director
Laurie Garton, Sr. Research Development Associate
Phone (979)

3. 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

4. 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

5. Agenda Introductions Proposal Logic What to think about as you write
Discussion and planning for future
Your questions
Your needs

6. Proposal Logic

7. Golden Rule of Grant Writing
The one who has the gold, makes the rules
RFP guidelines
Agency/funder priorities

8. Funding Sources
Federal
State
Foundations
Industry

9. There is an Important Problem
This problem is important because
Someone important said so (lit review)
The funding agency said so
Societal need

10. 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

11. My solution is better
Current solutions and their limitations (lit review)
Preliminary results (yours)

12. I believe my solution will work
Preliminary results (yours)
Other people’s work (lit review)

13. How I will do the work Bulk of proposal Details of research Tasks
Timelines
Roles and responsibilities

14. 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

15. 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

16. Resources Needed
Budget
Budget Justification

17. Parts of Proposal Cover page Executive Summary Project Description
References Cited (if needed)
CVs
Budget
Justification
Facilities
Supplementary Documents

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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