1. Helpful Hints & Fatal Flaws
PROPOSAL WRITING 10
Helpful Hints & Fatal Flaws

2. HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing10
HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing

3. 10 1 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Read the Program Announcement
Talk with a program officer to make sure that your ideas fit in the program.
Contact the program officer via and send her/him a one-page summary.
Be patient.

4. 10 2 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing
Work on Projects You Care Deeply About
Let your commitment come through.
Make a compelling case for the NEED and IMPORTANCE of the work to your institution and to others.

5. 10 3 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Do Your Homework
Build on what others have done.
Know the literature. Be current.
Add to the body of knowledge.
Discuss the value added of your project.
What are you adding to the knowledge base?

6. 10 4 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Think Broader Impacts
Your project must have more than just a local impact (your students and your institution).
How can others use and build on your work?
Think about what is transferable.
Think about what can be sustained.

7. 10 5 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing
Have Measurable Goals and Objectives
Enhancing student learning, improving undergraduate education, and other similar things are lofty, but not measurable.
Make sure that you have measurable goals and objectives. What activities will align with such goals?
What will be delivered? What is needed to convince others that this works and is worth supporting or emulating?

8. 10 6 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Think Teamwork
Successful projects are team efforts, although individuals matter too. Your project team should be greater than the sum of the parts.
Identify your support network (administrators, colleagues, collaborators, industry, etc.) and keep them engaged.
Get a good group of internal and external advisors and an outside evaluator (or evaluation team).

9. 10 7 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Use Good Management Skills
Develop a realistic timeline with milestones and key deliverables.
Develop a strong management plan (team and project). Engage and empower your team (with accountability built in).

10. 10 8 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing
Evaluation is about “Impact and Effectiveness”
How will you know the project goals are being met?
You need evidence to know your project is making an impact and it is effective.
You cannot evaluate yourself. External (independent) validation is key.
Build in evaluation from the beginning.

11. 10 9 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Spread the Word
Have a proactive dissemination plan. A website is generally necessary, but not sufficient.
Disseminate within your scholarly community and beyond (reach other disciplines).
Share the materials developed widely.

12. 10 10 HELPFUL HINTS for proposal writing Serve as a Reviewer
Offer to be a reviewer and to help others.
Gain experience and learn from reviewing strong and weak proposals.
Find programs for which you have expertise and that you think you want to submit to
the program officer and share your interest to be a reviewer (include your resume/CV)

13. WAYS TO WRITE A GOOD PROPOSAL That Won’t Get Funded
FATAL FLAWS 10
WAYS TO WRITE A GOOD PROPOSAL That Won’t Get Funded

14. FATAL FLAWS 10
WAYS TO WRITE A GOOD PROPOSAL That Won’t Get Funded 1
Assume deadlines are not enforced
Assume page limits and font size restrictions are not enforced 2
Substitute flowery rhetoric for good examples 3
Don’t check your speeling, nor you’re grammer 4

15. FATAL FLAWS 10
WAYS TO WRITE A GOOD PROPOSAL That Won’t Get Funded 5
Assume the program guidelines have not changed; or better yet, ignore them!
Assert: “Evaluation will be ongoing and consist of a variety of methods” 6
Assume a project website is sufficient for dissemination 7
Assume your past accomplishments are well known 8

16. FATAL FLAWS 10
WAYS TO WRITE A GOOD PROPOSAL That Won’t Get Funded 9
Don’t include letters of collaboration
Inflate the budget to allow for negotiations 10

17. NSF has TWO Review Criteria
Intellectual Merit: What will we learn? How will it advance science?
Broader impacts: What will the immediate or eventual impact be on society? How will it make the world a better place?
Educationally focused projects often have a hard time disentangling these, but you need to separate them out in your proposal

18. Elements of the Merit Review Criteria
What is the potential for the proposed activity to make a difference?
By advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
By benefitting society or advancing desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well organized, and based on a sound rationale?
Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
How qualified is the individual, team, or institution to conduct the proposed activities?
Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home institution or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?

19. Possible Timeline for Proposals
MONTHS AHEAD: identify opportunities from prior years, read award abstracts and outcome reports
6 MONTHS AHEAD: begin discussing with any partners
3 MONTHS AHEAD: read final solicitation carefully. Alert sponsored projects office
1.5 MONTHS AHEAD: share draft proposal for feedback with colleagues. First draft of budgets
2 WEEKS AHEAD: upload everything except narrative, if possible; ensure subcontract paperwork done
1 WEEK AHEAD: final edits by PI, partners, and sponsored projects; mop up any last supporting docs
DAY BEFORE DUE DATE: submit if possible

20. Timeline for Merit Review Process
4 – 6 WEEKS
PROPOSAL RECEIVED
Administrative review, compliance checking
2 – 3 MONTHS
REVIEWERS SELECTED Potential panelists contacted, panel finalized
 3 MONTHS
PEER REVIEW
Panel meets. Panel provides guidance to PO, NOT a decision
Proposal Receipt and Review
3 Months
3 – 6+ MONTHS
PROGRAM OFFICER RECOMMENDATION
PO considers panel input and other factors, may contact PI for additional information, decides on recommendations
DIVISION DIRECTOR REVIEW
PO makes recommendation, recommendation reviewed at higher levels
NOTIFICATION
Notification received by PI and/or SPO
Proposal Processing
3 – 6+ Months

21. Dr. Keith Sverdrup: ksverdru@nsf.gov
Thank you!
Dr. Keith Sverdrup: