1. Enhancing Competitiveness of Research Grants - Natural Sciences and Engineering
Dr. Franceso Leri, Department of Psychology
Dr. Monica Cojocaru, Department of Mathematics & Statistics 
Dr. Cezar Khursigara, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology 

2. BASIC GRANT WRITING: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
GRAHAM TAYLOR
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
and
MERRITT TURETSKY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
HOW TO

3. Getting Ready (Pre-Writing)
Reach out to the program officer. Most of them like to help junior researchers
Read all the guidelines for the solicitation carefully
Look at other people’s grants
Ask peers (if you’re comfortable) to share their grant applications
Participate in review panels (NSERC Discovery, NSF)
Know your audience. Who is likely to review your proposal?
Gather info related to budgeting (specific to U of G)
Especially calculating benefits, etc.
OK, so now you know what to apply for; you’ve talked to some partners and secured some matching funds.
Now it’s time to sit down and work on the grant.
But wait… what does a successful grant actually look like?
Looking at other people’s (successful) grants will be much more informative than anything I can tell you in the next 10 minutes.
Once you’ve written a few grants and prepared a few budgets, you can fall back to these as templates
But getting started is not easy; a lot of the numbers are specific to the University of Guelph
Information is often squirrelled away (e.g. benefit rates)

4. Additional Suggestions
Know your due dates
Know the Merit Indicators

6. Excellence of Researcher
Assessment based on achievements demonstrated over the past six years
Knowledge, expertise, and experience
Grants, awards, invited talks, review articles, editorial/advisory boards, outreach, etc.
Quality and impact of contributions to natural sciences and engineering (NSE) research
Publications, conference presentations, patents, etc.
Importance of contributions to researchers and end-users
the extent to which the applicant’s work has advanced the field
the extent of contributions to the development of standards or codes of practice

7. Excellence of Researcher
In Most Significant Contributions
All types of research contributions (from ) including papers, posters, outreach, etc.
Explain your role in collaborative research activities
In CCV
Recognitions including honors, prizes and awards, etc.
Activities (international collaborations, administration, editorial, organizational review, KTT, etc.)
Memberships including professional societies and service
Contributions (publications, books, patents, etc.)
Samples of research contributions
Up to 4 attached with application

8. Merit of Proposal
Know the guidelines and HIT all of them - from NSERC MANUAL
Originality and innovation
Significance and expected contributions to NSE research; - potential for policy- and/or technology-related impact:
Clarity and scope of objectives
Clarity and appropriateness of methodology
Feasibility
Extent to which the scope of the proposal addresses all relevant issues, including the need for varied expertise within or across disciplines:
summary of recent progress in research activities related to the proposal;
framing of the research with appropriate reference(s) to other relevant work in the field;
consideration of relevant areas of knowledge and the applicant’s proposed approach to addressing research questions
Gender and diversity, budget justification, potential overlap with currently held grants

9. Merit of Proposal – my view
Originality and innovation
Extent to which the scope of the proposal addresses all relevant issues, including the need for varied expertise within or across disciplines:
summary of recent progress in research activities related to the proposal;
framing of the research with appropriate reference(s) to other relevant work in the field;
consideration of relevant areas of knowledge and the applicant’s proposed approach to addressing research questions
Clarity and scope of objectives
Clarity and appropriateness of methodology
Feasibility
Significance and expected contributions to NSE research; potential for policy- and/or technology-related impact:
Gender and diversity, budget justification, potential overlap with currently held grants

10. Merit of proposal The Proposal should read like a paper
Avoid overloading the objectives:
Clear, fewer, but longer term ones, better than a cluttered list of many shorter term ones.
Design a research program in your head before writing it on paper – if you could get the funds, it should take you 5 years to complete;
Put your bibliography together first, before you start writing the proposal
A well-designed program has related branches that advance one or two related larger ideas; the trainees’ projects should be woven into the design of objectives
Avoid all typos, phrases that are too long, and overly repeating of certain words such as “novel”, “ exciting” and “extraordinary”

11. Merit of proposal
Fine tune the amount of specialized details vs. writing to a broader scientific audience – YOU NEED BOTH
The starting 2 paragraphs of your proposal should make clear
What subarea you are a specialist in;
What is the main idea(s) of your research plan
Why is it novel
How it contributes to advancing the field
The total of trainees you plan to have over the grant
If appropriate, job skills they gain on this research.
The absolute top contributions you have that directly relate to your proposal.
This gives a good clear foundation for the rest of the content, while optimizing the attention of the reader on the most important details of the proposal.
The Proposal should read like a paper
Avoid overloading the objectives:
Clear, fewer, but longer term ones, better than a cluttered list of many shorter term ones.
Design a research program in your head before writing it on paper – if you could get the funds, it should take you 5 years to complete;
Put your bibliography together first, before you start writing the proposal
A well-designed program has related branches that advance one or two related larger ideas; the trainees’ projects should be woven into the design of objectives
Avoid all typos, phrases that are too long, and overly repeating of certain words such as “novel”, “ exciting” and “extraordinary”

12. Training of HQP
Assessment is based on training over the past six years
both:
Past contributions to training
Training environment
HQP awards and research contributions
Outcomes and skills gained by HQP
Future plans for training
Training Philosophy
HQP Research Training Plan

13. Past contributions to the training of HQP
Training environment
participation and involvement of HQP in science outreach activities, interdisciplinary research, collaborations, and/or interaction with the private and public sectors (e.g., industry, government agencies, etc.)
considerations of equity, diversity and inclusion in the training environment, refer to the Guide for Applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application.
crsng.gc.ca/_doc/EDI/Guide_for_Applicants_EN.pdf

14. Past contributions to the training of HQP
HQP awards and research contributions
HQP collaboration in the applicant’s research contributions
awards, scholarships and fellowships won by HQP
Outcomes and skills gained by HQP
progression of HQP into further studies or careers that have impact (in the NSE or not in the NSE)
HQP completion of degree requirements within a reasonable amount of time

15. Future Plans for Training
Training philosophy
interactions with research personnel to ensure success
intellectual involvement of HQP
promotion of HQP participation in science outreach activities/professional development workshops, etc.
promoting the participation of a diverse group of HQP
HQP research training plan
appropriateness of the level and mix of HQP
how the work will contribute to the development of new skills/knowledge
capacity of the researcher to supervise the proposed number and type of HQP

16. Other Important Considerations
Budget justification
Budget requested in DG is for different expenses than the ones supported (or to be supported) by other sources
The DG proposal is distinct conceptually from research supported (or to be supported) by CIHR and/or SSHRC
CCV
Important to all sections of DG application
Review, review, review
Expert and non-expert