1. Grants Writing Research Office, St. Thomas University
1-2:00, August 26, 2010
Dr. Gayle MacDonald
Acknowledgments: SSHRC, Dawn McArthur, Successful Research Proposals: Start to Finish Child and Family Research Institute, CAURA, 2009.

2. Introductions all ‘round
Who are you? What is your discipline?
What is your interest in this workshop?

3. Do your Homework
Know your Granting Council
Tips for Writing Grants

4. Do your Homework Know your grants ...what is it and what does it do?
Is your grant by a public funder? A private funder?
(why is this important?)
A national, regional, provincial or local grant?
(what difference does this make?)
What are the terms/conditions?
(why do I have to know these?)
READ the application very carefully.

5. Planning to Apply Do I have a research plan? How do I know when?
What kind of help do I need?
Who can I get help from?
Why so many questions?

6. Know your Grants! What is a granting council? What is a foundation?
How do I get to know one?
Where do I get information?
What are the review criteria?
Who are the reviewers?
What does the competition imply?

7. Get your (research) act together!
Should I do this myself or should I have a team?
Do I need community support? Academic support?
When do I need those letters?

8. Tips for Writing Grants
Start early
Get advice from colleagues

9. Tips
Finish any projects that you have on your plate now, especially if they are relevant to your proposal...
submit, revise, publish
Start by thinking about your research, not by reading more ...
Map/Draw your ideas. Use one symbol or only one line to do this.

10. Mapping Exercise
What
Why
Who
How
Outcome
Impact

11. The Meaning of the Exercise
What = objectives/questions
Why = background/lit review
Who = researchers, subjects
How = research plan: design + methods
Outcome= predicted results
Impact = significance of findings

12. Meaning of Exercise, cont’d
What + why = introduction, background, framework
Who + how= plan, design, methods
Outcome + impact= results, knowledge translation, significance

13. Map to Text, the next step Do’s
Remember your audience (generalists) and purpose (to get $$$)
Use your map as a guide
Banish your inner critic
Start with an easy section
Concentrate on forward movement
Do summary and intro last
Take breaks!

14. Map to Text...the Dont’s Don’t worry about:
page limits (at this stage)
language
grammar
mechanics
Don’t try to:
compose and edit at once
write everything you know
read more articles

15. Language and Style Explain Guide Persuade Emphasize Invoke vision
Evoke response
Convey energy and passion
Use first person, active voice, be honest and direct
Make purposeful summary statements
Be proud of your contributions/ideas

16. Reviewing, reworking, & finalizing
Review: get a read-through from a good critic
Refine: improve rationale, design, methods
Copy-edit and proof-read
Critique your assumptions, rationale, framework
Critique methods, approaches, interpretations
Is plan feasible, realistic, appropriate?
Are there any ‘fatal’ flaws?

17. Finishing! Is it simple, easy to read?
Does it use uncomplicated language?
Does it follow the concept of ONE: One goal per proposal, one concept per paragraph, one point per sentence
Is there sufficient “white space”?
Are key points obvious?
Is the proposal easy to read?
Is the title clear? Is the summary self-explanatory?

18. You’re done! Good luck. Doing your Homework + Writing a Grant!
Knowing your Grants =
Writing a Grant!