Top Ten Ways to Get Funded

Jim Levin

10. Target your funding efforts.

9. Study the RFP carefully.

8. Talk to the program officer.

7. Let the RFP provide your proposal structure.

6. Include the relevant literature, issues, and concerns.

5. Write a persuasive proposal.

4. Write a plausible proposal.

3. Keep it simple.

2. "Debug" your proposal.

and the number one way to get funded is:

1. If you are turned down, revise, retarget, and resubmit.

Last updated: 21 May 2003

10. Target your funding efforts.

• Look at what else the funding agency has supported recently.
• Look at what methodologies they've funded.
• Look at what theoretical issues they've funded.
• Look at what problems or goals they supported.
• Look at who funds other people in your area.

9. Study the RFP carefully.

• What methodologies are encouraged?
• What problem areas?
• What scope of project?

8. Talk to the program officer.

• Briefly describe your proposed work.
• Pay close attention to the program officer's recommendations.

7. Let the RFP provide your proposal structure.

• Use the section headers suggested.
• Be sure to include in your proposal everything required, in the order mentioned, so that funders and reviewers are more likely to find them.

6. Include the relevant literature, issues, and concerns.

• Don't assume the readers will already be aware of them.
• Don't overuse jargon or technical terms.
• Include the most important only.

5. Write a persuasive proposal.

• Keep in mind that you're asking somebody to give you money.
• Persuasive text is different from narrative text or other kinds of texts.

4. Write a plausible proposal.

• The budget should match with the work described.
• The personnel should be plausible for the work described.
• The facilities should be plausible.

3. Keep it simple.

• Some reviewers and other decision makers will just skim the proposal - make sure that the most important idea comes across when someone skims.

2. "Debug" your proposal.

• Have experts in the field read your proposal.
• Have informed laypeople outside the field read your proposal.
• Talk to the program officer again.

and the number one way to get funded is:

1. If you are turned down, revise, retarget, and resubmit.

• Most proposals are not funded the first time they are submitted.
• Many proposals that are funded have been previously submitted and turned down.
• Take the reviewer comments seriously.
• Talk to the program officer yet again.