Guangzhao Mao Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science College of Engineering...

Guangzhao MaoDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Materials

ScienceCollege of Engineering

Institute for Manufacturing Research

Typical panel process in CBET How NOT to write a GOOD proposal? How to convert a VERY GOOD proposal into

an Excellent proposal? Recommended format by Dr. Stephen

Russell

Panel makeup and proposal assignment Fastlane review submission Panel meeting

◦ Proposals ranked according to submitted reviews◦ Discussion of top proposals◦ Final recommendations and panel summaries

Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET)

Lack of scientific underpinning/hypotheses Incremental/work already done Lack of supporting data “Bait and switch”

Example of an excellent proposal◦ Strong science, strong publication record,

new collaboration, preliminary data, believable broader impacts

What can you do?◦ Milestones◦ Proposal framed as a series of questions and

solutions◦ Emphasis on originality/uniqueness◦ Alternative hypotheses and experimental

approaches

Overview and objectives Expected significance Relation to PI’s longer-term goal Background (Prior NSF support, literature

review, preliminary data) Relation to other work in progress Experimental plan (develop each specific

objective, timetable, future directions) Broader impacts