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