How to write a Winning Grant Proposal!!

Mohammed SheikhThe State University of Zanzibar

International Workshop on Academic Writing March 26-27, 2014

Presentation Outline

Acknowledgement SUZA Tour Introduction (What is grant Proposal?, why to apply grant?...) Examples of Rejection Rate-few example Why proposals get rejected? Strategies to develop a winning proposals Key Messages

Acknowledgement

Colleagues and graduate students –contributed to this presentation

Local participants Scientific committee-(choosing the

theme,,) Other organizing committee members Previous speakers (making my life easier!

But challenging)

SUZA Tour

Founded in 1999 and started its academic activities in 2001

It focuses on delivering relevant education targeted at speeding up social changes and positive transformation to contribute to socio-economic development of the country

SUZA Tour

SUZA consists of three campuses that are found at equally beautiful but different locations within the island.

1st Located along the coast of the Indian Ocean 5 km from the stone town, it is naturally decorated by blue sea (not black) and white beach along the perimeter

SUZA Tour

2nd is Vuga campus is at the heart of the famous and historic stone town which is a conserved UNESCO World heritage site that vividly manifests rich culture and history of Zanzibar and its people.

3rd is at Tunguu 12 km from town, this is modern, green and eco-campus!

SUZA Tour

Three Research Centers (Kiswahili advancement, Tropical Marine Environment and Graduate Studies and Research).

Programs, Master and PhD in Languages-Kiswahili, Environmental Sciences and Chemistry.

What is a grant Proposal?

“A grant proposal, in whatever context, is intended to convince others that you have a relevant and interesting project that will provide (in some explicit way) useful results and a sensible idea of how to set about that research in a timely, economical way”.

( Denicolo & Becker 2011 )

Why do we need Grants??

Why Grant Proposal

Academic Status Get Publications Accommodate Grad students Research Equipments Scientific Networking Get Rich????XX

-Core Business of Academician / Researchers!

Rejection Rates

Tanzania Commission of Science ~97% --2012

“If you wish to win many Projects, get prepared to have many Rejections!!”

Frustrating!“Get granted or stunted

(academically)”

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What do they call it when you want a

million dollars just for sending in a form?

A Lottery!

Why rejection??

Lack of original ideas Diffuse, unfocused, or superficial research

plan Lack of knowledge of published relevant

work Lack of experience in essential

methodology Uncertainty concerning future directions

Why rejection?

Questionable reasoning in experimental approach

Absence of acceptable scientific rationale Unrealistically large amount of work Lack of sufficient experimental detail Not “speaking” to the call text

Why Rejection

Failing to meet the deadline Submitting an incomplete proposal package Not complying to set guidelines (e.g. format) Not paying attention to eligibility criteria Poor language Submitting a proposal you are not happy

with yourself (if you don’t love it, neither will the reviewers)

Most Common Criticisms/Reviewers• Poorly written

Not well justified scientific problem experimental model relevance to program priorities or

purpose

Lacks convincing preliminary data

No hypothesis or poorly presented

Not hypothesis-driven, studies are descriptive

Objectives don’t address hypothesis

Objectives lack focus, too diffuse

Most Common Criticisms

Approaches and methods lack detail needed to evaluate potential for success

Investigator lacks expertise with given approach

Expected results not presented, interpreted

Pitfalls not addressed, alternative solutions not presented

Most Common Criticisms

Overly ambitious, too much or too difficult to accomplish in reasonable time-frame

Time-line unrealistic for successful completion of proposed project

Resubmitted proposal did not address concerns identified during previous review

Most Common Criticisms

Characteristics of Good Grants

A good grant “tells a story”– What is the problem to be solved?– Why is wrong with current approaches?– Why is your new idea?– What is your technical approach to this idea?– Why are you (your team) the one(s) to do it?– How are you going to show that it works?

Strategies to develop a winning proposals

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Test the waters before you invest time and resources, or you risk getting soaked.

Strategies to develop a winning proposals

Conceptualization of ideas Researcher

Team of researchers Community Proposal development Problem analysis Field visits and consultation to determine importance

of problem Researchers Stakeholders including communities Defining the research problem All parties

Problem Analysis

Breakdown

Stakeholders Analysis What is a stakeholder ? 1. A stakeholder is any entity with a declared or

potential interest or stake in a policy, plan, programme, project or an intervention

2. A stakeholder is an individual, organisation or unorganized group who has something to gain or lose as a result of the output and outcomes of a project, programme or process

3. Stakeholders can be of any form, size and capacity

Stakeholders Analysis

Stakeholder analysis (SA) identifies each stakeholder, describes their needs or desires with respect to the project and whether they are a primary (key, directly involved) or secondary stakeholder, and analyses how much interest in and influence over the project outcomes they have. (Research to Action 2012)

Stakeholders Analysis

Who depends on the project?Who are interested in the outcome of the project?

Who will influence the project?

Who will be affected by the project?

Who will work against the project?

Team

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Who do you envision as helping on the project? – Disease experts– Statisticians– Economists– Field colleagues– Theory consultant– Socioscientist

– Young scientist—Don’t rush to be a PI– Track of record!

Budget:

Good– Give a detailed account of where you will

be spending the money with justification. (@ cent counts!)

Use timeline to compute amount of time personnel will spend carrying out each portion of the project

Unreasonable budgets hurt proposals - they create skeptics within reviewer ranks

Summary

Finalizing Proposal

Make sure that: your planned work fit with the call for proposals your proposal is fully eligible your proposal is completeyour proposed work does not raise ethics issues your proposal follows the required structure you have maximised your chances

Submission

Submissions are typically done electronically

Do not wait until the last moment before

submitting your proposal (like I do)! Call deadlines are absolutely firm and are

strictly enforced.

Take Home Message

Too many young scientists avoid “time wasting” things like program committees, school boards, organization, outside talks,what’s up etc.

Save some of your time for grant proposal thinking!