Lecturer/Convenor: Richard Boateng, PhD. Writing Project ......1. Why is this research important and worth pursuing (and funding)? 2. How does this project/approach build on or distinguish

Lecturer/Convenor:

Richard Boateng, PhD.

Email:

[email protected]

Office: UGBS RT18 (rooftop)

Writing Project Proposals

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Session Outline

• This session is short presentation on project proposal writing. Project proposals seeks to define the objective and method of combining resources to undertake a seemingly profitable or worthy endeavour being the PROJECT. The proposal will seek to convince a potential sponsor or grant institution to provide some or all the key resources especially financial, to accomplish the project.

• Project proposal writing involves the practice of completing an application process for funding provided by an institution such as a government department, corporation, foundation or trust. The session will explain some the principles which underpin the process.

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Good Projects Needs Good Money

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Question

What will you do with an entrepreneurial grant of

GHS 20,000.00?

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Project Proposals: Why?

• It is Rational and Logical

Few Resources For A Lot Of Great Ideas

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Few Resources For A Lot Of Urgent Needs



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But Demand Has To Justified



Few Resources For A Lot Of Great Ideas

• Justify Impact – Reach and Sustainability

• Justify Competence

• Justify Competence at least/appropriate cost

• Establish Equity – equal/targeted/value-based

• Establish Commitment

• Establish Control and Direction

• Evaluate Possible Solutions and Decide

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Sources of Project Funds R

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Funding Sources

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Miner and Associates

Project Funding

• Grants for Students

• Undergraduate and Graduate

• Doctoral

• Post-Doctoral

• Grants/Loans for Professionals/Institutions

• Grants for Professionals

• Grants for Institutions

• Grants for Communities

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Selected Scholarships for Graduate Students

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Graduate Award Source Applications Restrictions

British Chevening Award

Local British Council Sept-October Commonwealth citizens to UK Univ. Does not fund PhD and MBA

DFID Scholarship Through British Univ. Apply for Post-graduate

May be for selected universities in UK

DAAD (also see other country embassy – Sweden and Holland)

Through German Embassy

Apply through Embassy and Univ.

Germany Universities

AAU Ford Scholarship Association of African Univ. website

Apply thru local university

Will fund PhD

Dorothy Hodgkins Postgrad Award

ESRC website Apply through Univ. in UK

Must be enrolled. Funds PhD

American University Grad Assistantship

Visit University website Contact Prof./Lecturer Share interests

To US University and to work with a particular lecturer

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Awards for Academic and Industry Research

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Award Source Applications Restrictions

UN Agencies Visit UN Agencies in Ghana

Visit UN Agencies

Closely aligned to agency’s goals and UN goals

Foundations and Private Sector (etc Banks)

Newspapers/ Websites/Visit

From Call for proposals Closely aligned to company goals

NSF and NIH research awards

www.nsf.gov www.nih.gov

Find out grant you want. Contact previous successful winners to see how can collaborate to go for new grants. YOU NEED A US INSTITUTION AND US ACADEMIC

Feminist Trust UK www.feminist-review-trust.com

Will fund anything to promote gender development. Apply 3 times in a year

IDRC Individual Grants www.idrc.ca Visit website and read. Some are very specific

Bill Gates Foundation Vodaphone Foundation Grameen Foundation

Carnergie Mellon Clinton Foundation

Google and find their websites Some do regular competitions or open calls for letter of intent

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Funds for Professionals

1. International Development Agencies

• UN, World Bank, IMF, DFID

2. Foundations, Philanthropic Institutions or Individual Grant Institutions

• Bill and Belinda Gates, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller, Carnegie

3. Government and International Projects

4. Religious Institutions

5. Loans from Formal and Micro financial Institutions

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Grant Awards for International Development Initiatives

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1. Skills Development Fund – www.sdfghana.org 2. STAR Ghana - www.starghana.org 3. PEACE Council 4. Government Ministries and Agencies 5. World Bank, IMF, IFAD 6. UN Agencies

1. UNDP 2. UNESCO 3. UNICEF 4. UNAIDS

7. National Development Agencies: DFID, USAID, European Union 8. Embassies

1. British, American and Japanese Embassies 2. German and Australian Embassies

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http://www.sdfghana.org/

http://www.starghana.org/

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National Family Special Corporate

Big Impact

•Ford

•Rockefeller •Mellon •Carnegie •Gates •Kellogg

Family Values

•Feldberg

Family •Flora Family •Fuller Family •Gilhousen

Family

Single Focus

•Global Fund for Women •Koch •Raskob

•Robert Wood Johnson

Profitable Philanthropy

•Abbott

•Bristol Myers •Coca-Cola •ExxonMobil

•Hewlett Packard •McKnight

US Private Foundations


SSA Private Awards: 2003-2010

• $1.6 Billion U.S.

• 5592 Awards

• 194 Different Foundations


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U.S. SSA Foundation Overview

Number of SSA Awards

1. Ford (1391)

2. Rockefeller (565)

3. Koch (537)

4. Mott (336)

5. Bristol Myers (280)

6. Global Fund/ Women (188)

7. Mellon (169)

8. Carnegie (136)

9. McKnight (130)

10. Tides (126)

Top Country Recipients

1. South Africa (2124)

2. Kenya (806)

3. Nigeria (481)

4. Uganda (466)

5. Tanzania (265)

6. Ghana (223)

7. Zimbabwe (149)

8. Ethiopia (126)

9. Senegal (92)

10. Mali (89)


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Non-traditional Sources

• Identify a potential funding agency or company or institution or set of institutions

• With your own money start some research in an area which is of concern to the business operations of the target institution

• Publish your initial findings in both academic and practitioner outlets. Make sure you have it in local newspapers

• Approach them to help you expand the research or develop a lab to support the research. You are more likely to be funded or given an audience.

• Offer something to get something back 18

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Writing the Project Proposal

1. Know the grant and understand it

2. Know the program administrator for the grant. Contact him/her for more information

3. Know and find out the previous winners, contact them to learn from them

4. Start early

5. Find out the potential reviewer if possible… also get an independent person to give you feedback

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Letter of Intent (LOI) • Required – in order to submit a proposal you are sometimes required to

submit a letter of intent

• Must include:

1. Project Title • Self Explanatory

2. Synopsis • Description of proposed project (300 - 2,500 words)

3. Other Comments • List of senior project personnel and proposed roles

for each • List of partner institutions and organizations and

description of involvement 4. Contact Information for:

• Point of Contact (and an alternate) for inquiries • Project Investigator (PI) for the project

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Before You Begin

• Read the instructions

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Angela Roorda (2010) UW CTE Workshop, February 8, 2010, Strategies for Effective Grant Writing

Before You Begin

• Read the instructions

1. Review the program’s focus, and be sure your project is a good fit

2. Review the evaluation criteria carefully • Be sure each criterion is addressed in your proposal • Don’t be too subtle about it (use subtitles, boldface, etc. if

need be) so adjudicators are sure not to miss it

3. Follow all section requirements, page length restrictions, formatting instructions, etc. precisely

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When You Finish

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• Get someone else to read your proposal 1. Others in the field may be able to point you to any

missing references in your literature review, or indicate (and suggest ways of correcting) any flaws in your methodology

2. Others outside of your field may be able to point out where you’ve slipped into jargon, discipline-specific terminology, etc.

3. A second reader can also be valuable as a proof-reader, spotting fuzzy explanations, typos, etc.

Before You Begin • What Reviewers Look Out For…

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Before You Begin

• What Reviewers Look Out For…

1. Why is this research important and worth pursuing (and funding)?

2. How does this project/approach build on or distinguish itself from work that has already been done?

3. What preliminary work have you already completed?

4. Why are you in particular well positioned to pursue this project?

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Before You Begin

What Reviewers Look Out For…

5. How, in detail, will you accomplish the project goals?

6. How will the research findings be disseminated, to whom, and with what impact?

7. How will this research program help train the next generation of researchers?

8. What future work might develop from this particular project?


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Know this…

1. Start early—be sure you give ample time to this

2. If available, look at examples of successful grant applications

3. Review lists of previously-funded projects to gauge the fit of yours

4. Connect with any co-applicants and collaborators early on

5. Do several drafts of your research proposal

6. Get peer and generalist feedback on draft

7. Proofread carefully, and double-check all budget calculations


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Elements of a typical project proposal application

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Project Proposal Outline

1. Summary /abstract 2. Institutional Profile 3. Objectives /goals 4. Context /literature review 5. Measurable Results 6. Significance /impact 7. Methodology /research design 8. Communication of results /dissemination 9. References / Student training plans / Description of

team 10. Budget and budget justification 11. CV


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Project Summary The most important piece of writing in the application

The most widely read section of your application

Too often, the most neglected or hastily-written section…

The abstract/summary should present all the exciting bits of your project. Tell a good story!

•Emphasize the urgency of the problem

•The originality of your response, and the significance and potential impact of your findings.

•Collaborators involved and their capacity

•It must be informative, providing a free-standing, “in a nutshell” view of your project, but it’s also an opportunity to create a “hook” for the reviewers, evoking some curiosity and a desire to read on…

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Institutional Profile

1. Background of the institution applying

2. Vision and Mission stated to relate well with the project

3. Legal establishment – dates included

4. Key achievements of the institutions

5. Current staff and resource strength

6. Current related engagements

7. Credible partners and regulations adhered to

8. Future ambitions in relation to goals which are relevant to the project

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Objectives/goals

What are you going to do/achieve?

ousually short and succinct

o a point-form list is often a good idea

o this is where you clearly state your objectives (both broad objectives and goals, but also more specific ones)

o SMART GOALS are needed – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound

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WORKSHOP ACTIVITY:

Take 5-7 minutes to discuss with your partner this question:

What are your project objectives /goals?

Following this, take 3-5 minutes to sit down and pen two sentences (maximum) that summarize these goals.


GHS 20,000.00?

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Context/Literature Review What’s been done already? 1. this is where you present your literature review and

2. establish your credibility as a researcher – demonstrating that you know what you’re talking about, and that you’ve done your homework

3. get someone who knows the field to read it -- you don’t want to embarrass yourself (and sink your application) by missing a key work or proposing a study that’s already been done

4. It may differ in some projects

• Problem Description – what and how it happened

• Market Analysis – who needs the solution

• Competitive Analysis – who are the competitors

Evidence matters

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Context/Literature Review • Problem Description – what and how it happened • Market Analysis – who needs the solution • Competitive Analysis – who are the competitors

Evidence matters

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Establish Your Context

WORKSHOP ACTIVITY:

Take 5-7 minutes to discuss with your partner this question:

What’s been done, and what’s yet to be done (by you)?

Following this, take 3-5 minutes to sit down and pen two sentences (maximum) that summarize your answer to these questions.


GHS 20,000.00?

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Project Activities

Methodology /study design

How are you going to do it? What steps will you take? How will you evaluate results?

o this is where you establish the scope, sequencing, and, ultimately, the feasibility of your project

o this is where you establish that your study will be conducted rigorously and according to accepted methods

o if you don’t have much to say about methods (e.g., in the humanities), then focus on timelines and stages of the research – show you have a plan in place

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Measurable Results

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A. Quantitative Measurement: a measurement that can be tracked with numbers (e.g., return on investment, revenue generated, costs, absentee days)

B. Evaluative Measurement: a measurement that describes how the quantitative and qualitative results were attained (e.g., this revenue was generated because we conducted a learning program that allowed the teams to learn from their mistakes)

http://www.mhainstitute.ca/mhadnn/AboutMHA/Research/Definitions/DefinitionMeasurableMeasurableResults.aspx

Measurable Results

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C. Qualitative Measurement: a measurement that can be tracked by descriptions of thinking and behaviour (e.g., the team took one hour of time to think about the possibilities that could occur if the team made each decision)

D. Approximation: a measurement that is used to consider possibilities (e.g., if we want to generate this much revenue, we

can develop the team\'s capacity to think and learn, or we can form a project team, or we can bring in more resources)

• An Example of Measurable Results In our long-term programs, we set expectations (D) of the quantitative (A) and qualitative (C) results that should be

generated throughout the program. We develop a plan (B) to collect these results and evaluate their meaning.

http://www.mhainstitute.ca/mhadnn/AboutMHA/Research/Definitions/DefinitionMeasurableMeasurableResults.aspx

Significance/impact

“Why is this project worth doing—and funding” What new knowledge will this study add to the existing

literature?

Why is this new knowledge valuable?

What broader benefits might this project have for future work, for society (policy implications, learning outcomes, etc.)?

Some Projects require

o Economic Impact

o Social Impact

o Skills Impact

o Long-term Impact/Broader Impacts

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Communication and Dissemination

Where will you communicate your findings--and to whom?

o this, of course, is where you discuss your scholarly dissemination plans—conference papers, journal articles, books, etc. (be as specific and detailed as possible about your intended venues and reasons for targeting them)

oplans for mobilizing/translating knowledge generated through this project among other stakeholder groups is also important to include here (e.g., policy papers, media pieces, seminars/talks for professional groups, etc.)

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Other Information Needed Student training

o Training the next generation of researchers is a high priority of most funders—be sure to include a clear plan for students in your proposal

Description of team o If applicable, clearly indicate the role/contributions of each team

member

CV o a strong CV, of course, helps make for a strong application

Audit Reports/Market Survey

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Budget Be sure that all items you request are eligible and are

well justified

oConsult proposal guidelines and project information sheets to determine project members salaries, benefit/vacation amounts, per diem amounts, etc.

• Provide notes to explain and benchmark costs • Remember to include contingencies and

administrative costs

oBe sure to double check your calculations!

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Common Pitfalls in Proposals

1. Incomplete description of the proposed activities. 2. Inadequate literature review. 3. Proposed project activities are not founded on the

available relevant literature. 4. Underestimation of the time and human resources to

set up and maintain the project. 5. Project team that is not sufficiently broad for the

kinds of activities and goals proposed. 6. Proposal to develop materials and/or activities that

have already been developed by others. 7. Inadequate description of the roles and

responsibilities of members of the leadership team and other personnel.

Source: PAID Proposals

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Common Pitfalls in Proposals

• Make sure you have some resources to contribute. Funding agencies do not like partners or collaborators who have nothing to offer.

• Main stream research – edemocracy, ehealth, computers and society, cyber crime et cetera

• Research experience for Foreign/American students (they visit your university and vice-versa)

• New discoveries or pioneer new areas, be careful of foreign institutions sometimes bureaucracies affect disbursement of money to African collaborators.

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Key Contacts

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Reality check

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Richard Boateng, Ph.D. [email protected] www.pearlrichards.org

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Documents

Lecturer/Convenor: Richard Boateng, PhD. Writing Project ......1. Why is this research important and worth pursuing (and funding)? 2. How does this project/approach build on or distinguish