Overcoming Proposal Phobia

Overcoming Proposal Phobia

Linda PetzoldLinda PetzoldDepartments of Mechanical Engineering and Computer ScienceDepartments of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science

University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa Barbara

Objective

Convince someone to fund your researchConvince someone to fund your research

Getting Started - Intrinsic Scientific Merit

Convince yourselfConvince yourself

What do you want to do?What do you want to do?

Why?Why?

Getting Started - Impact

Are there scientific/engineering problems that Are there scientific/engineering problems that could be solved better as a result of this work?could be solved better as a result of this work?

Who is solving these problems?Who is solving these problems?

How do they see the proposed work fitting in?How do they see the proposed work fitting in?

Are they willing to be your advocate?Are they willing to be your advocate?

Getting Started - Audience

Who does this proposal need to convince?Who does this proposal need to convince?

Funding AgencyFunding Agency– Who might be interested in funding this research and why?Who might be interested in funding this research and why?

Gather information: colleagues, friends from other disciplines, Gather information: colleagues, friends from other disciplines, web, publications, news…web, publications, news…

ReviewersReviewers– colleagues in your fieldcolleagues in your field

PanelistsPanelists– maybe interdisciplinarymaybe interdisciplinary

Writer’s Block

Use another (successful) proposal as a modelUse another (successful) proposal as a model

Serve as a reviewer or panelist to see the process Serve as a reviewer or panelist to see the process in actionin action

Talk to your senior colleagues about how they do itTalk to your senior colleagues about how they do it

Contents of the Proposal

BackgroundBackground

ImpactImpact

Proposed workProposed work

Common Dilemma

In order to write a coherent research plan, you will In order to write a coherent research plan, you will probably have done or know how to do part of the probably have done or know how to do part of the work.work.

Don’t be afraid to propose the rest, along with the Don’t be afraid to propose the rest, along with the anticipated technical challenges.anticipated technical challenges.

Format

Get the agency guidelines and follow the instructions.Get the agency guidelines and follow the instructions.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:Do: Make your points clearly and conciselyMake your points clearly and concisely

– What do you want to do?What do you want to do?– Why? (intrinsic scientific merit)Why? (intrinsic scientific merit)– Who would it benefit? (impact)Who would it benefit? (impact)

Present your ideas and results accuratelyPresent your ideas and results accurately Outline the technical challenges and how you plan to meet themOutline the technical challenges and how you plan to meet them Mention any experience you have relative to this problemMention any experience you have relative to this problem Put your work in context: what’s been done before, and what are Put your work in context: what’s been done before, and what are

its strengths and weaknesses?its strengths and weaknesses? Make appropriate references to the literatureMake appropriate references to the literature Present a coherent plan of attack for the problemPresent a coherent plan of attack for the problem

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t:Don’t:

Go to a smaller font to meet the page limitationsGo to a smaller font to meet the page limitations

Confuse your proposal with your latest research paperConfuse your proposal with your latest research paper

Use an overly pedantic styleUse an overly pedantic style

Forget to mention others’ contributionsForget to mention others’ contributions

Go overboard with detailGo overboard with detail

Be too negative about potential difficultiesBe too negative about potential difficulties

Interdisciplinary Proposals

Essential ComponentsEssential Components

Challenging scientific or engineering problemChallenging scientific or engineering problem

Potential impact for societyPotential impact for society

““Dream Team” for this problem - no weak links or missing piecesDream Team” for this problem - no weak links or missing pieces

Linkage - has this team or parts of it worked together before?Linkage - has this team or parts of it worked together before?

LeverageLeverage

– Other sources of funding for this work or parts of itOther sources of funding for this work or parts of it

– Potential impact of the proposed work on other work by the PIsPotential impact of the proposed work on other work by the PIs

If you don’t ask,you don’t get.

- Ghandi

If you don’t ask,you don’t get.

- Ghandi