writing’a’successful’ grant’proposal...writing’a’successful’ grant’proposal!!or—...
TRANSCRIPT
WRITING A SUCCESSFUL GRANT PROPOSAL
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HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE REJECTIONJOEL KASTNER, PROFESSOR
CENTER FOR IMAGING SCIENCE & SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
ROCHESTER, NY
TOPICS
• Resources for (NASA & NSF) proposers
• The sobering truth (aka NASA & NSF proposal oversubscription stats)
• Proposal structure: posing & answering the high-‐level questions
• General proposal formulation/writing tips
• Anatomy of a (successful) proposal
SELECTED RESOURCES• NASA ROSES Program AO URL:
• http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2017
• NASA proposer’s guides/manuals
• https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/nraguidebook/proposer2016.pdf
• How To Guide (sic): https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/how-‐to-‐guide
• NSF Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) program URLs
• https://www.nsf.gov/funding/programs.jsp?org=MPS
• NSF proposer’s guide/manual
• https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg17_1/index.jsp
THE SOBERING TRUTH (NASA)
THE SOBERING TRUTH (NSF)
(source: https://www.nsf.gov/mps/ast/aaac/reports/grants_program_aaac_15mar16.pdf)
PROPOSAL ELEMENTS (= POSING & ANSWERING THE HIGH-‐LEVEL QUESTIONS)• Scientific motivation
• What is the specific problem you intend to address?
• How does your chosen problem relate to fundamental unanswered Q’s in the field and/or related fields?
• Methodology• How do you intend to go about attacking the problem?
• Feasibility
• Will the approach/methodology you’ve formulated/selected actually work?
• Can the program be carried out in timely fashion, given the requested resources?
• Anticipated results
• What will you actually accomplish?
• “Tell them what you’re going to tell them; tell them; then tell them what you told them.”
• Budget
• What resources (people, $$) will you require to do what you say you will do?
GENERAL TIPS
• Know your strengths and work from (build on) them• Corollary: recognize your weaknesses and cultivate/solicit appropriate sources of assistance (i.e., co-‐
I’s/collaborators)
• Start small and work up (or: “practice” before “performing”)
• Advice applies equally well to $$ regime and scope of proposed science
• Exploit “minor” proposal opportunities (e.g., AAS travel grants)
• Focus, focus, focus!
• Easy out for a review committee: “proposal goals are too vague/not well focused”
• …yet… Don’t lose sight of the Big (science) Picture!• Easy out for a review committee: “proposal did not make clear what major problems in the field would be
addressed by the specific research proposed”
GENERAL TIPS (cont.)
• Wade deep into the relevant Call for Proposals• Peruse titles/abstracts of successful proposals, if available
• Read the “fine print” of the CfP and tailor your proposal appropriately
• Don’t get (emotionally) attached to your own concepts, words, etc…• As with manuscripts, final (polished) versions of proposals often don’t (even remotely) resemble early drafts
• Avoid referring to your proposed research as “critical” (astronomy & planetary science is all fun’n’games…we aren’t doing medicine or social work…nothing is “critical”)
• Include pilot study/proof of concept• Easiest way to demonstrate feasibility of proposed methodology
• Take advantage of opportunities to serve on proposal review committees• Best way to see why/how proposals succeed (or fail)
ANATOMY OF A (SUCCESSFUL) PROPOSAL“MULTIWAVELENGTH STUDIES OF THE NEAREST KNOWN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS”
NASA Exoplanets Program (ROSES), May 2015 deadline
ANATOMY OF A (SUCCESSFUL) PROPOSAL (cont.)“MULTIWAVELENGTH STUDIES OF THE NEAREST KNOWN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS”
NASA Exoplanets Program (ROSES), May 2015 deadline