New and seasoned grant writers are encountering increased challenges in seeking funding for their research and organizations. Many of these challenges are beyond their control. In this blog, I will briefly outline five of the most common barriers. In subsequent blogs, I will comprehensively address each one: Increased Competition: As the demand for grant funding continues to rise, the competition among organizations and individuals seeking grants has become more intense. Currently, the funding levels for many federal grants is ranging around the 90th percentile and above. Evolving Donor Prior ..read more

The participants in my grant writing and designing workshops frequently ask me if AI is now able or will eventually be able to write their grant proposals. In one instance, a participant told me that AI wrote their grant, which was funded. It is difficult for me to believe that AI can possibly write a grant without the input of the grant writer. The following are some thoughts on what AI can and cannot do at this juncture in its development. AI technologies, including natural language processing models like GPT-3, are capable of generating text content and assisting with various writing tasks ..read more

When the donor is expecting excellence, resourcefulness, and a keen awareness of how best to assure outcomes that make a difference, the best way to meet their needs is to incorporate the three essentials for grant success. The three essentials for grant success are ingredients, preparation, and presentation. All of these are crucial, equally important, and required for success. Ingredients     Excellent match between the grant proposal and the donor’s priorities Answering the “so what” question of your research Simple prose and white space on the paper Examples of the ap ..read more

Grant writing expertise can be a valuable asset when you’re seeking a job. Even if the job itself is not directly related to grant writing, many of the skills you develop in writing and implementing grants strongly relate to superior job attributes. In some cases such as academia, keeping your job is directly tied to advancing your research through grants. The following is how grant writing know-how can help you stand out and secure a job: Strong Communication Skills: Grant writing requires clear and persuasive writing, which is a highly sought-after skill in many job roles. Your ability to c ..read more

The NIH closely scrutinizes the Data Management Plan (DMP) as a fundamental part of the grant application, for it demonstrates how data will be handled and generated during the research project. A well-crafted DMP reveals that the researcher has considered the full life cycle of the research data and is committed to sharing valuable resources with the scientific community, which enhances the impact and reproducibility of the research. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to write the NIH DMP: Understanding the NIH Data Sharing Policy: Familiarize yourself with the specific data sharin ..read more

Successful grant writers possess a variety of characteristics that contribute to their effectiveness. These are learned through experience, various proposal submissions, collaborative efforts with colleagues, and focus and determination. Thus, successful grant writers: Strong Research Skills: Can identify relevant funding opportunities, understand the funding organization’s priorities and requirements, and gather supporting data and evidence for their proposals. Clear and Concise Communication: Are able to communicate their ideas and proposals clearly and concisely. The best writers effec ..read more

Interdisciplinary grant research has become increasingly important in today’s world as many of the most pressing issues facing society are complex and multifaceted. In order to fully understand and address these issues, it is often necessary to bring together experts from multiple disciplines to collaborate on research projects. This type of collaboration can lead to breakthroughs in knowledge and innovation that might not be possible otherwise. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes this and encourages interdisciplinary research by providing funding opportunities tha ..read more

Leadership is an essential component of any successful institution. Leaders guide their teams, inspire their people, and drive their organizations towards achieving their goals.  Equally, leadership training has become increasingly significant for those who need to be successful at managing and implementing grants, for their leadership skills will have an important effect on their teams and their ongoing efforts to continue procuring external funding. To this end, we at the Grant Training Center, incorporate the latest trends and best practices in our leadership training. These include ..read more

In order to assess the validity of a proposal in relationship to the solicitation, many donors, especially foundations, request a Letter of Intent (LOI) from future applicants. This is the letter that will lead to the invitation to apply for the grant. If the application that follows meets the donor’s criteria and is well written, the chances for success are excellent. The LOI should be written to communicate at least three things: That you have researched the donor and know the project fits their guidelines as well as their culture and language. That this is a substantial and needed project ..read more

There is no question that COVID-19 has had and is having a severe impact on faculty throughout US colleges and universities. This is reflected in all areas of their work, including research, teaching, tenure and promotion and service. Findings of a recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey of faculty stress which surveyed 1,122 faculty members at four-year and two-year institutions around the nation of whom 50% were tenured and the remaining tenure-track, non-tenured, part time and adjunct faculty, revealed the extreme changes in stress levels that faculty underwent. The results of the surv ..read more