“If this is such an important problem, why hasn’t it already been solved before by many talented people and substantial expenditure of resources? And what are the key reasons why you / your team / your proposed approach is perfectly positioned to address it now?”

-> a somewhat antagonistic question, but a useful tool for shaping how you think about and write your proposal!

Grant application season is well and truly upon us at least in Australia, and I am enjoying spending a lot of time providing feedback and tips to a bunch of colleagues who are working up proposals, particularly focusing on making them as compelling as possible.

Is the funding system that we work in fit-for-purpose and do we spend too much time pitching our work? That’s a conversation many of us are having in parallel, but in the meantime we can try to help people do the best job they can within the current system.

I provide four key tips around; pitching the problem / opportunity you’re addressing (problems are not all the same, in several aspects); motivating why you and your team are perfectly set up to execute the proposed course of action; explaining why this is likely to make advances where previous attempts have not; and painting a clear picture of how, if successful, the project will meaningfully contribute to the field and/or to solving the problem or grasping the opportunity, even if tech translation / policy change is not within the scope of a specific, basic research proposal.

Full Video Notes

Grant season is currently upon us, and I’ve been spending a lot of time helping colleagues by providing feedback and suggestions for improving their grant proposals. Today, I wanted to share a few of those practical tips with you, particularly on how to make your grant proposal as compelling as possible. While many academics are somewhat saddened by the pressure to pitch and sell their work, it’s important to recognize that we can work on improving the grant allocation systems while simultaneously providing advice to those navigating the current system, maximizing their chances of success.

Different grant funding schemes have slightly different rules, but many of the principles I’ll discuss should be universally applicable across these schemes. Although it’s unlikely that you will tick all the boxes for most grants you write, thinking about these components is a valuable developmental process for refining the quality of your proposals.

Firstly, a compelling grant proposal needs to address an interesting and important problem. Not all problems are equal; some are considered particularly important or impactful, such as climate change, defense, or cybersecurity, depending on your country and the setup of your research body. Additionally, problems that are rapidly increasing in scope or impact are often much more compelling than those that have been constant. If your research is set in a field where methodologies or techniques are critical, and these techniques are increasingly relied upon in society, industry, or government, this also adds to the urgency of addressing their shortcomings.

Another aspect to convey urgency is if traditional methods or mitigation measures are becoming less effective, indicating that the problem is growing in significance and our means to address it are diminishing. Sometimes, a problem may be reaching a critical threshold or tipping point, where its effects could escalate rapidly, further emphasizing the need for immediate research.

When framing the problem in your proposal, it’s crucial to address why this significant issue hasn’t been solved despite the efforts of talented and driven individuals. This leads to the question of why you are the right person to make a breakthrough now. This can be challenging, but it’s a critical part of making your proposal compelling.

To make a strong case, you could demonstrate that you have access to new methodologies or interdisciplinary approaches that have not been previously applied to the problem. It’s essential not to use terms like interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary merely as buzzwords; instead, provide concrete evidence that these approaches will advance the state of the art.

After establishing the significance of the problem and the novelty of your approach, you still need to justify why you and your team are uniquely equipped for this project. This could involve highlighting your expertise or the unique collaborative efforts you’ve developed. Finally, even if your proposal is for fundamental research, you should outline how the project’s outcomes could lead to significant advancements in addressing the problem, potentially influencing policy changes or technological applications.

In summary, a compelling grant proposal should convincingly address the importance of the problem, the timeliness and potential of your approach, the unique qualifications of your team, and the broader impact of the project’s success. Focusing on these key components will greatly enhance the persuasiveness of your proposal.