Contact a Program Officer: Funding agency staff assigned to supervise the grant process (grant proposal receipt, review and awards) are known as program officers. When the sponsor allows, it’s a good idea to contact a program officer early in the development of a grant proposal. Here are some tips on how to do that:

  • Locate the program officer’s contact information (note: foundation program officers are not always as accessible as those in government).
  • Include a very short explanation of what you want to do. Ask if it fits within the program’s mission and ask for a short phone call to follow up.
  • Contact the program officer if necessary to clarify issues related to the guidelines. 
  • Some program officers will review proposal drafts and provide comments. 
  • Establishing a relationship with a program officer can sometimes be very beneficial.
  • Program officers will do their best to guide you, but can’t give you specific directions. However, a program officer’s advice is golden…follow it.

Identify any needed partners

  • Campus
  • College or department
  • University
  • Other University
  • Community partners

Review the RFP.

  • Make sure that the proposed project meets the stated need of the solicitation.
  • Follow the guidelines exactly! Pay close attention to page limitation, formatting requirements, naming conventions, etc. Non-compliance could lead to your proposal being rejected without review.

Develop an Outline

Write the Proposal

  • Writing should be clear and concise. Don't be wordy. Walk the fine line between being compelling and overselling. 
  • Avoid jargon. 
  • Write to a general audience. Keep in mind reviewers may or may not be experts in your field, and even if they are, they may not know much about your specialization
  • Your outline, RFP and proposal development checklist will be your roadmap

Standard Proposal Elements

  • Summary or abstract, very important. This is often the weed-out component. Summarize all points of the proposal. It often makes sense to write this last, once you have fleshed out all the components of the proposal.
  • Statement of need. Cite relevant publications and current data to corroborate need. Avoid circular reasoning. The problem is not the lack of a solution, e.g., we need this solution because we don't have this solution. The problem is backed by literature and data.
  • Organizational information. Penn State information and undergraduate campus information for context. Most organizational information can be found on the PSU and campus websites. The grant relations manager will help.
  • Project description. This should be clear and to the point, but detailed enough to make your case. Use section headings to keep it organized and use graphics to provide visal detail.
    • Goals. These are overarching and general.
    • Objectives/aims. These are tangible, specific, measurable and achievable. These guide the rest of the proposal. One or two may be enough.
    • Methods. How will you achieve your objectives? You must have methods to achieve each of the objectives. 
    • Evaluation
  • Timeline
  • Budget and budget justification. See the budget development checklist

Considerations for research-related projects

  • Will this strengthen record for promotion and tenure? Discuss with Chief Academic Officer.
  • Does the campus have adequate resources (staffing, budget, physical space)?
  • Does the PI have expertise to deliver the sponsors' requested deliverables?

Considerations for program-related projects

  • Does it address elements of the campus’s mission and strategic plan?
  • Will it complement or expand existing grant projects?
  • What resources are required, e.g., people, space, equipment, software?
  • Does it duplicate or supplement other efforts?

If animal or human subjects will be used

  • Principal Investigator (PI) must complete the required online training from the Office of Research Protections. See web site: https://researchsupport.psu.edu/orp/irb/irb-resources-training-and-events/
  • Determine whether the agency requires approval of research involving human or animal subjects prior to submission. If it does, adjust timeline accordingly. Most agencies do not. University policy requires IRB and/or IACUC approval before the award can be accepted, but not necessarily before the proposal is submitted.
  • The Office of Research Protections can help!

If a subaward will be needed

  • Collect the documents for the subaward package, to include at a minimum letter of intent signed by institutional official, scope of work, budget, budget justification and rate agreement, if applicable. Review RFP to determine if additional documents are needed.
  • Subawardees will need to have all documents to the grants office at least two weeks before the deadline to allow time for assembling the proposal and all reviews.
  • See the guidance for adding a subaward to a proposal

Develop timetable for complete project. Be sure to plan time for:

  • Writing the proposal
  • Animal or human subjects reviews, if necessary
  • Other compliance reviews such as export or data security, if necessary
  • Review by trusted colleagues
  • Editing
  • Development of budget and budget justification
  • Collection of letters and other collaborator documents, if needed
  • Assembly of subaward package, if applicable
  • Preparation of appendices and other required attachments
  • Submission of proposal
  • If more than one person is working on the project, assign responsibilities

ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME

Missing the deadline is one of the top reasons proposals are rejected.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

FACULTY AND STAFF CANNOT SUBMIT PROPOSALS DIRECTLY TO THE EXTERNAL FUNDING AGENCIES. All proposals for external funding must undergo review and approval by the college.