Proposal Development Resources

Whether you are a new or experienced investigator the following resources are recommended for your use in the proposal development process. For further information about items here, please contact us.

PRE-AWARD POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND GUIDELINES

PROPOSAL WRITING TIPS

RESEARCH COMPLIANCE

The Office of Research Integrity, a component of the Office of the Vice President for Research, provides programs and services to assist investigators and their staff with meeting federal, state, UT System and instititional regulatory requirements prior to and during the conduct of research. It is important for you as an investigator to be aware of some of these regulations at the time that you are applying for funding so that you know what may/may not be feasible for a project and what to anticipate if you do in fact receive an award for your project.

There is list available on the Research website that provides specific guidelines and that can be used by investigators to ensure that special regulatory requirements are in place prior to and during the conduct of research. The information available at this site is intended for guidance purposes only and should not be considered a comprehensive list of requirements.

Regulatory Requirements for Research Projects

For further information about individual areas of research compliance, you may visit the following sites:

Contact the Office of Research Integrity

Developing and Writing Grant Proposals
- Detailed overview of how to develop and write a federal grant proposal, written by personnel from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), a government-wide compedium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public that contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the Federal government.

How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal
- Report from the Congressional Research Service that covers writing proposals for both government and private foundations, including gathering preliminary information, developing proposal ideas, and gathering support from the community.

EPA Tips on Writing Grant Proposals
- Tips and resources for writing competitive grants, as well as preparing a budget, tailored to those seeking EPA funds. However, can also be used by general audiences.

Common Mistakes in NIH Grant Applications
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) provides a list of common mistakes made in NIH appliations. The five review criteria for most NIH grant applications are: significance, approach, innovation, investigator, and environment. Innovation is not necessary, but the results should have compelling significance.

All About Grants: Tutorials and Samples
- The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases maintains an All About Grants website that can help investigators to plan and write NIH grant applications as well as manage their awards.

Preparing Grant Applications
- from the National Cancer Institute

Grant Writing Tips Sheets
- This is a compilation of guides, podcasts, YouTube videos, and tip sheets put out by various Institutes within NIH that may be a useful resource for researchers pursuing funding from NIH.

How to Write a Research Project Grant Application
- from the National Instite of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Proposal Writing Basics
- Online recorded session offered through the Foundation Center, provides instruction on the key components of a proposal to a foundation or corporation and answers questions that first-timers often have about the process of applying for a grant.

Proposal Writer's Guide
- This site, maintained by the University of Michigan's Research and Sponsored Projects, provides an excellent outline by Donald Thackrey that may be especially helpful for faculty and staff writing research proposals.

Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal
- This guide, written by S. Joseph Levine from Michigan State University, offers advice on all components of a proposal. The guide also includes a sample proposal and links to some proposal writing tips and additional sites.