I used to tell my students that awarding points on assignments shouldn’t feel like a treasure hunt. Their job was to make their key ideas clear and easy to find – Something that holds true for many things, including grant writing! Read on for some tips on how to do this when preparing your next proposal. 

Be strategic in your writing 

When applying for funding, your job is to demonstrate how you (and your team) are the best people to do the work, and why your project is the ideal means to address the research problem. Most reviewers are going to decide early on in reading your proposal whether your idea is a good fit, so there shouldn’t be any mystery to your grant writing. Be direct about how you and your research are a good match for the agency, and how you’re going to accomplish your goals. Sell your idea early, and make sure your writing clear and jargon-free. Make it easy for reviewers to be sold on your proposal! 

Use structure and organization to your advantage 

Headers are essential. My dissertation advisor once told a group of us that “People on a bus know where the bus will end up, but they still want to know how they’re going to get there.” Headers are the signposts that guide your reader to the destination. Use a clear and consistent header system to make it easy for your reviewers to follow your plan. Headers will also help you (the writer) organize your ideas and make sure you hit on all of the key points – so both you and your reviewers will benefit! 

Bottom line 

Always present your ideas in such a way that reviewers don’t need to hunt for them. Be clear, be organized, be consistent, and make sure you hit all the key points. Most importantly, remember it’s not a treasure hunt. Make your proposed ideas easy to find (and fund)! 🔍