Preparing for proposals with a short turnaround

Developing a strong grant proposal can take months of preparation. The UC Davis Proposal Development Services team recommends three to five months to develop a strong proposal. In the past year, however, funding opportunities with very short turnaround times – sometimes as little as 4 to 6 weeks! - have become the norm.  

While putting together a proposal on a short deadline can feel intimidating, even discouraging, there are steps you can take now so that you can find appropriate opportunities and ensure that you are ready to write as soon as the right funding opportunity appears.   

What you can do before the solicitation is released 

1) Organize your team

Tasks requiring coordination with others always take longer than expected. Begin planning with collaborators, key personnel, and campus offices that you intend to work with ahead of time. This is especially important if you might need letters of support and/or biographical documents that take a while to put together. Strategize how your team will prepare the proposal by discussing the division of labor and a meeting schedule during the writing phase. 

2) Prepare one-pagers on a few different fundable topics

Funding solicitations can change from cycle to cycle, but developing the core ideas and framing for your research plan ahead of time will allow you to start writing as soon as a NOFO is released. Starting your One-pager now also allows you time to get feedback from colleagues and research development staff (like PDS!) that will help you hone your ideas and messaging.  

3) Prepare supplemental documents

Most proposals require supplemental documents such as Facilities and Equipment, Data Management and Sharing Plan, Collaborators and Other Affiliations, and a Logic Model, among others. Start readying them now so that you can focus on your project description once the solicitation is released. For NOFOs with compressed timelines, the supplemental documents are unlikely to require much updating even if you prepare them early. 

4) Update your biographical information in online systems such as ORCiD and SciENcv 

An ORCiD profile serves as a public CV where potential collaborators and funding agencies can view your experience and body of work. When updating your account, prioritize the Employment, Education and Qualifications, and Works sections that can be used by SciENcv to create the Common Form biosketches that are now required by many agencies. Also, populate a Current and Pending Support form in SciENcv that can be quickly updated and downloaded if necessary. 

5) Write sections of your proposal that are unlikely to change

Much like the previous tips, there may be sections of your proposal that are not likely to change much and so can be written ahead of time. Specifically, sections that discuss background and methodology, or even team organization, may require some customization once a NOFO is identified, but the broad strokes of these sections are likely to remain the same. 

6) Learn about recent agency-specific changes

Many sponsors have updated policies, documents, and priorities over the past year. Read through notices and updates for the agency that you’re waiting for so that you aren’t left scrambling with new documents or framing at the last minute. 

7) Practice evaluating NOFOs

When you find a funding opportunity with a short deadline, you need to quickly evaluate whether it is a good fit for you and your work. Take steps now to improve your reading of funding solicitations: Is it a limited submission? Are you and your university eligible? Does the agency and program support the work that you do? What documents does the application require? Are there any other requirements, collaborations, etc., that you would need to plan for? 

8) Keep on top of funding opportunities

The NOFO you’re waiting for may be imminent or you may not have found the right one yet. Regardless, you will want to know as soon as a funding opportunity is released so that you can maximize the time you have. To do this, sign up for weekly UC Davis funding newsletters and newsletters at any agencies that you’re waiting to hear from so that you can get started as soon as possible.  

Closing thoughts

A short deadline certainly makes putting together a grant proposal more challenging. By taking steps now to organize and prepare what you can, you will be able to more easily focus on developing a strong proposal – even on a short timeline.  

Stay tuned for our next tip on how to tackle proposal preparation on a compressed timeline once the NOFO is released.