This one-day, in-person seminar comprehensively addresses the practical, conceptual, and rhetorical aspects of writing competitive NSF grant proposals, including:
(1) Critical steps for organizing and planning your NSF proposal (all of the things you need to do before you start writing a full proposal in order to have a competitive edge)
(2) Understanding the role (and mindset) of your reviewers
(3) Our 4-paragraph rhetorical strategy for writing a compelling Overview & Objectives section
(4) Specific strategies and tips for each major remaining section of an NSF grant proposal
Emphasis is placed on doing the “extra” things that can make the difference between being funded versus not. Regardless of the target agency, participants are taught to write with a linear progression of logic, which leads reviewers through an application. We also emphasize the fact that applicants are writing for two different audiences – the assigned reviewers, who read the application in its entirety, and non-assigned reviewers who may have read little, or none, of the proposal before the meeting of the review panel.
This seminar is appropriate for junior through senior faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and doctoral students who have had some exposure to writing grant applications, either through training, mentoring, or personal experience. All participants can use the seminar for new ideas on gaining a competitive edge in “proposalship,” how to write for a broad spectrum of reviewers, and/or for strategies in how to mentor others in proposal writing.
Each seminar is tailored to meet the needs of the audience, i.e., to focus on the funding agency or agencies that are of greatest interest to the attendees. This seminar will focus on proposal writing for the National Science Foundation (NSF). Nonetheless, the majority of this content will be relevant and usable for individuals applying to other funding entities (e.g., private foundations, professional organizations, and state/other federal agencies). This is because the core structure/format of most grant proposals, and the review criteria for most grant proposals, are very similar across funding entities, often merely called something different. Proposal components and requirements unique to the NSF will also be addressed.
RSVP and registration information to come.