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Sample Grant Applications

On this page:

• Research Project Grants (R01): Sample Applications and Summary Statements 
• Early Career Research (ECR) R21 Awards: Sample Applications and Summary Statements 

Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) Awards: Sample Applications and Summary Statements

Preparing a stellar grant application is critical to securing research funding from NIDCD. On this page you will find examples of grant applications and summary statements from NIDCD investigators who have graciously shared their successful submissions to benefit the research community.

You can find more details about the NIDCD grants process from application to award on our  How to Apply for a Grant, Research Training, or Career Development Funding page.

For more examples of applications for research grants, small business grants, training and career awards, and cooperative agreements, please visit Sample Applications & More  on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website.

Always follow your funding opportunity’s specific instructions for application format. Although these samples demonstrate stellar grantsmanship, time has passed since these applications were submitted and the samples may not reflect changes in format or instructions.

The application text is copyrighted. You may use it only for nonprofit educational purposes provided the document remains unchanged and the researcher, the grantee organization, and NIDCD are all credited.

Section 508 compliance and accessibility: We have reformatted these sample applications to improve accessibility for people with disabilities and users of assistive technology. If you have trouble accessing the content, please contact the NIDCD web team .

Research Project Grants (R01): Sample Applications and Summary Statements

Investigator-initiated  Research Project Grants (R01)  make up the largest single category of support provided by NIDCD and NIH. The R01 is considered the traditional grant mechanism. These grants are awarded to organizations on behalf of an individual (a principal investigator, or PI) to facilitate pursuit of a research objective in the area of the investigator's research interests and competence.

Laurel H. Carney, Ph.D., University of Rochester

“Developing and testing models of the auditory system with and without hearing loss”

• Full Application (3.53MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (2.7MB PDF)

Leora R. Cherney, Ph.D., & Allen Walter Heinemann, Ph.D., Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

"Defining trajectories of linguistic, cognitive-communicative and quality of life outcomes in aphasia"

• Full Application (5.59MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (336KB PDF)

Benjamin T. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., University of Rochester

“Multi-modal vestibular perception”

• Full Application (2.21MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (468.5KB PDF)

Robert C. Froemke, Ph.D., New York University Grossman School of Medicine

“Synaptic basis of perceptual learning in primary auditory cortex”

• Full Application (5.3MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (608KB PDF)

Rene H. Gifford, Ph.D., & Stephen Mark Camarata, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center

"Image-guided cochlear implant programming: Pediatric speech, language, and literacy"

• Full Application (9.63MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (485KB PDF)

Stavros Lomvardas, Ph.D., Columbia University Health Sciences

"Principles of zonal olfactory receptor gene expression"

• Full Application (6.37MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (183KB PDF)

Ryan W. McCreery, Ph.D., Boys Town National Research Hospital

“Complex listening skills in school-age hard of hearing children”

• Full Application (5.17MB)
• Summary Statement (1.32MB PDF)

Dan H. Sanes, Ph.D., New York University

“Social learning enhances auditory cortex sensitivity and task acquisition”

• Full Application (5.81MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (2.85MB PDF)

Christopher Shera, Ph.D., University of Southern California

"Understanding otoacoustic emissions"

• Full Application (6.9MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (447KB PDF)

Early Career Research (ECR) R21 Awards: Sample Applications and Summary Statements

The NIDCD Early Career Research (ECR) R21 Award supports both basic and clinical research from scientists who are beginning to establish an independent research career. The research must be focused on one or more of NIDCD's  scientific mission areas . The NIDCD ECR Award R21 supports projects including secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; translational research; outcomes research; and development of new research technology. The intent of the NIDCD ECR Award R21 is for the program director(s)/principal investigator(s) to obtain sufficient preliminary data for a subsequent R01 application.

Ho Ming Chow, Ph.D., University of Delaware

“Neural markers of persistence and recovery from childhood stuttering: An fMRI study of continuous speech production”

• Full Application (7.64MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (736KB PDF)

Brian B. Monson, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Auditory experience during the prenatal and perinatal period"

• Full Application (3.74MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (525KB PDF)

Elizabeth A. Walker, Ph.D., University of Iowa

“Mechanisms of listening effort in school age children who are hard of hearing”

• Full Application (10.2MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (622KB PDF)

The NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research R21 grant mechanism encourages exploratory and developmental research by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of project development. NIH has standardized the Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) application characteristics, requirements, preparation, and review procedures in order to accommodate investigator-initiated (unsolicited) grant applications. Projects should be distinct from those supported through the traditional R01 mechanism. The NIH Grants & Funding website explains the scope of this program .

Taylor Abel, M.D., University of Pittsburgh, & Lori Holt, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

“Flexible representation of speech in the supratemporal plane”

• Full Application (11.5MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (1.01MB PDF)

Melissa L. Anderson, Ph.D., MSCI, UMass Chan Medical School

“Deaf ACCESS: Adapting Consent through Community Engagement and State-of-the-art Simulation”

• Full Application (1.34MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (354KB PDF)

Lynnette McCluskey, Ph.D., Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

“Ace2 in the healthy and inflamed taste system”

• Full Application (6.05MB PDF)

Benjamin R. Munson, Ph.D., University of Minnesota

“Race, ethnicity, and speech intelligibility in normal hearing and hearing impairment”

• Full Application (1.35MB PDF)
• Summary Statement (378KB PDF)

(link is external) .

ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANT PROPOSALS

How to Use Annotated Sample Grants

Are these real grants written by real students.

Yes! While each proposal represents a successfully funded application, there are two things to keep in mind: 1) The proposals below are  final products;  no student started out with a polished proposal. The proposal writing process requires stages of editing while a student formulates their project and works on best representing that project in writing. 2) The samples reflect a wide range of project types, but  they are not exhaustive . URGs can be on any topic in any field, but all must make a successful argument for why their project should be done/can be done by the person proposing to do it.  See our proposal writing guides for more advice. The best way to utilize these proposals is to pay attention to the  proposal strengths  and  areas for improvement  on each cover page to guide your reading.

How do I decide which sample grants to read?

When students first look through the database, they are usually compelled to read an example from their major (Therefore, we often hear complaints that there is not a sample proposal for every major). However, this is not the best approach because there can be many different kinds of methodologies within a single subject area, and similar research methods can be used across fields.

• Read through the Methodology Definitions and Proposal Features  to identify which methodolog(ies) are most similar to your proposed project. 
• Use the Annotated Sample Grant Database ( scroll below the definitions and features) filters or search for this methodology to identify relevant proposals and begin reading!

It does not matter whether the samples you read are summer grants (SURGs) or academic year grants (AYURGs).  The main difference between the two grant types is that academic year proposals (AYURG) require a budget to explain how the $1,000 will be used towards research materials, while summer proposals (SURG) do not require a budget (the money is a living stipend that goes directly to the student awardee) and SURGs have a bigger project scope since they reflect a project that will take 8 weeks of full time research to complete.  The overall format and style is the same across both grant cycles, so they are relevant examples for you to review, regardless of which grant cycle you are planning to apply.  

How do I get my proposal to look like these sample grants?

Do not submit a first draft:  These sample proposals went through multiple rounds of revisions with feedback from both Office of Undergraduate Research advisors and the student’s faculty mentor. First, it helps to learn about grant structure and proposal writing techniques before you get started. Then, when you begin drafting, it’s normal to make lots of changes as the grant evolves. You will learn a lot about your project during the editing and revision process, and you typically end up with a better project by working through several drafts of a proposal.

Work with an advisor:  Students who work with an Office of Undergraduate Research Advisor have higher success rates than students who do not. We encourage students to meet with advisors well in advance of the deadline (and feel free to send us drafts of your proposal prior to our advising appointment, no matter how rough your draft is!), so we can help you polish and refine your proposal.

Review final proposal checklists prior to submission:  the expectation is a two-page, single-spaced research grant proposal (1″ margins, Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11), and proposals that do not meet these formatting expectations will not be considered by the review committee.  Your bibliography does not count towards this page limit.

Academic Year URG Submission Checklist

Summer URG Application Checklist

METHODOLOGY DEFINITIONS & PROPOSAL FEATURES

Research methodologies.

The proposed project involves collecting primary sources held in archives, a Special Collections library, or other repository. Archival sources might include manuscripts, documents, records, objects, sound and audiovisual materials, etc. If a student proposes a trip to collect such sources, the student should address a clear plan of what will be collected from which archives, and should address availability and access (ie these sources are not available online, and the student has permission to access the archive).

Computational/Mathematical Modeling

The proposed project involves developing models to numerically study the behavior of system(s), often through computer simulation. Students should specify what modeling tool they will be using (i.e., an off-the-shelf product, a lab-specific codebase), what experience they have with it, and what resources they have when they get stuck with the tool (especially if the advisor is not a modeler). Models often involve iterations of improvements, so much like a Design/Build project, the proposal should clearly define parameters for a “successful” model with indication of how the student will assess if the model meets these minimum qualifications.

Creative Output

The proposed project has a creative output such playwriting, play production, documentary, music composition, poetry, creative writing, or other art. Just like all other proposals, the project centers on an answerable question, and the student must show the question and method associated with the research and generation of that project. The artist also must justify their work and make an argument for why this art is needed and/or how it will add to important conversations .

Design/Build

The proposed project’s output centers around a final product or tool. The student clearly defines parameters for a “successful” project with indication of how they will assess if the product meets these minimum qualifications.

The project takes place in a lab or research group environment, though the methodology within the lab or research group vary widely by field. The project often fits within the larger goals/or project of the research group, but the proposal still has a clearly identified research question that the student is working independently to answer.

Literary/Composition Analysis

The project studies, evaluates, and interprets literature or composition. The methods are likely influenced by theory within the field of study. In the proposal, the student has clearly defined which pieces will be studied and will justify why these pieces were selected. Context will be given that provides a framework for how the pieces will be analyzed or interpreted.

Qualitative Data Analysis

The project proposes to analyze data from non-numeric information such as interview transcripts, notes, video and audio recordings, images, and text documents. The proposal clearly defines how the student will examine and interpret patterns and themes in the data and how this methodology will help to answer the defined research question.

Quantitative Data Analysis

The project proposes to analyze data from numeric sources. The proposal clearly defines variables to be compared and provides insight as to the kinds of statistical tests that will be used to evaluate the significance of the data.

The proposed project will collect data through survey(s). The proposal should clearly defined who will be asked to complete the survey, how these participants will be recruited, and/or proof of support from contacts. The proposal should include the survey(s) in an appendix. The proposal should articulate how the results from these survey(s) will be analyzed.

The proposed project will use theoretical frameworks within their proposed area of research to explain, predict, and/or challenge and extend existing knowledge. The conceptual framework serves as a lens through which the student will evaluate the research project and research question(s); it will likely contain a set of assumptions and concepts that form the basis of this lens.

Proposal Features

Group project.

A group project is proposed by two or more students; these proposals receive one additional page for each additional student beyond the two page maximum. Group projects must clearly articulate the unique role of each student researcher. While the uploaded grant proposal is the same, each student researcher must submit their own application into the system for the review.

International Travel

Projects may take place internationally. If the proposed country is not the student’s place of permanent residence, the student can additionally apply for funding to cover half the cost of an international plane ticket. Proposals with international travel should likely include travel itineraries and/or proof of support from in-country contacts in the appendix.

Non-English Language Proficiency

Projects may be conducted in a non-English language. If you have proficiency in the proposed language, you should include context (such as bilingual, heritage speaker, or by referencing coursework etc.) If you are not proficient and the project requires language proficiency, you should include a plan for translation or proof of contacts in the country who can support your research in English.

DATABASE OF ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANTS

Successful Sample Applications Demonstrate Good Grantsmanship

Funding News Edition: June 7, 2023 See more articles in this edition

While sample applications from past years can be a source of valuable grantsmanship lessons, be aware of how much time has passed.

One way to hone your grantsmanship skills is to examine well-written examples of successful grant applications. When you do so, remember that your application must also follow the latest official NIH  How To Apply SF 424 instructions.

Find NIH application examples. Thanks to the grant recipients listed on the following webpages, multiple NIH institutes now have samples to share:

• NIAID’s  Sample Applications and More provides example R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/R33, R41, R42, R43, R44, K01, K08, F31, G11, and U01 applications and summary statements, sharing plans, leadership plans, and More .
• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) offers Sample Behavioral Research Grant Applications  (R01, R03, and R21), Sample Cancer Epidemiology Grant Applications  (R01, R03, R21, and R37), and Sample Implementation Science Grant Applications  (R01, R21, and R37).
• The National Institute of Aging (NIA) shares unsuccessful initial applications and successful resubmissions at K99/R00 Sample Applications , plus Small Business Sample Applications with summary statements.

Analyze what worked. To observe how the applicants approached grantsmanship, start by examining the text sections of the successful example applications—particularly the Specific Aims and Research Plans. Compare each sample with the corresponding summary statement to learn what worked for reviewers. Ask yourself:

• How did the applicants present project goals, plans, and milestones in an appealing and clear way?
• What evidence and support did the applicants provide? How technical were the explanations?
• Where and how did the application effectively address each review criterion?
• What strong points (or potential weak points) did the reviewers highlight in the summary statements?

You could also compare the samples with advice from NIAID’s Apply for a Grant guidance, NIH’s Important Writing Tips , and NIH’s Write Your Application .

Be cautious. While sample applications from past years can be a source of valuable grantsmanship lessons, be aware of how much time has passed. You must not assume that the samples reflect the latest NIH rules, policies, or format. Always follow the current SF 424 Instructions , notices of NIH Policy Changes , and any other specific instructions listed in your chosen notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).

What’s next? NIAID staff are currently recruiting fresh Sample Applications for you. Because the permission and posting process typically takes several months, we expect to start posting additions in late summer or early fall 2023. We will alert you through this publication and @NIAIDFunding on Twitter as they become available.

Email us at [email protected] for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.

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Source: NIAID Website

NIH & NIAID Sample Applications & Other Documents

Several NIAID investigators have graciously agreed to share their exceptional applications and summary statements as samples to help the research community. Refer to  NIAID's Application Samples webpage to see the full list of available sample applications, attachments, summary statements, forms, sharing plans, letters, emails, and more.  

The text of these applications is copyrighted. You may use it only for nonprofit educational purposes provided the document remains unchanged and the PI, the grantee organization, and NIAID are credited.

• Sample Cancer Epidemiology Grant Applications
• Sample Behavioral Research Grant Applications
• Sample Implementation Science Research Applications
• Annotated SF 424 Grant Application Forms
• Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions and Samples
• Reference Letters 
• Sample Data Tables for Training Grant Applications
• Additional Senior/Key Person Profile Format   – for over 100 senior/key people
• Additional Performance Site Format   – for over 300 performance sites
• Other Support Format Page
• Scientific Rigor Examples
• Authentication Plan Examples
• Examples of Data Sharing Plans
• Examples of Project Leadership Plans for Multiple PI Grant Applications
• Example calculations in the  Usage of Person Months  questions and answers
• Examples of Allowable Appendix Materials
• Sample Project Outcomes Description  for RPPR
• Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS)
• Sample Animal Study Proposal

NIAID Samples

• Sample Data Sharing Plan
• Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS) Examples and Templates  and  Complex Sample Data Sharing Plans
• Complex Model Organisms Sharing Plan
• Model Organisms Sharing Plan for Mice
• Simple Model Organisms Sharing Plan
• Sample Letter to Document Training in the Protection of Human Subjects
• Withdrawal of an Application Sample Form Letter
• Sample Just-in-Time Email From NIH
• Sample NIAID Request for Just-in-Time Information
• Preparing for a Foreign Organization System (FOS) Review
• Subaward Agreement Forms   from the Federal Demonstration Partnership
• DMID Quality Management Guidance and Tools
• Find Funding
• Funding Sources
• Proposal Deadlines
• PI Eligibility
• Limited Submissions
• Letters of Support
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• eRA Commons
• NIH Submission Systems
• NSF Applications

• NIH Grants & Funding
• Blog Policies

NIH Extramural Nexus

Sample Grant Applications, Summary Statements, and More

10 comments.

If you are new to writing grant applications, sometimes seeing how someone else has presented their idea can help as you are developing your own application. With the gracious permission of successful investigators, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) makes available examples of funded R01, R03, R15, R21, SBIR/STTR, K, and F applications, summary statements, sharing plans, leadership plans, and more. When referencing these resources, it is important to remember:

• These applications were developed using the application forms and instructions that were in effect at the time of their submission. Forms and instructions change regularly. Read and carefully follow the instructions in the funding opportunity announcement to which you are responding and the current application instructions carefully.
• The best way to present your science may differ substantially from the approach taken by those who wrote the example applications. Seek feedback on your draft application from mentors and others.
• Talk to an NIH program officer in your area of science for advice about the best type of grant program and the Institute or Center that might be interested in your idea.

Check out the NIAID’s Sample Applications and More .  

RELATED NEWS

Are any samples available that are congruent with Forms E?

And are there any available that reflect an RCT and the use of the Clinical Trials Info Form?

Unfortunately, not yet.

Will instructions in effect at the “time of the submission” be also provided with each application?

Any samples of a SPORE grant application?

The samples on the page are the only samples provided.

I have found, and continue to find, these sample applications helpful… up to a point. It is indeed very gracious that these investigators have allowed NIAID to share these applications. Are there plans, and if not, why not, to share applications from other centers (I’m looking at you NIGMS!)?

It takes a lot of staff time and effort to identify applications that are suitable to use for this purpose and to keep the information on this page updated. NIAID has graciously devoted significant resources to making this page possible.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some additional sample grant applications available through NCI’s website:

-cancer epidemiology sample grant applications (R01, R21, R03 examples) at https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/funding/grantsmanship/sample-grants.html

-behavioral research sample grant applications (R01, R21, R03 examples) https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/funding/sample-application.html

-implementation science research (R01 and R21 examples) https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/IS/sample-grant-applications.html

We are extremely grateful to the investigators who have been willing to share their applications and hope these additional examples are useful to the broader scientific community!

Thank you!!

How about sample Other Support documents, especially in light of the recent update from the NIH regarding their content?

Before submitting your comment, please review our blog comment policies.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sample Cancer Epidemiology Grant Applications

On this page..., orientation to sample applications, sample applications, links to other sample applications.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) frequently receives questions from investigators for examples of successfully funded grant applications. Several investigators and their organizations agreed to let the Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) post excerpts of their grant applications online. The applications in the table below are excellent examples of grantsmanship.

EGRP is grateful to the investigators for enabling our Program to deliver this valuable resource. Certain details are redacted, such as social security numbers, budgets, home addresses, and phone numbers. Additionally, to minimize the file size, EGRP excluded sections of the original application that provide routine details, such as lists of performance sites and key personnel, biographical sketches, and bibliographies. As a result, the grant applications accessible through the links below do not include all sections that appear in the SF424 (R&R) used to apply for grants.

The text of the grant applications is copyrighted. Investigators and others may use the text from these same applications only for nonprofit educational purposes provided the content remains unchanged and the Principal Investigator(s), their organization(s), and NCI are credited.

Note: The table below highlights examples of grant applications that were submitted before January 25, 2023, the effective day of the NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy. EGRP anticipates updating the examples of grant applications that comply with the new DMS policy in the latter part of 2024. In the meantime, please refer to EGRP’s webpage on Data and Resource Management and Sharing Plans for more information on preparing DMS plans.

• Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI
• Healthcare Delivery Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI
• Implementation Science Team, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Sample Healthcare Delivery Research Grant Applications

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) frequently receives requests for examples of funded grant applications. Several investigators and their organizations agreed to let the Healthcare Delivery Research Program (HDRP) post excerpts of their healthcare delivery research grant applications online.

We are grateful to the investigators and their institutions for allowing us to provide this important resource to the community. We include a copy of the SF 424 R&R Face Page, Project Summary/Abstract (Description), Project Narrative, Specific Aims, and Research Strategy; we do not include other SF 424 (R&R) forms or requisite information found in the full grant application (e.g., performance sites, key personnel, biographical sketches). To maintain confidentiality, we have redacted some information from these documents (e.g., budgets, social security numbers, home addresses, introduction to revised application).

Sample Applications

R01: personalized screening for lung cancer: the importance of co-existing chronic conditions to clinical practice and policy, principal investigator.

Grant Mechanism & Award Number

R01CA249506-01

R01: Predicting and Addressing Colonoscopy Non-adherence in Community Settings

R01CA218923-01A1

R01: Using MOST to EMPOWER: Optimizing an Emotional Regulation Intervention to Enhance Well-being Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors

Principal investigators.

R01CA242849-01

R01: Improving Informal Caregivers' and Cancer Survivors' Psychological Distress, Symptom Management and Health Care Use

R01CA224282-01A1

R03: Statewide Assessment of HPV Vaccination Among Childhood Cancer Survivors

1R03CA216174-01A1

R03: Multi-center Evaluation of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis with Synthesized Two-dimensional Mammography for Breast Cancer Screening

R03CA223725-01

R21: Improving Transition Readiness in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Survivors of Childhood Cancer

R21CA222936-01A1

R50: Natural History of Lung Cancer Diagnosed Within and Across Diverse Health Systems Implementing Lung Cancer Screening

R50CA251966-01

Additional Details

Copyright information.

The text of the grant applications is copyrighted. Investigators and others may use the text from these applications only for nonprofit educational purposes provided that the content remains unchanged and that the Principal Investigator(s), their organization(s), and NCI are credited.

Accessibility

Individuals using assistive technology (e.g., screen reader, Braille reader, etc.) who experience difficulty accessing any information should send an email to the HDRP team ( [email protected] ).

Other Sample Grants

See examples of successfully funded grant applications.

Currently Open Notice of Funding Opportunities Relevant to HDRP

See the currently open notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs) sponsored or co-sponsored by HDRP; other NOFOs relevant to HDRP; and NIH and NCI Parent and Omnibus NOFOs for investigator-initiated research.

How to write a good application - ESRC

The content and quality of the application you submit to us will determine whether you are successful. Therefore, it is vital that you have a full understanding of what is required, as well as knowing the various stages of the application process, so that you maximise your chances of being funded.

These notes are intended to assist you in the preparation of applications to the ESRC responsive mode: research grants funding opportunity  and should be read in conjunction with the ESRC research funding guide .

They provide informal guidance on points for applicants to remember when drafting applications.

You may also find this information helpful if you’re applying to another funding opportunity although you should take care to follow any funding opportunity-specific guidance provided.

Careful attention will help you to avoid some of the basic pitfalls and improve the funding chances of your research idea.

Our guidance for writing a good research grant application

Allow yourself time.

Preparing a draft application and consulting on it, preparing the project costings and getting advice on these, as well as reading the regulations of the funding opportunity to learn what is and what is not permissible, are all time-consuming parts of the process of application.

The key guidance for applicants applying to our research grants scheme is:

• the funding opportunity guidance
• ESRC guidance for applicants
• ESRC research funding guide

Study your funding source

All funding agencies will have their own criteria for deciding on allocation of their resources. It is worthwhile taking time to familiarise yourself with these and ensuring that your application clearly addresses your targeted source of support.

We are an agency funded by the government and its mission is “to promote and support by any means, high quality, basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training in the social sciences; to advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists which meets the needs of users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the UK, the effectiveness of public services and policy, and the quality of life; and, to provide advice on, and disseminate knowledge and promote public understanding of, the social sciences”.

All successful ESRC research grants demonstrate four characteristics. They must:

• promise excellent research
• be of value to potential users outside or within the research community
• convince of the ability to deliver research
• demonstrate value for money (not necessarily the same as cheapness).

Further information relating to how applications are peer reviewed and the standards against which you will be judged are provided within ESRC’s guidance for reviewers and ESRC’s peer reviewer training tool – this is an online course which takes around an hour to complete, although it is possible to dip in and out as well.

Read the guidance documents

You should read the funding opportunity guidance which is designed to help you through the process. This cannot be overstressed; familiarising yourself with the content of the research funding guide may seem tedious but will help you to avoid basic mistakes which at best will require clarification with office staff and at worst may prejudice chances of success. Please abide by the rules, since they are there to ensure a level playing field for all applicants, and applications which break the rules will be rejected. Make sure you are using the current versions of guidance as rules and regulations are subject to change. If in doubt, check with the named ESRC contact for the funding opportunity.

Discuss your application

You should discuss your application with peer groups, colleagues and, if you are a relatively new researcher, with senior and more experienced researchers. Experienced collaboration or mentoring rarely goes amiss. If you have never sent in an application to us before, try to get the advice of someone who has already been successful.

Talk to your research office and draw on the support that they can give you in putting together your application and calculating your costings.

Justify your costings

When you justify your costings, they should be considered with care and close reference to our research funding guide.

Be realistic – lavish costings are unlikely to find favour with panel members and an application which promises the earth at remarkably low expense will be regarded with caution.

Panels take a very dim view of applications where the costings have been padded to reach the lower financial threshold for the funding opportunity, and if potential cuts would take the overall cost of the application below the threshold the application will not be funded.

You need to provide clear and convincing justification of your costings and should think carefully about the time and resources needed to complete the research successfully within the specified period.

Grants will be based on the eligible costings included in applications and will be subject to standard indexation and be cash limited at the time of announcement, so it is important to get costings right when applying.

A well thought out financial plan helps to create confidence in the application generally. Give as detailed a breakdown of costs as possible so that the panel can properly assess the application.

Do make sure that what you are asking for is allowed within the regulations. Bear in mind that ESRC is looking for value for money, and that applications which offer poor value for money will be scored down by panels, even when the science may be excellent.

Content and presentation

The research application is the means by which you will be trying to convince the panel that your application is worth funding so think carefully about what information you are going to give and how it is presented.

Make sure you think your project plan through and cover all stages of the research lifecycle. The project lifecycle includes the planning and research design stage, the period of funding for the project, and all activities that relate to the project up to and including the time when funding has ended.

The research lifecycle therefore also includes knowledge exchange and impact realisation activities, the dissemination process including reporting and publication and the archiving, future use, sharing, and linking of data.

Many applications are unsuccessful not because they lack interesting or important research ideas, but because they fail to communicate adequately how these research ideas will be explored and translated into an achievable plan of action.

It is vital that you have a full understanding of what is required, as well as knowing the various stages of the application process, so that you maximise your chances of gaining an award.

Convey to the panel your genuine interest, understanding and enthusiasm for the work.

The vision and approach section is the core of your application. It is also important to make sure that you devote enough space in the application to describing the research you intend to conduct and the research design and methods – the panels find it very frustrating when applicants devote pages to explaining why their proposed research is exciting but then provide only a short and inadequate explanation of how they propose to explore this in practice.

Write in plain English. Your application is likely to be seen by many people, including some who will not be familiar with your particular specialism. Detail and specification may necessitate the use of disciplinary or technical terminology and this will be clear to peer reviewers, but the ideas you wish to convey and your reasons for doing so should be apparent to a wide audience.

Peer reviewers and panel members do not welcome dense blocks of text which have not been broken down into paragraphs and sub sections. By the same token, do take the trouble to check spelling, grammar and punctuation. These are all part of the quality of presentation and presentation matters.

Knowledge exchange and impact

Our mission places emphasis on ensuring that researchers engage as fully as possible with the users of research outcomes. These may be:

• other academics
• government departments
• public bodies
• voluntary organisations
• other interested parties

Try to consult with and involve people who could make a valuable contribution to the research and who could provide support and interest. Involving stakeholders and users in the planning stages can be highly beneficial.

In line with the common position on excellence with Impact adopted by research councils, we expect that the researchers we fund will have considered the potential scientific, societal and economic impacts of their research.

You should actively consider how these can be maximised and developed throughout your application. Consideration of the potential economic and social impact of your proposed research will form part of the peer review and assessment process of your application. You are expected to take impact seriously. If you believe that your research project is purely theoretical or methodological and will only have impacts within academia you should consider your impact strategy to justify your belief.

Opportunities for making an impact may arise, and should be taken, at any stage during the lifecourse of the research. It is important that researchers have in place a robust strategy for maximising the likelihood of such opportunities arising and their own capacity for taking advantage of these.

Further information on impact, innovation and interdisciplinarity.

Check the details

Once you have completed the application make sure that all the required information is provided. Some of the most common issues are:

• an unrealistic start date
• vision and approach section exceeding the specified length
• no additional details provided of revisions made to an application in the case of invited resubmissions

What happens next?

For the esrc responsive mode: research grants funding opportunity.

Applications receiving sufficiently supportive comments from external academic reviewers are forwarded to the panel members (introducers) for a funding recommendation. This is primarily informed by the average expert reviewer score. The minimum threshold score for progressing to the panel is determined on an individual funding opportunity basis.

Applications receiving an average expert reviewer score below the minimum threshold are rejected as not meeting the requisite scientific standard.

At the full panel meetings a proportion of applications will be recommended for funding. Unsuccessful applications fall into two categories – those which are unsuccessful due to lack of funds, and those which do not meet the requisite scientific standard.

A ranked list of recommendations is then considered by the grants delivery group for a final funding decision.

We accept only invited resubmissions. We do not allow the resubmission of any previously unsuccessful applications (including applications previously submitted to another research council), unless applicants have been specifically invited to do so.

In the majority of cases funding decisions are made around six months from the submission of your application, so please bear this in mind when applying.

If your research is time-critical you will need to allow enough time from submission for the application to go through the full application process, and the post-award checks/contracting process which takes an additional two months, on average.

If you are successful

Congratulations, and we hope your project goes well.

However, if difficulties arise such as delays in recruitment, staff illness, replacements, or changes to the work plan then please let us know immediately via your research office.

Under our research funding guide rules you will not need to notify us of virements of funds between headings and no supplementation will be allowed.

Last updated: 16 February 2024

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NIH Research Project Grant Program (R01)

Introduction.

The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH. R01s can be investigator-initiated or can be solicited via a  Request for Applications . This website is devoted to the investigator-initiated R01 application, which means there are no specific program requirements. However, the R01 research plan proposed by the applicant must be related to the stated program interests of one or more of the NIH Institutes and Centers based on their missions.

The Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT) website provides information about research grants including the number of funded new and competing R01s, average award dollars and characteristics of research project grants.

Definition of an R01

The Research Project (R01) grant is an award made to support a discrete, specified, circumscribed project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing the investigator's specific interest and competencies, based on the mission of the NIH .

The NIH is comprised of Institutes and Centers that support specific areas of health-related research and almost all Institutes and Centers at the NIH fund R01 grants. Research grant applications are assigned to an Institute or Center based on receipt and referral guidelines, and many applications are assigned to multiple Institutes and Centers as interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research is encouraged.

Allowable Costs

• Salary and fringe benefits for Principal Investigator, key personnel, and other essential personnel
• Equipment and supplies
• Consultant costs
• Alterations and renovations
• Publications and miscellaneous costs
• Contract services
• Consortium costs
• Facilities and Administrative costs (indirect costs)
• Travel expenses

Application Characteristics

• As a general rule, R01 application  budgets are not limited  but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. However, R01s can be limited in a specific funding opportunity, so it is important that applicants note any budgetary limits indicated in Part 2. Section 2. Award Budget of the funding opportunity. NIH's Modular Budget Policy applies to R01 applications submitted by domestic institutions. 
• Applications are generally awarded for 1 - 5 budget periods, each normally 12 months in duration.
• Applications can be renewed by competing for an additional project period.

Applicants may find it helpful to seek advice from their grants administrators and experienced investigators. Some IC sites provide annotated sample applications and related documents (see Samples: Applications, Attachments, and other Documents ).

Due Dates The Key Dates section of funding opportunities list specific due dates or refer to our Standard Due Dates schedule.

R01 Standard Due Dates

• New grant applications: February 5, June 5, and October 5
• Renewal, resubmission, and revision grant applications: March 5, July 5, and November 5
• AIDS and AIDS-related grant applications: May 7, September 7, and January 7. 

Standard receipt dates are February 1, June 1, and October 1. Receipt, review and award cycle schedules are posted on: /grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm .

R01 Participating Institutes, Centers and Offices

Most NIH Institutes and Centers support the R01 grant mechanism. In addition, the following NIH Offices of the Director do not accept applications, but do provide funding for investigator-initiated R01 applications:

• Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
• Office of Disease Prevention (ODP)
• Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
• Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

Active Funding Opportunities

• NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts search results for active R01 opportunities

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How to write a successful grant application: guidance provided by the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy

Anita e. weidmann.

1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Innsbruck University, Innsbruck, Austria

Cathal A. Cadogan

2 School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Daniela Fialová

3 Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

4 Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Ankie Hazen

5 Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Martin Henman

6 Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Monika Lutters

7 Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland

Betul Okuyan

8 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

Vibhu Paudyal

9 University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Francesca Wirth

10 Department of Pharmacy, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

Considering a rejection rate of 80–90%, the preparation of a research grant is often considered a daunting task since it is resource intensive and there is no guarantee of success, even for seasoned researchers. This commentary provides a summary of the key points a researcher needs to consider when writing a research grant proposal, outlining: (1) how to conceptualise the research idea; (2) how to find the right funding call; (3) the importance of planning; (4) how to write; (5) what to write, and (6) key questions for reflection during preparation. It attempts to explain the difficulties associated with finding calls in clinical pharmacy and advanced pharmacy practice, and how to overcome them. The commentary aims to assist all pharmacy practice and health services research colleagues new to the grant application process, as well as experienced researchers striving to improve their grant review scores. The guidance in this paper is part of ESCP’s commitment to stimulate “ innovative and high-quality research in all areas of clinical pharmacy ”.

Writing research grants is a central part of any good quality research. Once a detailed research proposal has been submitted, it is subjected to an expert peer review process. Such reviews are designed to reach a funding decision, with feedback provided to improve the study for this and any future submissions. Depending on the length of the proposal, complexity of the research and experience of the research team, a proposal can take between six to twelve months to write [ 1 ]. Ample time must be given to the writing of hypothesis/research aim, budgeting, discussion with colleagues and several rounds of feedback [ 2 ]. The draft research proposal should always be completed well before the deadline to allow for last minute delays. An application which is not fully developed should not be submitted since it will most likely be rejected [ 3 ].

Despite the large effort that goes into each grant application, success rates are low. Application success rates for Horizon 2020 were < 15% [ 4 ] and < 20% for the National Institute of Health (NIH) [ 5 – 8 ]. With these statistics in mind, it is evident that often repeated submissions are required before securing funding. Due to a paucity of specific clinical pharmacy grant awarding bodies, writing a grant application for a clinical pharmacy or pharmacy practice research project often involves multidisciplinary collaborations with other healthcare professions and focus on a specific patient population or condition. There is no guarantee of success when trying to secure funding for research. Even the most seasoned researchers will have applications rejected. The key is to never give up. This commentary provides useful pointers for the planning and execution of grant writing.

Conceptualising your research idea

Before writing a research grant proposal/application, consider what the research should achieve in the short, medium, and long term, and how the research goals will serve patients, science and society [ 9 , 10 ]. Practical implications of research, policy impact or positive impact on society and active patient/public involvement are highly valued by many research agencies as research should not be conducted “only for research”, serving the researchers’ interests. EU health policy and action strategies (CORDIS database) and other national strategies, such as national mental health strategy for grants within mental disorders, should be considered, as well as dissemination strategies, project deliverables, outcomes and lay public invitations to participate. The Science Community COMPASS has developed a useful “Message Box Tool” that can help in the identification of benefits and solutions, as well as the all-important “So What?” of the research [ 11 ]. Clearly determine what the lead researcher’s personal and professional strengths, expertise and past experiences are, and carefully select the research team to close these gaps [ 12 – 14 ].

How to find the right funding call

When trying to identify the right type of grant according to the research ambitions, one should be mindful that several types of grants exist, including small project grants (for equipment, imaging costs), personal fellowships (for salary costs, sometimes including project costs), project grants (for a combination of salary and project costs), programme grants (for comprehensive project costs and salary for several staff members), start-up grants and travel grants [ 15 ]. Types of grants include EU grants (e.g. Horizon, Norway Grant), commercial grants (e.g. healthcare agencies and insurance companies), New Health Program grants ideal for new, reimbursed clinical pharmacy service projects and national grants (e.g. FWF (Austria), ARRS (Slovenia), NKFIH (Hungary), NCN (Poland), FWO (Belgium), HRZZ (Croatia), GAČR (Czech Republic), SNSF (Switzerland), SSF (Sweden). It is worth remembering that early career researchers, normally within ten years of finishing a PhD, have a particular sub-category within most grants.

Many national agencies only have one “Pharmacy” category. This results in clinical pharmacy and advanced clinical pharmacy practice projects competing with pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical biology and pharmacy technology submissions, thereby reducing the success rate as these research areas can often be very advanced in most EU countries compared to clinical and advanced pharmacy practice. A second possible submission category is “Public Health”. Several essential factors can impact the grant selection, such as research field, budget capacity, leading researcher’s experience and bilateral grants. Examples of successful clinical pharmacy funded research studies can be found in the published literature [ 16 – 20 ].

Plan, plan, plan

One key element of successful grant writing is the ability to plan and organise time. In order to develop a realistic work plan and achieve milestones, it is imperative to note deadlines and to be well-informed about the details of what is required. The development of a table or Gantt Chart that notes milestones, outcomes and deliverables is useful [ 21 ].

All funders are quite specific about what they will and will not fund. Research your potential funders well in advance. It is vital to pay attention to the aims, ambitions and guidelines of the grant awarding bodies and focus your proposal accordingly. Submitting an application which does not adhere to the guidelines may lead to very early rejection. It is helpful to prepare the grant application in such a way that the reviewers can easily find the information they are looking for [ 15 , 22 ]. This includes checking the reviewers’ reports and adding “bolded” sentences into the application to allow immediate emphasis. Reviewers’ reports are often available on the agencies’ websites. It is extremely useful to read previously submitted and funded or rejected proposals to further help in the identification of what is required in each application. Most funding agencies publish a funded project list, and the ‘Centre for Open Science (COS) Database of Funded Research’ enables tracking of funding histories from leading agencies around the world [ 23 ]. Another useful recommendation is to talk to colleagues who have been successful when applying to that particular funder. Funding agency grant officers can provide advice on the suitability of the proposal and the application process.

It is important to pay particular attention to deadlines for the grant proposal and ensure that sufficient time is allocated for completion of all parts of the application, particularly those that are not fully within one’s own control, for example, gathering any required signatures/approvals. Funders will generally not review an application submitted beyond the deadline.

Lastly, it is important to obtain insight into the decision process of grants. Research applications are sent to several reviewers, who are either volunteers or receive a small compensation to judge the application on previously determined criteria. While the judging criteria may vary from funder to funder, the key considerations are:

• Is there a clear statement of the research aim(s)/research question(s)/research objective(s)?
• Is the proposed research “state-of-the-art” in its field and has all relevant literature been reviewed?
• Is the method likely to yield valid, reliable, trustworthy data to answer question 1.?
• If the answer to the second question is ’yes’, then what is the impact of financing this study on patient care, professional practice, society etc.?
• Is there sufficient confidence that the research team will deliver this study on time with expected quality outputs and on budget?
• Does the study provide value for money?

How to write

The key to good grant proposal writing is to be concise yet engaging. The use of colour and modern web-based tools such as #hashtags, webpage links, and links to YouTube presentations are becoming increasingly popular to improve the interest of a submission and facilitate a swift decision-making process. Ensure use of the exact section headings provided in the guidance, and use the keywords provided in the funding call documentation to reflect alignment with the funding bodies’ key interests. Attention to detail cannot be overstated; the quality and accuracy of the research proposal reflect the quality and accuracy of the research [ 24 ]. Try to adopt a clear, succinct, and simple writing style, making the grant easy to read. Having a clear focus can help to boost a grant to the top of a reviewer’s pile [ 25 , 26 ]. A clearly stated scientific question, hypothesis, and rationale are imperative. The reviewer should not have to work to understand the project [ 27 ]. Allow for plenty of time to incorporate feedback from trusted individuals with the appropriate expertise and consider having reviews for readability by non-experts.

What to write

Abstract, lay summary and background/rationale.

Take sufficient time to draft the scientific abstract and summary for the lay public. These should clearly state the long-term goal of the research, the aim and specific testable objectives, as well as the potential impact of the work. The research aim is a broad statement of research intent that sets out what the project hopes to achieve at the end. Research objectives are specific statements that define measurable outcomes of the project [ 28 , 29 ].

The lay summary is important for non-subject experts to quickly grasp the purpose and aims of the research. This is important in light of the increased emphasis on patient and public involvement in the design of the research. The abstract is often given little attention by the applicants, yet is essential. If reviewers have many applications to read, they may form a quick judgement when reading the abstract. The background should develop the argument for the study. It should flow and highlight the relevant literature and policy or society needs statements which support the argument, but at the same time must be balanced. It should focus on the need for the study at the local, national and international level, highlighting the knowledge gap the study addresses and what the proposed research adds. Ensure this section is well-referenced. The innovation section addresses the ‘‘So what?’’ question and should clearly explain how this research is important to develop an understanding in this field of practice and its potential impact. Will it change practice, or will it change the understanding of the disease process or its treatment? Will it generate new avenues for future scientific study? [ 30 ].

Hypothesis/aims and objectives

For the hypothesis, state the core idea of the grant in one or two sentences. It should be concise, and lead to testable specific aims. This section is fundamental; if it is unclear or poorly written, the reviewers may stop reading and reject the application. Do not attempt to make the aims overly complex. Well-written aims should be simply stated. Criteria such as PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes) [ 31 ], and FINER (feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant) [ 32 ], provide useful frameworks to help in writing aim(s), research question(s), objective(s) and hypotheses. Pay attention to the distinction between aim(s), research question(s), objective(s) and hypotheses. While it is tempting to want to claim that enormously complex problems can be solved in a single project, do not overreach. It is important to be realistic [ 25 ].

Experimental design, methods and expertise

The methodology is one of the most important parts of getting a grant proposal accepted. The reviewing board should be convinced that the relevant methodology is well within the research teams’ expertise. Any evidence of potential success, such as preliminary results or pilot studies strengthen the application significantly [ 33 ]. The methodology must relate directly to the aim. Structuring this section into specific activities/ set of activities that address each research question or objective should be considered. This clarifies how each question/ objective will be addressed. Each work-package should clearly define the title of the research question/objective to be addressed, the activities to be carried out including milestones and deliverables, and the overall duration of the proposed work-package. Deliverables should be presented in table format for ease of review. Each subsequent work-package should start once the previous one has been completed to provide a clear picture of timelines, milestones and deliverables which reflect stakeholder involvement and overall organisation of the proposed project. Using relevant EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines enhances the quality of detail included in the design [ 34 ]. Key elements of this methodology are detailed in Table  1 .

Summary of the key elements of the experimental design, methods and expertise

Proposed budget

The budget should be designed based on the needs of the project and the funding agency’s policies and instructions. Each aspect of the budget must be sufficiently justified to ensure accountability to the grant awarding body [ 35 ]. Costing and justification of the time of those involved, any equipment, consumables, travel, payment for participants, dissemination costs and other relevant costs are required. The funders will be looking for value for money and not necessarily a low-cost study. Ensure that the total budget is within the allocated funding frame.

Provide a breakdown of the key work packages and tasks to be completed, as well as an indication of the anticipated duration. Include a Gantt chart (A table detailing the most general project content milestones and activities) to demonstrate that all aspects of the proposal have been well thought through [ 21 ].

Critical appraisal, limitations, and impact of the proposed research

It is important to detail any strengths and limitations of the proposed project. Omitting these will present the reviewing board with sufficient grounds to reject the proposal [ 36 ]. Provide a clear statement about the short and long-term impact of the research [ 37 , 38 ]. The reviewers will pay particular attention to the differences the study can make and how potential impact aligns with the funding bodies goals as well as national policies. This statement is essential to make an informed decision whether or not to support the application. Useful diagrams summarise the different levels of impact [ 39 ].

Table  2 provides a summary of the key elements of project grants and key questions to ask oneself.

Summary of the key elements of project grants and key questions to ask oneself.

(Adapted from [ 5 ]: Koppelmann GH, Holloway JW. Successful grant writing. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2012; 13:63–66.)

Although the grant writing process is time-consuming and complex, support is widely available at each stage. It is important to involve colleagues and collaborators to improve the proposal as much as possible and invest time in the detailed planning and execution. Even if the grant is not awarded, do not be disheartened. Use the feedback for improvement and exercise resilience and persistence in pursuing your research ambition.

The guidance in this paper is part of ESCP’s commitment to stimulate “innovative and high-quality research in all areas of clinical pharmacy”. In a previous ESCP survey, it was found that few opportunities for collaboration (especially for grant applications) was one of the key barriers for members towards conducting research [ 40 ]. ESCP promotes networking, which is essential for multi-centre grant applications, both among ESCP members and with other organisations as it recognises the need for “multi-centre research in all areas of clinical pharmacy both within countries and between countries or differing healthcare delivery systems”. ESCP is planning to relaunch its own research grant which was paused during the pandemic, and it is also planning to provide ESCP members with information about the research grants offered by other organizations. ESCP is exploring partnering with other organisations to develop research proposals in areas of common interest and, in the near future, it will ask its members about their research priorities. Taken together, these initiatives will inform ESCP’s research strategy and help it to formulate policies to address the challenges its members face.

Acknowledgements

Research works of Assoc. Prof. Fialová were also supported by the institutional program Cooperation of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University.

Open access funding provided by University of Innsbruck and Medical University of Innsbruck. This work was conducted without external funding.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have not disclosed any competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!)

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise grant proposals for research funding in all academic disciplines (sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts). It’s targeted primarily to graduate students and faculty, although it will also be helpful to undergraduate students who are seeking funding for research (e.g. for a senior thesis).

The grant writing process

A grant proposal or application is a document or set of documents that is submitted to an organization with the explicit intent of securing funding for a research project. Grant writing varies widely across the disciplines, and research intended for epistemological purposes (philosophy or the arts) rests on very different assumptions than research intended for practical applications (medicine or social policy research). Nonetheless, this handout attempts to provide a general introduction to grant writing across the disciplines.

Before you begin writing your proposal, you need to know what kind of research you will be doing and why. You may have a topic or experiment in mind, but taking the time to define what your ultimate purpose is can be essential to convincing others to fund that project. Although some scholars in the humanities and arts may not have thought about their projects in terms of research design, hypotheses, research questions, or results, reviewers and funding agencies expect you to frame your project in these terms. You may also find that thinking about your project in these terms reveals new aspects of it to you.

Writing successful grant applications is a long process that begins with an idea. Although many people think of grant writing as a linear process (from idea to proposal to award), it is a circular process. Many people start by defining their research question or questions. What knowledge or information will be gained as a direct result of your project? Why is undertaking your research important in a broader sense? You will need to explicitly communicate this purpose to the committee reviewing your application. This is easier when you know what you plan to achieve before you begin the writing process.

Diagram 1 below provides an overview of the grant writing process and may help you plan your proposal development.

Applicants must write grant proposals, submit them, receive notice of acceptance or rejection, and then revise their proposals. Unsuccessful grant applicants must revise and resubmit their proposals during the next funding cycle. Successful grant applications and the resulting research lead to ideas for further research and new grant proposals.

Cultivating an ongoing, positive relationship with funding agencies may lead to additional grants down the road. Thus, make sure you file progress reports and final reports in a timely and professional manner. Although some successful grant applicants may fear that funding agencies will reject future proposals because they’ve already received “enough” funding, the truth is that money follows money. Individuals or projects awarded grants in the past are more competitive and thus more likely to receive funding in the future.

Some general tips

• Begin early.
• Apply early and often.
• Don’t forget to include a cover letter with your application.
• Answer all questions. (Pre-empt all unstated questions.)
• If rejected, revise your proposal and apply again.
• Give them what they want. Follow the application guidelines exactly.
• Be explicit and specific.
• Be realistic in designing the project.
• Make explicit the connections between your research questions and objectives, your objectives and methods, your methods and results, and your results and dissemination plan.
• Follow the application guidelines exactly. (We have repeated this tip because it is very, very important.)

Before you start writing

Identify your needs and focus.

First, identify your needs. Answering the following questions may help you:

• Are you undertaking preliminary or pilot research in order to develop a full-blown research agenda?
• Are you seeking funding for dissertation research? Pre-dissertation research? Postdoctoral research? Archival research? Experimental research? Fieldwork?
• Are you seeking a stipend so that you can write a dissertation or book? Polish a manuscript?
• Do you want a fellowship in residence at an institution that will offer some programmatic support or other resources to enhance your project?
• Do you want funding for a large research project that will last for several years and involve multiple staff members?

Next, think about the focus of your research/project. Answering the following questions may help you narrow it down:

• What is the topic? Why is this topic important?
• What are the research questions that you’re trying to answer? What relevance do your research questions have?
• What are your hypotheses?
• What are your research methods?
• Why is your research/project important? What is its significance?
• Do you plan on using quantitative methods? Qualitative methods? Both?
• Will you be undertaking experimental research? Clinical research?

Once you have identified your needs and focus, you can begin looking for prospective grants and funding agencies.

Finding prospective grants and funding agencies

Whether your proposal receives funding will rely in large part on whether your purpose and goals closely match the priorities of granting agencies. Locating possible grantors is a time consuming task, but in the long run it will yield the greatest benefits. Even if you have the most appealing research proposal in the world, if you don’t send it to the right institutions, then you’re unlikely to receive funding.

There are many sources of information about granting agencies and grant programs. Most universities and many schools within universities have Offices of Research, whose primary purpose is to support faculty and students in grant-seeking endeavors. These offices usually have libraries or resource centers to help people find prospective grants.

At UNC, the Research at Carolina office coordinates research support.

The Funding Information Portal offers a collection of databases and proposal development guidance.

The UNC School of Medicine and School of Public Health each have their own Office of Research.

Writing your proposal

The majority of grant programs recruit academic reviewers with knowledge of the disciplines and/or program areas of the grant. Thus, when writing your grant proposals, assume that you are addressing a colleague who is knowledgeable in the general area, but who does not necessarily know the details about your research questions.

Remember that most readers are lazy and will not respond well to a poorly organized, poorly written, or confusing proposal. Be sure to give readers what they want. Follow all the guidelines for the particular grant you are applying for. This may require you to reframe your project in a different light or language. Reframing your project to fit a specific grant’s requirements is a legitimate and necessary part of the process unless it will fundamentally change your project’s goals or outcomes.

Final decisions about which proposals are funded often come down to whether the proposal convinces the reviewer that the research project is well planned and feasible and whether the investigators are well qualified to execute it. Throughout the proposal, be as explicit as possible. Predict the questions that the reviewer may have and answer them. Przeworski and Salomon (1995) note that reviewers read with three questions in mind:

• What are we going to learn as a result of the proposed project that we do not know now? (goals, aims, and outcomes)
• Why is it worth knowing? (significance)
• How will we know that the conclusions are valid? (criteria for success) (2)

Be sure to answer these questions in your proposal. Keep in mind that reviewers may not read every word of your proposal. Your reviewer may only read the abstract, the sections on research design and methodology, the vitae, and the budget. Make these sections as clear and straightforward as possible.

The way you write your grant will tell the reviewers a lot about you (Reif-Lehrer 82). From reading your proposal, the reviewers will form an idea of who you are as a scholar, a researcher, and a person. They will decide whether you are creative, logical, analytical, up-to-date in the relevant literature of the field, and, most importantly, capable of executing the proposed project. Allow your discipline and its conventions to determine the general style of your writing, but allow your own voice and personality to come through. Be sure to clarify your project’s theoretical orientation.

Develop a general proposal and budget

Because most proposal writers seek funding from several different agencies or granting programs, it is a good idea to begin by developing a general grant proposal and budget. This general proposal is sometimes called a “white paper.” Your general proposal should explain your project to a general academic audience. Before you submit proposals to different grant programs, you will tailor a specific proposal to their guidelines and priorities.

Organizing your proposal

Although each funding agency will have its own (usually very specific) requirements, there are several elements of a proposal that are fairly standard, and they often come in the following order:

• Introduction (statement of the problem, purpose of research or goals, and significance of research)

Literature review

• Project narrative (methods, procedures, objectives, outcomes or deliverables, evaluation, and dissemination)
• Budget and budget justification

Format the proposal so that it is easy to read. Use headings to break the proposal up into sections. If it is long, include a table of contents with page numbers.

The title page usually includes a brief yet explicit title for the research project, the names of the principal investigator(s), the institutional affiliation of the applicants (the department and university), name and address of the granting agency, project dates, amount of funding requested, and signatures of university personnel authorizing the proposal (when necessary). Most funding agencies have specific requirements for the title page; make sure to follow them.

The abstract provides readers with their first impression of your project. To remind themselves of your proposal, readers may glance at your abstract when making their final recommendations, so it may also serve as their last impression of your project. The abstract should explain the key elements of your research project in the future tense. Most abstracts state: (1) the general purpose, (2) specific goals, (3) research design, (4) methods, and (5) significance (contribution and rationale). Be as explicit as possible in your abstract. Use statements such as, “The objective of this study is to …”

Introduction

The introduction should cover the key elements of your proposal, including a statement of the problem, the purpose of research, research goals or objectives, and significance of the research. The statement of problem should provide a background and rationale for the project and establish the need and relevance of the research. How is your project different from previous research on the same topic? Will you be using new methodologies or covering new theoretical territory? The research goals or objectives should identify the anticipated outcomes of the research and should match up to the needs identified in the statement of problem. List only the principle goal(s) or objective(s) of your research and save sub-objectives for the project narrative.

Many proposals require a literature review. Reviewers want to know whether you’ve done the necessary preliminary research to undertake your project. Literature reviews should be selective and critical, not exhaustive. Reviewers want to see your evaluation of pertinent works. For more information, see our handout on literature reviews .

Project narrative

The project narrative provides the meat of your proposal and may require several subsections. The project narrative should supply all the details of the project, including a detailed statement of problem, research objectives or goals, hypotheses, methods, procedures, outcomes or deliverables, and evaluation and dissemination of the research.

For the project narrative, pre-empt and/or answer all of the reviewers’ questions. Don’t leave them wondering about anything. For example, if you propose to conduct unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, be sure you’ve explained why this methodology is best suited to the specific research questions in your proposal. Or, if you’re using item response theory rather than classical test theory to verify the validity of your survey instrument, explain the advantages of this innovative methodology. Or, if you need to travel to Valdez, Alaska to access historical archives at the Valdez Museum, make it clear what documents you hope to find and why they are relevant to your historical novel on the ’98ers in the Alaskan Gold Rush.

Clearly and explicitly state the connections between your research objectives, research questions, hypotheses, methodologies, and outcomes. As the requirements for a strong project narrative vary widely by discipline, consult a discipline-specific guide to grant writing for some additional advice.

Explain staffing requirements in detail and make sure that staffing makes sense. Be very explicit about the skill sets of the personnel already in place (you will probably include their Curriculum Vitae as part of the proposal). Explain the necessary skill sets and functions of personnel you will recruit. To minimize expenses, phase out personnel who are not relevant to later phases of a project.

The budget spells out project costs and usually consists of a spreadsheet or table with the budget detailed as line items and a budget narrative (also known as a budget justification) that explains the various expenses. Even when proposal guidelines do not specifically mention a narrative, be sure to include a one or two page explanation of the budget. To see a sample budget, turn to Example #1 at the end of this handout.

Consider including an exhaustive budget for your project, even if it exceeds the normal grant size of a particular funding organization. Simply make it clear that you are seeking additional funding from other sources. This technique will make it easier for you to combine awards down the road should you have the good fortune of receiving multiple grants.

Make sure that all budget items meet the funding agency’s requirements. For example, all U.S. government agencies have strict requirements for airline travel. Be sure the cost of the airline travel in your budget meets their requirements. If a line item falls outside an agency’s requirements (e.g. some organizations will not cover equipment purchases or other capital expenses), explain in the budget justification that other grant sources will pay for the item.

Many universities require that indirect costs (overhead) be added to grants that they administer. Check with the appropriate offices to find out what the standard (or required) rates are for overhead. Pass a draft budget by the university officer in charge of grant administration for assistance with indirect costs and costs not directly associated with research (e.g. facilities use charges).

Furthermore, make sure you factor in the estimated taxes applicable for your case. Depending on the categories of expenses and your particular circumstances (whether you are a foreign national, for example), estimated tax rates may differ. You can consult respective departmental staff or university services, as well as professional tax assistants. For information on taxes on scholarships and fellowships, see https://cashier.unc.edu/student-tax-information/scholarships-fellowships/ .

Explain the timeframe for the research project in some detail. When will you begin and complete each step? It may be helpful to reviewers if you present a visual version of your timeline. For less complicated research, a table summarizing the timeline for the project will help reviewers understand and evaluate the planning and feasibility. See Example #2 at the end of this handout.

For multi-year research proposals with numerous procedures and a large staff, a time line diagram can help clarify the feasibility and planning of the study. See Example #3 at the end of this handout.

Revising your proposal

Strong grant proposals take a long time to develop. Start the process early and leave time to get feedback from several readers on different drafts. Seek out a variety of readers, both specialists in your research area and non-specialist colleagues. You may also want to request assistance from knowledgeable readers on specific areas of your proposal. For example, you may want to schedule a meeting with a statistician to help revise your methodology section. Don’t hesitate to seek out specialized assistance from the relevant research offices on your campus. At UNC, the Odum Institute provides a variety of services to graduate students and faculty in the social sciences.

In your revision and editing, ask your readers to give careful consideration to whether you’ve made explicit the connections between your research objectives and methodology. Here are some example questions:

• Have you presented a compelling case?
• Have you made your hypotheses explicit?
• Does your project seem feasible? Is it overly ambitious? Does it have other weaknesses?
• Have you stated the means that grantors can use to evaluate the success of your project after you’ve executed it?

If a granting agency lists particular criteria used for rating and evaluating proposals, be sure to share these with your own reviewers.

Example #1. Sample Budget

Jet travel $6,100 This estimate is based on the commercial high season rate for jet economy travel on Sabena Belgian Airlines. No U.S. carriers fly to Kigali, Rwanda. Sabena has student fare tickets available which will be significantly less expensive (approximately $2,000).

Maintenance allowance $22,788 Based on the Fulbright-Hays Maintenance Allowances published in the grant application guide.

Research assistant/translator $4,800 The research assistant/translator will be a native (and primary) speaker of Kinya-rwanda with at least a four-year university degree. They will accompany the primary investigator during life history interviews to provide assistance in comprehension. In addition, they will provide commentary, explanations, and observations to facilitate the primary investigator’s participant observation. During the first phase of the project in Kigali, the research assistant will work forty hours a week and occasional overtime as needed. During phases two and three in rural Rwanda, the assistant will stay with the investigator overnight in the field when necessary. The salary of $400 per month is based on the average pay rate for individuals with similar qualifications working for international NGO’s in Rwanda.

Transportation within country, phase one $1,200 The primary investigator and research assistant will need regular transportation within Kigali by bus and taxi. The average taxi fare in Kigali is $6-8 and bus fare is $.15. This figure is based on an average of $10 per day in transportation costs during the first project phase.

Transportation within country, phases two and three $12,000 Project personnel will also require regular transportation between rural field sites. If it is not possible to remain overnight, daily trips will be necessary. The average rental rate for a 4×4 vehicle in Rwanda is $130 per day. This estimate is based on an average of $50 per day in transportation costs for the second and third project phases. These costs could be reduced if an arrangement could be made with either a government ministry or international aid agency for transportation assistance.

Email $720 The rate for email service from RwandaTel (the only service provider in Rwanda) is $60 per month. Email access is vital for receiving news reports on Rwanda and the region as well as for staying in contact with dissertation committee members and advisors in the United States.

Audiocassette tapes $400 Audiocassette tapes will be necessary for recording life history interviews, musical performances, community events, story telling, and other pertinent data.

Photographic & slide film $100 Photographic and slide film will be necessary to document visual data such as landscape, environment, marriages, funerals, community events, etc.

Laptop computer $2,895 A laptop computer will be necessary for recording observations, thoughts, and analysis during research project. Price listed is a special offer to UNC students through the Carolina Computing Initiative.

NUD*IST 4.0 software $373.00 NUD*IST, “Nonnumerical, Unstructured Data, Indexing, Searching, and Theorizing,” is necessary for cataloging, indexing, and managing field notes both during and following the field research phase. The program will assist in cataloging themes that emerge during the life history interviews.

Administrative fee $100 Fee set by Fulbright-Hays for the sponsoring institution.

Example #2: Project Timeline in Table Format

Example #3: Project Timeline in Chart Format

Some closing advice

Some of us may feel ashamed or embarrassed about asking for money or promoting ourselves. Often, these feelings have more to do with our own insecurities than with problems in the tone or style of our writing. If you’re having trouble because of these types of hang-ups, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it never hurts to ask. If you never ask for the money, they’ll never give you the money. Besides, the worst thing they can do is say no.

UNC resources for proposal writing

Research at Carolina http://research.unc.edu

The Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences https://odum.unc.edu/

UNC Medical School Office of Research https://www.med.unc.edu/oor

UNC School of Public Health Office of Research http://www.sph.unc.edu/research/

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Holloway, Brian R. 2003. Proposal Writing Across the Disciplines. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Levine, S. Joseph. “Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal.” http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/ .

Locke, Lawrence F., Waneen Wyrick Spirduso, and Stephen J. Silverman. 2014. Proposals That Work . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Przeworski, Adam, and Frank Salomon. 2012. “Some Candid Suggestions on the Art of Writing Proposals.” Social Science Research Council. https://s3.amazonaws.com/ssrc-cdn2/art-of-writing-proposals-dsd-e-56b50ef814f12.pdf .

Reif-Lehrer, Liane. 1989. Writing a Successful Grant Application . Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Wiggins, Beverly. 2002. “Funding and Proposal Writing for Social Science Faculty and Graduate Student Research.” Chapel Hill: Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science. 2 Feb. 2004. http://www2.irss.unc.edu/irss/shortcourses/wigginshandouts/granthandout.pdf.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Grant Application

Application generator.

Oftentimes, earning a decent income is hard to come by, especially for those living in third-world countries. And in the world we live in today, money is a great differentiator. People that live in a middle-class society have more chances for succeeding than those that live below them. That is because those that have the a stable income source can afford to go to school, resign from their jobs at a moments notice, have savings, and more, than those that do not. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to combat this issue that plagues around 29.3 million people around the world. One such way is through an application for grants. Grants are one of the tools that the government, corporation, educational institution, etc., provides for certain people, so that they may achieve their goals. If you are looking to create a grant application template for your office or are writing a grant proposal , go ahead and see our custom grant application templates below.

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What is a Grant Application?

A grant application is a piece of written document that refers to a request or appeal for funding. These are then addressed and submitted to a government agency, foundation, corporation, or trust. Grants can cover most needs, ranging from child support to educational support to nonprofit organization projects to business ventures to community-based plans. Today, marginalized people and those that are economically challenged, rely heavily on grants to help them improve their financial situation. Grant application forms do not normally follow a certain structure or format, but having a convincing application can greatly increase your chances to be selected. However, writing a grant proposal is easier said than done. That is why we provide you with a few guidelines to help you write a winning grant application or proposal. See them below:

How to Write a Winning Grant Application

#1: write a meaningful cover letter.

Normally, cover letters for grant proposals are written last. This is so that you can help summarize your grant application much easier. However, this step is never to be taken lightly. Keep in mind that this is the first thing that your addressee will see and read when they see your application. Aside from that, a cover letter enables your funder to have a feel of your request; basically, a first impression. It is in this section that you will need to discuss what your proposal asks for, so make it count. On top of that, when writing this part, make them care about your program, project, need, etc.

#2: Keep Your Executive Summary Brief but Complete

Right after the cover letter is an executive summary . This is where you need summarize what your grant application is asking for. In its most basic sense, your executive summary should enable the grantor to understand what your program is about and why you are asking for funding. Much like the cover letter, try to keep it short, but complete. Professionally speaking, an executive summary can be as short as two sentences. However, it must not be more than one page. Lastly, make sure that this entices the funder to continue reading.

#3: Explain Your Need Statement Thoroughly

The need statement  is the meat of your entire grant application. This is where you need to put your best foot forward. Make sure that you explain to your reader how your proposal is an essential factor to your project or need. On top of that, also discuss why you should be the one they will choose for the grant. When creating a summary, you must never assume that the grantor is knowledgeable of your plan or project. Always discuss your proposal in detail, to help them understand.

#4: Make Your Goals and Objectives Clear

The reason you are submitting a grant application is because you have a problem or an issue that you need to solve. In writing the goals and objectives for your grant , briefly discuss what you or your organization plans to do in order to find a solution. Make sure that you state what you hope to accomplish, as well as the goals that you wish to achieve. In essence, your goals are the outcomes and your objectives are the steps that you need to take in order to get to those outcomes.

#5: Never Forget to Add Your or Your Organization’s Information

Handing out a certain amount of money, especially in large sums, is never a simple process. There are a lot of factors to consider in the selection process. One major element is you or your organization’s information. It might seem simple, but it weighs more than one might expect. As an example, a corporation may hold a grant for an organization with little known background. In other words, they need a grantee that they can trust. So, much like having a client information sheet , you must also relay your platform’s history and why it can be trusted to use the money wisely.

#6: Include an Extensive Budget Plan

Of course, a grant is available for those looking for financial aid. However, when preparing a grant budget , you need to be thorough. It is best to divide this section into different segments, such as direct project costs, personnel costs, and administrative or overhead expenses. However, also keep it short and simple. Make sure that your funder understands why your project costs that much money.

What is the purpose of a grant?

In its most basic sense, a grant is a form of financial aid given by government agencies, trust, corporations to a select group of individuals or organizations. Grants are tools used to fund projects or ideas that can benefit the general public, provide or improve public services, and stimulate the economy.

What is the difference between a grant and a loan?

Both grants and loans are financial services offered to individuals, businesses, or organizations to help them achieve their goals for their lives, ventures, or projects. However, there is one major difference between the two. Basically, a grant requires no payment after giving it to the grantee while a loan requires payment; oftentimes with an interest rate.

Do banks offer grants?

Although they are not a popular choice for those looking for grants, there are banks that provide grant programs to the public. However, these grant programs vary from each bank greatly, while a few do not have these programs at all. With this said, banks that offer formal grants, often have the same guidelines as corporations while some have fewer ones that are better for community-based projects.

Grants are a fantastic way to receive funding in order to fulfill your project that can benefit not only you, but also to many people. That is why grant proposal writing  is key. Having a winning grant application can help increase your chances of getting selected for the funding. Get started today with our top notch grant application templates below that work well with PDF formats.

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CALS Undergraduate Research Grants

Terms and dates:.

Kristina Harrison

Cornell Affiliations:

Agriculture and Life Sciences

CALS Undergraduate Research Grant

Funding up to $2000 USD is available to undergraduate students for research expenses, including travel to a professional meeting or conference to present findings. Funding may not be used as a stipend for students conducting the research. Students are advised to work with faculty members to develop scientifically relevant and well-circumscribed research proposals.

Decisions made by late-November for Fall funding and in early April for Spring/Summer funding.

The following is a list of undergraduate grants offered by the Office of Academic Programs:

• The Dextra Undergraduate Research Endowment Fund enables talented undergraduate students in genomics/life sciences and/or environmental sciences to perform undergraduate research. Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals. Several grants of up to $2,000 will be made each year.
• The Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES) has made available $25,000 this year for supplementing current Hatch or Multistate projects where the principle investigator is mentoring a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduate student in research associated with that Hatch project. Twenty-five projects will be supplemented with $1,000 each to support the undergraduate student's research. The student should be engaged in independent research (i.e. involved in the research process more than doing "busy work" to earn an income).Projects awarded this supplement in Federal Year '22 (FY22) must be spent by September 30, 2024.
• The Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES) has made available $4,000 this year for supplementing current McIntire-Stennis grants, where the principal investigator is mentoring a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduate student in research associated with that McIntire-Stennis Grant.
• The Jane E. Brody Undergraduate Research Award funds undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Honors Program. Up to $500 of funds per student is available. Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals.
• S. Ann and Robert R. Morley have provided funds to support research by undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The primary objective is to increase the involvement of students in research in the agricultural and life sciences. Undergraduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit research proposals in competition for funding. Applicants may be individuals or groups; projects may involve basic or applied research. At least four proposals will be chosen for a maximum of $1,500 each. No student may receive the award for more than two consecutive years.
• Fredric (Fred) N. Gabler ’93 was a CALS alumnus who was killed in the September 11, 2001 tragedy. The Gabler Endowment was established by friends of Fred Gabler and his family to ensure the continuance of the honors research program in CALS. The fund will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate researcher enrolled in the CALS Research Honors program. 
• The Michael W. Berns BS ’64, MS ’66, PhD ’68 Undergraduate Research Award provides support to undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences performing research in the life and environmental sciences. The fund will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate student working with a faculty member on a research project, which may take place during an academic semester or over a summer.

Grant Proposal Application Instructions

Proposals  must  strictly adhere to the guidelines described below; those that do not may be returned.

Proposals should include :

• Cover Page/Application Proposal  for Research funds. Students with Microsoft Word may fill out the application digitally. Eligible applicants may apply to more than one program using a single application.
• Statement of Objectives and Significance
• Brief Review of Relevant Literature
• Description of Methodology (detail adequate to evaluate the probability of project completion; statement(s) of expected results helpful if known)
• Time frame (research to be completed within a 12-month period)
• Literature Cited

Additional considerations:

• Proposals should be written in 12-point font with single or double spacing between lines and at least 1-inch margins. Abbreviations within the proposal must be defined. No appendices may be included.
• Undergraduate grant proposals are restricted to a  maximum of 2 pages , excluding cover page and list of literature cited.
• The budget should list the actual project cost; other sources of funding received, expected, or for which the student has applied; and the amount of funding requested from the Office of Academic Programs, including an explanation of how those funds will be used.
• If the student has already received funding for this research from one of these sources, an additional page must be added to the proposal describing the research progress.
• Computers and software purchased with these funds are the property of Cornell University and must remain at Cornell after the student graduates.
• All undergraduate proposals must be reviewed by the student’s research mentor and revised according to his/her recommendations. The final proposal must be signed by the research mentor before submission to the Office of Academic Programs.

A sample proposal is available for review:  sample #1 .

Funding is limited to  full-time students  only. 

These awards can be used for research or travel related to research, including attending research conferences.

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