Avoid the Rush to Judgment
Non-competitive grant proposals take almost as much effort as competitive ones. After dozens of hours trying to “get it right,” researchers frequently miss opportunities to improve their chances by either running out of time (sponsor deadline) or from mental fatigue (I can’t look at it anymore). Consequently, the three phases of grant proposal writing get conflated, which leads to author burn out and analysis paralysis.
The Three Phases of grant proposal writing
- Drafting: Do not write to the page limit. Instead, write for articulation and completeness of thought.
- Revising: Put it away for 48 hours. Then slowly read it, focusing on the words as written what you think is there.
- Copy Fitting: Even if it is within the page limit, much can be done for easier navigation and reading.
Nothing Good Comes from Annoying Reviewers
The fastest way to gauge where one’s grant proposal resides on the quality spectrum is to sign up as a reviewer. It will be an eye-opening experience, guaranteed. Being reader friendly demonstrates that the author not only understands the process, but respects reviewer’s time.
Key Points in Editing & Copy Fitting
- Some disciplines prefer things formatted in full justify, but as a rule, use left justify and hyphenation.
- More white space is better. Consider non-indented paragraphs with lines of space between them.
- Headings & sub-heads: Keep them simple, descriptive, and use bold.
- Repetitions: cut oft-repeated phrases. I cut “of the University” 39 times from a single-PI proposal.
- Captions can often be sized smaller than the copy (as long as they’re legible). Grouping captions & images as single units allows for text wrapping and re-sizing. Do not anchor images to pages.
- Tables in Word are notoriously space inefficient. Use a different app, such as LucidChart.
It’s not Magic, it’s Work
Effective self-editing of your grant proposal requires cultivation. It is a skill that accrues gradually, but one that can make your writing clearer and more compelling regardless of whether it’s a proposal, journal article, or manuscript.
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Grant Proposals – The Process