An award of external funding, through a grant or contract, is the synthesis of an investigator’s clearly defined research agenda, the investigator’s and his/her institution’s capacity, and a funder’s mission and purpose.
Aligning this trifecta begins long before the preparation of a proposal. The Office of Research Development can help investigators with framing their short- and long-term research goals, leveraging and building organizational capacity, and understanding the funding climate in order to identify the right opportunities. You must demonstrate to program managers and reviewers that your research advances the mission of the agency.
POSITION YOURSELF BY CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING:
1 - DEFINE THE DIRECTION.
What shapes your research agenda?
What are you trying to accomplish and where does this project fit within your larger research trajectory?
2 - IDENTIFY WHAT YOU NEED.
Consider the resources, preliminary work, collaborators, capabilities, and achievements needed to move your research forward.
3 - TEST THE IDEA.
Is there a compelling need? Will funders care?
4 - CAPTURE THE CONCEPT.
Can you explain your idea clearly and concisely?
Are you able to develop an abstract/concept paper to succinctly capture your ideas, goals, and needs?
TALK BEFORE YOU WRITE. A conversation can save weeks of work. Once you have a clearly-defined concept and research question, reach out to the appropriate agency Program Officer to see if your idea is a good fit.
Program Officers are tasked with managing a portfolio of projects to meet the agency’s funding mandate. Their goal is to maximize the impact of available funding. Communicating early with a Program Officer can help to establish a relationship, confirm the appropriateness of the idea with the opportunity, and gain insight into the agency’s current funding priorities.
Confirm Fit > Gain Insight > Build the Relationship
PUT YOUR PLAN INTO PRACTICE. Use these tools to turn an early-stage idea into a clear, well-structured project.
Set strong goals. Good goals create the framework for everything that follows.
Map the project. Connect project needs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and long-term impact.
Build measurable objectives. Translate broad project goals into specific, measurable actions and results.
Plan it before you write it. ORD can help you think through your project before proposal development begins—making sure the pieces fit together, the scope is achievable, the timeline is realistic, and the project is financially feasible.