This guide will discuss Independent Research/Project Grants. Proceed if: You are an individual seeking funding for your own research project idea.
Before you jump into writing your grant proposal, you should think about:
A) the tenets of your project
B) the funders' interests for the specific grant to which you’re applying.
Every single grant proposal/application you write will look different and will include different properties of your project. Rather than providing a linear template, think of our guide as a brainstorming tool. Though our website is broken up into three guiding pages, you will likely develop (and tweak) these elements simultaneously. As you write your grant proposal, you will get to know your project and your funder better. You will likely jump back into research as you are putting different pieces of your written proposal together.
The key to an effective proposal is to always center the values and goals of the organization offering the grant.
Though this analogy is not perfect, think of writing your grant proposal as comparable to tailoring your resume for a job application. Your resume captures your profile each time you submit it, but it focuses on different aspects of your professional experience depending on the employer to whom you send it.
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We do not intend this guide to be a step-by-step guide for you to follow. Instead, it will walk you through different parts of the research and writing process that are necessary to write an effective grant proposal. We hope this guide prompts you to consider specific questions that will guide your thinking and brainstorming process.
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It may be helpful to keep the following in mind as you move through this guide:
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The "categories" you see in the menu bar are organized to guide your thought process as you write your proposal. There may be elements of a grant proposal that we suggest here that are not relevant for the specific grant to which you are applying. That’s totally fine! Just because you don’t use part of this guide, that doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Every grant application will need different information.
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In the same vein as above, there may be elements to a grant application that we have not covered. This guide and brainstorming tool are not comprehensive. If you encounter elements that we don’t address, the key is to always center the values and goals of the organization offering the grant.
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If you're looking for a model for your specific grant, funders almost always provide examples of successful proposals on their website.
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We've also included a Glossary of independent-research-grant-related terms that may help you navigate both this site and further calls for grant applications.
When you reach the "end" of the guide on the Writing Your Grant page, you'll be able to download a document with questions to get you started on the writing process.