Developing a Concept Paper

One of the first steps of seeking extramural funds is developing a concept paper. Generally two to four pages in length, the concept paper is a succinct description of a project idea. It typically addresses these basic questions:

• What is going to be done?
• Why is it important?
• How will it be done and by whom?
• How much money is required and for what general purposes?

A concept paper helps a potential applicant to organize ideas and to communicate with potential funding agencies. The concept paper should be submitted to the Office of Grants and Faculty Development, where it may be used to identify potential funding sources.

Finally, a concept paper helps in obtaining feedback from colleagues regarding the project's uniqueness, feasibility, significance and timeliness.

Proposal Writing Assistance

The Office of Grants and Faculty Development offers proposal writing assistance. While we do not write entire proposals, the Office of Grants and Faculty Development will meet with proposal writers to make suggestions about content, writing style, format, budgets, etc.
In addition, once you have written a draft, our staff is available for editing (please consult with us early to establish a schedule for this service). For more information, contact Linda Freed at 424-3215.

Links to Proposal Writing Resources

Useful sites with proposal writing tips include:

A Proposal Writing Short Course from The Foundation Center

Guide To Proposal Planning and Writing from Oryx Press

University of North Carolina resource that contains links to 19 sources covering many themes and topics

User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation from National Science Foundation

A Guide for Proposal Writing from National Science Foundation

Grant Writing Tips Sheets from National Institutes of Health

How to Write a Research Grant Application from National Institutes of Health

Reference Books Available in the Office of Grants and Faculty Development

A Casebook for Grant Proposals in the Humanities
William Coleman, David Keller, and Arthur Pfeffer, editors
Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. (1982)
--Drawn from a variety of fields and illustrative of a range of humanities activities, this book contains a number of annotated proposals.

Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing
Mary Hall
Continuing Education Publications (3rd edition, 1988), Portland State University
--An excellent how-to reference with general applicability.

Handbook for Grant Proposal Preparation
A. Peters, et al
Printed and distributed by The Linguistic Society of America (1986)
--Sample proposals for linguistic research that were funded by the National Science Foundation.

Models for Success
Edited by Pam Moore
Capitol Publications (1990)
--A collection of successful grant proposals representing the broad areas of science, health care, social services and education.

Guide to Proposal Writing
Jane C. Geever and Patricia McNeill
The Foundation Center (1993)
--A basic, how-to book with insider advice on proposal writing.

Applying for Research Funding: Getting Started and Getting Funded
Joanne B. Ries and Carl G. Leukefeld
Sage Publications (1995)
--Especially written for the new investigator and others interested in competing for grant funds.

Publication Grants for Writers and Publishers: How to Find Them, Win Them, and Manage Them
Karin R. Park and Beth Luey
Oryx Press (1991)
--Tips and suggestions to help authors and publishers find outside funding for their publications.

Preparing a Research Grant Application to the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health (1993)
--Previously published articles that discuss the National Institutes of Health research grant application process and scientific peer review system.

How to Prepare a Research Proposal
David R. Krathwohl
Syracuse University Press (3rd edition, 1988)
--Guidelines for funding and dissertations in the social and behavioral sciences.

Grant Application Writer’s Handbook
Liane Reif-Lehrer, Ph.D.
Jones and Bartlett Publishers (1995)
--A step-by-step explanation of how to plan and develop a good proposal and how to optimize your chances for success.