BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

Tip #1 - Read the Application Form and Take it Seriously

• Do what the application form asks you to do and in that order
• Review committee members who have to spend substantial time sorting out an application tend to get annoyed and suspicious

Tip #2 - Pay Attention to the Granting Objectives and Criteria

• Carefully review and be sure you understand the competition
• Ensure you are in the right competition or recraft your application to fit
• Confirm that your project fits the Request for Proposals
• Agencies that fund reptile reproduction research won’t take a second  look at your human cardiovascular disease project

Tip #3 - Write Clearly

• The proposal should flow logically from section to section, and from one argument to the next
• The background should lead the reader to the need for the research question posed
• The methods should describe how the research question will be answered
• Long sentences and complex phraseology do not reflect scholarship
• Applicants may be penalized for their lack of ability to communicate clearly
• Use simple declarative sentences
• Use an editor if appropriate
• Avoid the use of jargon, unusual abbreviations, acronyms, and poor syntax
• Avoid repetition and misleading arguments

Tip #4 - Do Not Trust Your Computer Spell Checker

• Use a dictionary
• If you can’t get the spelling right, reviewers wonder how you can get the research right
• Proof read! Proof read! Proof read!

Tip #5 - Be Succinct and Avoid Ambiguities

• More is not better
• Fuzzy objectives are easy to spot
• If objectives are vague or too general, the reviewers can’t make an assessment
• Reviewers should not have to second guess the intent of a research proposal; they will guess wrong as often as they guess right

Tip #6 - Convince Reviewers that your Research Proposal is Spectacular

• It is not enough to have a good idea - you must sell it! - remember that there are millions of great ideas out there so make sure that yours stands out
• Offer only a few research questions as this is the core of the proposal - do not be too ambitious!
• Your one-pager must be excellent – it may be the only thing read by reviewers
• Budget realistically, justify everything, and give details
• Have a detailed knowledge translation section

Tip #7 - Package the Application Material Well

• Your application must be easy to read
• Choose a dark, clear typeface, and do not write in a small font
• Use headings, bold, underline, italics to show the logical progression through the application
• Have reasonable margins and break up the text into paragraphs
• Do not reduce spaces between the lines
• Do not bind

Tip #8 - Have Your Application Critically Reviewed by Colleagues

• Seek a mentor: especially important for new researchers and first-time applicants
• Capitalize on the experience of your colleagues: the local pre-review process
• Check resources at your university or organization: e.g., UBC HeRRO offers peer-review
• Having others read your application will increase your chances enormously!

Tip #9 - Spend Time on the Application

• Schedule your time carefully because it takes time to complete a good application
• Reviewers can tell when an application has been put together at the last minute
• Good grantsmanship cannot save a bad idea but poor grantsmanship can sink a good idea

Tip #10 - Heed the Reviewers’ Comments

• Even if you are successful, you should still consider the peer review comments
• Make changes to your proposal
• It will improve your project

Most Importantly…

• Do not get discouraged!
• Make the strongest case you can and keep trying

You can write a successful grant application !

Need assistance? Contact Dr. Tanya Wahbe, Research Capacity Development Officer.

Toolkit Continued: How to Search for Grant Funding

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