Grant Writing

1. Grant Writing Prof. Muthukumaran Sivanandham Dean - Research Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Sriperumpudur

2. Grant Writing Skills

3. Purpose of Grant Writing • Receive funds: • Research and non-research – improve knowledge and society • Interact with scientists, technologists, and academicians – nationally and internationally – meetings and publications • Receive royalties for inventions • Career advance

4. Purpose of Grants • Research • Educational – new programs • Facility, institution building, • Equipment • Conference, training • Non-academic – health club, swimming pool, child care center, etc

5. Research Grant • Hypothesis • Literature search • Patent search • Discuss with collegues • Choose a mentor • Keep updating the relevant knowledge by attending conferences, reading journals, etc.

6. Identifying Granting Agencies • Intramural and extramural • Advertisement – journals, newspapers, newsletters, internet – websites, • Contact relevant agency eg. ICMR for medical research, AICTE for Engineering and Technologies, etc. • Office of grant administration

7. Identifying Granting Agencies Cont. • Writing “letter of intent” • Propose your plan • Ask relevancy to the granting agency • When to apply • What is the budget limit • When will the grant be initiated if awarded • Success rate

8. Components of a Grant Proposal • Summary • Introduction • Aim or objective • Method • Significance • Budget • Regulatory info

9. Summary • One page • 2-3 lines on introduction • Clearly state the objectives • Methods to achieve the objectives • Significance of the proposal

10. Introduction • Basic info – no complex • Preliminary work – publications • Feasibility – facility, equipment, library, other collaborative investigators, other projects ongoing, etc. • Evolution of hypothesis.

11. Objective • Overall Objective • Specific objective

12. Methods • Methods should be related to the specific aims • Published – but change can be allowed • Feasible – equipment wise, skilled persons, training, etc. • Detailed – verifiable

13. Significance • Should have value • Financial • Advancement of knowledge

14. Budget • Give a true estimate for: • Personnel (supplementary salary- percent effort) • Supplies and reagents • Miscellaneous • Stationary • Travel • Books

15. Regulatory Information • Signatory authority • National and international regulatory issues – human subjects, animals, recombinant biologics, etc. • Waste disposal – radioactive, biohazard, etc • Safety and ethics

16. Accepting Grants • Read the agreement and make sure you can follow the regulations pertaining to the awarding agency • If budget is reduced, renegotiate • If not feasible to do the work, do not take it

17. Reporting • Follow the reporting requirements for progresses in science and budget • Adhere to the timeline in the proposal • If could not be achieved the objectives as mentioned in the timeline, justify.

18. Read forms and instructions Write clearly and precisely Explain all abbreviations and acronyms Edit for spelling and grammar Long phrases and complex sentences, avoid jargons Avoid lot of pictures, drawings, and tables Lot of citations Lose focus Do’s and Don’ts

19. Offfice of Dean-Research is with you... Let us do it!!