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`Research for Grant Proposal (RFP) Term Assignment
Feedback will be provided on each section submitted on the due date and returned for revisions.
The RFP submission due dates are as follows:
Students will work independently on this assignment. The task is to choose an area of interest related to the human
service field and develop a grant proposal.
This assignment has two components: a final grant proposal and a PowerPoint presentation of the grant proposal.
Each student working independently, must:
(1) Identify a ‘fundable’ program, service or focus
(2) Identify a potential funding source
(3) Develop a grant proposal
Requests for Proposals (RFP) may include unique requirements that you must read carefully and follow, many grant
proposals are often organized in distinct sections. These sections have different titles depending on the guidelines
specified by the granting organization, but they frequently serve the same purposes.
The grant proposal must include the following:
Title/Cover Page
Abstract/Executive Summary
1. Introduction – Statement of the Problem, Purpose of Research, and Significance of Research
Background – Literature Survey/Review
2. Program Description – Goals, Objectives and Methods/Activities
3. Project Personnel and Narrative
4. Budget Request – Budget Justification and Future Funding Plans/Sustainability
5. Evaluation Plan
6. Dissemination Plan
7. References
Appendices
Supplemental Materials:
Cover Letter
Organizational Information – Description of Relevant Institutional Resources
Supporting Documents
DUE DATES GRANT PROPOSAL (RFP) SECTIONS
Wednesday June 1
st DRAFT Section 1 – Introduction/Background
Wednesday June 22nd
DRAFT Section 2 – Project Description
Wednesday July 6
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DRAFT Section 3 – Personnel Narrative and Section 4 – Project Budget
Wednesday July 20th
DRAFT Section 5 – Evaluation Plan and Section 6 – Dissemination Plan
Wednesday August 3
rd FINAL RFP/Grant Proposal 1-7 and Abstract/Executive Summary
FINAL PowerPoint Presentation Slides
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Grant Writing Tips
CONCISE AND TO THE POINT
➢ Always frame your proposal to align as closely as possible to the funder’s programs’ stated mission, without going
so far that you are compromising your research interests.
➢ Proposals for sponsored activities generally follow a similar format; variations depend whether the proposer is
seeking support for a research grant, a training grant, or a conference or curriculum development project.
➢ Private foundation proposals differ greatly from most federal proposals.
➢ If there is a published list of judges/reviewers available, as is usually the case for scientific applications, try to
compose your proposal so that it piques the interest of one or more of the judges’ expertise.
➢ Consider the work that section needs to do and provide tips for successfully composing these sections.
➢ Remember, as you write your proposal, follow that grant’s guidelines, and use the exact section headings
provided by the call for proposals.
➢ Because grant funding is so competitive, you will likely be applying for several different grants from multiple
funding agencies. But if you do this, make sure that you carefully design each proposal to respond to the different
interests, expectations, and guidelines of each source.
➢ Writing a grant proposal is hard work. It requires you to closely analyze your vision and consider critically how
your solution will effectively respond to a gap, problem, or deficiency
Components of the Grant Proposal (RFP)
LESS WORDS MORE CLARITY
Abstract/Executive Summary – [½ – 1 page]
While the summary or abstract may be the first element of your finished proposal, it is often best to write it last. Wait to
tackle this abbreviated version of your project until after you are written all the other parts.
• What is the problem/need? Who will the outcomes benefit? Identifies the solution and specifies the objectives
and methods of the project. What will be done, by whom, how, over what period of time.
➢ Section 1 – [1 page]
Introduction/Background (including Statement of Problem/Need, Purpose of Research and Significance of Research)
The introduction of a proposal begins with a capsule statement and then proceeds to introduce the subject to a
stranger. It should give enough background to enable an informed lay person to place your particular research problem
in a context of common knowledge and should show how its solution will advance the field or be important for some
other work. The statement describes the significance of the problem(s), referring to appropriate studies or statistics.
• What is the issue that you are addressing and why does it matter?
o Make clear what the research problem is and exactly what has been accomplished.
• Why is what you propose necessary? What is the void in knowledge?
• Who benefits? Indicate the public good, not just the effect on your organization.
• Why hasn’t this issue been addressed sufficiently in the past?
o Show why the previous work needs to be continued. The literature review should be selective and
critical. Discussions of work done by others should lead the reader to a clear idea of how you will build
upon past research and how your work differs from theirs.
• What theoretical framework will be used in this RFP?
• Provide convincing evidence (literature review) that what you are proposing does not duplicate other work.
Replication of someone else’s work in a new environment or larger scale may be fundable.
• In order to establish the value of your project, you need to clarify the need or problem that your project
responds to. Early in your proposal, make sure that you establish the context of this problem (i.e., the
background). If this problem affects a particular population, describe that group of people. Include data if
appropriate.
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➢ Section 2 – [2 ½ – 3 pages]
Description of Proposed Research – (Including Method and Approach, Project Activity, Methodology and Outcomes)
Now that you are established a need for your project, you have to describe your project
This section is the heart of the proposal and is the primary concern of the technical grant reviewers.
• Describe why you/your organization are the best one to do what you propose to do? Is it an extension of
successful, innovative work or a pilot project you already completed? Be realistic about what can be
accomplished.
• Discuss why you chose to address the issue in the manner that you have. Are there other approaches? If so, why
are not they appropriate to the situation? Be clear about the focus of the research
• Be explicit about any assumptions or hypotheses the research method rests upon.
• What are the goals of your project or your research questions?
• What are the goals of your project?
• Be realistic about what can be accomplished (SMART Objectives – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and
timely) and who will do them?
• Be certain that the connection between the research objectives and the research method is evident.
• Be as detailed as possible about the schedule of the proposed work. Describe the specific activities involved.
• Present a timeline of activities. Tables and charts work best here. They crystallize data, break up pages of
narrative, and convey extensive information well in a limited space.
• Discuss the specific outcomes to be achieved? What will change?
• What will your project’s outcomes be?
• How are you going to achieve those outcomes? What methods will you use?
• How will you measure or recognize your project’s achievements?
• How can you be sure that your project will productively respond to the need or problem? Be specific about the
means of evaluating the data (Section 3) or the conclusions.
Several of the following questions focus on the impact your project will have. Delineating the impact is important
because funders want to see that you have clearly established the realistic benefits of your work along with how you
plan to verify and assess your achievements.
➢ Section 3 – [1 ½ – 2 pages]
Personnel
• An explanation of the proposed personnel arrangements. The explanation should specify how many persons at
what percentage of time and in what categories will be participating in the project and the lines of responsibility.
• Any student participation, paid or unpaid, should be mentioned, and the nature of the proposed contribution
detailed. If any persons must be hired for the project, say so, and explain why, unless the need for persons not
already available within the organization is self-evident.
➢ Section 4 – [3 ½ pages]
Budget, Continuation Funding
This section provides the detailed budget with the requested funds for the project expenses. Information required
Sponsors customarily specify how budgets should be presented and what costs are allowable.
• Make your budget realistic. Carefully think through exactly what you will need from the funding agency to carry
out the project and establish your budget around this amount. (Do not forget, funding agencies receive lots of
requests for funding. They can easily tell when someone has inflated a budget in order to procure funds for
other purposes. Don’t get caught in this situation.)
• Budgets are often formatted in tables and figures, each amount should be clearly labeled directly followed by
the budget with be a justification statement explaining why each cost, material, and equipment is valid,
reasonable, and important for your project.
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• The budget also specifies items paid for by other funding sources, including an explanation for requested
expenses.
• Indicate how the project will be funded or be sustainable after the grant funds have run out
• Facilities a) Though you may not be requesting funds for the purchase or rental of facilities, it can be helpful to
provide a brief description of the facilities that will be used for the project. b) Consider describing existing
facilities that will be used for the project as in-kind contributions to the project. Even if you have free access to
classrooms at a local school, meeting or a project room in a local office building, it can be helpful to indicate how
much additional money the prospective funding agency would have to provide if these facilities were not
donated.
• Equipment/Supplies
o Be careful in listing the equipment that will be needed for your project. Funding sources are usually
much more willing to provide funds for the support of personnel than they are to support the purchase
of equipment (that may or may not directly benefit the funded project).
o It will help if you have really done some research on the actual cost of the equipment you specify. This is
o much better than guessing at the cost and then to be challenged on your estimates by the potential
funding agency.
o It is easy to overlook many of the office supplies or consumables that will be needed for your project.
➢ Section 5 – [1 page]
Evaluation Plan
Be specific about the means of evaluating – when, how (method) and who will conduct the evaluation.
Outline clearly the methodology that you will use to assess the project’s success.
• The evaluation should be both quantitative and qualitative, if feasible.
• Discuss the application of the various evaluation types (formative, process, impact, summative, outcomes).
• Expenses that will be incurred for the evaluation of the project (salary for a project evaluator) must be included
in the personnel section and the budget.
➢ Section 6 – [1 page]
Dissemination Plan/Communication Strategy
Describe your communication strategy – be creative.
• Dissemination should be linked to your project goals and objectives. If you are trying to affect policy, your
dissemination plan should target policymakers, media, and affected populations.
• Any cost related to dissemination activities has to be included in the budget.
➢ Section 7
List of References
The style of the bibliographical item itself depends on the disciplinary field. The main consideration is consistency;
whatever style is chosen should be followed carefully throughout the proposal.
• The American Psychological Association (APA) citation guidelines are required for intext and the reference list.
Supplemental Materials -This information varies, depending on the instructions from the specific funder.
Cover Letter
Sometimes grant proposals are preceded by a cover letter. These often serve to personally introduce you as the
grant-seeking individual/organization, establish your ethos and professionalism, briefly describe your proposed
project, and convey enthusiasm for the project and appreciation for the readers’ consideration of your request.
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Organizational Qualifications/Organizational Information – Description of Relevant Institutional Resources
When you are representing a nonprofit organization, sometimes you need to devote a full section to describing
the nature, mission, and function of your organization. Often this comes near the section where you examine a
problem.
Supporting Documents
You may need to provide a range of supporting materials at the end of your proposal—usually in the form of
appendices. These might consist of additional records, endorsements, tax status information, personnel bios for
your organization’s employees, letters of support from allied organizations or groups partnering with you in your
project, etc. All of this documentation should be clearly related to your proposal and may be requested by the
granting institution.
