To obtain funding for your research project, your grant proposal must be ranked very highly by expert peer reviewers. The review process requires you not only to demonstrate research expertise but also communication, marketing, project management, collaboration, flexibility, and ingenuity. The competition is tough and funding is scarce. As a result, grant writing strategies adapted to the reviewers’ likes and dislikes can give you the edge you need to make your proposal stand out.

Reviewers want to see that you have good ideas, you think like a scientist, your proposal is focused with clearly stated hypotheses, you design appropriate experiments to test your hypotheses, you have the necessary background and experience to do the work, and you can follow instructions well. You want to try and teach the reviewer something new with your proposal and generate excitement about your project so that it is easy for them to be your advocate. At the same time, it is essential to be realistic about what you can accomplish and provide enough detail without compromising on clarity, so they can understand your proposal regardless of their level of expertise.

There are certain criteria that reviewers are trained to look out for when selecting grants for funding. Below are some questions to ponder while writing your research grant so that it makes the cut.

Does your proposal meet the basic guidelines?