Proposal Development
Writing a winning proposal is an intricate process that requires thorough research, compliance with rules and requirements, and clear and concise content. We offer a variety of services and will work with you to understand your needs and tailor our support, because we recognize that each team and each proposal is unique. Explore the resources below to learn about how our team can support you in doing your best work throughout the proposal development process.
Pre-Proposal & Full Proposal Activities
Proposal management, content development, and content assessment
Pre-Solicitation Activities
Engaging with our office can begin before the sponsor releases a solicitation. In this phase, our team will help you assess goodness-of-fit between the research concept and sponsor priorities and identify potential teaming partners.
- Learn about the sponsor: review strategic plans, understand their mission, and build relationships with program officers.
- Learn about the competitor: assess our assets and potential solutions relative to others working in the field.
- Build the team: identify teammates within Grainger, across the University, at other academic institutions, and at non-academic entities (e.g., industry partners, government agencies, non-governmental organizations).
Pre-Proposal and Full Proposal Activities
Once the solicitation is active, proposal development activities accelerate. To help you properly plan, draft, and assemble your proposal, our office should be contacted as early as possible, ideally at least six weeks before the sponsor's deadline. In addition to the services identified above for pre-solicitation, activities in this phase may include:
Get assistance coordinating all the proposal elements so that you can focus on the research strategy and technical nuances of the proposal.
- Prepare compliance matrix and proposal checklist
- Create templates and shell documents, including outlines, relevant instructions and review criteria, and page budgets
- Prepare a development timeline and manage task/writing assignments
- Facilitate team meetings
- Arrange interim review(s) of content
- Coordinate graphic design services
- Interface with unit grants/business office and SPA
Begin to put words on the page. Many components beyond just the technical narrative may be required to produce a responsive, compliant, and compelling proposal.
- Collaboratively edit, proofread, and format the document while under development.
- Draft supplementary documents (e.g., mentoring, management, and data management plans, or multi-investigator plan)
- Draft, solicit, and collect collaboration letters
- Draft administration letters and facilitate signatures (e.g., Dean, VCRI, Provost)
- Provide data analysis support for grant proposals, including enrollment, graduation rates, admissions, research dollar amounts
Strengthen your proposal by getting input from external reviewers before submission and undergoing an internal, technical layperson review.
- Proofread and near-final edit of the technical volume for formatting, grammar, clarity, and compliance with sponsor request for proposal (RFP) guidelines and review criteria
- Assemble external reviewers
- Pink team: strategy review
- Red team: technical and programmatic review
- Gold team: compliance review for fatal flaws
- Collect and synthesize feedback into actionable recommendations
Site Visit, Blue-Ribbon Panel, and Live Pitch Planning
Put your best foot forward for the final stages of evaluation
- Develop visuals/graphics for the presentation
- Facilitate professional graphics support
- Conduct technical & programmatic reviews, using internal and external reviewers
- Strategize who's in the room (team, partners, etc.)
- Presentation coaching
- Provide on-site logistics support & event planning