Proposal summary or abstract
Provide a concise summary on a cover sheet or in a covering letter. Explain who you are, why you are requesting money, how much you will need, and how the project relates to the goals of the funding agency.

Introduction
Establish your credibility and your idea. What are you seeking to do and what are your qualifications to do it? What are your accomplishments in your field? Provide relevant background information about your institution.

Statement of need
Why does this project need to take place? What issues are you planning to address? What is the broad significance of your project? Why is this granting agency the best source of funds for the project?

Objectives and methods
This is the core of your proposal. Be clear and straightforward. Try to think about your work in a broad context. What is your research plan? Methodological approach? What activities will take place? Where? Who else will be involved? What is the timeframe? What space, equipment, supplies etc. will you need? Are your plans ambitious but realistic?

Evaluation
How will you be accountable for the project? How will you monitor progress or impact? How will you report and/or disseminate results?

Future funding
Will the project continue beyond the grant period, and will there be institutional or other support?

Look at guidelines, background information, and lists of past grantees for clues about the funding program’s interests and objectives. Do your best to explain your project in a way that demonstrates its relevance to the funding agency’s goals as well as its unique properties.

Enlist the help of colleagues in your department or in your field at other institutions to read your drafts and give feedback. Have CFR staff help with content, act as proofreaders, or provide comment at any level in between. Contact Alan Bloomgarden at x2026 or abloomgarden@smith.edu.

Not all proposals succeed the first time you submit them. In some cases only the most exceptional proposals are approved on first submission. Program officers may be willing to provide reasons why your application did not succeed via correspondence or in a phone conversation. This feedback can improve your chances next time around and help you to understand the review process. Above all, be persistent and remain open to modifying your proposal in order to resubmit it. If you can be flexible with your project without sacrificing your central goals and methods, you can dramatically increase your chances for future funding.

Plan ahead for time to research and prepare proposals for submission. Even a few minutes of research on your part to identify upcoming deadlines can help. Corporate and Foundation Relations staff can then work with you to plan your preparation schedule and acquire the appropriate application materials and program guidelines. This way, you can concentrate on drafting and honing your project proposal.