Project 5, the Grant Proposal

For this assignment, you will write a grant proposal that responds to the grant Request for Proposals (RFP) provided by your instructor. You must carefully read the RFP to identify what information you need to provide to secure a specific amount of (imaginary) money for your research project. Length and formatting requirements are also specified in the RFP.

You will write a proposal for a grant to fund your project. You will leverage and adapt writing from your completed assignments, with the addition of new writing, to demonstrate your knowledge of what it takes to complete your project, why you need the grant money, and how your project is important to a specific community.

What is a Grant Proposal?

Research projects in the social sciences often require researchers to apply for funding from one or more sources. Many academic organizations, government entities, foundations, and other groups offer grants for research projects, which they advertise through RFPs. Grant money can be used to provide incentives for research participation, purchase software and materials, travel to research sites, create outreach projects, hire employees, and more.

Goals of the Project

• To write clearly, concisely, and convincingly for a general audience with minimal background knowledge.
• To be able to answer and confidently craft an argument that answers the question: what difference does my work make in the world?
• To accurately and specifically identify audiences for your work, including grantors with the power to financially support your work and stakeholder communities that can benefit from your research.
• To build and convincingly demonstrate time and money management skills that allow you to plan feasible projects.
• To tailor and revise new and existing writing to fit the requirements of specific application prompts.
  
  

The Document You Will Produce

Your grant proposal must suit all formatting and information guidelines provided in the companion RFP, titled “National Council for Writing in the Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Grant.” Part of the purpose of this assignment is to learn to locate important information in a technical document like an RFP, so you can respond to varying requirements in a precise and informed way. You should prioritize the interests of the grantor organization and the RFP, in addition to the grading criteria below, as you write your proposal.

Evaluation criteria

You will write a grant proposal to secure funding for your semester-long research project, if you were to conduct it. Your paper should meet the following criteria:

• The proposal is tailored to the “National Council for Writing in the Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Grant” RFP provided by your instructor. The proposal answers all of the RFP prompts and demonstrates significant knowledge of the grantor and its goals at various points throughout the proposal.
  
  
• Existing writing from course assignments has been adapted, revised, and rebalanced to fit into a fluid and coherent proposal document.
  
  
• The proposal clearly identifies a specific stakeholder community and presents a realistic and exigent argument about how the project benefits that group. The stakeholder audience is appropriate both to the research and to the grantor.
  
  
• The proposal launches a realistic, well-organized, and understandable timeline and budget evaluation that fits the requirements and funding abilities of the grantor and RFP.
  
  
• Prose is clear, concise, and free of unnecessary jargon. The academic research writing has been translated with comprehension, research-value, and applicability as a focus, in ways appropriate to an audience with minimal background on the subject of the research.
  
  
• The document follows the style and formatting guidelines dictated by the RFP.