7 High-Yield Grant Writing Tips From Experts

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Hi all! Grants come in various sizes; whether you are a seasoned researcher or just starting out, you can seek funding for your research through grants.

A grant can cover the costs and resources necessary to conduct the study. Moreover, receiving a grant validates your idea and contributes to your professional reputation and credibility.

In this edition, I’ll share 7 tips to improve your grant proposal applications. In the end, I’ll also share a list of 127 successful sample grant proposal applications to the NIH, CIHR, EU, The Wellcome Trust & many more organizations.

After you have developed an excellent research topic, here are a 7 tips to improve your grant proposal applications:

Tip 1: Cover the Three Ps — Dr. Sarah Messbauer

The best proposals (to ANY funder) cover 3 Ps - Project. Person. Place.

These 3 P's are the main argument you're making about why you deserve to be funded.

This is the best PROJECT, carried out by the most qualified PEOPLE, in the most suitable PLACE... **to advance the goals of the funding agency.**

That last part is extremely important! Remember, funders are NOT interested in funding the "best" projects. They are interested in advancing their goals.

The project that does THAT best, gets funded.

Tip 2: Start early and get feedback — Dr. Jean Fan & Anders Jespersen

If you are dealing with human data, get your ethics (aka IRB or REB) application straightened out immediately!

Even if you only deal with non-identifiable patient data, you may still need an IRB as part of your research and grant application process.

Most funders request for the appropriate IRBs AFTER your grant is awarded, so it would be a shame if your grant were awarded, but you can't accept it because you don't have your IRB!

Only submit a grant after you have asked colleagues to provide feedback on your write=up.

Also, be kind and give them at least a week to do so, and if you need letters of support, tell people a month in advance.

Tip 3: Write clearly and tick all boxes — Dr. Vicky Morgan and Dr. Kristy Ainslie

To defend your proposal to the review committee, you must meet all the review criteria. The strengths regarding each review criterion are your ammunition to fight for you.

Give them to me CLEARLY and give me a LOT! If I have to cobble together something from confusing text, the review panel will tear us apart - Dr. Morgan

You don’t need a thesaurus to write an R01. Keep language simple, succinct, & straight-forward.

Yes, you need to use science jargon, but make it readable and not Hawthorne or word salad.

Tip 4: Choose your co-sponsor wisely — Dr. Jean Fan

The purpose of a co-sponsor is to have someone to complement your primary advisor.

Choosing a “big shot” co-sponsor with a good track record may not be very helpful if they are busy and can not counter-balance your primary advisor’s deficits.

Tip 5: Choose an appropriate agency — Dr. Jean Fan

Are you doing research on blood cancers? Should you submit to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) or National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institution (NHBLI)?

Ideally, the choice of the agency shouldn’t matter, but if you send your grant to a completely irrelevant agency, that will, of course, hurt you.

When multiple appropriate agencies exist, a more calculated choice may be warranted. It’s worth looking into historical data on funding pay lines, funding availability, and other statistics.

Ask for an advisor for recommendations, especially if they have a track record of funding from a particular agency.

Tip 6: Understand that a majority of accepted applications are resubmissions — Dr. Jean Fan

So if you don’t get the grant the first time, try again! Maybe the funding pay line was harsh this year; maybe you were just unlucky. There are very few opportunities per grant per year.

Tip 7: Get sample grants — Dr. Betty S. Lai

It's hard to write a great grant if you've never seen one. Linking how to get sample grants below. If you don't see what you need, it's ok to ask colleagues.

Now if you haven’t downloaded this before, here is the link to the 127 successful proposals: https://asadnaveed.gumroad.com/l/grantpp

Please download it on a laptop as the file size is large.

In conclusion, I hope these 7 grant tips helped guide you through the grant application process. Remember to start early, research thoroughly, and tailor your application to the specific grant requirements.

Additionally, don't be afraid to reach out to grantmakers for clarification and always be transparent in your responses.

Following these tips will increase your chances of securing the funding you need to achieve your goals.

Thank you for reading, and best of luck in your grant endeavors!

Remember, you can reach out to me on asadnaveed01@gmail.com. I read all emails.

Best regards, Asad

Week 2 of my webinar-series: How to Publish a Paper (with Ethical AI) is on April 26, 2025 at 10:00 am EST- This is a 7-week program that takes you from research idea to publication. If interested, you can check out week 1's recording and join week 2 this Saturday. Sign up here→ https://stan.store/asadnaveed/p/how-to-publish-a-paper