How to write a grant application

Once you have a specific project you need to fill an application in writing with the request for allocation of a grant for this project. As well as the commercial firm is the business plan for convincing investors to invest in the business, the application need to convince the grantor to invest a certain amount in your project. The application differs from a business plan to obtain funds for a commercial project, i.e. non-profit business.

Applicants need to have a goal in mind: to convince funders (which is the appropriate Committee, Council of experts, the Commission) that your project has the necessary qualities, having a weight in the framework of any science: conceptual novelty, meaningful content and methodological rigor.

Under equal conditions the winner of the bid, which is most clearly seen all three of these virtues. I.e. it should meet not only requirements of her writing but also the hidden expectations of the Commission. Also it would be very useful (especially in the case when it comes to applied Sciences and Humanities) to show convincingly the usefulness and importance of the project for your country. Since most foundations-Grantmakers doing this to help the country as a whole. Therefore, the more clearly you will show the significance of your project in this view, the better.

Making a request, be guided that it will seek answers to three basic questions:
1. What is new we learn as a result of implementation of the project?
2. Why do we need to know this?
3. How do we make sure that the conclusions are correct?

You need to keep in mind that the applications, usually, and the time for the Commission to decide little. And it is unlikely they will look for hidden answers to these questions. Therefore, the presentation of your text should be crisp and clear. The best chance to attract the attention to fit in all these answers in the first paragraph or at least on the first page. Be sure to use this chance. If your project is very complex in order to fit the wording of the main idea in a few lines and it can be opened only gradually, still take the trouble to say something memorable to the reviewer, even if after hours of reading other applications. This may be any special, catchy, unconventional statement. This will increase the chance that your project will attract attention.

Many proposals are reviewed by multidisciplinary committees. Therefore, communicate as clearly as you can, don't abuse professional slang, and highly specialized terms eat only in those cases, if a common language is not there of their peers. Stress do to the main idea of your project. A variety of details, additions, examples, if you are sure that they are needed in the application, it is best to fit into the application in order to facilitate its perception.

It will also be useful to give a brief overview of the current situation in your area of science to include as complete as possible bibliography, where you want to identify recent work in this area. It is necessary to mention only that has a direct relationship to your topic. Bibliographies are considered a sign of a scientific approach and severity of the applicant, so they often pay special attention. Well-written bibliography shows that you have done serious preparatory work and made sure that your project will be in science, a new word, not duplicate results already obtained by someone previously.

Methodological canons in the various Sciences, and they often vary even within the same discipline. However, we have two General recommendations on how to make a positive impression "methodological equipment" of your application. First, tell us about what research you have done and how is going to use the results in your project. Also explain how much time you plan to spend on this and how you distribute it.

Second, use the arguments in favor of that solution of these tasks will move you forward in solving the main problems of the project. Usually about the methods in the application tells a very vague and uncertain. For example, often there are phrases such as "will consider the relationship between X and Y". What it means is unclear. So tell in detail what methods you propose to use to analyze the data, and what would be the criteria of the authenticity of the results in the end. The more clearly the reviewer will understand what, why and how are you going to do, the more favorable it will affect the fate of your application.

Correctly structured application, like a Sonata, usually ends by returning to the original topic. How the study and its results are connected with the main problem? Using what you determine is correct or was your hypothesis? All this must be reflected in the application. Also, specify what will be the outcome of the project as its result: dissertation, book, article, or something else.

When writing a good application need to be aware that her 5 minutes to write. So do not delay it indefinitely, begin to make an application for the grant in advance. Having written it, reread with a fresh mind, especially the first paragraph and the last part, trying to see her through the eyes of the reviewers.