Proposal Development Fundamentals

Below are resources that can help you get started identifying the right sponsor for your research, mapping out a strong conceptual framework and research plan, and beginning the writing process.

For guidance on proposal submission, the Office of Sponsored Programs' substantial training library will introduce you to the award life cycle, Virginia Tech requirements, and the mechanics of submitting and managing proposals and awards in Summit.

For links to databases of funding opportunities from federal, foundation, and other sponsors, see our find funding page.

An idea is not a plan
Proposals for basic research: Why you need a theoretical framework:
Interpreting (and avoiding) a common reviewer critique.
Does your humanities proposal have inside and outside appeal?

Confessions of a grumpy reviewer:
Improve your odds by making your reviewer's job easier — principles, strategies, and common reviewer pet peeves.
Grant proposals and the curse of knowledge:
Don't obscure your project's merits by assuming they're obvious.
Proposal writing for non-native English speakers:
Tips and common pitfalls.
Half-life your message (University of Michigan):
Learn to convey your central idea more clearly by using progressive time constraints to distill it to its essential elements.
Writing exercises for successful grants (Florida State University):
Short exercises to walk you through defining your idea, advocating for it persuasively, and simplifying your langauge for greater impact.

Visualizing complex science (Sam Way):
Designing graphics that communicate data effectively.
Data visualization workshop (Larremore Lab-UC Boulder):
More on data visualization.
National Institutes of Health BioArt:
A collection of free illustrations, icons, and drawing tools for science and medicine created by professional illustrators.
Tips for effective proposal graphics
Creating graphics that are legible, interpretable, informative, and visually appealing.