Proposal Preparation Resources

Sample Proposals

The link below lists sample proposals available through the OVPR. Please contact Mary Ryker at mlryker@purdue.edu or 49-49322 to arrange to view or receive copies of funded proposals.
    Sample Proposals by Agency and Program

 

Citable Purdue Institutional Description

At times, a funding agency will request an institutional description as part of the proposal submission.  You may use this general Purdue text in its entirety or use select paragraphs as appropriate to your project.  Please include the suggested citation to avoid plagiarism issues associated with boilerplate material.

    Purdue General Institutional Description Text

 

Data Management Plans

All NSF proposals that request funding to support postdoctoral researchers must also contain a Postdoc Mentoring Plan. The resources below may be helpful in completing this requirement.

• Purdue's Research Repository (PURR) - this site contains step-by-step instructions for completing the data management plan requirements.
• HUBzero^TM - this resource is available to Purdue researchers for storing research data. The website also offers citable boilerplate text that can be inserted into the DMP (NOTE: this link can only be accessed from a @purdue.edu domain).
• NSF Data Management Plan (DMP) Includes NSF Data Sharing Policy, DMP Requirements by Directorate, Office, Division, Program or Unit; and DMP and Sharing faqs.
• Brunt, James. "How to Write a Data Management Plan for a National Science Foundation (NSF) Proposal." Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTER) (February 18, 2011). This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation.
• Other resources
  • Sample Content Outline
  • Generic Sample of a Data Management Plan
  • Self-Assessment Document to guide faculty through the identification of issues that should be reflected in the DMP

   

   

Proposal Writing Guides

So much grant-writing advice exists that a comprehensive bibliography is impossible. However, the books and electronic resources listed below are recent and concise and, therefore, make good starting points.

Department of Energy

• DoE Grant Application Guide

Grants.gov

• Find and Apply User Guide, Ver. 4.0, last modified October 9, 2010. Use this guide to find step-by-step instructions on Finding Grant Opportunities using a basic search, browse by category, browse by agency or advanced search. There are also instructions on how to sign-up for an e-mail subscription to receive e-mail alerts about new Grant Opportunities, as well as how to apply, download, complete and track an application.

NASA

• NASA Guidebook, January 2011

National Institutes of Health

• Annotated NIH R01 Application
• Grant Writing Tips Sheets, Many NIH Institutes put out guides and tip sheets on their Web sites. These guides can be useful resources.
• Grants Tutorials: National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• NIH Avoiding Common Errors, includes "Ten Checks to Help Avoid Common Errors," "Avoiding Common Warnings," and "How to Submit a Corrected Application."
• NIH Quick Guide for Grant Applications, Last modified September 2010. The 12-page guide is organized according to the major sections of the SF 424 (or PHS398) Grant Application Instructions.
• NIH Mock Review Panel Video
• US Department of Health and Human Services

National Science Foundation

• NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPP) This guide provides specific NSF requirements for proposal preparation, including such issues as font choice, margins, and biosketches, as well as definitions and a list of acronyms.
  • For proposals submitted for due dates before January 18, 2011
  • For proposals submitted for due dates on or after January 18, 2011
• NSF Guide for Proposal Writing,  This 23-page booklet contains general advice for proposal writers. It is distinct from the agency’s policies and procedures guide listed above.

Foundations

• The Foundation Center Offers a wide-range of proposal training opportunities via audio, video, workshops, or webinars, many at no cost and/or multilingual
• Proposal Writing Short Course from the Foundation Center

Other Resources and Bibliographies

• Academic Fundraising Web Resources (Michigan State University Library)
• Purdue Recent News Releases--Research
• The Research Assistant, Resources for Behavioral Science Researchers

 

Postdoc Mentoring Plan

• National Postdoctoral Association
• NSF Policy and Procedure Guide

 

Writing/Editing Resources

• Grammar-Quizzes.com Practice on Points of English Grammar
• INDEX to the Guide to Grammar and Writing
• Monash University Language and Learning Online-Grammar (includes Engineering grammar tutorials)
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
• Office of Marketing and Media Editorial Resources
• Purdue Marketing and Media Editorial Style Guide—revised 8/10
• Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition)