Course Description
The fundamentals of research grant proposal writing through preparation of a dissertation proposal; provides insight into the submission and review process. The course is aimed at second year graduate students conducting research on the ecology and genetics of plants, fungi, and microbes.
Athena Title
Grant Writing
Non-Traditional Format
Lecture/discussion hours are fewer than the credit hours because the students will be devoting a considerable amount of time preparing and editing their proposals and reviewing proposals from fellow students.
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The ability to write fundable grant proposals is an essential skill for scientists in academia. This course teaches the fundamentals of research grant proposal writing and provides insight into the submission and review process. Students are expected to develop a proposal on their dissertation research that is compliant to specified guidelines. Proposals will be critically evaluated during different stages of the proposal writing process, and the final submissions will be reviewed by fellow students, post-doctoral researchers with relevant expertise to the proposal topics and the course instructors. The final product should be a high-quality dissertation proposal. During the course, the students will gain writing skills, logical and critical thinking skills, and an appreciation for the need to be precise and concise when preparing grant proposals.
Topical Outline
1. How to write a great grant proposal 2. What are reviewers looking for in a proposal? 3. Preproposal preparation, presentation, and review 4. Proposal budgets and supplementary documents 5. Preparation and review of draft proposals 6. How do grant review panels work? 7. Preparation and review of final proposals 8. Assessment and ranking of the proposals using a grant panel model
Syllabus