Proposal Writing Institute

A comprehensive approach to the proposal development process will be achieved during the Institute through presentations, discussions, and small-group activities. Some of the Institute topics include: finding funding; developing a proposal outline from the RFA/RFP and agency guidelines; creating timelines for proposal development; analyzing aims/objectives; building budgets based on project tasks; mock review panel(s); and understanding the proposal submission/resubmission process.

USU researchers eager to learn how to write better proposals for external funding of their research are invited to apply. New researchers are especially encouraged but applications are also welcomed from established faculty who may be less experienced in developing proposals for external funding consideration or simply want to improve their efforts. Priority is given to faculty who are in tenure-track positions.

Participants are expected to attend all Institute sessions, complete proposal-related assignments, and constructively contribute in small-group activities. Within 1 year of the completion of the Institute, participants are expected to submit the proposal they worked on during the sessions to an external funding agency and provide a copy of the final proposal and proof of submission to Research Development.

Acceptance to participate in the Institute is a competitive process requiring the submission of an application and support of the faculty member’s department head/dean/center director. Approximately 12 participants are accepted for each annual Institute. The Dean’s Offices collect applications from faculty and rank their top three applicants, which are then forwarded to the Research Development division for final selection. The top candidate from each college is automatically admitted to the Institute, with the unoccupied Institute spots filled based upon the strength of the remaining applications.

The 2020 Proposal Writing Institute application cycle will open in early December 2019.