Proposal Preparation

Steps in the grant-seeking process
How to draft a proposal
Components of a proposal
Checklist for proposal writers
Research policies & compliance information
Local legislators

Other Helpful Information

Steps in the grant-seeking process

Preliminary proposal. If you plan to seek a grant, you should first receive preliminary approval from your department chair and from Linda DeMeritt, dean of the College. They will guide you through the initial stages of creating a fundable project. You should then contact Ann Areson, director of foundation & corporate relations, at (814) 332-2348. We will discuss your idea in some detail, including the purpose of your project, potential funding sources, a budget, timelines and the degree of commitment required from the College.

Final proposal. All formal applications for outside funding must be approved before submission. This includes applications to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and any other state or federal source, any local source, or any private foundation or corporate source. You must receive approval to apply for funding for any research activity that will occur on or off campus, or that involves students or faculty.

The Office of Foundation & Corporate Relations will coordinate the approval process for you. This includes review and approval by President Richard Cook; Linda DeMeritt, dean of the College; and Marcus Buckley, vice president for finance and administration.

Follow-up for funded proposals. If your proposal is funded, our office will help to coordinate arrangements between the project director or principal investigator, the controller and other appropriate administrative officers. This group will review the College's obligation to the benefactor, discuss reporting requirements, establish guidelines for administering the grant, and determine the accounting procedures applicable to the grant.

Stewardship and reporting. All stewardship reports to benefactors must be coordinated through the Office of Foundation & Corporate Relations.

How to draft a proposal

Tips from the Independent Colleges Office. (Access to this site is password protected; please contact the Office of Foundation & Corporate Relations for more information.)
As you begin drafting your proposal, consider the following questions:

• What do I want to do?
• Why is this important? What will be its impact?
• Why me? What are my/my department's qualifications?

Components of a proposal

Although each funding source has its own proposal format, ranging from a simple letter to a multi-part application with very specific guidelines, most proposals include the following components:

• Executive Summary/Abstract. This brief summary must capture your reader's attention, convey the essence of your project and request a specific amount. It may be in the form of a letter of endorsement from the president of the College.
• Proposal narrative. This includes a description of your project in both non-technical and technical terms, your goals, a literature review or a review of other similar programs, methodology, procedures, resources available, resources needed, timeline and evaluation procedures.
• Budget and budget narrative. The resources needed section of the proposal narrative should provide the basis for your budget. Ask for what you need, and explain why you need it. Avoid vague or ambiguous budget requests. For more information on budgets, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section on this web site.
• Appendices. These supporting documents may include an institutional description, history and financial statement; IRS status; and a list of the board of trustees. Many funding sources also request a two-page curriculum vitae of the proposal's principal investigator.
• Cover letter. This may come from the President, the Dean of the College, the Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations or another officer of the College. It often presents information that might not otherwise be conveyed to the reader.
• Assessment/Evaluation. Many foundations and agencies are placing a greater emphasis on accountability. They want to know how effective the projects they support are in achieving the desired outcomes. In this section of the proposal, you should describe how you are going to assess the impact of your proposed project.

The program officer from the funding source can provide more details about how best to present your case in the proposal. Remember that the more assistance you need, the further in advance the Office of Foundation & Corporate Relations needs to know about your project.

Checklist for proposal writers

• Have you read the request for proposal or proposal guidelines to make sure you are answering the specific questions and addressing the specific guidelines requested by the funding source?
• Do you know your audience? Research prospective benefactors to make sure that you understand their objectives and interests. Your proposal will not be funded if it does not advance the strategic goals of the funding source.
• Have you kept it simple? Assume that your audience is interested and educated, but include a non-technical explanation of your project. Avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Have you written in the active voice? This will help streamline your writing and strengthen its impact.
• Have you addressed WHY your idea is important? The people making the decision about whether or not to fund your proposal need to know how it will make a difference to you, to your students, to Allegheny and to the broader community.
• Have you read your proposal out loud to make sure it sounds clear and flows smoothly?
• Have you asked a colleague to read your proposal and provide constructive criticism?
• Are your goals reasonable? Avoid grandiose or unmanageable goals. Develop goals that can be met within the time frame of the grant period.
• Have you included evaluation methods? Show how you plan to measure your success in meeting your goals.

Research policies, compliance information & other institutional data

The following links will take you to Allegheny's policies, compliance information and other institutional data on:

Drug-free Workplace Policy
Nondiscrimination Policy and Equal Employment Opportunity
Statement of Principles Regarding Research on Human Subjects
Use of Recombinant DNA in Teaching and Research
Policy for Management of Data Obtained from Extramurally Sponsored Research
Allegheny College Sponsored Research Grant Management Checklist
Other Helpful Information

For additional information on the radiation safety policy or lab safety policy, contact Richard L. Sandieson, department of chemistry. For a statement of principles regarding research on animal subjects, contact Wilfredo Hernandez, department of modern and classical languages.

Local Legislators

Federal

Honorable Phil English
1410 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5406
or
312 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335
(814) 724-8414

Senator Arlen Specter
711 Hart Building
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510-3802
or
Room 107 Federal Building, Erie, PA 16501
(814) 453-3010

Senator Rick Santorum
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6324
FAX (202) 228-0604
or
1705 West 12th Street, Erie, PA 16508
(814) 474-7114

State
Senator Bob Robbins
Senate Box 203050
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3050
(717) 787-1322
or
312 Chestnut Street
Meadville, PA 16335
(814) 336-2760

Representative John Evans
Room 147B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 772-9940
or
123 Meadville Street
Edinboro, PA 16412
(814) 734-2793

Representative Teresa Forcier
Room 159B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-2353
or
629 State Street
Meadville, PA 16335
(814) 336-1136