PROPOSALS

Having a great idea for a research project is only the first step of the proposal development and creation process.

The journey from having a brilliant idea to getting a funding decision is not quick, easy, or straightforward. There are a lot of steps along the way:

  • understanding the ins and outs of your particular funder;
  • identifying your audience(s) and their expectations for your work;
  • drafting a proposal that both grabs the reviewer’s attention AND meets the assessment criteria;
  • weighing up reviewer comments to craft a PI response that manages to be polite and factual;
  • … and so on.

If you’re looking for a little help along the way, Academic Smartcuts offers several levels of support when it comes to developing a grant proposal.

PROPOSAL AUDIT

To help researchers submit competitive proposals, a proposal audit is available to review a final draft of an EPSRC standard mode proposal (New Investigator Award, Fellowship, or Standard Mode). Proposals are read from three perspectives:

  • As an editor, I check whether the language can be improved or clarified. Changes are made to the proposal with Track Changes, allowing the applicant to decide which suggestions to take onboard and which to discard.  
  • Wearing a portfolio manager’s hat, I identify places in the proposal that could be strengthened to help ensure it is seen by the ideal panel or reviewers. I will flag up areas that may potentially cause a problem when processing the proposal. 
  • Although I am unable provide any guidance regarding the scientific feasibility of the project, I will also consider the proposal from the point of view of a reviewer based on common questions and comments.

A one-to-one session to discuss feedback and address any questions is included in the price.

TRAINING

Courses are available for those who are interested in exploring the funding process in more depth. Professor Dan Allwood and I take participants from techniques to develop and evaluate their first ideas (Proposal Launchpad: Idea Generation for Researchers) through to writing their a draft proposal (Couch to £500K: Turning an Idea into a Proposal). We also offer short courses in how to review a proposal and understanding what it’s like to serve on a prioritisation panel.

GUIDEBOOKS

Three guidebooks are currently available to introduce aspects of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the proposal creation process. 

EPSRC Glossary

EPSRC Myth-busting

Proposal Workflow

EPSRC Proposal Bundle

Buy all three digital guidebooks to save 20%.

Guidebooks are included in the price of the training courses and as part of the proposal audit; please check whether you already have access.

Are you interested in an audit for non-EPSRC or non-standard mode proposals, or would you like additional information about any of these offerings? Please use the form below to submit your query or arrange a free chat to discuss further.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.