Grant Writing Guide-Nursing Paper Examples-1

Grant writing processes are fulfilled through a step-by-step approach. There are several steps that one must follow when writing a proposal that seeks to obtain grant funding. People venturing into grant writing often find it difficult initially, but with the right approach and motivation, all processes eventually fall into place. Before writing a proposal, grant writers must know the requirement of the proposal and position themselves in the same capacity as the grant funder (Grant Writing Guide).

This will help them picture the importance of a grant funder; thus, a grant writer should be precise and meticulous in every step. The first step is to identify a need in a particular field, conduct research in that field, establish goals and objectives write and budget. When writing a proposal, it is essential to note that it remains unguaranteed to accept a proposal and subsequently fund it but may end up rejected. Therefore, a writer can draft multiple proposals for different funders; this will increase the chances of soliciting a project’s funds. Likewise, upon rejecting a proposal, it may remain part of learning and also a source of motivation.

Preparation, Goals, and Objectives

Adequate preparation is key to the success of any grant proposal. Most writers neglect the preparatory stage and end up losing their bids. Therefore, the writing section should contain clarified elements of the report, and even though time-consuming, it can attract the attention of a funder. Another initiative is to define your project by defining the goals of the project and writing a task statement (Jones & Bundy, 2013). Also, define the field of work to center your grant-funding search, establish extensive program goals, and identify project objectives that explain what actions you will take so that your goals can be successful for your project (Grant Writing Guide).

Moreover, well-written objectives allows project funders to see project results implementation. Program goals remains clearly visible, as well as result times and dates included in quantifiable measures. Grant seekers should have a project design that contains project details, including staffing, supplies, materials, and services. The project design will also contain schedules along with specific job duties and program tasks (Grant Writing Guide).

Establish a Needs Statement

A well-drafted grant proposal begins with a needs statement. Identifying a need in society and establishing a conclusion to that need inspires a needs statement. Hence, the need for funding. In most cases, grant seekers draft their needs statements poorly, failing to capture project funders’ attention and priorities who keep on problems addressed by projects (Chung & Shauver, 2008). Moreover, grant seekers must clearly understand grant requirements and base their needs on the funder’s provisions: this will demonstrate the eligibility of funding applications.

One must also identify a funder’s attention and consequently address for funding. A goal-oriented and precise proposal entails a higher chance of selection as it highlights reasons for application and fulfilled prospects using the grant. It is not advisable to keep project funders guessing what your project entails and why they should consider your proposal; you must be precise in your writing (Grant Writing Guide).

Identifying a Granting Agency

Research is critical in the grant writing process. A grant seeker needs to know that many organizations remains willing to fund projects upon successful application. Thus, the process should be taken seriously. A writer should research, identify, and select a preferred granting agency based on its requirements and contract provisions (Proctor et al., 2012). This means that a grant seeker’s goals and objectives should align with those of the agency identified. It is common for grant funders to bypass applications after identifying minor errors in the application (Grant Writing Guide) (Grant Writing Guide).

The funders must, on their part, scrutinize proposals to understand the visions of grant seekers so as not to overlook deserving proposals. Therefore, grant applications must adequately address project problems and needs and articulate the importance of funding to accomplish project-related missions on time. When researching, grant writers must go through company websites to ascertain changes made to grant requirements. Hence, and remain updated on application criteria requirements(Grant Writing Guide).

Project Budget (Grant Writing Guide)

The most crucial thing in any project is a budget. This is because everything else revolves around the budget. For instance, the duration that the project will take, the number of people involved in the project, and the deliverables. Therefore, having a good foundation and ensuring that the project will run smoothly depends on having a reasonable estimate for a project budget.

Having a reasonable estimate of the project budget makes it easy to convince reviewers to provide funding (Gomez-Cambronero et al., 2012). A budget can limit the options that a project will have; hence, an estimate is also essential for prioritizing and making plans. To ensure that the budget stays in check, it remains crucial to review it many times (Grant Writing Guide).

In a grant proposal, Highlighting the project’s sustainability remains vital. Moreover, the project ought to sustain itself in the future, as it remains independent on funding. Consequently, because grants simply not meant to provide permanent financial solutions but to support start-ups and short-term boosts for projects. An effective financial methodology ought to use a line-item budget where all project costs remains highlighted. Moreover, as funders remains intrigued by the channeling and utilization of funds (Grant Writing Guide).

Approval and Dismal

The last stage in the grant proposal writing process is the approval and denial stage. If a project funder considers a proposal satisfactory, they will approve it, and if not, reject it. Therefore, if a project grant is not approved of the grant, they should be persistent and strive to be better when applying for other grants. A grant seeker should take rejection or a non-selection as a learning experience. Experience in the grant writing process will only make the grant seeker stronger as a grant writer and program director (Grant Writing Guide).

The grant seeker needs to follow up with the granting agency and find out exactly why the proposal was rejected or not selected (Gomez-Cambronero et al., 2012). This way, the grant seeker will learn what areas of the proposal need improvements and determine why it was not chosen. If the grant is approved, then the grant seekers just passed the easiest part of the process, then after the really hard work begins as the grant seeker will have to prove that the program will do exactly what the proposal says it would and that the funding was put unto good use(Grant Writing Guide).

Finally, before one submits a final copy of the proposal, feedback from team members must be consolidated to determine new developments. Once approved by the team members, the writer presents the proposal to project sponsors and provides necessary directions. The proposal should lay out the entire plan from start to finish, and map out how much money is needed and its purpose. It would be best if you stayed in contact with project sponsors to receive updates and progress on the grant proposal(Grant Writing Guide).

References

Chung, K. C., & Shauver, M. J. (2008). Fundamental principles of writing a successful grant proposal. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 33(4), 566-572.

Gomez-Cambronero, J., Allen, L. A. H., Cathcart, M. K., Justement, L. B., Kovacs, E. J., McLeish, K. R., & Nauseef, W. M. (2012). Writing a first grant proposal. Nature immunology, 13(2), 105-108.

Jones, S. P., & Bundy, A. (2013). Writing a good grant proposal.

Proctor, E. K., Powell, B. J., Baumann, A. A., Hamilton, A. M., & Santens, R. L. (2012). Writing implementation research grant proposals: ten key ingredients. Implementation Science, 7(1), 1-13.