Grant Writing For College Students

Many undergraduate grants are available to ensure students from diverse backgrounds are able to go to college. While many focus on merit and/or need (such as the Pell Grant), others are designed to help students with specific academic interests or those from certain populations. Examples of these include the TEACH Grant and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. While rare, some students may also be able to find a limited number of undergraduate research grants, such as those offered by Northwestern University.

Source:

Undergraduate grants typically come from federal and state governments, but a number of private foundations and colleges also offer grants at this level.

Ideally for

Freshmen and sophomore college students. Examples of federal aid grant programs include the Pell and TEACH grants. Undergraduate research grants tend to be reserved for senior thesis projects.

Most grants at the graduate and doctoral levels help cover the costs associated with a particular area or topic of research, while some are offered to specific populations. To receive this type of grant, students typically have to go through a grant writing process (more on that in a bit).

Source:

Graduate-level grants are provided via the federal and state government, private foundations, organizations and research universities.

Ideally for

Master’s and doctoral students, though some subject areas lend themselves to grants more easily than others (e.g. STEM subjects have access to more grants business).

These grants help students visit various locations to conduct research or allows them to travel and present their findings at conferences. Traveling grants are often much smaller awards than research grants but are generally enough to cover airfare and other forms of transportation.

Source:

Some colleges such as the University of Kentucky provide traveling grants, as do organizations that host conferences on specific topics within academia – such as the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Ideally for

Undergraduate and graduate students.

This type of grant allows graduate and doctoral students to complete research at a university different than their own or at a research facility unassociated with their school for a set amount of time. In addition to writing a grant proposal, students receiving these awards are often required to present their research at the end of the project to show how the grant helped move the project forward.

Source:

Universities and private foundations and associations. The Universities Research Association is an example of how foundations provide visiting scholars grants, while the University of South Carolina provides insight on how universities typically conduct the programs.

Ideally for

Graduate and doctoral-level students engaged in very specific research that can’t be completed at their home university.

Research at the graduate and doctoral levels is typically focused on an individual subject, and funding panels want to understand exactly what you’re researching and how it fills a gap in existing scholarship. Being able to convey this clearly and succinctly is paramount, so students need to refine their research until it has a clear identity and focus. “Grant review panels also look for feasibility of research and if the student has access to essential equipment for the research, so think about these topics while conceiving your focus area,” recommends Srimathi.

When writing a proposal, it’s important for students to fully understand how much funding they’ll need, for how long and exactly what it will cover. Some students may seek funding for fieldwork or experimental research, while others may be at the postdoctoral stage and need funding to finish their dissertation or translate it into a manuscript. It’s also important to consider how long you need the funding – some projects may last only a few months, while other could stretch to last nearly a decade. Either way, you’ll need to clearly state how all funds will be used throughout the duration of your research.

“Panels essentially do a risk benefit analysis to see if funding a certain project is worthwhile, so it’s important that you fully spell out what it will take to produce the research,” Srimathi explains. “It’s also important to keep in mind that though basic research is extremely significant, it’s also essential the project produces some sort of tangible benefit to society as a whole.”

There are many grants out there, but only certain opportunities will match your research needs. Students should seek out grants and funding organizations that are specifically interested in their type of research. Think about professional organizations, foundations, federal/state agencies or other universities that are engaged in similar work and see if they offer funding. All of this preliminary research will form the list of places to send your proposals.

According to the University of Notre Dame, students should begin working on their grant proposals approximately two to three months before applications are due to ensure they aren’t rushed. Most applications are due in October, November or January, so students should make a timeline of all the grants they plan to apply for and work backwards to figure out when each one should be started.

Much like college applications, resumes and cover letters, grant proposals need to be tailored to individual organizations. “One must always consider the audience you are catering to when writing the grant, as this will dictate the language you use to write about the research and how fluent they are in your discipline,” says Srimathi.

To ensure your funding request is aligned with your audience’s interests, ask yourself the following questions:

How you organize your proposal and express your research goals gives review panels significant insight into who you are as a student, researcher and scholar. Proposals that don’t flow well or lack a strong structure tell readers that you may not be ready to undertake a significant research project. It’s also important to remember that every discipline has its own style conventions and students should adhere to those if they want to be seen as true scholars.

Questions to ask yourself – as well as anyone who proofreads your proposal before submission – include:

The University of Notre Dame notes review panels spend an average of 10 minutes or less on each application and proposals that get a second glance are those that get to the point quickly without sacrificing substance. “The format of each grant must be adhered to very strictly,” warns Srimathi. “If the directions say 12 single-spaced pages as a maximum, don’t exceed that number. Follow all margin restrictions and make sure the grant is as legible as possible and with a natural flow of thought.”

Because funding organizations typically have specific rules about how a proposal should be organized, students need to pay close attention to these guidelines when structuring their application. Questions to ask during this stage include:

When writing a grant proposal, all will be for naught if students don’t ensure that every component of the application is fully provided. Because different applications have different requirements, students need to make sure they follow the guidelines closely and don’t leave details out or include those that aren’t required. Some of the common elements include:

The best grant proposals are months in the making and have many moving parts. Because of that, it’s important students seek outside feedback before sending it to the review panel, if possible. Consider reaching out to a handful of academics you trust to see if they’re willing to review the document. Examples of individuals to ask include former or current professors, peers within your discipline and other academics who aren’t specialists but can speak to the organization and presentation of the proposal. If your current institution has a writing center, see if a faculty member is willing to review it for grammar and syntax. In addition to asking for general feedback, consider coming up with a few questions to help guide their reading and root out any red flags.