Georgia Tech Grant Workshop Series: From Ideas to Dollars

Workshop 1: Articulating Your Idea

GOALS NEED ACTIVITIES TIME/BUDGET EVALUATION DISSEMINATION

What do you hope to Why is it important and How will you proceed? What resources are How will you know when How will others learn
accomplish? timely to do this? required? you have achieved your about your work?
goal?

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 Postdoc/Staff Grant Workshop Series: From Ideas to Dollars

The following questions are a necessary starting point for any grant proposal. You need a brief,
convincing answer to each question in order to gauge your readiness to start writing a proposal
to support a specific project. Answer each of the following questions in 25 words or less.

1. What are you passionate about, in your scholarship or professional life?

2. What is the problem or need in your area of passion, and why is it important?

3. What sources or kinds of data can you use to validate the importance of your proposed
project?

4. How is/are existing knowledge, practice, or resources inadequate?

5. Why is your idea better?

6. How is your idea new, unique, or better?

7. How would the world be a better/different place if you solved the problem or addressed the
need?

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 Postdoc/Staff Grant Workshop Series: From Ideas to Dollars

What institutional resources are available to help me

shape my goal?

identify further
opportunities?

make off-campus
connections?

make certain my
writing is clear and
interesting?

make sure I am
asking the biggest
questions?

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