Week 6: Writing a Grant Proposal

Written Assignment / Grant Proposal (22%)

• Grant proposals will be completed individually.

• The grant proposal must be double-spaced and 10 pages in length (excluding the title page and bibliography).

• What is a grant proposal?

- Written by scientists and submitted to the government or private funding agencies to obtain money to
fund laboratory staff and experiments in the lab
- Usually there is 8 – 30% chance of funding
- Attempts to convince the funding agency why their experiments are great and worth funding, and what
those experiments will be.
- Use the following headings:
* Overview
* Introduction to the area
* Rationale for studies
* Aims of the studies
* Experimental Outline
* Relevance of the studies
Grant Proposal: Structure (total
10 pages)
LENGTHS ARE APPROXIMATE
• Overview (one page / 250-500 words)
• Introduction to the area (2 pages)
• Rationale for studies (one page)
• Aims of the studies (half page)
• Experimental Plan (4 pages)
• Potential Outcome (half page-1 page)
• Relevance of the studies (half page – 1 page)
Overview / Abstract (250 – 500 words)

• Write this last.

• Provides brief background of research area, and the unmet need (1 – 2
small paragraphs).
• Hypothesis (1-2 sentences).
• Types of techniques to be used (1 paragraph).
• Groups and models / subjects to be used
• Expected outcome (1 – 2 sentences)
• Relevance in the field and impact on society (1-2 sentences).
Introduction to the area

• Provides background to the research area, and topic / tools of interest,

ends unmet need:
e.g. Parkinson’s disease – pathology (mitochondria), lack of disease-
modifying agents available for patients
• Describes tool. E.g. SIRT3 – what it is, what it does, location, what is
known about function. Build evidence that SIRT3 is a potential disease-
modifying agent.
Rationale for studies

• Convince the reviewer why your experiments are necessary, and the evidence
that these studies will work.
• Sales pitch part of grant

e.g.
Mitochondria are central to the pathology of PD (background has already provided
the evidence for this).
SIRT3 enhances mitochondrial health (covered in background).

Rationale is followed by the Hypothesis. There should be a direct flow from

rationale to hypothesis.
SIRT3 will enhance mitochondrial health in a rodent model of PD. Thus SIRT3 will
be an effective disease – modifying agent in parkinsonism.
 Aims of the studies

• Foundation of grant
• Describe exactly what you plan to do
• Usually 3 aims, but can be more or less

e.g.
Aim 1: Optimisation of nigral AAV-SIRT3 transduction in vivo.
Aim 2: Is over-expression of nigral SIRT3 neuroprotective in parkinsonism?
Aim 3: Can over-expression of nigral SIRT3 recover function of damaged
neurons?
Aims
1. Optimisation of SIRT3 delivery
2. Determine whether SIRT3 is neuroprotective
3. Determine whether SIRT3 is neurorestorative

Experimental Outline
Divide into sections using Aims as subheadings. Describe methods for each section
Experimental Plan
• Divide into the 3 aims.
• Flesh of the grant
• Can have a section validating choice of model
• Can have a section with preliminary data (taken from important
citations)
• Needs a paragraph describing projected timeline of studies. Studies
decribed in grant proposals can last from two – five years
Potential Outcome

• Describe what you would expect to see for each of your aims if your
outcomes if they are successful.

• Describe potential pitfalls – problems that may arise, what you might do
to address these problems – may be technical, related to compounds,
model choice.
Relevance of the studies

• How your studies will enhance the research area of focus that you have
chosen.

• How your studies will impact society / planet as a whole – socio-

economic.