Writing Successful Grant Applications

🚀 Grantwriting post 🚀 Imagine your reviewer or panel/committee member. It's 9 PM, the night before the review meeting. They've got a toddler on their lap, a glass of wine in one hand, and your proposal in the other. They've been interrupted 5 times while reading and they need to get through 9 more proposals before going to sleep. Can they understand what you want to do? No? Make. It. Simpler. Over the past few months I've been reviewing grants for Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the Research Council of Finland | Suomen Akatemia, and the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. Submitting a grant takes an enormous amount of effort, but so many fail simply because **the reviewers can't understand what you want to do.** A few suggestions applicable to almost any grant ➡️ 1️⃣ Include a sentence saying, "The goal of this project is ________." Ideally make it the first sentence of your abstract and your proposal, but at minimum put it in the first paragraph. If you can't state your goal in one sentence, refine it until you can. 2️⃣ Remove all acronyms. If it's less recognizable than "HIV" or "DNA," then spell it out every time. Acronyms can hopelessly muddle an otherwise strong proposal. 3️⃣ Start with *simplicity* then add *complexity.* First, write a half-length version of your proposal in an extremely simple way that an educated layperson could understand, and test it on a few people. When that's done, use what you wrote as header sentences/paragraphs, and add all the technical details below them. Now, each reviewer can easily skim past the parts outside their field, while still understanding the big picture. 4️⃣ List the central elements of your proposal, then REPEAT THEM. This is important for methods, e.g. - humans or mice? study design? case and control definition? recruitment strategy? sample size? statistical approach? These key facts (without details) can be repeated in the abstract, end of background, methods (here, include the details), and assessment of threats/weaknesses. If you repeat them with perfect consistency, your reviewer will understand what you want to do, and feel reassured that you have a clear plan. Happy grantwriting ✍ 😊

How This Space Tech Startup Secured $5.5M (Without Giving Up Equity). Last year, I invested in Raven Space Systems. They developed a novel way to 3D print aerospace hardware: • Faster • Cheaper • More efficiently Before pursuing VC money, they secured $5.5M through grants from NASA, Air Force, and The National Science Foundation. This was pure capital for R&D to: • Validate their technology • Access specialized facilities • Build government & commercial credibility Incredible benefits, yet not without challenges. Applications are competitive, time-consuming, and often come with restrictions on fund usage. 6 steps for capital-intensive startups to access non-dilutive funding: 1) Find the Right Grant Programs → Focus on SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) → STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs. → These offer billions annually in non-dilutive funding for early-stage R&D. Key Agencies: NASA, NSF, DoD, (AFWERX), USDA, and others. 2) Prove Your Tech Solves a Big Problem → Funders want mission-critical solutions over "cool" innovations. → Eg: NASA funds projects that improve performance in space exploration. → Use data or case studies to demonstrate the urgency of the problem → And the effectiveness of your solution. 3) Develop a Clear Proposal → Specific R&D milestones → Measurable outcomes → Commercialization plans Align your proposal with the funder's mission and values and highlight how your project advances their goals. 4) Leverage Strategic Partnerships Strengthen by collaborating with universities, labs, or prime contractors. E.g: Raven partnered with the University of Oklahoma for material testing and technical validation. Partnerships mean specialized equipment and critical expertise. 5) Engage with Grant Officers → Reach out to program managers before applying → For insights on aligning your application with agency priorities → Clarify any ambiguities and tailor your proposal accordingly 6) Iterate And Improve → Treat rejections as opportunities to learn → Many startups win grants on attempt 2 or 3 → Refining on feedback can significantly improve success rates After validating their tech with grants, Raven then raised VC to: • Scale manufacturing • Build sales teams • Enter new markets Validate with grants. Scale with VC. Combine both for a winning position. ____________________________ Hi, I’m Richard Stroupe, a 3x Entrepreneur, and Venture Capital Investor I help early-stage tech founders turn their startups into VC magnets Enjoy this? Join 340+ high-growth founders and seasoned investors getting my deep dives here: (https://lnkd.in/e6tjqP7y)

🔹Tips for writing a winning GRANT PROPOSAL 🎯 Grant writing can feel overwhelming, but it is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Phenny A. Omondi, MSc, and I began writing grant proposals during our undergraduate days at Universidad EARTH. Over the years, we’ve secured funding from organizations like the Mastercard Foundation, Wege Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Changes for Humanity, etc. to support the operations of a community-based organization we founded in Kenya (Kilimo Jijini). When I started graduate school, I further polished my grant writing skills by enrolling in a transformative 3-credit Grant Writing course taught by Dr. Jaret Daniels, and since then together with my advisor, we have submitted small and huge grant proposals worth millions of dollars to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), etc. Here are some key lessons I’ve learned along the way: 1. Start early Give yourself time to brainstorm, draft, and revise. Rushed proposals often lack polish and clarity. 2. Know your audience Research the funding agency’s mission, priorities, and target outcomes. Align your goals with their vision. 3. Focus on impact Clearly state how your research will address a problem and make a meaningful difference. Highlight real-world applications. 4. Tell a compelling story Proposals aren’t just data - they’re narratives. Make your introduction engaging and persuasive. Show passion for your work. 5. Define clear objectives Be specific about what you want to achieve and how you’ll measure success. Funders want results, not vague ideas. 6. Plan a realistic budget Outline costs with transparency and accuracy. Avoid overestimating but don’t undersell what you need to succeed. 7. Highlight your team’s expertise Funders invest in people as much as ideas. Showcase your team’s qualifications and past successes. And how that adds value to your idea. 8. Provide a timeline Break down your project into phases with deadlines. A clear timeline shows you’ve thought through the process 9. Proofread and seek feedback Ask mentors or colleagues to review your draft. They can spot weaknesses and suggest improvements you may have missed. 10. Follow instructions Carefully read and follow the funding agency’s guidelines. Missing a formatting detail or word limit can disqualify your proposal. 👉 What’s your experience with grant writing? Repost ♻️ to help someone else! #GrantWritingTips #ResearchFunding #AcademicSuccess #Mentorship #STEMResearch #WomenInSTEM #ResearchProposals University of Florida

Grant Writing: What Not to Do! I’m often asked about the keys to writing successful grant applications. Though I no longer focus on application development, 16 years ago, I founded a firm that has secured and continues to manage compliance for over $1 billion in funding. My #1 tip for what not to do: Don’t chase money by rushing into an application for a project that isn’t fully fleshed out—even if the funding source is a fit with your organization. Grant funding is a responsibility, not just an opportunity. When I started CU Strategic Planning (and the firm continues to advise clients today), we emphasized that U.S. Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) grants are multi-year business plans. Would your $250 million or $10 billion financial institution develop a multi-year business plan with a rush turn-around? Refining products, partnerships, policies, and projections for any multi-year activity requires thorough, thoughtful planning across departments, in the community, and with full buy-in from the executive team. Successful planning isn’t just about winning the funding—it’s about the commitment to successfully implement the plan. This is why our business planning for CDFI applications always started a year before the application deadline, with economic development research, partnership development, product enhancement, use of funds, and accompanying projections and implementation plans. With diligent strategy and preparation, our firm consistently secured, on average, $100,000 more than the peer applications year after year. The key takeaway: Time is an important resource. If you have a fully fleshed-out strategy, established partnerships, and a solid plan, now’s the time to apply. This isn’t just true for #CDFI #grants, this is true for any grant application. The 2025 CDFI application opened today and I care about the limited resource of time for small asset sized applicants, and the ethics of consultants taking money for developing complex plans at the last minute. If you don’t yet have a comprehensive plan, I encourage you to take a year to develop it—so you can apply with confidence and set yourself up for success. A Note About Working with Consultants If a consultant has availability right after a federal grant application release, consider why. Your organization deserves a proactive consultant with the same expertise in their field that you have in yours. Look for someone who is deeply embedded in your #mission, offers strategic insight including programatic development, and can help you plan beyond just meeting deadlines. The best consultants work with you long-term, not just when the application window opens. Perhaps too easily written by someone that no longer writes grants! (Thank you to Callahan & Associates, Inc. for it’s acquisition of CU Strategic Planning so that every staff member could become an owner as part of the ESOP!) #grantwriting

After reviewing hundreds of grant proposals, I've noticed patterns in the ones that get rejected. The biggest red flags: • Generic proposals clearly not tailored to the funder • Vague outcomes with no measurement plan • Budgets that don't align with narrative • Sustainability plans that amount to "we'll find more grants" One organization revamped their approach to focus on funder-specific customization and clear measurement plans. Their grant success rate went from 20% to over 60%. Funders can tell the difference between a thoughtful partner and an organization just looking for money.