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Part 3: Writing and submitting your grant application
Will you need letters of support? Approach your references and make sure you will have their cooperation.
Whether this is your first application or your tenth, it's important to start early and make a clear plan. Select the
most suitable grant to apply for and assemble a team of colleagues and mentors to help. By planning ahead and
knowing what to focus on at each stage of the application process, you can develop your best ideas and generate
the necessary preliminary data. Complete your first dra ahead of time to give your mentors the time they need to
give you the best feedback.
By now you've planned your application you're ready to start writing. Here, you'll learn the main purpose and
characteristics of each component. Quick tips are included to help you write each section effectively.
Pro Tips
• Pay close attention to style and technical details (e.g. fonts, spacing, and avoid jargon)
• Be clear, concise and logical
• Identify possible weak parts and spend more time addressing them in writing or by
collecting more preliminary data or through establishing collaborations with experts
• Get feedback from your committee of experts and also from people a little outside your
field to make sure explanations, relevance, etc. is convincing
• Budget time to complete other parts of the application
• Address internal university requirements and deadlines
• Obtain all necessary signatures
