Give yourself at least four months to write a grant proposal with the goal to have the grant ready about one month prior to submission. Use the last month to polish the writing and the style of presentation.

Read the instructions for writing the grant carefully and try to strictly adhere to them.

Write a succinct proposal that can be easily understood by those who are not necessarily experts in the field. It is best if you can get the grant reviewed by at least three individuals; one expert in the field, a non-expert scientist and a third individual who can assess the English grammar and the style of the proposal. Revise the manuscript according to the best suggestions of these individuals.

If the page limit to the grant proposal is 25, try to write a proposal that fits 20-23 pages. Use the additional space for stylistic alterations.

Use the largest size font that makes the grant easy to read and does not pose any strain to the eye.

Separate different sections of the grant so that various pages do not look monotonous.

Try to make some sections bold, italicize other sections and use numbering to identify sections and subsections of the grant.

Avoid using jargon.

Avoid using excessive abbreviations. Define abbreviations upon the first time use.

Add adequate spaces where required.

Left justify the text but avoid the right justification of the text.

Do not include figures that can not be copied well. Include glossy prints in the body of the text.

Do not try to use the appendix to present data that are not included in the original application.

Provide the figures and tables immediately after they are being cited.

Provide clear figures and table legends.

Try to reserve some space for the last pieces of data that you may wish to include in the preliminary data section of the grant.

Write a clear hypothesis. Clearly spell out the specific aims.

Do not offer more than two to three specific aims. More specific aims may be regarded unachievable and ambitious.

Avoid putting too much information in any specific section of the proposal. Putting too much detail in the method section may prevent you in putting adequate emphasis in the design section.

For each specific aim, provide a section in the experimental design that discusses alternative strategies and ideas to test the hypothesis. Try to spell out the shortcomings and pitfalls and how to solve them.

Do not try to impress the reviewers with too much preliminary data. Just present the relevant data. Show that the proposed ideas are sound and are achievable.

Provide preliminary data that show that the methodologies can be successfully accomplished.

If necessary, call the program director to find out how to insure that the reviewers will obtain the original copies of the manuscript which includes the glossy figures.

If the grant does not get funded, before attempting to revise the grant, contact the program director to find out additional information that may not be included in the “summary statement”.

In the revised application, try to first summarize the shortcomings indicated in the “summary statement” and then respond to each one carefully. Try to be neutral and neither antagonistic nor conciliatory.

Spell check the document carefully before mailing.

Try to send the proposal by express mail, at least several days prior to the due date. Do not assume that the grant has been received. If possible, call express mail service to verify that the grant has been received by the granting agency. Do not mail the grant on the day before the grant is due.

After the grant has been submitted, if a manuscript gets published or additional data becomes available that may play a part in the success of the grant proposal, call the program director to see whether you can send the manuscript or a summary of findings to the reviewers.