Grant Proposal Development Workshop

The annual Grant Proposal Development Workshop is an intensive and comprehensive hands-on writing program for faculty interested in developing or revising a proposal. The series is organized with time in between each session for participants to complete components of a proposal step-by-step with feedback along the way. Participants finish the program with a fully developed, competitive proposal.

The 2024 series is divided into two parts.

• PART 1: Open to all faculty and postdocs, but material is geared towards early career faculty and postdocs with little grant-writing experience.
• PART 2: Open by application only for a cohort of 10-15 faculty at any career stage and any level of grant-writing experience who are planning to submit a proposal and would like personalized support, review, and feedback.

Below is a table summarizing sessions for the 2024 series. You may find details and registration information for Part 1 and Part 2 below.

Please email: RD@uml.edu for any questions.

Session Schedule

Part 2 Deadlines

Part%201PART 1 - Open to all UMass Lowell Faculty and Postdocs

Please register for each session in Part 1 individually at the bottom of the page.

1.1. Grant Writing Essentials

Tuesday, June 4, 2024: 10 a.m. - noon, Virtual

This first session reviews grant writing essentials and the pre-planning involved with submitting a proposal. Presenters will cover topics such as finding funding opportunities, understanding a funding agency, dissecting a solicitation, identifying reviewer and program manager priorities, crafting strategies to improve proposal competitiveness, and understanding the proposal submission process at UMass Lowell (UML).

View the recording of the 1.1 Grant Writing Essentials session.

1.2 Critical First Page

Thursday, June 6, 2024: 10 a.m. – noon, Virtual

Led by Peg AtKisson of the AtKisson Training Group, this second session reviews strategies for writing the critical first page of a proposal. From developing and articulating specific aims to effective wordsmithing, participants learn the importance and nuances of crafting a compelling first page.

1.3 Budgeting Basics with the Office of Sponsored Programs

Tuesday, June 11, 2024: 10 - 11 a.m., Virtual

A well-planned budget and persuasive budget justification are critical for convincing reviewers that your proposed project will have the resources to succeed. Join the Office of Research Development (ORD) and guest speakers from the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to explain typical components of proposal budgets, the process for drafting and refining your budget prior to submission, and how to prepare a compelling budget justification.

View the recording of the 1.3 Budgeting Basics session.

1.4 From First Page to Funded: Making a Plan for Proposal Development

Thursday, June 13, 2024: 10 - 11 a.m., Virtual

You have a first page and a project idea; now what? This session will focus on critical steps towards turning your first page into a complete proposal. ORD staff will discuss how to talk with a program officer about your project idea, share templates and steps for creating a proposal development plan, and highlight institutional resources available for your proposal writing process.

View the recording of the 1.4 Making a Plan for Proposal Development session.

Part%202PART 2 - By Application Only, Cohort of 10-15 Faculty Members

By June 13, faculty must submit an application to participate in Part 2. Applicants must:

• Be a faculty member at UML at any career stage
• Identify one target funding opportunity with a proposal deadline between Sept. 1, 2024 and Sept. 1, 2025. (Applicants may identify a funding opportunity that is already announced or expected to be announced within this timeframe).
• Provide a draft of the first page of their proposal by June 13
• Commit to attend three virtual events: a Proposal Narratives workshop (July 9 from 10 a.m. - noon), a Supplementary Documents workshop (July 23 from 10 a.m. - noon), and an individual consultation with ORD staff (scheduled the week of July 15)
• Commit to creating a full rough draft of their proposal narrative by Aug. 6 

Please submit your application for Part 2 by June 13.

By June 27, successful applicants will be notified and provided feedback on their first page draft from ORD staff.

ORD staff will divide participants into groups based on funding agency or discipline to provide best practices, tips, and resources for crafting a compelling narrative and preparing required supplementary documents.

2.1 Proposal Narratives

Tuesday, July 9, 2024: 10 a.m. - noon, Virtual

Tailored to your specific funding agency, ORD staff will highlight key characteristics of a compelling proposal narrative.

ORD Consultations

Week of July 15, Virtual 

In between the Proposal Narrative and Supplementary Documents sessions, ORD will schedule a one-on-one consultation with you to discuss your proposal writing process and any questions you have. Through this week, you will have time to continue writing your proposal at your own pace. 

2.2. Supplementary Documents

Tuesday, July 23, 2024: 10 a.m. - noon, Virtual

Tailored to your specific funding agency, ORD staff will discuss best practices for supplementary documents such as biosketches, descriptions of facilities and equipment, data management plans, and more.

ORD Office Hours

Tuesday, July 30, 2024: 10 a.m. - noon, Virtual

After the Supplementary Documents sessions, you will have time to write your proposal at your own pace, with the option to drop into ORD's office hours to ask questions and receive feedback.

Deadlines for ORD Feedback

By Aug. 6, faculty will submit a full rough draft of their proposal narrative for feedback from ORD staff and/or external consultants.

By Aug. 20, faculty will receive feedback on their proposal narratives and have the option for 1:1 meetings with ORD staff to discuss. Registration