Call for Proposals
Tips for Writing Proposals
Defence Research and Development Canada Centre for Security Science
DRDC CSS M 2009-01
DRDC CSS M 2009- 01
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Abstract
This tip-sheet is intended to assist members of the Science and Technology(S&T) community within
Canada to prepare proposals for submission under the Defence Research and Development Canada Centre
for Security Science (DRDC CSS) Call for Proposals process.
Résumé
Le présent document a pour but d’aider les membres de la communauté canadienne de sciences et
technologie (S et T) à élaborer la proposition qu’ils entendent soumettre à Recherche et développement
pour la défense Canada Centre des sciences pour la sécurité (RDDC CSS) en réponse à son appel de
propositions.
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Table of Contents
Abstract 1
Résumé 1
Table of Contents 3
Introduction 4
Tips for writing, reviewing, and submitting your proposal 5
Tips for Proposal Preparation: 5
Understanding the Centre for Security Science(CSS) research S&T Programs: 5
The Call for Proposal Process: 5
Some Tips: 5
Completing your Application: 6
Common Factors of Winning Proposals: 6
Therefore, what separates the winning proposals from all the submissions? 8
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Introduction
Defence Research and Development Canada Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS)(the Centre) funds
projects in science and technology (S&T) to strengthen Canada's preparedness for, prevention of, and response
to potential threats. DRDC CSS currently solicits and assesses proposals from government, industry, and
academia for new projects in one of the four mission areas,
• Defeat Chemical, Biological, Radiological-Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) threats;
• Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP);
• Surveillance, Intelligence, and Interdiction (SI2); and
• Emergency Management Systems and Interoperability (EMSI).
Research funding is managed through call for proposals under Chemical, Biological, Radiological-Nuclear,
and Explosives (CBRNE) Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI), the Public Security Technical Program
(PSTP), and the Canadian Police Research Centre (CPRC).
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Tips for writing, reviewing, and submitting your proposal
Tips for Proposal Preparation:
The time and care spent preparing your proposal can have an important impact on the eventual results. The
most important factor for any proposal is the S&T being developed and how it will enhance Canada’s response
capabilities. However, the way that the information is presented can influence the reviewer’s overall
understanding of your proposal which is key to a positive review. A good proposal should always be readable,
well-organized, grammatically correct, and understandable. A poorly prepared proposal can prevent a strong
research project from being approved.
Understanding the Centre for Security Science(CSS) research S&T
Programs:
Writing a good proposal involves many steps; the first step is to understand the goals of the program.The
primary focus of DRDC CSS is to strengthen Canada’s ability to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover
from high-consequence public safety and security events.
The Centre's capabilities lie in leading and administering research, development, testing, and evaluation of
technologies, in identifying future trends and threats, and by fostering new investments in research and
development that will generate knowledge, capability and S&T. The Centre for Security Science website
http://www.css.drdc-rddc.gc.ca has resources such as information on previously funded projects, a detailed
description of the current priorities, and links to federal government partners and other S&T organizations. A
study of the CSS website will give you an overview of the research programs and help you to describe your
proposed S&T within the context of the current call priorities.
The Call for Proposal Process:
The call is managed through the Centre for Security Science website: http://www.css.drdc-rddc.gc.ca . On the
website you will find the current guidebooks, forms, and instructions to prepare and submit your proposal. The
documentation is updated for each call so be sure to use only the most current editions available on the CSS
website. Read the guidebook corresponding to the call for CRTI, PSTP, or CPRC; it is your best source of
information regarding the proposal process.
Some Tips:
Start early; the synopsis form is fairly short but you will need to make each word count. You should also give
yourself time to review your proposal before submitting it. Have someone objective read your proposal to test
their understanding and reaction.
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The submission deadlines are firm and late submissions will not be accepted. Test the email address for
submitting proposals before the deadline and ask your IT representative to set up your email options to get a
confirmation delivery notice. Do not send numerous copies- the program administrator’s role is to process
your application and handle your information requests as well as those of the reviewers in a timely manner.
Duplicate copies may cause unnecessary delays and confusion.
Read the instructions carefully; each call has slightly different requirements. Look ahead to the requirements
for full proposals or project implementation and begin to prepare the necessary resources. A full proposal is
much more detailed than the synopsis and should your synopsis be successful you must understand the
commitments required for a full proposal. Project acceptance requires certain commitments by the project
team; examine these requirements and pre-plan your resources to complete these abligations.
Study the priorities and choose the specified priority which your proposal will address. The relevancy of the
proposal to the Specified Priorities is an important criterion for the ranking of proposals, thus it is important to
clearly define how your proposal will address an identified gap.
Completing your Application:
Read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly.
Observe the size limitations for each section. Be sure to note the different requirements for a CRTI, PSTP, or
CPRC proposal.
Write clearly and concisely- make your words count.
Use plain language and write in the active voice. Avoid the use of jargon, abbreviations, acronyms, and the
excessive use of scientific terminology.
Remember the reviewer- they will have backgrounds related to the science domain but may not be experts in
every particular nuance of science. It is your job to explain your proposal and how it relates to the priorities in
a manner which engages the reviewer.
Use tools to check spelling, grammar, and word count.
Check the budget sheet included in the proposal forms- ensure that your figures are entered in dollars and that
the totals and percentages are accurate.
Have a colleague review your submission or have a colleague do a review of your proposal.
Common Factors of Winning Proposals:
All proposals are judged on the criteria outlined for each category in the Call for Proposals Guidebook. First,
all projects must meet the mandatory standards. These are to:
• Satisfy the identified gaps, deliverables and expected outcomes as defined in the investment priorities
for the specified priorities;
• Comply with the specified financial framework – minimum/maximum contributions are clearly defined
in the guidebooks;
• Fit within one of the project categories/clusters and satisfy the mandatory criteria specific to each
project ;
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• Address additional factors such as the creation of new knowledge, capabilities, technology or impact
on the end user as defined by the project category;
• Identify the technical, scientific, and management expertise of the management team.
• Clearly indicate how the outputs of your project will address one or more of the identified gaps.
• Involve the user community early in the research process- consider pre-consulting with an end-user
group and adjusting your goals to accommodate their particular needs.
• Consult with your Cluster members about your area of research- it is better to combine your resources
and present one strong proposal than to be competing with each other for funding dollars.
• Anticipate risks to successful project management and indicate your ability to manage these risks. Pay
particular attention to the complex issues of intellectual property (IP) and contracting. The Guidebook
contains links to government regulations for contracting and IP.
The forms have been designed to capture all mandatory requirements so if accurately completed, the proposal
will pass this stage.
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Therefore, what separates the winning proposals from all the
submissions?
A winning proposal will have received three (3) to six (6) independent reviews, advanced through a two-stage
Selection Committee process, and been approved by the Centre for Security Science Program Management
Board or the CPRC Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC), depending on the particular call.
Other mitigating factors are the balance of available investment dollars and the capability-based planning goals
for DRDC CSS. The process is rigorous but there are some steps you can take to prepare a winning proposal.
Make sure your proposal is easy to read, well-organized, and uses standard fonts- it will be reviewed 6-10
times.
Each full proposal consists of a completed application and supplementary pages of information. Use these
pages wisely; consider giving links to published information- the reviewers will research the topic- make sure
the links are open source and accessible without a subscription. Rather than using the pages for curriculum
vitaes (CVs) consider a one-page brief biography of the main researchers and use the other pages to give more
details about your project. Pictures and graphs can be included in your supplementary information but make
sure to use a standard format. Only the stipulated number of pages will be included with the package sent to
reviewers- additional pages will be disregarded. Consider the overall size of your file- many government
networks restrict file size. The suggested maximum file size is 10MB.
If this is a follow-on project to a previously funded CRTI, PSTP, or CPRC project clearly indicate the
advancement in the S&T readiness level and the transition plan to get the output into use by the
responder/operational community.
Consult with the CSS Senior Program Administrator for general information regarding the process and forms.
Best of Luck and thank you to all participants for your interest and support of research at the Centre.
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