T. K. Wood, 20 February 2007
NSF and Proposals: Secrets for Success 1. Be responsive to the call; integrate words from the call for proposals into your text; make sure there is a good fit. 2. Emphasize what is novel in your grant; say what has been done previously and indicate what is new. 3. Say what you will say, say it, summarize what you said. 4. Have an innovative idea and build the proposal around it. 5. Have some initial results. 6. Proof your document; spelling errors, etc. will kill it in this competitive environment. 7. Avoid acronyms, keep simple, explain things well. Very hard; take a distant view of the work and make sure a non-expert can understand it. 8. Have enough details in the Methods, best to cite papers if not enough room (even better to cite your own papers to show you know how to do it).