The grant-writing process can be arduous but payoffs in funding are potentially large.
Researchers employed at colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations often rely on grant funding to carry out research projects. The grant application process requires expert knowledge in a particular field and strong writing skills.
Often, government agencies that provide public grant funding prohibit a researcher from supplementing her existing institutional salary with grant money. However, exceptions are made for summer research funding or to supplement a regular salary if overtime work is performed. Special fellowships that provide salaries for doctoral and postdoctoral students are available.
Instructions
1. Plan your research proposal by researching the topic of interest. Search for recent scholarly articles and texts that demonstrate your knowledge of the subject area. Determine what research remains to be performed and why it is important to further the field.
2. Determine which government agencies, nonprofit organization and for-profit businesses provide grant funding in your field of research. Each organization has specific rules about grant application processes and salary expectations. Familiarize yourself with these rules and make sure that it is legal for you to use grant funds to supplement your salary.
3. In your grant proposal, draft a budget. In the budget, include the amount of money that will be spent acquiring materials, paying staff members and conducting research. Justify each section of the budget by demonstrating the expected costs of each step of the research process.
4. If you are currently employed by a college, university or other organization at which you are paid to perform research, report your salary and the details of your appointment. If you are a doctoral or postdoctoral student, explain your current position and status. This information is important for the institution providing grant funds to determine whether the money can be used for salary purposes.
5. Make a case for why your salary should be supplied or augmented by grant money. If you have a full-time appointment, describe the summer research or overtime work that justifies supplementary grant funding. Most grant agencies require fund recipients to report the amount of time devoted to funded research.
