Preparing a proposal
In the current economic climate, competition for funding is fierce. It is crucial to submit a strong proposal first time round – many funders do not accept uninvited resubmissions of proposals.
Guidelines: each funder will have specific criteria for specific schemes. Ensure awareness of generic and scheme specific application requirements. Failure to complete basic information may lead to rejection at first stage of funder review.
Assessment criteria: check the assessment criteria carefully to ensure all criteria can be met before investing significant time in developing the proposal. Failure to meet assessment criteria is one of the main reasons why proposals are not successful.
Timescale: sufficient time should be allowed to develop a research proposal, and where possible distinct elements developed in parallel.
Expertise: draw from expertise within the College (academic colleagues, strategy managers, research services / contracts, corporate partnerships managers).
This section includes the following pages:
Targeting funders
Funders have distinct thematic research priorities which inform their funding decisions. Targeting the most appropriate funder and matching the project scope to their priorities are key to success in securing research funding. This section provides information on:
Planning a proposal
It is critical that potentially complex issues which may require additional internal and external approvals are identified early to ensure submission deadlines are met. This section provides information on:
- Research location
- External research partners
- Sponsorship of healthcare projects
- Supporting data/statements
- Institutional limits
- Institutional financial commitment
- Capital investment
- Politically sensitive research
Approval, authorisation and submission
This section provides information on internal research bid management, faculty approval and College authorisation policies, agreement specific guidance and maps, and College signatory listings.
