Write Winning Grant Proposals Workshop

The Division of Research is bringing back to the University of Houston the widely acclaimed "Write Winning Grant Proposals" seminar, presented by John D. Robertson, Ph.D., of Grant Writers' Seminars and Workshops. The seminar addresses both practical and conceptual aspects that are critical to writing competitive grant proposals. 

This live, virtual presentation will be held over the course of two days, in the morning only. The event will not be recorded.

The seminar will cover:

1. Critical steps for organizing and planning your proposal (all of the things you need to do before you start writing a full proposal in order to have a competitive edge)
2. Understanding the role (and mindset) of your reviewers
3. A 4-paragraph rhetorical strategy for writing a compelling Specific Aims or Overview & Objectives page
4. Specific strategies and tips for each major section of a grant proposal

Emphasis is placed on doing the “extra” things that can make the difference between being funded versus not. Regardless of the target agency, participants are taught to write with a linear progression of logic, which leads reviewers through an application without them knowing that they are being led. We also emphasize the fact that applicants are writing for two different audiences – the assigned reviewers, who read the application in its entirety, and non-assigned reviewers who may have read little, or none, of the proposal before the meeting of the review panel.

For more information about Grant Writers' Seminars and Workshops visit http://www.grantcentral.com

This event is only open to UH personnel. All attendees must have an active UH email address and employee ID number.

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Required Workbook: $25

As with prior years, there is a required $25 workbook fee per participant. This cost partially covers the cost of the workbook, which is updated every year, with DOR covering the remaining cost of the workbook as well as the speaker. You will receive an email notification when the workbooks are available to be picked up from E. Cullen 316.

Checks must be made payable to the University of Houston and dropped off in E. Cullen 316 or mailed to:

University of Houston

4302 University Dr., Rm 316

Ezekiel Cullen Building, Houston, TX 77204-2015

The DOR is covering the remaining cost of the workbook as well as the speaker. We cannot accept cash, debit/credit cards or electronic forms of payment (e.g. Zelle, Cashapp, Venmo, Paypal)

If you are unable to pick up the workbook before the seminar, that is OK: it will be referenced, but will not be used during the presentation. It is to help develop a proposal afterwards.

View Workbook Descriptions

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Agenda:

Day 1: Monday, February 27

8:30 a.m. General Grant Writing Concepts

• Introduction to the seminar
• The three requirements needed for success in any application: Your idea! Your commitment! Your grantsmanship skills!
• The importance of Program Officers/Directors
• Selling your idea
• Funding Opportunities
• Different NSF funding mechanisms
• Grant Applications – similarities of all formats

10:15 a.m. BREAK

10:30 a.m. Preparation of the Application – General Concepts

• How to create a compelling Overview/Executive Summary section

Day 2: Tuesday, February 28

8:30 a.m.

• Approach/Plan of Work
• Significance and Innovation
• Broader Impacts
• Background and Preliminary Studies

10:00 a.m. BREAK

10:15 a.m.

• Biographical Sketches and Environment
• Budget – general concepts
• Titles
• Project Summary/Narrative
• Critical review of your proposal

11:15 a.m. The Review Process

• The concept of peer review
• Common assumptions about peer review
• The importance of identifying potential reviewers
• Recommending or excluding reviewers
• Implicit vs. explicit review criteria
• Review and procedures

12 p.m. General Discussions and Questions

* *You are strongly urged to view/attend both sessions – they are not separate standalone sessions.**

Schedule is approximate depending upon scope and extent of discussion.

About the presenter:

Dr. John Robertson holds a Doctorate in Pharmacology/Toxicology and has been an Associate Member at Grant Writers’ Seminars & Workshops (GWSW) since 2010. In 2017, he became the Managing Member. He has been the recipient of competitive extramural funding from both the NIH and non-federal sources. Since joining GWSW, Dr. Robertson has presented more than 400 grant proposal-writing training seminars and consulted on the development of more than 750 grant applications. He has authored 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and three book chapters. He has been a member of grant review panels, a reviewer for a number of biomedical journals, and served on editorial boards. He has also been routinely recognized for excellence in teaching.

Contact: 

Hannah Niven, 713-743-1095, hmmcquitty2@uh.edu