1st Edition

Handbook of Scientific Proposal Writing

By A.Yavuz Oruc Copyright 2012
    243 Pages 59 B/W Illustrations
    by Chapman & Hall

    248 Pages 59 B/W Illustrations
    by Chapman & Hall

    Investigators, their home institutions, and funding agencies play significant roles in the development and outcomes of scientific projects. Submitting a proposal to a funding agency is only one dimension of a multivariable and complex funding process, and understanding this is a good first step toward unlocking the puzzle behind why some research proposals receive awards while others are declined. The Handbook of Scientific Proposal Writing offers researchers and research administrators a broad perspective on the process of initiating and conducting funded scientific research projects.

    Written for students and researchers in all fields and disciplines, this reference offers a holistic approach to conceiving and then converting new ideas into effective proposals. It focuses on the technical aspects of writing proposals rather than the fund-raising issues. Chapters provide full coverage of the scientific method, including information on how scientific research should be conducted.

    Providing the tools necessary to organize ideas and obtain the funds needed to effectively manage projects, the Handbook of Scientific Proposal Writing includes:

    • 56 figures and 25 tables to help convey key ideas
    • More than 150 citations that provide pointers to additional sources for further reading
    • Examples to help the reader ease through more abstract concepts
    • End-of-chapter questions to stimulate further examination and comprehension

    Scientific research: The fountain of progress
    A brief history and origins of scientific exploration
    What is scientific research?
    What makes a research activity more significant than others?
    The scientific integrity and intellectual merit of a research activity
    The scientific method: Common denominator of all scientific research
    Empirical, experimental, and theoretical research
    Interplay between basic and applied research
    Role of technology in scientific research

    Factors impacting outcomes of proposals
    Intellectual merit: An essential ingredient for all research proposals
    What is the broader impact and why is it important?
    Should every proposal have a "real-world application?"
    When should a research proposal be submitted?
    Calibration of preliminary research ideas
    Is every investigator equally qualified to win funding?
    Using online bibliometric tools for self-assessment of research qualifications
    Collaborating with other researchers

    Building blocks of a winning proposal
    How should a research proposal be organized?
    Proposal summary templates and samples
    Commonly used verbs in proposal summaries
    How to organize and prose an effective introduction
    Research problems and proposed work
    Approach and preliminary results
    Plan of proposed work
    Expected contributions and broader impact
    Qualifications of researchers
    Ten most common mistakes that make proposals fail
    What to do if your proposal is declined

    Getting on with conducting a funded research project
    Assembling a research team
    Carrying out the proposed work
    Reaching research milestones and publicizing results
    Reporting functions
    Working on several research projects at once
    Getting ready for next research proposal

    Promoting research in universities
    Synergy between education and research
    Graduate study and research programs
    Measuring faculty contributions and performance
    Top five mistakes universities should avoid

    Scientific research: A funding agency perspective
    A funding agency model for scientific research
    Proposal solicitation and submission process
    Classification of proposals
    Reviewer selection and panel assignment process
    Proposal review and evaluation process
    Ranking proposals
    Grant management and measuring effectiveness of funding
    Role of program directors in proposal evaluation and funding decisions
    Five mistakes funding agencies should avoid to improve their impact

    Index

    Each chapter includes a Summary, Biographical notes, and Questions

    Biography

    A. Yavuz Oruç¸ received the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the Middle East Technical University in 1976, the M.Sc. degree in electronics from the University of Wales in 1978, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University in 1983. He has done research in computer systems, parallel processing, and interconnection network theory. His more recent research has focused on quantum packet switching, an emerging field of research in quantum information processing. He was the director of the Computer Systems Architecture Program at the US National Science Foundation from 2000 to 2002, and served as a senior advisor to the President of the Scientific Research and Technological Council of Turkey between 2005 and 2008.

    Dr. Oruç has been a full professor at the University of Maryland, College Park since 1995. He previously held faculty positions at RPI and Bilkent University. His research resulted in more than 110 publications in archival journals and conference proceedings, and the supervision of 16 doctoral dissertations and 24 Masters theses. He was an associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems between 2003 and 2007.

    He is the co-inventor of the CodeMill language and programming software for which he received the 2000 Teaching With Technology Award from University of Maryland. Dr. Oruç is also the co-inventor of Whowon, a computer application that provides election results on iPhones.