Proposal Development
Write the strongest possible proposal.
We help you put together the strongest possible proposal both scientifically and administratively with statisticians, regulatory support, and external review.
Research Development
We help faculty develop competitive, high-quality grant proposals through strategic guidance, team-building, customized resources, research huddles, mock reviews, and refinement of proposal content. Our support spans single-PI proposals to large, complex proposals, including those with federal and non-federal sponsors.
Featured services leveraging our “grant coach” peer support:
- Research huddles: strengthen proposal concepts through an in-person 1-hour session
- Proposal reviews: strengthen full proposal drafts through written feedback and live mock review sessions
We also welcome the opportunity to engage in “big picture” grant strategy conversations and match faculty with funding opportunities. Please contact Dr. Karen Cielo, Director of Research Development, for an initial consultation.
When scheduling a consultation, please provide the following, as applicable:
- Funding opportunity (if known)
- Brief description of project concept or aims
- Proposal support needs
- Interest in a broader grant strategy discussion
Tiers of support
General guidelines
- AHS Research Development focuses on the technical/scientific aspects of the proposals
- It’s best to get in contact as early as possible
- Tiers plus examples of proposal development support are provided below
Tier 1: Early-Stage Strategy
- Personalized consultation—identify/vet funding opportunities, identify potential collaborators, funding strategy
- Strategic feedback on Specific Aims page (e.g., NIH R01), Project Summary (e.g., NSF) and/or short proposal (e.g., NIH R21, DoD pre-proposal)
- Resubmission strategy
Tier 2: Feedback on Proposal Concept and Full Proposals
- Peer feedback on proposal concept through in-person research huddle (ideally, request at least 4 months before due date)
- Review/editing of Specific Aims page for clarity, logic, flow, and as scientist “outside the field”
- Peer feedback on full proposal (e.g., NIH R01; NSF standard grant) + mock review session
- Final draft editing of full proposal or components of longer or more complex proposal (i.e., HRSA, NIH Us/Ps) and feedback on responsiveness to solicitation
Tier 3: Catalyzing large-scale or complex proposals
- Host/facilitate catalyst huddle to develop initial project concept (i.e., ACL, HRSA, NIH Us/Ps)
- Team building
- Facilitate team meetings as needed, especially during development of initial concepts, until a PI takes the lead
- Organize/facilitate internal/external mock review session
Tier 4 Long-term support for large/complex or training proposals
- Work as strategic partner on team, including potentially serving as Co-I
- Provide customized resources
- Set agendas, provide team communication, meeting follow-ups
- Review/edit multiple components/drafts
- Liaise with Grants & Contracts Associates
- Keep team on track and moving towards successful submission
Budgeting consultation
Before the budget becomes a spreadsheet, it’s crucial to understand what your project truly requires to be successful and to know what you can and cannot request funding for and why. Email AHS_Research@uic.edu to schedule a budgeting and budget justification consultation early in the process.
For best results provide the following before your consultation:
- The request for proposals, notice of funding opportunity, etc.
- An aims page or similar document
- An estimate of your sample size, number of participants, etc.
Statistical consultation
Even if you know your way around a general linear model, including a statistician on your study team increases your likelihood of funding success. Ed Wang and Rrita Zejnullahi are dedicated in-house statisticians available to help you with planning, design, analysis and development of analytical strategies. Schedule a consultation.
For best results provide the following before your consultation:
- An overview of the project and research questions
- Current stage of the project (e.g., planning, design, analysis or interpretation of statistical methods)
- What the outcome variable looks like (e.g., continuous, binary, count, nominal or ordinal)
- Any patterns in the data (e.g., repeated measures)
- Any analysis plans already being considered (e.g., two-sample t-test, logistic regression)
Human subjects & clinical trials
There is substantial overlap between the information needed to prepare a successful and comprehensive IRB protocol and the human subjects forms required by sponsors. Contact Sandra Rahbe for assistance or with questions.
For best results provide the following in your email:
- The request for proposals, notice of funding opportunity, etc.
- An aims page or similar document
- A description of your enrollment criteria
- An estimate of your sample size, number of participants, etc.
External grant review
With sufficient advance notice, we can arrange an external NIH-style review of your proposal. Contact Kharma Foucher for more information.
The OVCR Office of Research Development also offers fee-for-service proposal development support through Hanover Research with a two to three weeks lead time.
