Numbers Game

When writing grant proposals you must keep in mind that for the most part it is a numbers game. The Funding Agency provides you with a set criteria that has an associated numeric value that they attribute to your application. As a reviewer for several state and federal funding agencies, my role is to assess the application and assign a number to each section based on the stated criteria.

My most recent assignment was with the USDA. We had preproposals and full proposals to review. I had over 60 preproposals in the first section to read. The staff at the agency did an initial administrative review that knocked out almost 30 applications - mostly for incomplete or late submissions. Of the 60 preproposals that we reviewed we allowed just over half to move on to the full proposal process. This process was completely tied to the numbers assigned by all of the reviewers to these applications.

The lesson here is to pay very close attention to how you respond to the criteria in each section. Make sure that the reviewer will easily find the necessary information. This will allow them to give you the points you need to move forward in this process.