Write your proposal and budget

Follow the announcement carefully

Your proposal can be disqualified for something as trivial as having the wrong font size. To be competitive, it is important to follow the instructions in your announcement carefully. In addition to writing the technical part of your proposal, pay close attention to the following when writing your proposal:

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Writing the technical part of your proposal

Workshops

• Every spring, ORSPA sponsors two half-day workshops on the technical aspects of proposal writing. See our Training page or call (480) 965-1016 for more information.
• The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost periodically offers faculty development workshops related to proposal writing.
• The Center for Learning & Teaching Excellence (CLTE) offers grant writing assistance or can help you identify professional grant writers in your field.

Online resources

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Basic Elements of Grant Writing
• Environmental Protection Agency: Grant-Writing Tutorial
  
• The Grantsmanship Center: Winning Grant Proposals Online
  
• James Madison University: Tips on Proposal Development
  
• National Science Foundation: A Guide for Proposal Writing
  
• National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases: How to Write a Grant
  
• The Stephen F. Austin State University: Proposal Writing Tips
  
• University of Michigan: Proposal Writer's Guide
• Books at ASU's libraries by subject
• Books at ASU's libraries by year
• Michigan State University's list of additional links

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Developing the proposal budget

Your budget should be written with the help of your SPO. To get started, fill out one of the budget worksheets found on our ORSPA Forms page.

When developing your budget ideas, keep in mind that they should accurately reflect the efforts that you have stated in your proposal. You will also want to be aware of any requirements (e.g., travel to an annual meeting or cost sharing) or restrictions (e.g., F&A limitations, no foreign travel) that were outlined in the program announcement.

Review the following budget categories that apply to your proposed budget:

• Capital Equipment
• Consultants
• Cost Sharing
• Direct Charging of F&A Costs
• Employee Related Expenses (Fringe Benefits)
• Charging facilities & administrative costs as direct costs
• Faculty/staff salary guidelines
• Lab Animal Rates
• Operations
• Student salaries
• Subcontracts
• Supplemental Pay
• Travel & conference costs
• Tuition & Fees for Scholarships/Fellowships
• Tuition Waivers

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