Tips for
Writing Successful Grant Proposals
The MAA supported Grant Writing Workshops at section meetings in 2000
and 2001. The original presentations were prepared by Tina Straley and
Bill Haver. A revised presentation was written in May 2003 by Dennis
Davenport.
There are three presentations
available for you to view:
MAA
Section Grant Writing Presentation (the original version used
in 2001-02)
What
Makes a Good Proposal? (based on materials prepared by
Elizabeth Teles and Lee Zia of NSF's Division of Undergraduate
Education)
NSF
Funding Opportunities (originally prepared by Dennis Davenport
while serving as a program officer in NSF's Division of Undergraduate
Education)
For further information about these
presentations, or to explore the possibility of hosting a grant writing
workshop, contact Michael Pearson,
MAA Director of Programs and Services.
Of course there is a lot more information available about NSF programs
online at http://www.nsf.gov,
but NSF is not the only source of funding for projects in the
mathematical sciences. Various other federal agencies (e.g. National
Security Agency, Department of Education, Department of Defense)
provide at least some funds for mathematics and/or mathematical
education, as do a large number of private foundations. Private
foundations may limit grants to specific geographical regions, and it
is important to find a funding program/institute whose goals are
compatible with your project. If your institution has a sponsored
programs office, take advantage of the expertise and knowledge there to
identify appropriate funding sources.
Here are some additional links with
information on preparing grant proposals:
From the Corporation for Public Broadcasting: http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html
From Non-Profit Guides: http://www.npguides.org/
From the National Institutes of Health: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/grant_tips.htm
From NSF and Sinclair Community College: Managing for Success: The Insider's Guide to NSF Project Management