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CHAPTER 2
Selecting and Prioritizing Projects
The first step in preparing a grant proposal is deciding what work is to be done. Most of us have a pretty good idea of what work is required to help advance our fields. Teachers and extension educators may be quite interested in applying modern electronic technologies, such as computers and satellite communications, to specific problems in education. Most research professionals have little trouble identifying their research frontiers. We are usually more concerned with selecting and prioritizing from a large number of quite obvious educational and research goals than we are with generating ideas for work. Nonetheless, there are times we could find ourselves looking for ideas for competitive grant proposals.
We may be redirecting our research effort to a new area. We might be trying to form an interdisciplinary research project. Every now and then our own well-spring of ideas might run dry.
Some books on grant writing suggest that at those times we turn to the tried and true technique of brainstorming. Convene a small panel of colleagues, students, and co-workers, lay out the problem to the group, and begin a process of writing down all the ideas that come to mind.
The key to successful brainstorming sessions is that we do not discuss or evalute the ideas as they emerge. Just write them down. The beauty of a group process is that very often a sort of "collective genius" develops from the interactions of several different personalities. The success of a brainstorming session can be measured by the number of ways an idea is modified, reshaped or refined.
We want to take care to avoid inhibiting the free flow and expression of ideas. Some groups appoint a recorder to make sure everything gets written down, and they appoint a facilitator to help keep the process moving. Be sure to avoid judgmental comments that would stifle the process.
The goal of the brainstorming session is to create a list of ideas. When this is successful, we can move forward with the next step—selecting and prioritizing.
Selecting and prioritizing requires a bit of thought, because some projects are simply not fundable. Unfundable projects may have nothing to do with how interesting they are, or how capable the proposer.
Out-of-date research generally is not fundable. Outrageously expensive research may not be fundable. Trivial activities rarely attract funds.
If an agency already has granted funds for another individual or group to do the work in our proposal, it is unlikely that more money will be invested in that area. Work on a problem outside our region may not be funded.
For example, did you ever try to get a grant from the Nebraska Viticulture and Oenology Board or the Western Iowa Cotton Board (which could feature the catchy slogan: Eat More Cotton!)? There's a reason you can't.
Fundability relates to the needs of granting agencies. If our projects do not meet the needs of a granting agency, they will not be funded.
We will return to this theme from other perspectives because this is a fundamental aspect of planning competitive grant proposals.
We all need to select and prioritize our potential projects with a coldly analytical eye. There is nothing to be gained by planning, writing and submitting grant proposals that are unfundable because they do not address the needs of any granting agency.
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