Proposals, Project Description

The prioritization of the improvement actions is the final results of the SCOR-projects which is not aiming at a detailed project description including cost effectiveness studies and project plans but at short cut evaluations and project proposals. 

The Project Description is typically divided into three main sections (table 11.3). The first main section introduces project goals and importance (chapter 12). The second section describes the experimental approach (chapter 13). The third section summarizes project outcomes and impacts (chapter 14). Each main section (and corresponding chapter) is organized by moves. The major moves are listed in table 11.3, along with headings that authors commonly use in their proposals to signal these moves. (Note For instructional purposes, we have reformatted the headings in proposal excerpts included in this module to conform to style 1, as depicted in table 11.3.)... 

Difference(s) between a research proposal and a Project Description... 

Excerpt flD, from the REP for the NSF Collaborative Research in Chemistry (CRC) Grant, begins with a description of the program, which identifies the purpose of the grant and eligibility requirements. That description is followed by Full Proposal Instructions, which provide step-by-step guidance for writing three major divisions of the proposal Project Summary, Project Description, and References Cited. Read excerpt IID and answer questions a-h. 

Project Description. A total of twenty (20) pages, including Results from Prior Support, Modes of Collaboration and Education, and Management Plan. CRC proposals are likely to be read by non-specialists at some stage of the review process. It is, therefore, particularly important that they be written to emphasize the impact of the projects on the chemical sciences in a broad context. 

Excerpt HE is from the National Cancer Institute s Quick Guide for Grant Applications. It is not an RFP but rather a tool for helping investigators prepare a proposal. We include (1) parts of a section that outline the typical components of a proposal and (2) parts of another section that describe the contents of a Project Description (referred to as a Research Plan ). Read over the excerpt and answer these questions ... 

This chapter focuses on writing the first section of the Project Description. The central purposes of this section are to identify project goals and objectives, highlight the importance of the research, provide relevant background information, and introduce the proposed research. By the end of this chapter, you should be able to do the following ... 

Many, but not all. Project Descriptions begin with a short overview of project goals and objectives. Some Requests for Proposals (RFPs) require this explicitly, but many Project Descriptions start this way even if not required (e.g., 16 of the 22 CAREER proposals cited in this textbook begin by stating the goals and objectives of the proposed work). The purpose of this move is to highlight expected... 

Let s examine this move in authentic proposals. In most proposals, the first sentence, immediately after the major division title (e.g.. Project Description), states the overall goal of the proposed research (e.g., The goal of this proposed research is to... ). Words like long-term, overarching, ultimate, or overall often precede the word goal, to denote that the goal is broad in scope and may take several years... 

Move 2 represents the true beginning of the Project Description. It is here where authors establish importance, the unifying theme of the move. Each submove in move 2, in some way, contributes to this theme. Establishing importance is crucial to a successful proposal. Projects that are trivial or inconsequential are unlikely to be funded. It is not enough to say, This project is important. Rather, you must offer compelling reasons why it is important. 

All good proposals must come to an end. In this chapter, we examine conventional ways in which authors summarize and conclude their Project Descriptions. We consider project timelines, lists of expected outcomes, and statements of broader impacts. By the end of this chapter, you should be able to... 

The move structure for the Outcomes and Impacts section of the Project Description is shown in hgure 14.1. The hrst two moves summarize the proposed work by highlighting expected achievements. Typically, no new information is provided in these moves rather, their purpose is to summarize deliverables or tangible accomplishments that will result from the work. Examples include the delivery of a more efficient synthesis, an improved analytical procedure, or a novel application of an instrument. Deliverables also include the dissemination of Endings through conference presentations, publications, and patents, allowing the larger scientific community to learn about your work. 

In addition to a timeline, a second way to summarize anticipated accomplishments is to list your expected outcomes. Expected outcomes are measurable achievements that link back to the measurable objectives listed at the start of the proposal. Recall that the Project Description often starts out with a list of specific, achievable, and measurable (SAM) objectives. Timelines attest to the achievability of the objectives outcomes attest to their measurability. 

The Project Summary is the first of three major divisions of the proposal Project Summary, Project Description, References Cited. 

The Project Summary is not the same as a journal article abstract (chapter 7) or a conference abstract (chapter 8), even though the Project Summary is sometimes called an abstract. The Project Summary summarizes work that has yet to be done and is written for a scientific audience. The journal article abstract summarizes work that has already been done and is written for an expert audience. The conference abstract describes work in progress and is written for a scientific audience. Because the Project Summary reiterates the major aspects of the proposed work, it is written last, after the Projection Description has been completed. For that reason, this chapter comes last in the research proposal module. 

Combine the two major sections of the proposal the Project Summary and the Project Description. 

In most proposals, references are placed in a separate section and do not count against the page limit for the Project Description section. 

The key to the process is to understand the system that is being proposed. It is good practice for the auditor to spend time reviewing the User Requirement Specification and the system descriptions and understanding of what software categories exist for the proposed system. This should be followed up, with the postal audit checklist. This will also provide valuable information to enable the auditor to plan the audit. Available information should be used to customize the audit checklist to address the specific issues that are relevant to both the supplier and proposed project. Consider, for example, a system that includes hardware and software, where some of the software is custom, other parts are configurable and yet others are part of a standard package. The auditor will need to establish how each part of the system will be developed, and how the build phase will be controlled. There may even be more than one supplier. The auditor would need to split up the main elements and examine how each part of the system will be built. 

Concept Phase. During the concept phase of the life cycle, overall project goals and objectives are identified and developed. Project descriptions, design requirements, and expected end results are also formulated. In effect, the concept phase establishes a project roadmap to provide direction and purpose to the proposed project. A loosely translated Chinese proverb provides a very good justification for the elements of the concept phase if you don t know where you are going, any road will take you there A properly executed concept phase will not only identify the project destination but also keep it on the desired track through completion. 

Furthermore, the site visit and the information obtained therein can be employed as a basis for a design-project in which the students can put in practice what they have learned in the module. The work can include, for instance, a description of the proposed project (that can be the same as or different from the real one), a description and characterization of the geological materials in one specific formation (for instance, the Black Schist formation presented in Fig. 2), and a selection ofthe tunnel excavation method and design of the support system for the tunnel length located within such formation. 

Client, owner, and customer-oriented project descriptions, SOQs, proposals, and interviews Consultant-oriented project descriptions, SOQs, proposals, and interviews... 

REACH Implementation Project. REACH Proposal Process Description June 2004. 

Several features are worth noting In excerpt 11 A. First, consider the Proposal Instructions. In addition to a title, the Instructions ask for (In no more than two pages) a statement of project objectives, a summary of previous work, a description of the proposed work, and an explanation of why the work Is relevant. These four Items typify the content requested In most proposals. Second, consider the proposal Itself. What writing components did you notice as you read the excerpt Below we highlight some of the components that are addressed in this module. Additional features are highlighted in exercises 11.2-11.8. 

Project Summary. In one page or less, write a summary, suitable for publication, of proposed activities. It should not be an abstract of the proposal but rather a self-contained description of the proposed work. The summary should be written in the third person and include descriptions of (i) the goals and objectives of the project, (2) the importance of the project, (3) the proposed methods, and (4) the broader impacts of the work, it should be written for a scientifically literate reader, but not necessarily an individual in your field or discipline. 

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