Large Proposal Support

RDS can assist with idea development and proposal planning and/or project management throughout the proposal development process. Specific assistance might include a combination of the following:

Positioning and Capture Planning

• Explore­ and analyze potential funding opportunities
• Internal and external capability assessments
• Organize workshops or brainstorming sessions with faculty
• Support engagement with funding agency representatives

Proposal Process Coordination

• Solicitation analysis and advice on agency requirements
• Proposal development planning (checklists, outlines, schedule, responsibilities, assignments)
• Coordinate consultant support
• Facilitate proposal team meetings to clarify project goals and implementation plans
• Coordinate with partner institutions/entities
• Assistance with the visual appeal of the proposal (graphics, fonts, white-space, etc.)

Assistance with Non-Scientific Documents

• Provide agency specific templates and guidance
• Assist with gathering and collecting university information and data for required documents
• Document collection, coordination, and compliance check
• Documents include but not limited to Biosketches, Current and Pending, Conflict of Interest, Letters of Support, etc.

Proposal Writing and Editing

• Structure proposal outline as a writing guide
• Provide customized templates and samples of key documents
• Provide suggestions to increase the power and clarity of the key messages/themes
• Edit and format for consistency across multiple sections and authors for voice, grammar, stylistic elements, clarity, cohesiveness, and overall effect
• Condense text and eliminate redundancies
• Finalize/polish final documents
• Graphics support (free with VPR’s approval)

Internal Proposal Review

• Provide comments on the focus, organization, and development of preliminary drafts
• Provide comments on clarity of significance, innovation, and potential impact of proposed work
• Provide comments for compliance with review criteria, funder mission and guidelines, and past reviewer comments (if available)

Proposal Review

• Organize and facilitate internal proposal reviews by RDS staff
• Red Team Review: Identifying and coordinating external review of well developed drafts. (Free with VPR’s approval)
• Note: the proposal must be reviewed internally for cost justification of the use of externally paid reviewers