Karen probably knows of differences in requirements and tricks for
different agencies.  Here are my ideas based on experience with an NIH
construction grant:

Attend, or get all handouts from, any agency-sponsored technical workshop
for the specific grant program.  Talk to others so you know as much about
unwritten agency expectations as published guidelines.

If there are narrative sections of the application that offer the chance
to be creative, take advantage.  And do it very well.  We were lucky
enough to enlist a senior faculty member to help and his excellent writing
and ability to make the rationale gorgeously thematic may have
distinguished our application from others and increased the appeal.

If the construction is related to research support, make sure that you
convince people that the grant will do MUCH more than let you continue to
do the great stuff you already do, and more than just expand to do more of
the great stuff.  Try to show how the construction will let specific
researchers go in NEW directions, open brand new opportunities for your
faculty/school, make a paradigm shift in how things get done.  Some of
this gets hinted at in the sq ft before/sq ft after tables.  But you
should go way beyond that.

Give yourself a LOT of time at the end to assemble and proof all the stuff
you need to send.  If you need stuff done by lawyers, make sure you have
it all in hand well before the deadline.

Charlie

> We are looking at submitting a proposal for a federal construction
grant.  I'd appreciate any advice anyone could give who may be more
familiar with this process (i.e. hints, suggestions, pitfalls to avoid,
lessons learned, etc.).
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Deb
>
>
>
> Debbie Newton
>
> Associate Director
>
> Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
>
> The University of Tulsa
>
> 600 S College Avenue
>
> Tulsa, OK  74104
>
> Phone:  (918) 631-2192
>
> Fax:  (918) 631-2073
>
> E-mail:  xxxxxx@utulsa.edu
>
>
>
>
>
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