Finally, a subject I have some experience with!

There are those individuals who are quite grandiose in their proposals, as
to what they will accomplish and/or with the funds that they request.
 Often, a lack of research clarity and lack of budget documentation is what
heads the proposals to the NO WAY pile.

I am as honest as possible.  There are ways to be tactful, helpful and
informative without being brutal.   Often these researchers want to learn,
but don't know where to turn.  As far as rewriting the proposal, no we
don't.  We will offer editing help, and suggestions for improving the
proposal.  I tell them how I think the proposal can be improved, and then I
suggest that they involve others from their department in the proposal
preparation.  A little ego stroking does wonders.  I  tell them that it's
not an easy process, but once you accomplish one, you get the hang of it and
the next submission is that much easier.

Discourage them?  No way.  Several funded proposals have come from way-out
sketches of proposals.

There are those, too, who seem to suffer from tunnel vision and will not
accept your suggestions, seeing them as criticism.  We don't stop them from
applying.  Nor do we waste our breath on trying to fix their applications.
 What they reap, they also sow.

I haven't any experience with those headed to an unlikely source of funding.
 For goodness sake, if I thought they were, I'd say so.  I would also
research other potential funding sources for them.  I believe that my job is
to support their research as best I can.

Jayne

 ----------
From: Research Administration Discussion Group
To: Multiple recipients of list RESADM-L
Subject: unfundable proposals
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 1996 9:38AM

A philosophical query: what do you do when a faculty/staff person brings you
a
proposal which you are virtually certain will not be funded?  Maybe it's a
not-very-good proposal headed for stiff competition, maybe it's a good
proposal
headed for the wrong place, maybe it's an okay proposal a year or two behind
its time.

In any case, how honest are you with the writer?  Do you propose
alterations,
maybe offer to edit/rewrite yourself?  Do you offer to search for other,
more
likely, sources of funding?  How do you avoid causing terminal
discouragement?

Bill Campbell
Director, Grants & Research
University of Wisconsin-River Falls