Major Grant Application submitted

Over the last few weeks I have been very busy trying to complete a major grant application. So busy, in fact, that I just haven’t been able to write any blog posts. But yesterday I submitted it and suddenly I feel very free. Although grant applications are hard to get and the chances of success are not very high, I am happy to have made the first step.

The writing process

Well, I can’t go into detail about what the project is about because I’d rather wait until it’s finally funded. But what I can do is write about the writing process itself. It was not easy, I can tell you that. So it all started with the idea of the project and of course how to adapt to the funding scheme. I wrote the application with a colleague and friend, so we bounced ideas back and forth. Eventually we came up with a good angle and started writing.

Unfortunately, there are restrictions on what you can write and how much you can write. So we had to constantly check that we were staying within the guidelines of the funding agency. This included fonts, font sizes, maximum pages and so on. It was a bit stressful, to be honest, because it puts you in a tight spot. But we managed it in the end.

The constant fear of formal errors

The strange thing was that we were pretty confident about our idea. It sounded (and still sounds) pretty good! But I probably read the proposal, the budget, the timetable and the abstract about 100 times because I was really afraid of making a formal mistake. I recently read a book called “The Grant Writer’s Handbook” and it also mentioned the fact that formal errors can actually make or break your application.

So we were in constant contact with the funding agency, asking them at least 20 questions about what we could and could not do. They were very friendly though and patiently answered all our questions. I also made use of the Research Management Department at my university. They also kindly read the application and gave positive feedback. That was very helpful.

What now?

Well, now we have to wait. I think I will hear back from them by the end of the year, because our proposal now has to be evaluated. After the evaluation, the funding agency will decide whether we are worthy of funding or not. Considering how much effort we put into the application, I hope we are, but I also know that it is up to fate. Everyone puts a lot of effort into their application. At least now I have time to write some blog posts again.

Also, the next application is waiting. As the process is quite unpredictable, I plan to write another application right away. Just to double my chances…

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