At a May 2006 Association for Psychological Science meeting, officials from granting agencies gave attendees a variety of tips intended to motivate them into writing better grant applications, more frequently.

All the panelists agreed on several common points–namely, that the best research is irresistible to the funding agency, and that it must grab its officers and review committee.

To that end, says Robert Levenson of UC Berkeley, author of Writing Grants for a Positive Outcome, it’s not simply enough to be solid and correct in one’s scientific approach. The PI must write the grant application in a way that shows that his or her approach is unique and special, and motivates the agency to want to discover the answer to the question posed. He suggests not merely “filling in the cracks” of previous research, but writing a “one-page masterpiece” in the section of the grant application that asks for the specific aims of the research. Define the problem succinctly and without scientific jargon, describing what is known and unknown, and clearly stating how this particular research can answer a previously unknown question.

Jane Steinberg of the NIMH agrees, suggesting that when it comes to her agency, marketing the idea is often a good strategy. She suggests pinpointing the grant officer for the particular program and setting up a telephone conference in which the PI has prepared a two-to-three-sentence statement of the proposed research; during the appointment, ask if the proposed research fits in with the agency’s and program’s aims. She also reminds those who take this approach to take good notes during the conversation so that they could be reviewed later.

Steinberg also reminds investigators that there are often alternate funding sources for their research that should never be ignored. Investigate the funders in your area of research, and be prepared to submit to others as well.

Finally, Morton Ann Gernsbacher of the University of Wisconsin advised those present to be aware of private sector and foundational funding as well, not only by visiting their university’s foundational support office, but by using the internet to research the sources. She also pointed out that a viable way of finding foundational support was to read research by one’s colleagues, and see where their support came from.

The overall message of the session? Make sure your work is always top quality and that it involves the best and brightest people. With hard work and some forethought, funding success is always around the corner.