Develop a Proposal Narrative

If you are planning to apply for a grant or non-construction contract, please contact the OSP staff as soon as possible and provide the name of the sponsor and specific program for which you plan to apply.

The proposal narrative is the main body of an application that describes the project. Please find below guidance, resources, and tools that are recommended for you to use when developing the narrative for your proposal:

Review List of things to check before deciding to apply for an externally funded program

Submission deadline – make sure you have enough time to meet the deadline
Sponsor’s review criteria- be sure your project responds adequately to review criteria
Sponsor’s Goals - be sure your project goals align with those of the sponsor
Eligibility Criteria – make sure Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) or non-profit entities are eligible to apply. If an applicant must have 501(c)(3) status, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement to discuss the possibility of submitting your application.

Review a successful/previously funded proposal

The OSP staff can be contacted to assist with locating a previously funded proposal in the GRC Proposal Library, via online searches, and/or requesting a proposal through the Freedom of Information Act. This will allow you to see what a successful proposal looks like and adjust your submission accordingly.

Utilize samples and boiler plates

Sample Impact Statement

Description of A&M-Commerce for Introductions

LeoTeach Description

BioPride Description

Honor’s College Description

McNair Program Description

Know where to locate data

A&M-Commerce and System Wide Data (students, faculty, facilities, and equipment inventory)

Departmental Data Viewer

TAMUS Empower U

Maestro Inventory – contact OSP

Census Data

Community College and School District Data from Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

Community College Enrollment - THECB

Reports -THECB

Currently Funded Grants

Consider including collaborators

Find a collaborator within the A&M System using Maestro
Find an external or internal collaborator using Pivot
Contact OSP staff for assistance with locating collaborator:
- Within the A&M System using Maestro
- From Other Universities or A&M-Commerce using Pivot

Utilize the external review services available through ORSP

External reviewers are grant writers and editors who will review your proposal and provide technical edits, as well as, questions and comments where further clarification is needed. An external review usually takes 3-5 days, but can take up to 2 weeks during a busy season. It is a service provided through the OSP. External reviews are available upon request.

Write to the review criteria of your sponsor

Check if your sponsor provides the criteria that will be used to determine what is awarded. Most federal or State programs will provide review criteria, while private foundations will imply review criteria through their mission statement.

National Institutes of Health

National Science Foundation

Department of Education

Department of Energy

National Endowment for the Humanities

Review any of the applicable guidance below for writing a proposal narrative

NIH’s Writing Your Application

NSF’s A Guide for Proposal Writing

GRC’s Resources for Scientific Research Writing
(please request the GRC log on information from OSP)

Basic Elements of Grant Writing
(Corporation of Public Broadcasting)

The Foundation Center's Short Course on Proposal Writing

EPA General Tips on Writing a Competitive Grant Proposal