# Writing Principles for Competitive Proposals

Framing, specificity, reviewer psychology, and readability — the practices that separate
funded proposals from merely competent ones.

## Writing Principles for Competitive Proposals

### Clarity and Accessibility

**Write for Multiple Audiences**:
- Technical reviewers in your field (will scrutinize methods)
- Reviewers in related but not identical fields (need context)
- Program officers (look for alignment with agency goals)
- Panel members reading 15+ proposals (need clear organization)

**Strategies**:
- Use clear section headings and subheadings
- Start sections with overview paragraphs
- Define technical terms and abbreviations
- Use figures, diagrams, and tables to clarify complex ideas
- Avoid jargon when possible; explain when necessary
- Use topic sentences to guide readers

### Persuasive Argumentation

**Build a Compelling Narrative**:
- Establish the problem and its importance
- Show gaps in current knowledge or approaches
- Present your solution as innovative and feasible
- Demonstrate that you're the right team
- Show that success will have significant impact

**Structure of Persuasion**:
1. **Hook**: Capture attention with significance
2. **Problem**: Establish what's not known or not working
3. **Solution**: Present your innovative approach
4. **Evidence**: Support with preliminary data
5. **Impact**: Show transformative potential
6. **Team**: Demonstrate capability to deliver

**Language Choices**:
- Use active voice for clarity and confidence
- Choose strong verbs (investigate, elucidate, discover vs. look at, study)
- Be confident but not arrogant (avoid "obviously," "clearly")
- Acknowledge uncertainty appropriately
- Use precise language (avoid vague terms like "several," "various")

### Visual Communication

**Effective Use of Figures**:
- Conceptual diagrams showing research framework
- Preliminary data demonstrating feasibility
- Timelines and Gantt charts
- Workflow diagrams showing methodology
- Expected results or predictions

**Design Principles**:
- Make figures self-explanatory with complete captions
- Use consistent color schemes and fonts
- Ensure readability (large enough fonts, clear labels)
- Integrate figures with text (refer to specific figures)
- Follow agency-specific formatting requirements

### Addressing Risk and Feasibility

**Balance Innovation and Risk**:
- Acknowledge potential challenges
- Provide alternative approaches
- Show preliminary data reducing risk
- Demonstrate expertise to handle challenges
- Include contingency plans

**Common Concerns**:
- Too ambitious for timeline/budget
- Technically infeasible
- Team lacks necessary expertise
- Preliminary data insufficient
- Methods not adequately described
- Lack of innovation or significance

### Integration and Coherence

**Ensure All Parts Align**:
- Budget supports activities in project description
- Timeline matches aims and milestones
- Team composition matches required expertise
- Broader impacts connect to research plan
- Letters of support confirm stated collaborations

**Avoid Contradictions**:
- Preliminary data vs. stated gaps
- Claimed expertise vs. publication record
- Stated aims vs. actual methods
- Budget vs. stated activities