Blog: Key tips to building a successful grant proposal

Are you thinking of applying for one of our funding schemes? Do you want to know how to make your application stand out from the rest and how to avoid common mistakes? Pharmacy Research UK (PRUK) are sponsoring an event hosted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) on how to develop a research funding application, on Wednesday 8^th March. The event is designed to help pharmacists who are interested in applying for research funding and who want to know more about how to develop a successful research funding application.

The RPS and PRUK research team will both be available at the event, so it is a great opportunity to get the support you need for your research queries. For more information about the event, see the RPS website.

Here are some top tips on what you need to consider when developing a research grant application:

1. Before getting started, know what you want to research

This sounds obvious, but it is important that you understand what it is you wish to research and what you hope to achieve. Will your research proposal provide any value to the current literature?

2. Ok, I know what I want to research, but where do I go?

Each funder will have their own strategy and objectives, so it is important that you read about the different funding opportunities available to you and which funding body would best fit what it is you are looking to research. If applying to PRUK, we would be more than happy to discuss your ideas so get in touch!

3. Before filling out the application form, read it through first

Many different funders will have variances in the information that they request, but you can expect every funder to request the fundamental questions, being:

• A literature review and background to the topic and research question
• The research hypothesis/rationale
• The aims and objectives of the research
• The method you will use to answer the question
• The expected outputs from the research; what you hope to achieve and what the next steps will be

4. Start talking to peers early on about your research idea and your plans to submit a proposal

Collaboration and networking with your colleagues, peers and supervisors is an integral part of being a researcher, so start early. The RPS offers Research Advice Surgeries on a monthly basis for members who are planning to submit an application for research funding. You can sign up to these events via the RPS events page.

5. Plan out your proposal

When you start to complete your proposal, write a draft for each of the sections required in the application form. It is best to start focusing on the proposal itself and make sure you include all the information that is needed.

6. Review and refine

Speak to your peers and ask them to read through the completed draft of your application and provide feedback on any potential areas of improvement. This is your opportunity to look through your proposal and make sure that you have clearly justified the importance of the research area, addressed the questions in the application form and any potential shortcomings that might be raised by the Panel.

Further support

For one-to-one support on your grant proposal join us in March for our 1 day Developing a Successful Research Funding Application workshop’.

For general tips and advice on how to develop an application, check out the presentation that PRUK gave on how to develop a BOPA-PRUK application

By Ardeshier Mofidi – Research Manager, Pharmacy Research UK. For further information, please contact practice.research@rpharms.com where a member of the PRUK team will respond.