Before you even start planning your proposal, you need to know what it is that you are proposing.  In many research proposals, this "WHAT" is presented as the "project objective" or the "specific aims".  These statements will tell the reviewing agency exactly what you intend to achieve with your proposed project.

Your project objectives are like an "elevator speech" that summarizes the rest of your proposal.  However, unlike an abstract that should be written last, after all technical content has been generated, your project objectives should be written first.  By clearly definitng the specific aims, or the "WHAT" of your concept, the rest of the proposal will flow from them.

Here's a few tips for generating your "WHAT":

• You can have multiple objectives, but it is best to have one over-arching objective, then create sub-objectives that contribute to the completion of the overall goal
• Be brief.  This is not the place for a detailed description, long list of benefits, images, or technical jargon.  Some solicitations have a 1 page limit for this section, and this is a good rule of thumb for all proposals.
• Be specific.  if you are presenting any claims, state them in a measurable format, such as reducing cost per part by 50%, or improving the speed of a process by 25% over existing methods.  Also be sure to cite all sources of data.
• Address requirements.  If the solicitation includes specific requirements, such as using a specfic technology or tailoring an innovation to a specific demographic, make sure that the objectives reflect these requirements.

By getting a handle on "WHAT" it is you want to propose, the requirements for the rest of your proposal will fall into place, because they will all focus on the things you'll need to get your "WHAT" accomplished.

The Kristoff Group can help you define the answers to these and other questions you may have about the proposal development process.  Over the next few months, I'll be expanding on each of the questions you'll need to answer to determine what information you need to convey in a winning proposal.  Need more help?  Contact me, Sue Kristoff, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 978-549-2019 with your proposal development questions.