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Tips on applying to the:
As you write your Research and Education Grant ...
1. Make sure SARE is the right granting organization
for your project. Review the proposal guidelines, priority areas and evaluation
criteria in the Call for Proposals. Every year we receive a number
of well-written, well-designed proposals that don't clearly address SARE's unique goals
and criteria. If you have questions about the program, please call us at 402-472-7081 or e-mail us.
2. Learn about the Research and
Education Grant Program.
3. Approach the project from a holistic perspective.
All SARE projects must show evidence of systems-level thinking, which might include
landscape, watershed, whole-farm or farming systems.
4. Involve farmers early and in meaningful ways. The strongest proposals
clearly demonstrate that the project will be relevant to producers, providing practical
answers to their questions. The best way to accomplish this goal is to involve farmers and
ranchers in the planning, design and implementation of the project.
5. Collaborate. SARE encourages projects that examine multiple issues
simultaneously. To be successful, such projects must involve a variety of disciplines and
professions, including participants from diverse institutions, agencies, and/or
organizations.
6. Be sure to add a detailed plan for outreach.
It's imperative that each project communicate its results to the appropriate audiences to
help further research, education, and implementation of sustainable agriculture.
7. Look beyond state lines, both in terms of direct project participants and
outreach audience. SARE is a regional program. Your project stands a better
chance if it addresses issues in a way that's relevant to several states and builds on the
expertise and knowledge available regionally.
8. Include an assessment plan. Each proposed
project should describe expected outcomes, a timeline for achieving them, and evaluative
criteria to determine the project's impact.
9. Keep the writing simple. Proposals with clear objectives and methods
are generally the most successful.
10. Help reviewers understand the importance of your project. Don't
assume reviewers are intimately familiar with the issues your proposal addresses. The Technical Committee is composed of farmers and experts in a variety
of disciplines from around the 12-state region.
11. Avoid Jargon. And be sure to spell out the full names of any acronyms
so reviewers know what you're talking about.
12. Make sure the methods and team are appropriate to accomplish your goals.
If the project involves experimentation, are plot sizes, replications, and controls
adequate to provide meaningful information? Make sure the proposal also shows that team
has both the background and hands-on expertise to carry out the project.
13. Leave enough time to have someone else proof-read your proposal. A
fresh set of eyes can help you identify sections that are unclear and find typographical
errors that you might not otherwise catch.
14. Follow Directions. Every year, proposals are disqualified prior to
review because the writer failed to follow general format directions regarding the number
of pages, appendices, fonts, spacing, etc. Additionally, proposals are ranked lower when
writers fail to follow instructions regarding the content to be provided in the different
sections.
As
you write your PDP Grant
1. Make sure SARE is the right granting organization
for your project. Take a few moments to review the proposal guidelines, priority
areas and evaluation criteria in the Call for Proposals. Every year
we receive a number of well-written, well-designed proposals that don't clearly address
SARE's unique goals and criteria. If you have questions about the program, please call PDP
Coordinator Paula Ford at 785-532-5328 or send her
e-mail.
2. Learn about the Professional
Development Program (PDP).
3. Approach the project from a holistic perspective.
All SARE projects must show evidence of systems-level thinking, which might include
landscape, watershed, whole-farm or farming systems.
4. Involve farmers early and in meaningful ways. The strongest proposals
clearly demonstrate that the project will be relevant to producers, providing practical
answers to their questions. The best way to accomplish this goal is to involve farmers and
ranchers in the planning, design and implementation of the project.
5. Collaborate. SARE encourages projects that examine multiple issues
simultaneously. To be successful, such projects must involve a variety of disciplines and
professions, including participants from diverse institutions, agencies, and/or
organizations.
6. Be innovative with education methods.
Projects which have creative educational components, such as performance-based outcomes,
experiential learning or professional development networks are highly encouraged.
7. Look beyond state lines, both in terms of direct project participants and
outreach audience. SARE is a regional program. Your project stands a better
chance if it addresses issues in a way that's relevant to several states and builds on the
expertise and knowledge available regionally.
8. Include an assessment plan. Each proposed
project should describe expected outcomes, a timeline for achieving them, and evaluative
criteria to determine the project's impact.
9. Keep the writing simple. Proposals with clear objectives and methods
are generally the most successful.
10. Help reviewers understand the importance of your project. Don't
assume reviewers are intimately familiar with the issues your proposal addresses.
11. Avoid Jargon. And be sure to spell out the full names of any acronyms
so reviewers know what you're talking about.
12. Make sure the methods and team are appropriate to accomplish your goals.
Make sure the proposal shows that team has both the background and hands-on expertise to
carry out the project.
13. Leave enough time to have someone else proof-read your proposal. A
fresh set of eyes can help you identify sections that are unclear and find typographical
errors that you might not otherwise catch.
14. Follow Directions. Every year, proposals are disqualified prior to
review because the writer failed to follow general format directions regarding the number
of pages, appendices, fonts, spacing, etc. Additionally, proposals are ranked lower when
writers fail to follow instructions regarding the content to be provided in the different
sections.
As
you write your Farmer Rancher Grant
1. Make sure SARE is the right
granting organization for your project. Take a few moments
to review the proposal guidelines and evaluation criteria in the Call
for Proposals. Every year we receive a number of well-written,
well-designed proposals that don't clearly address SARE's unique goals
and criteria. If you have questions about the program, please call
Joan Benjamin, our producer liaison, at (402) 472-0809 or e-mail
her
2. Learn about the Farmer
Rancher Grant Program
3. Approach the project from a holistic perspective.
All SARE projects must show evidence of farm/ranch systems-level thinking.
4. Involve other groups and people. The strongest proposals clearly
demonstrate that the project will be planned and carried out by a variety of individuals or
organizations. Many past successful grants have involved Extension Service personnel,
agricultural group leaders or participants, Natural Resources Conservation Service
personnel, other farmers or ranchers, and/or others in your community.
5. Be sure to add a detailed plan for
outreach. It's imperative that each project communicate its
results to other farmers, agricultural educators, or other appropriate
audiences to help further research, education, and implementation
of sustainable agriculture.
6. Look beyond state lines, both in terms of direct project participants and
outreach audience. SARE is a regional program. Your project stands a better
chance if it addresses issues in a way that's relevant to several states and builds on the
expertise and knowledge available regionally.
7. Keep the writing simple. Proposals with clear objectives and methods
are generally the most successful.
8. Leave enough time to have someone else proof-read your proposal. A
fresh set of eyes can help you identify sections that are unclear and find typographical
errors that you might not otherwise catch.
9. Follow Directions. Every year, proposals are disqualified prior to
review because the writer failed to follow general format directions regarding the number
of pages, appendices, fonts, spacing, etc. Additionally, proposals are ranked lower when
writers fail to follow instructions regarding the content to be provided in the different
sections.
Resources for Writing a Grant Proposal
How to Write a Winning Proposal
http://www.sare.org/grants/howto.htm
Developing and Writing Grant Proposals
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show
Conducting an Information Search on Your Research Proposal
Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), 2007
http://ofrf.org/grants/information_search_guide.html
How to Write a SARE Farmer Grant Application
by David Holm, Helen Husher, and Dale Riggs
Northeast Region SARE
http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/farmerhowto.pdf (PDF|233 KB)
NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Program Tips Sheet
North Central Region SARE
http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/documents/FR_tipsheet_2006.pdf (PDF|95 KB)
Research & Education Grants. Professional Development Grants
Northeast SARE
http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/applicantguide.pdf (PDF|20 KB)
Outcome Measurement and Grant Writing
by Murari Suvedi and Ben Bartlett
Michigan State University
http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/PDP/evaluationss.pdf (PDF|116 kb)
Proposal Writing Short Course
The Foundation Center
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html
Putting Together a Grant Proposal: A Follow Up Activity of Ensuring the South's Farm and Forestland Protection Workshops
Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, sample proposal
http://www.kerrcenter.com/train_trainer.pdf (PDF|81 KB)
Successful Grants Video
Western Region SARE, Utah State University, 2007
http://wsare.usu.edu/grants/index.cfm?sub=wsv2
Tips for Applying for SARE Grants
North Central Region SARE
http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/tips.htm
Tips on Writing a Competitive Grant Proposal
Western Region SARE
http://wsare.usu.edu/grants/docs/WritingTips.pdf (PDF|73 KB)
Why Did We Pick Them?
Examples of winning proposals and explanations of why they were selected.
Southern Region SARE
http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/winners.htm
“Writing a Strong Application”
In: Partnership Grants (page 7)
Northeast Region SARE
http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/07part.pdf (PDF|109 KB)
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