Lead scientists are responsible for writing project plans for their prospective research in accordance with the peer review schedule designated for their primary national program.  They must create a plan that displays scientific merit, creativity, and excellence.  Success in writing a plan depends on attention to production of a clear, understandable, and logical flow through the written document.  The project plan should be a seamless and clear presentation of the work to be undertaken.

Well-crafted project plans cannot be prepared overnight.  They must be clear, thoughtful narratives that convey the objectives and experimental plans for the work in a way that showcases the unique expertise of the project team.  Preparation of plans is a team effort that requires care and attention equal to that needed to write peer-reviewed manuscripts or competitive research proposals.

The following checklist is intended as a guide in the development of a project plan. Additional information may be found at www.ars.usda.gov/osqr.

General preparation:

• Read the Handbook.
• Attend Web-based training provided by the Office of Scientific Quality Review (OSQR) for your National Program.  You will receive information about this shortly after receipt of your Program Direction and Resource Allocation Memo (PDRAM).
• See the OSQR Web site www.ars.usda.gov/osqrfor additional resources.

Preliminary Planning After Receiving the PDRAM:

• Prepare the Project Plan Outline (PPO) with instructions and due date provided by the National Program Staff (NPS).
• Note deadlines and allow sufficient time for thorough internal review and revision.
• Update Conflict of Interest lists.
• Confirm collaborations with current or potential collaborators. The body of your plan (in Approach and Procedures) will need to show how these fit into the work and a letter confirming their role and commitment will need to be appended to the final plan. Where appropriate a Memorandum of Understanding or Specific Cooperation Agreement may be provided in place of a letter to document the collaboration.

Project Plan Development:

This process should begin with discussion about the PDRAM, but no later than after its receipt.  It is important that the plan present a clear path through the research that documents the contributions of the team and collaborators. The Project Plan Outline (PPO) is intended to be an essential first step in the preparation of a plan. A well-prepared PPO captures the overall direction and approach for a plan and serves as an outline for the Project Plan. Once the PPO is approved, it can then be used to prepare the final Project Plan. As you do this, please keep the following issues in mind.

• Prepare the project plan, building upon and adding detail (“fleshing out”) to what is outlined in the PPO. Send your draft plan to colleagues for informal review. Plan to have a draft plan several weeks early to allow time for review by colleagues, associates, and line management; and to provide sufficient opportunity for revision.
• Provide plan to line management in sufficient time for their review and sign-off. Areas will provide deadlines for accomplishing this and to allow for revisions that may be requested.
• Thoroughly proofread plans. The most frequent problems with low-scoring plans relates to lack of clarity, poor, or awkward writing. Allow time to assure that your plan presents a clear and readily understood path.

Internal/Informal Peer Review: Examine your plan for clarity of presentation and seek review by others to assure that it is a clear, easily understood, presentation.The most successful project plans are those that have been examined by others, both inside and outside the Agency prior to submission.

Review of the project plan by colleagues helps to ensure the plan is clearly written, experiments are adequately described, and state-of-the-art approaches and techniques are proposed. Panel members often cite project plans written by multiple scientists as lacking a “seamless” approach. If necessary, you may alter the general format of the plan (without eliminating requested information) to produce a more readable draft. In particular, plans with several objectives or sub-objectives may be better served by an organization that brings together the background and approach for groups of related portions so that reviewers are not required to find disparate pieces spread throughout your plan.

Project Plan Revision and Response to the Review:

Upon receiving the peer review results, meet with the research team and develop reasonable and professional responses to recommendations. Note: If the project plan receives a ‘major revision’ or ‘not feasible’ action class rating, consult first with management and ONP to determine the next steps.

• Develop a final revised plan in accordance with instructions (see Chapter 3).
• Address each area where an “ARS Response Box” is found in the Panel Review Comments received from OSQR.
• Make appropriate changes to your project plan in Bold.
• If revision includes changes to the plan objectives, contact ONP as a new PDRAM may be required.
• Secure line management approval of your revised plan.
• Upon receiving a certification from OSQR, the Program Analyst will coordinate the creation of the new ARS Research Project (AD-416/417).