The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation has developed a Funded Proposal Library to provide investigators with examples of successfully funded research grants from VCU faculty. The library includes a broad range of research topics from various funding agencies.
Several VCU investigators have graciously agreed to share their funded grant proposals and related documents (e.g., summary statements, letters of support) as examples for others to review as they prepare their submissions.
Guidelines for use
Funding agencies have strict standards regarding plagiarism, and many use software to monitor applications. Please be aware of these standards, as well as VCU’s policies for research conduct and scholarly activities. The funded proposals included in this library are confidential documents to be used by VCU personnel as examples only. Do not copy or distribute.
Maximizing the content of the library
You may not find a funded proposal for the same program you are interested in. However, the content here may be useful.
- Analyze how arguments are made to particular funders. Also, look at how proposals for various mechanisms and funding levels differ.
- Is there information that you can draw from proposals of similar type (e.g. same discipline, activity, type of funder)?
- Look at several types of proposals and determine if you can adopt “workable” elements: organization, phrasing, graphics, use of formatting and style, etc.
- Some proposals include cover letters, collaborators’ letters, institutional commitment letters, and mentors’ letters. Use these for guidance.
- Given limited space, consider how these PIs synthesized information. Compare that to sections that needed more detail. Notice where the focus and energy of the narrative is placed, and what is emphasized.
- Funders ask for specific aims, goals and objectives, hypotheses, etc. Analyze how these are formulated and developed.
- Is there anything that would not work for your discipline, narrative, or funder?
- Can any of these investigators serve as resources, mentors or collaborators?
Updates to the library
We are working to expand the numbers and types of proposals available as examples. The library is usually updated once per year. If there is a particular proposal you would like an example of, please submit a request.
Federal resources
- Department of Education: FOIA e-Reading Room has numerous grant applications funded by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Innovation and Improvement, Institute of Education Sciences, and others.
- National Institutes of Health grants
- Guidance on various NIH grant components, from NIH
- Sample applications, attachments, and other documents from NIH
- Sample applications and summary statements from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, NIH
- National Endowment for the Humanities: Sample grant application narratives
- National Endowment for the Arts: Sample narratives of funded grants
- Institute of Museum and Library Services: Sample grant applications for various programs
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Contact us
Mary Strawderman
Research development administrator
Division of Research Development
