research project narrative

How to Write An Effective Project Narrative

This post offers actionable tips and advice for organizing, brainstorming, writing, and editing project narratives.

A project narrative is a common component of a grant application or proposal. It defines a project’s scope and purpose, and it explains how it will be executed. Effective project narratives are succinct, organized, and written in clear, direct language. Your goal is to explain your project so well that a reader understands the breadth of the project and is convinced of its value. 

This post, authored by Madeleine Cutrona, NYFA Coach and Senior Program Officer, NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship , offers suggestions for organizing, brainstorming, writing, and editing your project narrative. Read on for advice on how to write a successful project narrative.

Step 1: Use a Working Document

Consider your project narrative a working document or an ongoing draft that you occasionally update and can use as a point of departure for future opportunities. 

With each application and proposal, you will describe your project to different stakeholders (ex. funders, collaborators, participants, partner organizations, etc). In order to speak to these different audiences, you can tweak your project narrative for each audience. Similarly, since your project will no doubt evolve over time, keeping a draft project narrative tracks your project’s evolution over time.  

Step 2: Prepare to Write

Writing an effective project narrative is all about the art of written communication, and this process can be challenging. Here are specific strategies to help you transform your expansive ideas into a detailed project narrative. 

• Brain Dump: Get alllllllllllllll your ideas out there. Write down every idea that comes into your head, stream-of-consciousness-style. No idea is too small, too silly, or too random to include. The goal of this exercise is to clear your mind (and future writing!) of clutter. There is absolutely no need to self-edit, revise, or in any way perfect your writing during a brain dump. If you’re new to this process, begin by setting a timer for five or ten minutes. With your thoughts securely jotted down, you can then close that document or put your paper in the drawer. You are now ready to write! You also have a treasure trove of ideas to come back to in the future, should you need inspiration.    
• What activities does the project consist of?
• When will the project happen? When did it begin? When did it end? What are milestones in the project timeline?
• Who is leading the team? Who is on the team and what is their experience? 
• Where does the project take place?
• Why is this project relevant at this time? Why are you (and/or your team) the right person to lead this project right now?
• How will you organize the project activities? How will the team work together? 
• Summary: A concise overview of your project, highlighting the most important information. 
• Goals: A long-term achievable outcome for your project. This SMART goals template is a useful format.
• Objectives: Specific, measurable steps to achieve the overall goals. 
• Timeline: When does the project begin? What milestones will mark the progression of your project? When does your project conclude?  
• Leadership: How is the team prepared to meet the challenges of the project, such as new content or processes? 
• Impact: Identifying the impact of your project at the start of your project can help you write more detailed mechanics about your project operations. How will the world be different after your project concludes? Identify what the beginning, middle, and end (impact) of your work will be.
• Evaluation/Follow-up: How will you assess your project’s success? This section should align with the goals of your project. 

Step 3: Write It…Finally! 

With your main ideas recorded, it’s now time to put it all together and formally write your narrative.

• Build upon the framework of your outline by adding specific examples. 
• Describe your project with language that allows your reader to see your project unfold in their mind’s eye.  
• Write for a general audience, refraining from using technical language beyond what might be known/read by your audience.  

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) shares Sample Applications from a variety of disciplines on their website . These are examples of funded projects/programs from arts organizations. 

Step 4: Review 

Find a trusted colleague or friend to read your project narrative for you. This is really important. Working with an outside reader is especially helpful for catching details about your project that you might have overlooked because you know your project so well. To help make the most of your review session:   

• Ask a reader to identify the five W’s of your project after reading and see if they align with your own list. If they do not, you know what areas of your application are unclear.  
• Ask a reader what questions they have about your project after reading the proposal. You will learn what you need to clarify in your narrative.  

Step 5: Customize and Submit!

The purpose of having a working document is preparing project narrative text that you can easily adapt to specific applications. Although you will ultimately need to customize your narrative to fit your project when you submit the narrative with a grant or residency proposal, you can write for an idealized audience at this stage in a single document. When you later apply  for a grant or to a residency to complete a project the institution you are applying to might have an existing form for you to complete. At this stage you can pull from your draft document.   

– Madeleine Cutrona, Senior Program Officer, NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship

To book a session with Madeleine or any of our other coaches, click here . If you have questions about this program, contact  [email protected] .

NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship’s quarterly no-fee application deadlines are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. We also accept Out-of-Cycle Review applications year-round. Reach out to us at  [email protected]  for more information.  Sign up for NYFA’s free bi-weekly newsletter  to receive updates on future programs.

Sign up for NYFA’s free bi-weekly newsletter  to receive updates on future programs.

Donate to NYFA

• Donation amount: Select donate button or input other amount is required
• Acknowledge as: Input is required
• First name: Input is required
• Last name: Input is required
• Email: Input is required
• Email: Must include '@' symbol
• Email: Please enter a part following '@'
• Country: Selection is required
• Street: Input is required
• City: Input is required
• State: Selection is required
• Zip: Input is required
• Address: Input is required
• reCaptcha is required

insert authorize.net iframe here

insert message here

New York Foundation for the Arts 29 W. 38th Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10018

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Site Map

Redirect Notice

Sample applications and documents.

As you gain experience writing your own applications and progress reports, examples of how others presented their ideas can help. NIH also provides attachment format examples, sample language, and more resources below.

Sample Grant Applications

With the gracious permission of successful investigators, some NIH institutes have provided samples of funded applications, summary statements, and more. When referencing these examples, it is important to remember:

• The best way to present your science may differ substantially from the approaches shown here. Seek feedback on your draft application from mentors and others.
• Samples are not available for all grant programs. Because many programs have common elements, the available samples can still be helpful as a demonstration of effective ways to present information.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

• Sample Applications and Summary Statements (R01, R03, R15, R21, R33, SBIR, STTR, K, F, G11, and U01)
• NIAID Sample Forms, Plans, Letters, Emails, and More

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

• Behavioral Research Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21)
• Cancer Epidemiology Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21, R37)
• Implementation Science Grant Applications (R01, R21, R37) 
• Healthcare Delivery Research Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21, R50)

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

• Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Applications and Summary Statements (K99/R00, K01, R01, R03, and R21)
• NHGRI Sample Consent Forms

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

• K99/R00: Pathway to Independence Awards Sample Applications and summary statements
• NIA Small Business Sample Applications (SBIR and STTR Phase 1, Phase 2, and Fast-Track)

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

• Research Project Grants (R01) Sample Applications and Summary Statements
• Early Career Research (ECR) R21 Sample Applications and Summary Statements
• Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) Sample Applications and Summary Statements

NIH Formats, Sample Language, and Other Examples

NIH provides additional examples of completed forms, templates, plans, and other sample language for reference. Your chosen approach must follow the instructions in your funding opportunity and the How to Apply – Application Guide .

Formats and Templates

• Application Format Pages for biographical sketches, other support, fellowship and training data tables, Data Management and Sharing (DMS) plans, reference letters, additional senior/key persons, additional performance sites, and more 
• Animal Documents for animal welfare assurances, checklist, study proposal, and more from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) 

Sample Plans

• Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources Plans
• Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plans
• Model Organism Sharing Plans
• Multiple Principal Investigators, Project Leadership Plans

Other Examples

• Allowable Appendix Materials
• Application Titles, Abstracts, and Public Health Relevance Statements: Communicating Research Intent and Value
• Biosketches
• Informed Consent for Certificates of Confidentiality
• Informed Consent for Secondary and Genomic Research
• Other Support
• Scientific Rigor
• Person Months FAQ on Calculations
• Project Outcomes for Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)

Looking for application forms?

• For a preview, go to Annotated Form Sets .
• To access fillable forms for your opportunity, you must use one of the Submission Options .

Check online guidance and direct your questions to staff in your organization's sponsored programs office. If you still need assistance, find NIH contacts at Need Help?

• NIH Grants & Funding
• Blog Policies

NIH Extramural Nexus

What Should I Include in the Project Narrative Section of the Grant Application?

The Project Narrative is the section of the grant application where the applicant should talk about the relevance of the proposed research project to public health. The information should be:

• succinct (no more than 2-3 sentences long)
• in plain language understandable by a general, lay audience

The Project Narrative is made public for all awarded grants in RePORTER , appearing at the end of the project abstract.

RELATED NEWS

I liked it better when the section that described the relevance to public health was called “Public Health Relevance.” 🙂 2-3 sentences isn’t a Narrative–it’s a tweet.

We liked the old label for that field as well. The change is the result of moving to application forms that are used across Federal agencies.

well, you need to learn how to write tight statements –it can be done with training.

The 2 – 3 sentences length, is that not insufficient for a project narrative?

At NIH, the project narrative section is used to succinctly communicate the public health relevance of the project to the general public. The applicant has the full research plan to provide details of the significance and impact of the project to NIH and to the peer reviewers who will be evaluating the scientific merit of the application.

Both the project narrative and the full abstract are made available to the public in NIH’s online database of awarded grants, RePORTER , as are other essential pieces of information such as related publications and press releases. Given the wealth of information we make available on our awarded grants, the public health relevance statement helps provide the public with a concise explanation of why the project is important.

Before submitting your comment, please review our blog comment policies.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!)

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise grant proposals for research funding in all academic disciplines (sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts). It’s targeted primarily to graduate students and faculty, although it will also be helpful to undergraduate students who are seeking funding for research (e.g. for a senior thesis).

The grant writing process

A grant proposal or application is a document or set of documents that is submitted to an organization with the explicit intent of securing funding for a research project. Grant writing varies widely across the disciplines, and research intended for epistemological purposes (philosophy or the arts) rests on very different assumptions than research intended for practical applications (medicine or social policy research). Nonetheless, this handout attempts to provide a general introduction to grant writing across the disciplines.

Before you begin writing your proposal, you need to know what kind of research you will be doing and why. You may have a topic or experiment in mind, but taking the time to define what your ultimate purpose is can be essential to convincing others to fund that project. Although some scholars in the humanities and arts may not have thought about their projects in terms of research design, hypotheses, research questions, or results, reviewers and funding agencies expect you to frame your project in these terms. You may also find that thinking about your project in these terms reveals new aspects of it to you.

Writing successful grant applications is a long process that begins with an idea. Although many people think of grant writing as a linear process (from idea to proposal to award), it is a circular process. Many people start by defining their research question or questions. What knowledge or information will be gained as a direct result of your project? Why is undertaking your research important in a broader sense? You will need to explicitly communicate this purpose to the committee reviewing your application. This is easier when you know what you plan to achieve before you begin the writing process.

Diagram 1 below provides an overview of the grant writing process and may help you plan your proposal development.

Applicants must write grant proposals, submit them, receive notice of acceptance or rejection, and then revise their proposals. Unsuccessful grant applicants must revise and resubmit their proposals during the next funding cycle. Successful grant applications and the resulting research lead to ideas for further research and new grant proposals.

Cultivating an ongoing, positive relationship with funding agencies may lead to additional grants down the road. Thus, make sure you file progress reports and final reports in a timely and professional manner. Although some successful grant applicants may fear that funding agencies will reject future proposals because they’ve already received “enough” funding, the truth is that money follows money. Individuals or projects awarded grants in the past are more competitive and thus more likely to receive funding in the future.

Some general tips

• Begin early.
• Apply early and often.
• Don’t forget to include a cover letter with your application.
• Answer all questions. (Pre-empt all unstated questions.)
• If rejected, revise your proposal and apply again.
• Give them what they want. Follow the application guidelines exactly.
• Be explicit and specific.
• Be realistic in designing the project.
• Make explicit the connections between your research questions and objectives, your objectives and methods, your methods and results, and your results and dissemination plan.
• Follow the application guidelines exactly. (We have repeated this tip because it is very, very important.)

Before you start writing

Identify your needs and focus.

First, identify your needs. Answering the following questions may help you:

• Are you undertaking preliminary or pilot research in order to develop a full-blown research agenda?
• Are you seeking funding for dissertation research? Pre-dissertation research? Postdoctoral research? Archival research? Experimental research? Fieldwork?
• Are you seeking a stipend so that you can write a dissertation or book? Polish a manuscript?
• Do you want a fellowship in residence at an institution that will offer some programmatic support or other resources to enhance your project?
• Do you want funding for a large research project that will last for several years and involve multiple staff members?

Next, think about the focus of your research/project. Answering the following questions may help you narrow it down:

• What is the topic? Why is this topic important?
• What are the research questions that you’re trying to answer? What relevance do your research questions have?
• What are your hypotheses?
• What are your research methods?
• Why is your research/project important? What is its significance?
• Do you plan on using quantitative methods? Qualitative methods? Both?
• Will you be undertaking experimental research? Clinical research?

Once you have identified your needs and focus, you can begin looking for prospective grants and funding agencies.

Finding prospective grants and funding agencies

Whether your proposal receives funding will rely in large part on whether your purpose and goals closely match the priorities of granting agencies. Locating possible grantors is a time consuming task, but in the long run it will yield the greatest benefits. Even if you have the most appealing research proposal in the world, if you don’t send it to the right institutions, then you’re unlikely to receive funding.

There are many sources of information about granting agencies and grant programs. Most universities and many schools within universities have Offices of Research, whose primary purpose is to support faculty and students in grant-seeking endeavors. These offices usually have libraries or resource centers to help people find prospective grants.

At UNC, the Research at Carolina office coordinates research support.

The Funding Information Portal offers a collection of databases and proposal development guidance.

The UNC School of Medicine and School of Public Health each have their own Office of Research.

Writing your proposal

The majority of grant programs recruit academic reviewers with knowledge of the disciplines and/or program areas of the grant. Thus, when writing your grant proposals, assume that you are addressing a colleague who is knowledgeable in the general area, but who does not necessarily know the details about your research questions.

Remember that most readers are lazy and will not respond well to a poorly organized, poorly written, or confusing proposal. Be sure to give readers what they want. Follow all the guidelines for the particular grant you are applying for. This may require you to reframe your project in a different light or language. Reframing your project to fit a specific grant’s requirements is a legitimate and necessary part of the process unless it will fundamentally change your project’s goals or outcomes.

Final decisions about which proposals are funded often come down to whether the proposal convinces the reviewer that the research project is well planned and feasible and whether the investigators are well qualified to execute it. Throughout the proposal, be as explicit as possible. Predict the questions that the reviewer may have and answer them. Przeworski and Salomon (1995) note that reviewers read with three questions in mind:

• What are we going to learn as a result of the proposed project that we do not know now? (goals, aims, and outcomes)
• Why is it worth knowing? (significance)
• How will we know that the conclusions are valid? (criteria for success) (2)

Be sure to answer these questions in your proposal. Keep in mind that reviewers may not read every word of your proposal. Your reviewer may only read the abstract, the sections on research design and methodology, the vitae, and the budget. Make these sections as clear and straightforward as possible.

The way you write your grant will tell the reviewers a lot about you (Reif-Lehrer 82). From reading your proposal, the reviewers will form an idea of who you are as a scholar, a researcher, and a person. They will decide whether you are creative, logical, analytical, up-to-date in the relevant literature of the field, and, most importantly, capable of executing the proposed project. Allow your discipline and its conventions to determine the general style of your writing, but allow your own voice and personality to come through. Be sure to clarify your project’s theoretical orientation.

Develop a general proposal and budget

Because most proposal writers seek funding from several different agencies or granting programs, it is a good idea to begin by developing a general grant proposal and budget. This general proposal is sometimes called a “white paper.” Your general proposal should explain your project to a general academic audience. Before you submit proposals to different grant programs, you will tailor a specific proposal to their guidelines and priorities.

Organizing your proposal

Although each funding agency will have its own (usually very specific) requirements, there are several elements of a proposal that are fairly standard, and they often come in the following order:

• Introduction (statement of the problem, purpose of research or goals, and significance of research)

Literature review

• Project narrative (methods, procedures, objectives, outcomes or deliverables, evaluation, and dissemination)
• Budget and budget justification

Format the proposal so that it is easy to read. Use headings to break the proposal up into sections. If it is long, include a table of contents with page numbers.

The title page usually includes a brief yet explicit title for the research project, the names of the principal investigator(s), the institutional affiliation of the applicants (the department and university), name and address of the granting agency, project dates, amount of funding requested, and signatures of university personnel authorizing the proposal (when necessary). Most funding agencies have specific requirements for the title page; make sure to follow them.

The abstract provides readers with their first impression of your project. To remind themselves of your proposal, readers may glance at your abstract when making their final recommendations, so it may also serve as their last impression of your project. The abstract should explain the key elements of your research project in the future tense. Most abstracts state: (1) the general purpose, (2) specific goals, (3) research design, (4) methods, and (5) significance (contribution and rationale). Be as explicit as possible in your abstract. Use statements such as, “The objective of this study is to …”

Introduction

The introduction should cover the key elements of your proposal, including a statement of the problem, the purpose of research, research goals or objectives, and significance of the research. The statement of problem should provide a background and rationale for the project and establish the need and relevance of the research. How is your project different from previous research on the same topic? Will you be using new methodologies or covering new theoretical territory? The research goals or objectives should identify the anticipated outcomes of the research and should match up to the needs identified in the statement of problem. List only the principle goal(s) or objective(s) of your research and save sub-objectives for the project narrative.

Many proposals require a literature review. Reviewers want to know whether you’ve done the necessary preliminary research to undertake your project. Literature reviews should be selective and critical, not exhaustive. Reviewers want to see your evaluation of pertinent works. For more information, see our handout on literature reviews .

Project narrative

The project narrative provides the meat of your proposal and may require several subsections. The project narrative should supply all the details of the project, including a detailed statement of problem, research objectives or goals, hypotheses, methods, procedures, outcomes or deliverables, and evaluation and dissemination of the research.

For the project narrative, pre-empt and/or answer all of the reviewers’ questions. Don’t leave them wondering about anything. For example, if you propose to conduct unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, be sure you’ve explained why this methodology is best suited to the specific research questions in your proposal. Or, if you’re using item response theory rather than classical test theory to verify the validity of your survey instrument, explain the advantages of this innovative methodology. Or, if you need to travel to Valdez, Alaska to access historical archives at the Valdez Museum, make it clear what documents you hope to find and why they are relevant to your historical novel on the ’98ers in the Alaskan Gold Rush.

Clearly and explicitly state the connections between your research objectives, research questions, hypotheses, methodologies, and outcomes. As the requirements for a strong project narrative vary widely by discipline, consult a discipline-specific guide to grant writing for some additional advice.

Explain staffing requirements in detail and make sure that staffing makes sense. Be very explicit about the skill sets of the personnel already in place (you will probably include their Curriculum Vitae as part of the proposal). Explain the necessary skill sets and functions of personnel you will recruit. To minimize expenses, phase out personnel who are not relevant to later phases of a project.

The budget spells out project costs and usually consists of a spreadsheet or table with the budget detailed as line items and a budget narrative (also known as a budget justification) that explains the various expenses. Even when proposal guidelines do not specifically mention a narrative, be sure to include a one or two page explanation of the budget. To see a sample budget, turn to Example #1 at the end of this handout.

Consider including an exhaustive budget for your project, even if it exceeds the normal grant size of a particular funding organization. Simply make it clear that you are seeking additional funding from other sources. This technique will make it easier for you to combine awards down the road should you have the good fortune of receiving multiple grants.

Make sure that all budget items meet the funding agency’s requirements. For example, all U.S. government agencies have strict requirements for airline travel. Be sure the cost of the airline travel in your budget meets their requirements. If a line item falls outside an agency’s requirements (e.g. some organizations will not cover equipment purchases or other capital expenses), explain in the budget justification that other grant sources will pay for the item.

Many universities require that indirect costs (overhead) be added to grants that they administer. Check with the appropriate offices to find out what the standard (or required) rates are for overhead. Pass a draft budget by the university officer in charge of grant administration for assistance with indirect costs and costs not directly associated with research (e.g. facilities use charges).

Furthermore, make sure you factor in the estimated taxes applicable for your case. Depending on the categories of expenses and your particular circumstances (whether you are a foreign national, for example), estimated tax rates may differ. You can consult respective departmental staff or university services, as well as professional tax assistants. For information on taxes on scholarships and fellowships, see https://cashier.unc.edu/student-tax-information/scholarships-fellowships/ .

Explain the timeframe for the research project in some detail. When will you begin and complete each step? It may be helpful to reviewers if you present a visual version of your timeline. For less complicated research, a table summarizing the timeline for the project will help reviewers understand and evaluate the planning and feasibility. See Example #2 at the end of this handout.

For multi-year research proposals with numerous procedures and a large staff, a time line diagram can help clarify the feasibility and planning of the study. See Example #3 at the end of this handout.

Revising your proposal

Strong grant proposals take a long time to develop. Start the process early and leave time to get feedback from several readers on different drafts. Seek out a variety of readers, both specialists in your research area and non-specialist colleagues. You may also want to request assistance from knowledgeable readers on specific areas of your proposal. For example, you may want to schedule a meeting with a statistician to help revise your methodology section. Don’t hesitate to seek out specialized assistance from the relevant research offices on your campus. At UNC, the Odum Institute provides a variety of services to graduate students and faculty in the social sciences.

In your revision and editing, ask your readers to give careful consideration to whether you’ve made explicit the connections between your research objectives and methodology. Here are some example questions:

• Have you presented a compelling case?
• Have you made your hypotheses explicit?
• Does your project seem feasible? Is it overly ambitious? Does it have other weaknesses?
• Have you stated the means that grantors can use to evaluate the success of your project after you’ve executed it?

If a granting agency lists particular criteria used for rating and evaluating proposals, be sure to share these with your own reviewers.

Example #1. Sample Budget

Jet travel $6,100 This estimate is based on the commercial high season rate for jet economy travel on Sabena Belgian Airlines. No U.S. carriers fly to Kigali, Rwanda. Sabena has student fare tickets available which will be significantly less expensive (approximately $2,000).

Maintenance allowance $22,788 Based on the Fulbright-Hays Maintenance Allowances published in the grant application guide.

Research assistant/translator $4,800 The research assistant/translator will be a native (and primary) speaker of Kinya-rwanda with at least a four-year university degree. They will accompany the primary investigator during life history interviews to provide assistance in comprehension. In addition, they will provide commentary, explanations, and observations to facilitate the primary investigator’s participant observation. During the first phase of the project in Kigali, the research assistant will work forty hours a week and occasional overtime as needed. During phases two and three in rural Rwanda, the assistant will stay with the investigator overnight in the field when necessary. The salary of $400 per month is based on the average pay rate for individuals with similar qualifications working for international NGO’s in Rwanda.

Transportation within country, phase one $1,200 The primary investigator and research assistant will need regular transportation within Kigali by bus and taxi. The average taxi fare in Kigali is $6-8 and bus fare is $.15. This figure is based on an average of $10 per day in transportation costs during the first project phase.

Transportation within country, phases two and three $12,000 Project personnel will also require regular transportation between rural field sites. If it is not possible to remain overnight, daily trips will be necessary. The average rental rate for a 4×4 vehicle in Rwanda is $130 per day. This estimate is based on an average of $50 per day in transportation costs for the second and third project phases. These costs could be reduced if an arrangement could be made with either a government ministry or international aid agency for transportation assistance.

Email $720 The rate for email service from RwandaTel (the only service provider in Rwanda) is $60 per month. Email access is vital for receiving news reports on Rwanda and the region as well as for staying in contact with dissertation committee members and advisors in the United States.

Audiocassette tapes $400 Audiocassette tapes will be necessary for recording life history interviews, musical performances, community events, story telling, and other pertinent data.

Photographic & slide film $100 Photographic and slide film will be necessary to document visual data such as landscape, environment, marriages, funerals, community events, etc.

Laptop computer $2,895 A laptop computer will be necessary for recording observations, thoughts, and analysis during research project. Price listed is a special offer to UNC students through the Carolina Computing Initiative.

NUD*IST 4.0 software $373.00 NUD*IST, “Nonnumerical, Unstructured Data, Indexing, Searching, and Theorizing,” is necessary for cataloging, indexing, and managing field notes both during and following the field research phase. The program will assist in cataloging themes that emerge during the life history interviews.

Administrative fee $100 Fee set by Fulbright-Hays for the sponsoring institution.

Example #2: Project Timeline in Table Format

Example #3: project timeline in chart format.

Some closing advice

Some of us may feel ashamed or embarrassed about asking for money or promoting ourselves. Often, these feelings have more to do with our own insecurities than with problems in the tone or style of our writing. If you’re having trouble because of these types of hang-ups, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it never hurts to ask. If you never ask for the money, they’ll never give you the money. Besides, the worst thing they can do is say no.

UNC resources for proposal writing

Research at Carolina http://research.unc.edu

The Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences https://odum.unc.edu/

UNC Medical School Office of Research https://www.med.unc.edu/oor

UNC School of Public Health Office of Research http://www.sph.unc.edu/research/

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Holloway, Brian R. 2003. Proposal Writing Across the Disciplines. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Levine, S. Joseph. “Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal.” http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/ .

Locke, Lawrence F., Waneen Wyrick Spirduso, and Stephen J. Silverman. 2014. Proposals That Work . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Przeworski, Adam, and Frank Salomon. 2012. “Some Candid Suggestions on the Art of Writing Proposals.” Social Science Research Council. https://s3.amazonaws.com/ssrc-cdn2/art-of-writing-proposals-dsd-e-56b50ef814f12.pdf .

Reif-Lehrer, Liane. 1989. Writing a Successful Grant Application . Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Wiggins, Beverly. 2002. “Funding and Proposal Writing for Social Science Faculty and Graduate Student Research.” Chapel Hill: Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science. 2 Feb. 2004. http://www2.irss.unc.edu/irss/shortcourses/wigginshandouts/granthandout.pdf.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Sample Project Narrative

As we delve into the world of grant writing, we encounter a critical juncture – the project narrative. Here, your proposal materializes, and your vision becomes concrete. Within this narrative, you'll not only delineate your project's goals and objectives but also infuse vitality into your proposal. Let's explore a sample project narrative, where aspirations take root, actions emerge, and dreams materialize into attainable goals. The example below provides an illustration of a project narrative that includes detailed goals and objectives.

"Virtual reality (VR) systems have been found to be particularly useful in delivering an efficient, convenient, and cost-effective way to provide active engagement through experimental learning; providing the perfect medium between ineffective classroom training and traditional reality-based training. VR systems allow officers to train more frequently and in fluid training scenarios, hone necessary de-escalation skills, and practice empathy for individuals experiencing mental health crises; making it a great alternative to reality-based training which can be costly and detrimental to daily operations due to the space, time and manpower needed to conduct.

The virtual reality training program will ensure that officers are equipped with the necessary skills to safely, effectively, and appropriately respond to calls involving persons suffering from mental illness. Studies have shown that when a police officer responds to a crisis involving a person with a serious mental illness who is not receiving treatment, the safety of both the person in crisis and the responding officer may be compromised, particularly when the officer has received little or no training about mental illnesses and crisis intervention (Miller, 2002; Oliva, 2007). To this end, it is imperative that police officers possess the skills necessary to safely and effectively intervene during crisis situations; that is, "because police officers deal primarily with people who have problems, they must try to develop and utilize observation and communication skills in order to perform their job effectively and efficiently" (Miller, 1983, p. 73).

The virtual reality training unit will be utilized primarily by the Anytown Township Police Department personnel; including both sworn officers and civilian staff who have contact with the public throughout their day. Additionally, because of mobility and ease of use, the training unit will be utilized to train our collaborative partners from Montgomery County Emergency Services, Access Services, and Mobile Crisis who often join officers in the field during mental health incidents. Lastly, the training unit will be used to train officers from nearby agencies such as Narberth Police Department, Radnor Police Department, and Narberth Ambulance. The program and training will have a far-reaching impact well beyond the borders of Anytown Township.

Impact and Outcomes

The goal of the virtual reality training program is to provide officers and our collaborative partners with the training and skills needed to effectively and appropriately manage situations involving persons in crisis (Sanow). This type of training is in alignment with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model; which has been successfully utilized in many law enforcement agencies worldwide and is considered a “Best Practice” model in law enforcement (Watson & Fulambarker) . Both short-term and long-term goals have been established to guide the program and determine effectiveness.

Data Collection and Analysis - Reliable data is essential for demonstrating program activities and performance, ensuring that resources are effectively managed, demonstrating that the program is meeting its goals, and garnering the support of mental health providers and other community stakeholders (BJA). The below-mentioned data collection process has been guided by the program's short-term and long-term goals.

Total calls and duration of calls involving persons suffering from mental illness - The purpose of this performance measure is to show how often officers are dispatched to calls for service involving persons suffering from mental illness and how much time they spend on said calls. This data will speak to the need for such a training program as officers frequently respond to calls for service with persons suffering from mental illness and these calls tend to be the most complex and time-consuming for law enforcement (BJA).

Case disposition – The purpose of this data set is to analyze case disposition of all calls involving persons suffering from mental illness. Case disposition will either be: resolved on scene with no formal action; referral to mental health services; transport for voluntary treatment; transport for involuntary treatment; or arrest. The data will be analyzed annually to for the entire Department to understand the effectiveness and frequency of each case disposition. The data will also be analyzed per officer to ascertain if individual officers are disproportionately utilizing a type of case disposition in order to gauge if additional training is needed.

Use of force analysis - The Department currently collects data on all use of force incidents which is used as the basis for our annual use of force analysis; however, currently the analysis does not include mental illness as a factor. Moving forward, the Department will collect data on use of force incidents involving persons suffering from mental illness to gain insight into training needs and effectiveness. This data will be analyzed for the entire Department and per officer to ensure individual officers are not disproportionately using force on persons suffering from mental illness; indicative of remedial training needs or other actionable discipline.

Short Term Goals

Increase in knowledge regarding mental health laws, department policy regarding responding to mental health calls, and officers' perceived capabilities/confidence in their skills to deescalate mental health incidents. Prior to beginning training, a survey will be completed of all officers to gauge their understanding of mental health laws, department policy regarding mental health calls, and their perceived capabilities/confidence in their skills to deescalate mental health incidents. Upon completion of the initial virtual reality training a follow up evaluation will be conducted of all officers with the same questions. The survey will be both quantitative and qualitative.

Decrease time spent on calls involving persons suffering from mental illness, reduce repeat calls for service, minimize strain on agency resources, and connect people with mental health services while maintaining officer and subject safety.

Long Term Goals

1Incidents involving people with mental illness require specialized responses which should reflect a partnership between a law enforcement agency and other stakeholder groups and individuals. With that, our long-term and overarching goal for this program is to increase the number of partnerships we have with mental health advocates and providers, increase our communication with these entities, and constantly evaluate the officer response to mental illness to identify any unidentified or underserved areas which may be better addressed through further collaboration.

Performance Indicators

Total number of individuals Trained

Goal – to train 150 individuals

Case Disposition

Analysis of case disposition for all calls involving person suffering from mental illness.

Case disposition may be one or a combination of the following:

Resolved on scene with no formal action

Referral to mental health services

Transport for voluntary treatment

Transport for involuntary treatment

Goal - to have at 60% of case dispositions resulting in referrals or transport for treatment.

Total calls for service involving persons suffering from mental illness

The purpose of this performance measure is to show how often officers are dispatched to calls for service involving persons suffering from mental illness. This data will speak to the need for such a training program. Historically, the Department responds to approximately 550 calls for service involving persons suffering from mental illness annually.

Goal – No specific goal to be attained as this performance indicator it is subject to external influences. The indicator is simply used to justify the need for such a training program.

Data analysis of use of force incidents involving persons suffering from mental illness

The purpose of this performance measurement is to collect data on all use of force incidents involving persons suffering from mental illness.

Analysis will provide insight into training needs and effectiveness.

Data will be analyzed per individual officer.

This will ensure individual officers are not disproportionately using force on persons suffering from mental illness; indicative of a need for remedial training or other actionable discipline.

Goal – the target measure is to have no disproportionate use of force incidents when comparing officer to officer; taking into account total use of force incidents and total contacts involving persons suffering from mental illness.

Training Effectiveness

The purpose of this performance measure is to gauge training effectiveness.

Prior to beginning training, a survey will be completed of all officers to gauge:

The understanding of mental health laws

Department policy

Their perceived capabilities/confidence in their skills to deescalate mental health incidents.

Upon initial training a follow up evaluation will be conducted of all officers with the same questions

The survey will be both quantitative and qualitative.

Goal – is to have an initial 20% increase in survey results regarding knowledge and perceived capabilities.

Project Timeline/Milestones

Collaborative planning meeting

The implementation of the program will begin with a collaborative planning meeting which will include local and county mental health agencies such as Montgomery County Emergency Services, Access Services, and Mobile Crisis; representatives from both Lankenau and Bryn Mawr Hospitals which receive the majority of our voluntary and involuntary mental health referrals; a representative from the Department’s command staff and officers assigned to the Training Unit. At this planning meeting training goals and scenarios will be established. Upon establishment of training goals and scenarios, the Training Unit will begin training all officers and collaborative partners utilizing the virtual reality training unit.

Training gap analysis/needs assessment

Develop survey/assessment

Develop new mental health training

In-depth training will center on Department Policy, knowledge of county/local resources, and State Laws.

Initial data collection

Perform five-year lookback of all Use of Force Incidents involving persons suffering from mental illness.

Five-year lookback of total calls for service involving persons suffering from mental illness and duration of said calls.

Data collection on current mental health trainings received by officers

Survey to officers to identify training needs and/or deficiencies.

Initial assessment/survey completed.

Mental health training to be conducted for entire department.

VR training. Will be conducted with:

Department personnel

Relevant community partners/stakeholders

Follow up assessment/survey.

Ongoing data collection of:

UOF incidents involving persons suffering from mental illness.

Case disposition.

Total calls and duration of calls for persons suffering from mental illness.

Analysis of final results.

In the realm of grant writing, we've delved into a crucial component: the project narrative. We explored how a well-crafted narrative can breathe life into your proposal by outlining detailed goals and objectives. As you embark on your grant writing journey, remember that the project narrative is where your vision takes shape, and where aspirations are translated into actionable plans.

With a focus on detail and precision, you can craft a compelling narrative that not only inspires but also mobilizes. It's the place where dreams become achievable objectives, and where your proposal gains the power to drive real-world change. So, as you apply these insights to your grant writing endeavors, may your project narratives stand as beacons of purpose and impact in the grant landscape.

Recent Posts

Unlocking Opportunities: Navigating the 2024-25 JAG Funding for Law Enforcement

Statement of Needs

Unlocking the Mystique of Grant Scoring

Project Narrative

The application must address how the applicant will implement and meet the goals and objectives of the program. Applicants must attach their project narrative file (Adobe PDF format only) inside the Project Narrative Attachment Form. See the NOFO: Part I for specific guidance.