Proposals require a special sort of writing. While great attention must be paid to the laying out of goals, the research process, and other components, proposal writers must also remember to craft a narrative–they are telling the story of their projects, and describing why others should care about them, too.

Below, please find links to websites that provide helpful tips on everything from grammar to narrative structure for your proposal-writing process.

CSU Writes, an on-campus resource for investigators, provides Colorado State University faculty and graduate students with support as they write for publication, proposal submission, and/or degree completion. The goals of the program include creating an awareness of and a space for participation in a scholarly writing community among faculty and graduate students (something not to be underestimated in contributing to the health of a research institution); increasing the number of submitted grant proposals and publications by CSU faculty; offering targeted and informed support for women faculty; speeding time-to-degree and increases completion rates for graduate students; and contributing to national academic conversations about writing support programs.

CSU Writes can be accessed here.

Other Writing Resources:

• Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL): Helpful for common grammar questions, citation issues, and for ESL (English as a Second Language) writers:
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) guide to Communication Resources for Engineers
• The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill guidelines for writing grant proposals (useful for any sort of proposal writing)
• The CSU Writing Studio: includes writing guides and more
• Grant Mentoring Plan Templates for Advisors