This book will be of value both to scientists and to undergraduate and graduate students who want to write successful grant or research proposals. For scientists, today's environment of limited funding from Congress and private foundations means that grant proposals must be effective, competitive, and readable. The book is designed to provide a guide to writing proposals and improving their overall quality. For graduate students in the natural sciences, courses on proposal development and writing are increasingly part of the curriculum--this book is, in fact, derived from a course taught by the authors at Dartmouth. Increasingly, research design is a part of the curriculum for undergraduates in science. This book will provide guidance during the conceptualization and formulation of a research plan as well as give specific information for effectively organizing and presenting material in a format widely used for proposal submissions.
Ho Hum 3 out of 5
Not great, but not bad. Hasn't given me a whole lot of good tips or new ideas, but does tell me what to expect from the process of proposal writing and submission.
Great tool for starting. 4 out of 5
Is a good book to start writing your proposal, because it gives you suggestions, exercises and ideas that guide your writing. It's concise and well written. The authors have experience in the subject and include a lot of real-life examples. I recommend this book for anyone how needs an extra push to start writing, or for the begginer in proposals writing.
Indispensable for new grant writers 5 out of 5
I used to think Miner & Miner had the best book on "Proposal Planning and Writing," until I read this. Easy to read and re-read, this short book distills the wisdom of many mentors into a thoughtful, well-organized, and still timely package. Practical techniques (e.g. completing administrative and technical tasks are an easy way to get started) are interspersed with actual examples of various sections of a grant. Consider it a small investment relative to the grant you will ultimately get!
Good overview of the content and organization of a proposal 4 out of 5
Friedland and Folt provide a very nice, concise guide to writing research proposals. They go over the organization of the proposal, what is important to get across in what sections, and also touch on the "storytelling" aspects, such as funneling from broad themes to specifics. I also found useful the list a range of funding sources.
The only major drawback to the book as a general reference is that it is heavily oriented towards experimental biology. Much of the nuts-and-bolts advice doesn't apply to theoretical work, and little or no equivalent advice is given for theoretical proposals.
Frieland and Folt a Success 5 out of 5
Friedland and Folt are the Strunk and White of proposal writing. They have written a clear, concise guide to scientific proposal writing that captures the essence of the scientific enterprise.
