Writing Proposals That Use Clear Language

5 Common Mistakes I See When Reviewing Funding Proposals As someone who reviews many grant applications, I often see the same mistakes over and over. These mistakes can hurt your chances of getting the funding you need. The good news is that you can identify and fix these mistakes. Here are five common ones: 1. Unclear Story A successful proposal has a clear explanation of the problem you're addressing and why it matters. Many proposals fail because they don't clearly explain what they aim to solve. Think of your proposal like a story — start simple by explaining the problem, why it's important, and how your project will solve it. Make sure anyone, regardless of their background, can understand what you plan to do, how you'll do it, and the project's timeline. 2. Lots of Fancy Words Using technical jargon can confuse people who are not experts in your field. While it's good to show your expertise, using too many specialized terms can make your proposal hard to follow. Remember: the reviewer may not be familiar with jargon specific to your field. Use simple language whenever possible, and clearly explain any technical terms you must use. This makes your proposal easier to understand for everyone, which increases your chances of getting funding. 3. Unrealistic Promises Avoid making promises that are too big or unrealistic. It's tempting to talk about the huge impact your project could have, but this can make reviewers skeptical. Instead, focus on realistic goals that you can achieve with the funding and time available. Show that you have a good plan with achievable steps. This boosts your proposal’s credibility. 4. Lack of Preliminary Data Many proposals don't include enough initial data to show that the project is feasible. Preliminary data can prove that your project is based on solid methods and initial results are promising. Without this, reviewers might doubt your project’s viability. Include relevant initial data to show that your project has a good chance of success. 5. Poor Budget Justification An unclear or excessive budget request can be a major problem. Often, proposals request more funding than seems necessary without explaining why. Be detailed in explaining how the funding will be spent and why it’s necessary for your project. A clear and well-justified budget can greatly enhance your proposal’s credibility. Conclusion When writing a funding proposal, remember these five tips: tell a simple and clear story, avoid complex language, make realistic promises, include preliminary data, and provide a detailed budget explanation. By following these guidelines, you increase the chances that reviewers will understand and support your project, making it more likely that you'll receive funding. #engineering #science #research #mtvconsortium #funding #writing #proposal Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences—University of Michigan University of Michigan College of Engineering

📣 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 “Think of your audience as people, not as experts.” – 𝘙𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘧 𝘍𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘩 Rudolf Flesch, the godfather of plain language, had one mission: make communication 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳. His book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 challenged writers to put readers first—cut the fluff, drop the jargon, and say what you mean. His philosophy still holds up today: • Clear writing builds trust. • Clear writing drives action. • Clear writing 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 “𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁,” 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿. Want your content to land better? Try this: • Replace buzzwords and jargon with real words. • Write like a human, not a brand. • Picture your reader asking, “So what?”—and answer it. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: Take your last LinkedIn post and rewrite it using plain talk. Notice what changes. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻: What’s your favorite tip for writing clearly? Share it in the comments.                                ++++++++++++++++++++++ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗲: With over 40 years in marketing, I focus my marketing expertise on small businesses. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 and activate notifications (🔔) to stay updated 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗠𝗢 (𝗳𝗖𝗠𝗢) 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺? 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲.