PRDV009: Writing Grant Proposals

Many grant programs assemble a cadre of volunteer or paid grant reviewers to read through each proposal the funding agency receives to determine how well each applicant meets the grant program's funding criteria and other objectives. Usually, several reviewers read each proposal to provide a more balanced opinion.
This group of grant reviewers is typically composed of experts in the field. For example, the U.S. Department of Education recruits college administrators with technical expertise in online learning to review their distance education grant proposals. The readers or reviewers are knowledgeable about the field, and they can spot unreasonable claims or discrepancies that may undermine the credibility of a grant proposal.

The grant reviewers score each proposal based on how well the candidate meets the criteria the funding agency has established and whether they believe the candidate will meet the goals and objectives of the project. The reviewers compare, contrast, and score many proposals simultaneously. They will penalize proposals written in a sloppy manner or include grammatical errors because they fear the errors indicate the project administrators will be equally careless if they receive funding and are required to implement the project's goals.