Exercises — Chapter 4: The Proposal Development Process

Part C builds your project's timeline and team. Selected answers in the appendix.

Part A — Recall and Understand

4.1. State the threshold concept of this chapter in one sentence, and explain why time is called "the resource that makes everything else possible."

4.2. List the eight stages of proposal development in order. Which stage do beginners wrongly assume is the whole process?

4.3. What is an internal deadline, who imposes it, and why is it earlier than the funder's deadline?

4.4. Define the authorized organizational representative (AOR) and explain why most applicants at institutions cannot submit their own proposals.

4.5. What is a limited-submission program, and what earlier deadline does it create?

4.6. Name three roles on a proposal team besides the lead, and what each contributes.

Part B — Apply

4.7. Backward-plan. A federal proposal is due March 15. Build a backward timeline (use the Section 4.3 template), including an internal deadline two weeks before the funder's. What month does serious work begin?

4.8. Catch the hidden deadline. For each, name the earlier deadline the applicant must worry about: (a) a foundation requiring a letter of inquiry before the full proposal; (b) a program limiting each university to one application; (c) a federal proposal requiring SAM.gov registration; (d) a proposal needing a subaward to a partner university.

4.9. Diagnose the failure. An applicant submitted a strong proposal at 4:59 p.m. on deadline day; it was rejected as noncompliant for a missing required form. Trace the process failures that led here and name two earlier interventions that would have prevented it.

4.10. Right-size the start. For each, estimate how early to begin: (a) an NIH R01; (b) a \$25,000 community-foundation grant; (c) a familiar \$5,000 local grant you've won before. Justify each.

Part C — Analyze and Create (your real project)

4.11. Write your concept paper. Draft a one-page concept for your project: problem, approach, rough budget, why it matters. Note one person you could share it with for early reactions.

4.12. Build your backward timeline. For your chosen funder's deadline (or a realistic target date), build a full backward timeline including an internal deadline if you have routing. Put it on your actual calendar.

4.13. Map your team. Identify who plays each role for your proposal (several may be you). Name the one role you most need to fill — usually a critical reader and/or budget help — and a date by which you'll ask.

4.14. Check the traps. List your required registrations/approvals (e.g., SAM.gov, a board vote, a district sign-off, a limited-submission process) and today's status of each, with a date to resolve any that are not current.

4.15. Solo plan (if applicable). If you have no grants office, name your critical reader, your accountability partner, and one source of free institutional help you'll use.

Part M — Mixed Review

4.16. (From Ch 3) How does a funder pipeline reduce the risk of the late-start failure this chapter warns about?

4.17. (From Ch 2) At what stage of development does the program-officer conversation belong, and what does starting late cost you with respect to it?

4.18. (From Ch 1) Explain how a late start can cause three of the other failure modes (misalignment, weak structure, noncompliance).

Reflection

4.19. Learning check-in. Are you a "start early" or "rally at the end" person? Write one sentence of honest self-assessment and one concrete commitment (a date, a partner) that will protect you from the end-rally on your next proposal.