Further Reading — Chapter 9: The Project Narrative / Research Approach

The best models are real funded approaches; verify current requirements at the source.

Research Approaches

  • Russell & Morrison, The Grant Application Writer's Workbook (NIH/NSF). The deepest treatment of the research approach — design, rigor, preliminary data, and the pitfalls-and-alternatives strategy. The core companion to this chapter for researchers.
  • NIH, "Rigor and Reproducibility" resources (grants.nih.gov). Official guidance on the experimental-design rigor reviewers now expect in the approach. Read before drafting a research approach.
  • NIAID annotated sample applications (niaid.nih.gov). Real funded approaches with reviewer-oriented commentary — the best way to see strategic detail, preliminary-data presentation, and pitfalls-and-alternatives in practice.
  • Reif-Lehrer, Grant Application Writer's Handbook. Strong on structuring the research plan and presenting preliminary data.

Program Narratives and Implementation Plans

  • O'Neal-McElrath, Winning Grants Step by Step. Clear guidance on writing the program/methods section and a concrete implementation plan (activities, staffing, partnerships, timeline).
  • W.K. Kellogg Foundation and CDC program-planning guides. Free resources on translating a program model into an implementation plan and timeline.
  • The Grantsmanship Center materials. Practical guidance on the program-design section for nonprofit and public-sector applicants.

On Preempting Weaknesses and Innovation

  • Articles on the "pitfalls and alternatives" / "potential problems and alternative approaches" sections (widely discussed in NIH-focused grant-writing guides and university research-development resources). The technique in Section 9.5 is standard in successful research proposals; reading a few worked examples cements it.
  • NSF PAPPG on Intellectual Merit, and NIH on Innovation as a scored criterion. The funders' own framing of what "innovation" means and how it's judged — essential before writing an innovation claim for either.

On Timelines and Project Planning

  • Basic Gantt-chart and project-timeline templates (widely available free from nonprofit-support organizations and project-management resources). The timeline is a feasibility signal, not a full project plan; a simple, realistic chart is all the proposal needs.