Exercises — Chapter 13: Organizational Capacity and Key Personnel

Part C builds your real capacity case. Selected answers in the appendix.

Part A — Recall and Understand

13.1. State the threshold concept. Which reviewer fear does capacity most directly address?

13.2. List the elements of an organizational capability statement. Why must each tie to "this project"?

13.3. For research, what do "investigator" and "environment" each establish? How does preliminary data serve capacity?

13.4. What is a biosketch, and what is the personal statement's job?

13.5. Distinguish a letter of support from a letter of commitment. When does a proposal need a commitment letter?

13.6. Name three ways to establish capacity without a long track record.

Part B — Apply

13.7. Fix the "about us." Rewrite this for a project requiring multi-site program delivery: "Founded in 2015, we are a passionate, mission-driven organization committed to serving our community."

13.8. Spot the gap. A team strong in direct service proposes a project requiring rigorous evaluation it has never done. Name the gap and two ways to fill it.

13.9. Support or commitment? For each, say which kind of letter is needed: (a) a clinic that will provide patient access for recruitment; (b) a community leader endorsing the need; (c) a partner providing $10,000 in matching funds; (d) a school confirming classroom space.

13.10. Tailor the personal statement. Rewrite this generically-weak statement to argue fit for a specific role (invent specifics): "I am an experienced researcher with a strong publication record and a passion for this work."

13.11. Curate the biosketch. A co-investigator brought in for clinical expertise has a famous unrelated paper and a relevant clinical one. Which to feature, and why?

Part C — Analyze and Create (your real project)

13.12. Write your capability/environment statement, each element tied to your project's specific demands.

13.13. Run the capacity checklist. List every capability your approach (Ch 9) requires; for each, name who/what provides it and where the proposal shows it. Flag and fill any gap.

13.14. Draft your (or the PI's) biosketch personal statement, tailored to the role.

13.15. Plan your letters. List the letters you need (support vs. commitment), who writes each, and the specific point each must make. Draft one commitment letter for a partner to edit.

13.16. (If applicable) De-risk a thin track record. Assemble capacity from your team, partners, environment, and relevant experience; check that your ask matches your demonstrated capacity.

Part M — Mixed Review

13.17. (From Ch 2) How does capacity connect to the two reviewer fears?

13.18. (From Ch 9) How does the capacity section relate to the approach's claim that the team can execute?

13.19. (From Ch 12) How do the personnel you justified connect to the people you qualify here?

Reflection

13.20. Learning check-in. If your track record is thin in some dimension, did you feel the pull to overclaim or to apologize? How did you instead assemble a credible case from what you have?