Proposal Writing Retreat June 6-10

All Clarkson faculty are invited to participate in the fourth annual week-long Proposal Writing Retreat June 6-10, 2022 hosted by the Institute for a Sustainable Environment (ISE) and Sponsored Research Services (SRS). If you are interested in the retreat, please register and answer a few brief questions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b-L7aTPNVUqhul86odzmjAFvbhjE3oT0wVY85Kz8SFU/edit?usp=sharing.

Who is it for? The retreat is for all Clarkson faculty who are preparing a proposal for any federal or nonfederal sponsor. During registration, we will ask a few details on your intended proposal to plan small working groups for the retreat content accordingly.

What is it? The retreat is a week-long workshop that allows you to work without distraction and to obtain advice and feedback from experts and peers on components of your application to a federal or nonfederal sponsor. The objective is that you will have a near-submission-ready application upon completion of the retreat.

Where is it? The retreat in person in the ERC Innovation Hub (second floor of the Educational Resource Center). The individual meeting rooms will be reserved for the week. You may also join the retreat remotely via Zoom. For those joining in person, we will provide daily coffee and lunch service.

What is the daily schedule? Each day there will be a brief morning meeting to connect with senior leaders on campus engaged in the research enterprise, a lunch-time “Ask the Experts” seminar, and a scheduled opportunity to obtain direct feedback on your ideas or draft.

What are the “Ask the Experts” seminars? The “Ask the Experts” seminars are 1-hour meetings to dive in on topics such as:

*         What makes a compelling application from a reviewer’s perspective?

*         What are common ‘weaknesses’ in the research plan/approach?

*         What Clarkson resources are available to you for broader impacts or educational activities (for NSF proposals)?

*         How do you put together a budget and budget narrative?

The speakers are experienced Clarkson researchers and proposal writing experts. The “Ask the Experts” workshops are targeted for early-career faculty who are building their research programs, but all are welcomed to join.

What are the expectations? Participants are asked to come prepared with drafts of all components for their applications “in progress”. We suggest that you dedicate yourself to the full retreat, but understand that you may have other commitments. If you cannot make the full week, please let us know your schedule ahead of time for planning purposes.

What can you do now to prepare? Participants should review the solicitation and the program’s description and prepare a 1-page concept paper (consistent with program’s requirements if stated) to confirm that your topic/approaches are good fits for the program or solicitation.

If you have questions on the content or format of the retreat, please contact either Andrea Ferro, Professor, CEE and Assoc. Director for Research, Institute for a Sustainable Environment (ISE), aferro@clarkson.edu <mailto:aferro@clarkson.edu>  or Trish Lowney, Consultant, Sponsored Research Services (SRS), tlowney@aol.com <mailto:tlowney@aol.com> .

If you have any questions on the retreat logistics, please email Dona Eggleston, Administrative Coordinator, SRS, degglest@clarkson.edu <mailto:degglest@clarkson.edu> .

Sent on behalf of Robyn Hannigan, Provost

Cindy Smith

Assistant to the Provost

Scroll to Top