====== Proposal Writing ======

Acquiring 3rd Party Funds and Projects [...] 27-29 January 2021 (online) by TU Berlin

    /data/workspace/000_research/09_courses/1_project_proposal
===== - Proposal =====
  * Should not mention that substantial parts of the project are done. 
  * Ask/find the funding agentcy's reviewer protocols. It should not be secret. But don't contact the reviewers directly (sometimes their name are listed in the call).

  * quality criteria
    * Idea:
      * Relevance: solve needs or problems
      * Feasibility: don't need to apply for the full length of the funding, if it can be done in a shorter time.
    * Selling point:
      * lift up from sota, outstanding performance feature. Think patent. Measurable criteria (publication, citation).
    * Realistic work program
      * 3-4 month packages.
      * Management, events.
    * Common thread: attract reviewer to read.
    * Conciseness: short, less is more.

  * Prove of 
    * Excellence: best paper, prices, publications at high ranking venues.
    * Sustainable: long term effect.

==== - Exercise: reading call ====
  * Host organization can offer exceptional condition (contact, dissemination, commercialization).
  * What you bring to host organization: I'm the **gateway to German scientific community** because I have work here for a long time in projects with large consortium.

==== - Who are the reviewers ====
  * Ask the agency when having to select given reviewers in different fields. 

Reviewer guidance, checklist. 

  * EIT rawMaterial: upscaling project proposal, guidance and template.
  * They read abstract and financial statement (make sense, evently distributed, reasonable --> spotting hornesty of the consortium).
  * Make sure project successfully completed.
  * Ask yourself, would you put money in this project? Partners own funding, partial funding.
  * Talk about problem or reviewer will assume the worst.
  * See screenshot: /data/workspace/000_research/09_courses/1_project_proposal/Reviewers
===== - Day 2  =====

==== - Steps to prepare a proposal ====
  * General suitabiliy check
  * Brainstorm about the idea
  * Look for collaborators that meet the required competence
  * Submission plan: study the call, 
  * proposal structure: 
  * devide roles
  * write application: check style to be unified.
  * review: internal, external

==== - Elements of the proposal ====
  * Objective: not method
    * short messages in 3-4 bullet points.
    * positive communication.
    * when defining scope, issues not fouces can be mentioned positively by talking about the big picture and highlighting the focussed parts and their impacts. 
  * Output: IMpact, technologz assessment level (TAL)
    * Deliverable: research data, method, technologies
  * ...
  * Disemination
  * ...
  * Finance plan: **must be consistent with WP description**. Inconsistency can be spotted and lost of credibility.

==== - Abstract ====
  * max 20 words in a sentence
  * put important words first.
  * use bullet points (make it easier for reviewers). The length is limited by words not space. 
  * use 2-3 keywords to connect to the call: eMobility, etc.
  * coherent of the writing: different topic in different section, by different partners.
  * Ask biz people to check the exploitation. Show that you understand what you are writing about.
  * The consortium must have the whole lifecycle (partner expertise) for knowlege transfering and competitiveness in business.




==== - OPossible example ====
  * Linguee https://www.edacentrum.de/syena/de/content/benefit.htm