Notes on Style of Writing

  • Grant writing is persuasive writing!
  • Make sure your project narrative “grabs” the funder from the beginning. Your aim is to sound urgent, but not in crisis.
  • Be clear, succinct, and consistent.
  • Be explicit: Reviewers cannot read your mind! Don’t expect reviewers to read between the lines! Don’t assume they know what you intend! Have a peer and/or ORSP review your proposal to make sure you’re being explicit.
  • Avoid creating distractions for the reviewer!
  • Avoid technical jargon, slang, trendy phrases, use of multi-syllabic words and contractions.
  • Avoid use of undefined acronyms.
  • Use positive action terms.
  • Make your proposal interesting to read through use of good formatting. Use white space, bullets, and paragraph breaks for visual appeal. Include charts and graphs where helpful. Avoid a “”wall of text.”
  • In the absence of directions, don’t go below 11 pt. Arial; use 1-inch margins.