The well-written abstract is the single most important part of the proposal. The abstract should not be the last part of the proposal that is written.
Deadline pressures prior to submission of the proposal are often intense.
The writing of this crucial aspect of the proposal should be given the time and consideration it deserves. The abstract should be written early in the proposal preparation process, and modified as needed as the proposal develops. The abstract be understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader, and it should be suitable for publication. The abstract should be written in the third person. It should include objectives, methods to be employed, and the potential impact of the project.