Encouragement from a federal grant program office, with tips for turning rejections into winning proposals.
Few applicants are fortunate enough to receive grants from a competitive program on their first try.
Putting together an initial application can be difficult and frustrating. It is usually done under extreme time pressure, frequently by a group of people working together for the first time, who are often in the dark about the practices and priorities of a particular funding agency. Procedures that have been successful in one program may not be well-received in another. Because writing an original proposal is such a large investment and offers such a valuable learning experience, probably the single most important thing a grant applicant can do is profit from an unsuccessful application. View the experience as an opportunity to get guidance, which will help you to win in future competitions.