Many grant writers feel that the proposal is the most important aspect of grant research.
It should not be assumed that grant writing can be reduced to a formula or that what worked for one institution dealing with a funding source will also work for another at a different time or with a different funder. Less often, but occasionally, a poor application will be successful, primarily because some need of the funder will be met by the accomplishment of the proposed activity. Grant applications differ greatly in form, style, and content depending on factors such as the granting agency requirements, the type of project, and the size and type of the institution that will administer the funds. In arriving at funding decisions, government agencies must consider the national priorities that have been established by the current administration, or geographic distribution, or the state of the art in a particular field. Private foundations nearly always reflect the partialities and biases of the donors, and it is not unusual for foundation grants to be made to friends of the trustees.