Some grants require the submission of a management plan. As with the evaluation plan, the larger, more involved proposals often require one, but it is not always necessary for the smaller, single investigator grant proposals. If there is a question about this, the staff of the OVPR can assist researchers in determining whether a management plan is needed, and then help them to develop the text for the plan. Even if a management plan is not required, it is useful for the researcher to consider some of the points discussed below, as they are relevant considerations for any well developed and organized proposal. It is important to indicate that a project will be carefully guided during its lifetime. The management plan provides this guidance and continuity by detailing the objectives, goals and planned procedures of the project. It describes the system for governance and decision-making, and indicates how important components (everything from broader impacts and diversity initiatives to instrument acquisition and maintenance) fit into the project’s day-to-day running. The management plan should clearly lay out who the various participants are, what their roles are with regard to the project, and if relevant how their roles might evolve as the project progresses. Their time commitment should also be indicated: are they involved in the project on a daily or weekly basis, once a month, or only for occasional meetings? It might benefit the proposal if an organizational chart is included. This chart could show how personnel will interact and what their responsibilities will be toward forming an efficient structure for overall management of the project. For example, some projects have external and internal management committees, advisory boards, or program liaisons to assist in the management of the project. The chart could show the responsibilities for each of these positions, listing the specific personnel if possible. A management plan can also be used to set a timeline for various stages of the project, including how often committees will meet, when evaluations will be conducted and when specific outcomes are anticipated. If an aspect of the project changes, either in a positive or negative way, the project may need re-directing. The management plan can clarify the processes for handling unanticipated results, and explain how the project will be modified based on those results. In this way it is closely tied to the ongoing (formative) and final (summative) evaluations of the project. Generally the formative evaluations are overseen by the internal committee, and the summative by the external committee. When writing a management plan, the researcher should first consider the goals of the proposed project and then how to address these goals within the management plan. Funding sources look at this information very carefully to see if the actions described in the management plan are effective for meeting the goals. Once the salient features of the project have been identified, the plans for enacting them should be clearly laid out. Some examples are listed below. Student selection, retention, and evaluation should be considered if the project has a training component. Included in this section would be a description of how underrepresented groups (i.e. women and minorities) would be recruited. It should be clearly stated how students are chosen and which personnel are involved with the selection process. In addition, methods of retention (such as mentoring, peer counseling, or ongoing assessment) should be addressed, as well as which personnel have oversight for these student support services. Finally, the evaluation of student performance should be considered, as well as how the outcome of evaluation would be utilized to improve student training. Planned collaborations with other departments, institutions, or businesses must be well documented. If there is an existing relationship, that should be described as well as any plans for expanding the relationship. The personnel involved in managing the collaboration should be identified, as well as the means by which they will maintain communication (weekly meetings, via phone or e-mail, etc.). Acquisition and maintenance of instrumentation or equipment, if it is integral to the project, should be described. How will the acquisition be made, and once the instrumentation is in place, who will be in charge of overseeing it? If, for example, it is laboratory equipment that must be used only by qualified personnel, what mechanisms will be put in place for training those people? Who else will have access to the equipment, and what steps will be taken to advertise its availability? Finally, where will the equipment be housed? Funding agencies want to know that the results of the funded project either have the potential to serve as a model for further research, or will benefit a large number of people or organizations (see section on Broader Impacts). The management plan can address issues of technology transfer as well. Who will be in charge of disseminating the results of the project, and what method will be used for that? Depending on the project there might be other issues of management that should be addressed in the proposal. The staff in the OVPR can help the researcher to describe the management for these. Resources for Writing Proposals
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Resources for Writing Proposals
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