CTAHR eXchange

...is the "cover story" in the June 6, 2008 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education Careers Section.  Subtitled "The best way to find out what agencies look for in a proposal is to participate in a review session yourself."

Some highlights from Karen M. Markin's article:

"The best way to find out what a review session is really like is to participate in one yourself.  Being a junior faculty member need not be an obstacle.  Many organizations need grant proposals reviewed, and with a little effort, you can probably find a gig."

But be wary of the time commitment.  Markin writes:

"Reviewing proposals can require a substantial amount of work, so be sure you have the time before accepting an invitation to serve as a panelist.  Find out how many grant proposals you will have to read, how long they are and how much time you will get to review them.  It's important that you be able to spend and adequate amount of time on the task.  Have you ever gotten back a review of your grant proposal that made you think "They didn't even read this"?  A cursory review helps no one.  Budget your time correctly."

But while the work is extensive, the travel tiring and the amount of funding provided minimal, Markin explains:

"The value is in the experience itself.  You will see what is expected of successful grant requests.  You will meet other faculty members in your field and read proposals for work at the vanguard of the discipline.  You can have the kind of intellectual discussion that many are seeking in academe but seldom have, what with grading papers and serving on committees.  Ultimately, the experience can help you prepare better proposals and obtain grant money for your own work."

Finally Markin offers some good advice: 

"The first time you participate in a review session, try taking notes on your reactions to the proposals.  For example, are you looking with dismay at a big stack of applications, wondering how you'll get through them all?  Are you irritated that an applicant included letters of support when the instructions explicitly said not to?  How do you feel about that misspelling in the abstract?

.... Next time you write one, look at your notes to remind yourself not to do those things that distracted from the project."