How to write a collaborative research grant proposal
In this self-study course, you’ll learn to confidently participate in collaborative proposal writing to international standards – whether as a team leader or a team member. It guides you step by step from idea to final touches, helping you craft a compelling and successful proposal. You’ll also explore the potential and pitfalls of using AI in writing a collaborative application. If your funding agency requires an oral presentation in a second review stage, you’ll receive a clear strategy to excel in that presentation.
To make your learning journey effective and enjoyable, we’ve packed the course with helpful features:
- Introductory texts to lay a solid foundation.
- Best-practice and concrete text examples that show you exactly how it’s done.
- Interactive exercises to deepen your understanding and let you apply what you’ve learned right away.
Whether you’re just starting or need a confidence boost to finish, this course equips you with the tools and skills to make your (part of the) collaborative proposal shine.
What is a self-study course?
A self-study course is a flexible, tutor-free training programme that allows you to learn independently of time and location. You have the freedom to choose when, where, and at what pace you progress through the learning material.
Who is this course for?
This course is perfect for any scientist, regardless of academic qualifications and merits, who finds themselves in the position of leading a multi- or interdisciplinary project team to prepare a collaborative application, or who is simply a team member tasked with writing part of the application.
What does this course offer you?
This course is all about helping you write a successful collaborative proposal: Both the preparation phase and the writing phase are described in detail so that the course provides a clear roadmap for your proposal.
What will you learn in this course?
- Preparation phase: Learn not only the basics of writing collaborative proposals, but also how to coordinate with teammates, align goals, and manage contingencies during preparation. Cover practical steps for joint planning, shared documentation, and handling letters of intent as a team.
- Collaboration-focused structure: Understand the essential structure of a collaborative proposal, including which sections are typically required, how to distribute content among team members, and how to present a unified voice that reflects multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary input.
- Writing phase: Gain practical insights into writing each section effectively as a team, ensuring content quality, consistency, and reviewer-oriented language. Learn how to draft collaboratively and review collectively.
- Emerging topics in collaborative proposal writing: Explore the role of AI tools in a team context – when to use them, how to maintain transparency and authorship integrity, and how to preserve a collaborative tone. Learn strategies for presenting a collaborative project to panels, including handling questions and demonstrating coordinated team capability during a second-stage review.
What is the structure of the course?
The course consists of 19 engaging lessons. At the end of each lesson, you can test your knowledge with a self-assessment test – making sure you’re on the right track!
Lesson 1: What is a “collaborative” grant proposal?
Lesson 2: Before starting to write – a checklist of prerequisites
Lesson 3: The letter of intent
Lesson 4: How to react to a short-term call
Lesson 5: Addressees of a collaborative grant proposal
Lesson 6: Important principles of grant writing
Lesson 7: The typical sections of a collaborative grant proposal and how they relate to each other
Lesson 8: Title
Lesson 9: Summary
Lesson 10: State of research
Lesson 11: Overall objective and sub-objectives
Lesson 12: Impact – how does your scientific result change the world?
Lesson 13: Joint work plan
Lesson 14: Visualising the joint work plan
Lesson 15: Budget
Lesson 16: Reviewer-oriented language of a collaborative grant proposal
Lesson 17: Writing up the collaborative grant proposal – suggestions for a workflow
Lesson 18: How AI might help (or not help) when setting up the proposal
Lesson 19: How to survive a panel of reviewers
What does the course cost?
The fee for the self-study course is € 119.00 (incl. VAT).
How long is the course accessible?
Once you’ve made your payment, you’re all set! You’ll have access to the course for a full 6 months (that’s 180 days) and can jump right in. And the best part: You can explore the learning materials anytime during this period – no restrictions! On average, it will take you about 40 hours to complete the entire course, but you can work at your own pace. Feel free to dive into the lessons in any order that suits you.
Need extra support for your collaborative proposal journey?
At proWiss, we understand that writing a collaborative proposal can be daunting. That’s why we offer personalised consulting services designed to guide you every step of the way, with a clear focus on teamwork and co-authorship. Our team helps you navigate the intricacies of international proposal writing standards through collaborative, team-centred support that includes:
- Aligning your joint effort with international standards: We ensure your collaborative proposal meets the specific writing expectations of national and international funders, while maintaining a unified team voice.
- Crafting a coherent, shared argument: We help your group establish and maintain a clear, logical thread across chapters, balancing contributions from all team members.
- Thorough collaborative text reviews: Our experts provide detailed feedback on formal accuracy and style, plus suggestions to improve coherence, consistency, and collective readability across the proposal.
- Coordinating authorship and workflow: We assist with roles, responsibilities, version control, and review cycles to keep the team aligned and moving forward together.
For more information see prowiss.com. Or contact us directly at .
We look forward to hearing from you!
Certificate of participation
After completing the course, you can download a certificate of participation from proWiss-Online in PDF format.