Resource Hub for Faculty & Students
A curated collection of resources for securing funding for research & professional development
Welcome, Faculty and Students
At Peak Proposals, we recognize the challenges of the academic funding landscape. Whether you are an undergraduate student exploring grant writing as a career path, a graduate student trying to secure your first grant, a new faculty member navigating your first NIH or NSF submission, or a faculty member managing a complex multi-institutional proposal, we have curated a list of resources to help you reach your goal.
How to Use This Hub:
For Students: Explore the Fundamentals section below to get started. For even more content, see the "Building Skills" category of our blog for an introduction to the grant-seeking world.
For Faculty: Find guidance on responding to federal solicitations, managing complex reference lists, and using AI and productivity tools to streamline and manage your writing process. Also see our free and affordably priced templates and courses.
For Career Centers: Feel free to share our guides, blog posts, and resource lists as supplementary materials for your student workshops or faculty development seminars. All blog posts include a PDF download of the article.
In addition to the curated collection below, you can find more than 100 blog posts on our website and Substack related to securing funding and the proposal development process.
1. Fundamentals for New Researchers & Grant Seekers
These posts are ideal for students or junior faculty who are new to grant-seeking.
Paths to Becoming a Grant Writer: Start here if you are a student wanting to build this skill set.
The Research Phase Grant Writers Can't Afford to Skip: Gain an understanding of how to conduct literature reviews to support proposal development and project design.
Project Budgeting Tips for New Grant Writers: Grow your knowledge of the budgeting side of grant applications.
Finding Funding for Research: Learn about different types of funding and how to find funding opportunities.
Tips for Finding Foundation Grants to Support Research: Read a short overview of how to find foundation funding to support your academic research or projects.
2. Strategic Proposal Development
Faculty members often struggle to find the "best-fit" opportunities. These resources can help with vetting and prioritizing which opportunities to pursue.
Using Evaluation Criteria to Prepare a Stronger Grant Proposal: Understand how review panels (like those at government agencies) score submissions.
Questions to Ask Before Responding to a Funding Opportunity: Learn how to assess whether a solicitation is worth your time.
Searching for Grant Opportunities Using Google: Leverage Google to find funding opportunities.
3. Writing and Process Guidance
In academia, accuracy and citation management are non-negotiable.
Three Options for Managing References: Addresses ways to manage citations for research grants.
Tips for Editing Your Own Writing: Provides tips for polishing drafts before departmental reviews.
Getting Past Proposal Writing Blocks: Suggestions for overcoming blocks to meet proposal deadlines.
4. Specialized Tools & Technology
Working on a Complex Proposal? LiquidText Can Help: A software application recommended for faculty and students developing research proposals for submission to a federal agency.
Using AI to Write Grant Proposals: Overview of AI tools and how they can be used to support grant writing. For a more in-depth guide on using AI for grant writing, see our course Grant Writing Using AI.
About
Peak Proposals aims to help grant writers, students, faculty members, and nonprofit staff build their skills in identifying potential funders, managing the proposal process, and writing competitive proposals. We have over 20 years of experience working in proposal development and management at universities, international NGOs, and community nonprofits, submitting successful proposals to government agencies and multilaterals including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Heath, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Global Fund, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization and major foundations including the Ford Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Packard Foundation.
Through our website and affiliated social media accounts, we provide:
Resources to discover funding opportunities;
Tips and tools to help manage the proposal process;
Professional development information for grant writers; and
Courses and eBooks in the areas of prospect research, grant writing, and proposal management.