How To Get Your Grant Pre-Screened

Grant writing experts tell us that conducting a pre-screening or “mock review” of your proposal and editing your proposal based on targeted mock reviewer feedback will triple your chance of being funded.
The reason you increase your chance of success by 300% is that you have an opportunity to improve your overall score “prior” to submitting your application. You do so by receiving targeted scoring and feedback that mirrors what a real evaluator would give you. You then make targeted changes to your proposal that will increase your score.
This article focuses on why you need to pre-screen your proposal and 5 steps of the mock review process.
Here’s the problem:
Unfortunately, most submitted proposals are really no more than first drafts, sent in unreviewed. Think about it for a minute. If what you’re turning in is essentially a first draft, the actual reviewers may be the ones who find things missing usually in the first go-around.
This is a liability for you and decreases the likelihood of being funded. However, if you mirror the review process with your mock review team, you will most likely discover any mechanical errors as well as receive valuable feedback to help you improve the clarity of the proposal. I would wager that building this feedback loop into your grant writing process may double your chances of getting funded.
The solution is pre-screening or what we call a “mock review.”
To arrange a mock review that is as similar to the actual review as possible, try to procure a list of the funder’s reviewers for the previous year, a copy of the scoring system that will be used, and a sample of an exemplary proposal. Also gather whatever information is available about the setting in which your proposal will be reviewed.
The list of previous reviewers will give you an indication of who will be reading your proposal. Some experts even recommend contacting the reviewers directly.
Examining previously funded proposals will provide you with a good idea of what the funders view as an exemplary proposal. Knowing the scoring system and actual review setting will allow the reviewers of your mock review team to critique your proposal in a way similar to what the actual reviewers will be doing.
5 Steps of the Mock Review Process
To get the maximum benefit and improvement in their proposal scores, I suggest to students that they follow this 5-step process in setting up their mock reviews:
Step 1 – Complete a preparation form for conducting a mock review
This form should include the information collected during your pre-proposal contact and from the funder’s guidelines and specifications such as:
A description of the funder;
A summary of funder preferences and requirements, including the Request for Proposal (RFP) if available;
Profile of an actual reviewer;
Description of the actual review process including training each reviewer receives, the setting in which proposals are reviewed, how much time each reviewer takes;
Rating criteria and form (if none is available make up one); and
Section process for approving proposals and who will make the final decision.
Step 2 – Identify colleagues and/or friends who would be interested in participating
It is helpful to explain up front the overall process and reason for conducting a mock review and how important their feedback is to you in improving your proposal. Most participants comment that the mock review is an interesting experience; they learn a great deal about grant writing and about your idea in the process.
They usually greatly appreciate being asked and welcome the opportunity to be part of a process that will help get you closer to your dream. Initially, to entice them to participate, you may wish to buy them lunch and/or give them a gift, as well as schedule the review around the times and dates that are convenient for them.
Step 3 – Conduct the mock review
Make sure to follow as closely as possible the actual review process that the funder will use. The preparation form will provide the review team with enough information to take on the role of the actual funder review team.
A tendency for new grant writers is to trivialize this experience and not follow exactly the funder’s review process; instead, they ask for general feedback. While this is helpful, it will not yield the valuable funder-specific information that a mock review process can provide-feedback that will help you take your draft to the next level.
Step 4 – Listen
It’s important to set your ego aside and listen open-heartedly to the feedback from the review team. Harsh comments are often hard to digest. However, sometimes these comments are the ones we need to hear the most-as well as the ones others are sensitive about sharing with us.
Comments, whether harsh or complementary, when received with an open mind of wonder and curiosity – how can you improve the proposal? – can make quantum improvements in your proposal. Remember that you want accurate feedback that reflects what an actual funder review team might be thinking.
Step 5 – Edit Your Proposal And Submit It
Incorporating the feedback from the mock review process, do a final edit of your proposal, or ask a friend or colleague to do the edit. Then put together the entire proposal and secure all the required signatures.
Double check to make sure all the forms, additional copies, and supplementary materials are included. There should be a table of contents, and the pages should be numbered consecutively. Submit your proposal approximately ten days before the deadline.
One group of authors suggests that you mail your proposal so it arrives on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Most people receive less mail on those two days, so your proposal will be better noticed. Mail the proposal in a manila envelope large enough to accommodate the proposal without having to fold or bend it.