NOTE: All grant writer positions in the Office of Research are currently vacant. Until a grant writer position is filled, the Office of Research cannot provide grant writing services.
Grant Writing Services
NOTE: Grant writing services are only available to full-time employees of the University of New Orleans who are eligible to serve as PIs; they are not for sale to individuals unaffiliated with the university.
If you would like to request any of the below services and you are an eligible PI based on the guidelines reviewed in this policy, please SUBMIT A SERVICE REQUEST.
Identify funding sources
UNO's grant writers can help faculty locate external funding, develop customized funding searches, and set up email alerts using funding databases such as Pivot. Pivot is a powerful search tool designed to send you weekly updates on funding opportunities that meet your search criteria.
Contact funding agency program officers
We can also help initiate and establish effective lines of communication with appropriate grant program officers. Program officers often provide valuable insight on ways to strengthen proposals for more favorable reviews.
Proposal outline and planning services
The grant writers can help develop outlines for proposals to ensure writing aligns with agency guidelines prior to working on the full narrative.
Review and edit proposal narratives
We also offer editing services for grant proposals such as formatting, copy editing, aligning the narrative with program guidelines, and revising for clarity and persuasion. Requests for assistance should be made at least 8 weeks prior to the agency deadline for full proposals, or 4 weeks prior to the deadline for key proposal segments under six pages.
Basic Editing Services (with lead time of 4 weeks' notice)
• Review of key proposal segments under 6 pages total including introductory sections, Project Summaries, Broader Impacts, Specific Aims, and/or Significance and Innovation sections.
In-Depth Editing Services (with lead time of 8 weeks' notice)
• Copy editing for concision, clarity, and impact
• Rhetorical strategies for strengthening the argument for funding
• Ensuring that the proposal fully addresses the specifics of the solicitation and the priorities of the agency
• Review of supporting documents (e.g., biosketch, facilities & equipment)
• Scientific developmental editing (limited availability)
Coordinate peer and expert reviews
We can help coordinate internal and external proposal reviews from peer and content experts on a case-by-case basis. This request must be submitted and approved by the Executive Director for Research & Economic Development.
Minimum timeline to request external review is 10 weeks if reviewer has been identified and confirmed. Minimum timeline to request external review is 12 weeks if no reviewer has been identified.
- UNO negotiates with and writes contract with reviewer
- Reviewer edits proposal
- Weeks 5-7: PI updates proposal with reviewer-suggested edits
- PI submits final proposal to the Office of Research
- Office of Research reviews final proposal and submits to sponsor
Additional Services, Training, & Outreach
Liaise with UNO Office of Research staff – UNO's grant writers work alongside research administrators (RAs) in the Office of Research to form a pre-award proposal development team for faculty. These teams can help you develop narrative, budget, budget justification, letters of support, and any necessary supplemental materials.
Grant writing workshops for faculty – Each spring semester, the Office of Research offers a series of proposal development workshops.
Grant writing workshops for NSF Graduate Research Fellow applicants – Each fall semester, the Office of Research offers a series of proposal development workshops for students who would like to apply to the NSF GRF program.
Louisiana Board of Regents workshops – Each fall semester, the Office of Research offers several workshops specific to the annual Board of Regents grant program.
Coordinate tracking of faculty service as external grant reviewers – Serving as a grant reviewer with sponsoring agencies is a way to network and form a better understanding of how your own proposals are ranked by peer reviewers. UNO's grant writers, in partnership with the Director of External Collaboration, can help faculty identify opportunities to serve as grant reviewers and will track faculty reviewers who share their service record with the Office of Research.