Grant-Writing Courses in the United States: A Descriptive Review of Syllabi and Factors That Influence Instructor Choice of Course Texts

Abstract

Little information exists about the structure and content of grant writing courses offered in the United States. To fill this gap, we used multiple data sources, including a content analysis of syllabi from 93 graduate-level grant writing courses in the United States, and an online survey that sought insight into (a) the ways in which textbooks for graduate-level grant writing courses are selected and, (b) the specific features that instructors value in grant writing textbooks. Syllabi data included course department, structure, description, requirements, and objectives, as well as required and recommended readings. The themes derived from the data attested to an applied focus on proposal writing, budgeting, and the identification of funding sources. The survey data suggested that instructors valued the inclusion of example proposals and would like to see logic models as they apply to writing grant proposals in course textbooks.