Proposal-Grant Writing Skills, A Veritable Tool for Academic Success of Graduate Students

Abstract

The study focused on proposal grant writing as a veritable tool academic success of postgraduate students in universities. Two research questions were answered and two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was 65 senior faculty members of the department of English & Literary studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and Enugu State University of Science & Technology (ESUT). Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Two experts validated the instrument for data collection. The internal consistency of the instrument was determined by the use of Cronbach alpha reliability method and 0.76 reliability coefficient was obtained. The data generated were analyzed using mean to answer research questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that good knowledge of proposal grant writing skills such as research skills, writing skills and analytical skills is a prerequisite for a successful postgraduate studies in universities. Acquisition of good writing skills enhances chances of research funding, increases scholar’s visibility, creates collaborative research networks and fosters employment opportunities in industries and academic institutions for graduate students. It was recommended that Postgraduate studies management should regularly conduct training sessions, workshops, and seminars on proposal grant writing for graduate students. These sessions would provide valuable insights, practical tips, and guidance from experienced professionals. It was also recommended that graduate students should learn the culture of sharing their proposals for grant funding with mentors, or professionals experienced in grant writing. Soliciting their feedbacks and suggestions for improvement would enhance the quality of the proposal.