Writing the Project Summary and Title

Abstract

The Project Summary is a short description of the proposed work (one page or less), which, unlike the rest of the proposal, can be accessed by the public. It is usually the first page of the proposal (excluding the cover page, which provides institutional information) and, therefore, precedes the Project Description. In this chapter, we consider the Project Summary and highlight a few language features pertinent to the summary. We conclude the chapter (and module) with suggestions for writing a title for your proposal. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to do the following: ■ Recognize the audience and purpose for the Project Summary ■ Know what content should be included in (and excluded from) the Project Summary ■ Follow the typical move structure of the Project Summary ■ Write an appropriate title for your proposal As you work through the chapter, you will write your Project Summary and give your proposal a title. The Writing on Your Own tasks throughout the chapter will guide you step by step as you do the following: 15A Write the Project Summary 15B Write the proposal title 15C Complete the proposal Most external funding agencies require a Project Summary. Funding agencies often share project summaries with their donors, boards of directors, prospective grantees, and others interested in the types of projects that they fund. The Project Summary is also used by program officers to determine the most appropriate review panel for the proposal. In complex agencies like the NSF and NIH, there are many related program initiatives, and it is ultimately the decision of the program officer to forward the proposal to the right division for consideration. As such, the Project Summary is typically written for a scientific audience, enabling a scientifically literate but nonexpert audience to understand the project. The Project Summary is not the same as a journal article abstract (chapter 7) or a conference abstract (chapter 8), even though the Project Summary is sometimes called an abstract. The Project Summary summarizes work that has yet to be done and is written for a scientific audience.