Financing research: strategies for proposals

Research has costs. Even the research you do to collect some minimal background for a decision costs your time. Research to determine the usability of a product costs more, and research to choose among various design options can cost much more. At some point, the expense can no longer be hidden within other budget items; then your choice is usually between dropping the research and finding someone else to pay for it. Whether that someone is inside or outside your organization, you will probably be competing for scarce funds and expected to justify your project by means of a proposal. You can improve your research proposal´s chances of funding by learning what the reviewers who make funding decisions expect to see