Transcript How to Write a Fellowship Proposal

How to Write a Proposal
Supporting the Nursing Clinical Practice
Fellowship (NCPF) sponsored by the Government
of Ontario and the RPNAO
Purpose of the NCPF
The purpose of the NCPF is to:
•improve patient/client/resident outcomes
and/or
•improve nursing leadership
Make sure that what you propose for the NCPF
meets this goal
Step 1: Problem Identification
• STEP ONE: Identify what
problem or issue you are trying
to learn more about or solve
• ARGUMENT SUPPORT: Outline
research that shows why this is
an issue
• REASONABLE PROBLEM:
Reasonable problems are
achievable in the specified
time. (Don’t say that you want
to solve the nursing shortage!)
Proposal
STEP ONE
•Outlined in first paragraph
HOW THIS IS A PROBLEM?
•Quote study statistics
IS IT REASONABLE?
•Ensure the problem you
are trying to solve/learn
about is something that is
reasonable
Step 2: Goal Determination
Determine what goals you are trying to achieve
Make a list of all the goals you want to achieve
Goals should be SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and
Timely)
SMART Goals- Specific
SPECIFIC
• A specific goal has a much
greater chance of being
accomplished than a
general goal.
• EXAMPLE: A general goal
would be, "Get in shape."
But a specific goal would
say, "Join a health club and
workout 3 days a week.“
SETTING SPECIFIC GOALS
with six "W" questions
– Who: Who is involved?
– What: What do I want to
accomplish?
– Where: Identify a location.
– When: Establish a time frame.
– Which: Identify requirements
and constraints.
– Why: Specific reasons,
purpose or benefits of
accomplishing the goal.
SMART Goals- Measurable
MEASURABLE
• Establish concrete criteria
for measuring your progress
toward each goal set
• When you measure your
progress, you stay on track,
reach your target dates AND
achievement supports
successfully reaching your
goal.
DETERMINING MEASURABLE
GOALS
With 3 H questions
– How much?
– How many?
– How will I know when it is
accomplished?
SMART Goals- Achievable
ACHIEVABLE
• When you identify goals, you
need to determine if they are
achievable.
• When you set goals ensure that
they can be measured for
progress or they are not
attainable.
• You can attain goals when you
plan your steps wisely and
establish a time frame that allows
you to carry out those steps.
QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE
ACHIEVABILITY
• Can you finish this?-there is no
point starting something you
know you can't finish
• Do you know when you are
finished? If you can't tell if or
when you've finished, it isn’t
measurable.
SMART Goals- Realistic
REALSITIC
GOAL TIPS
• Your goal is probably realistic if you
truly believe that it can be
accomplished.
• A realistic goal must be an objective
which you are both willing and able to
work toward.
• If you decide a goal is realistic; do
you have the support/resources in
your organization to make it
achievable.
• Meet with your manager and future
mentor to determine if goals are
realistic within the organization.
• The fellowship can support you to
develop abilities, skills, and financial
capacity to reach them.
• If you have accomplished something
similar in the past, ask yourself what
conditions would have to exist to
accomplish this goal.
SMART Goals- Timely/Tangible
TIMELY
RATIONALE
• A goal should always be
grounded within a time
frame.
• Without a time frame there is no sense
of urgency and your goals may not be
achieved by the end of the fellowship.
• You need at least one goal
• If you do not have a goal it is not
measurable.
• Goals should be tangible
(realistic)- making it specific
and measurable, results in
the goal being attainable.
• An example of a tangible goal- “teach
20 nurses in the next month about
wound care” instead of having 4 inservices.
Overview
SMART Goals
Specific
Well defined, clear to anyone with a basic knowledge of the project
Measurable
Know if the goal is obtainable and how far away completion it is
Achievable
Goals can realistically be met within a timeframe and are measurable
Realistic
Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time
Time Based
Enough time to achieve the goal
Step 3: Outline of Proposed NCPF
When you write your proposal be clear and concise, it should
give an overview of what you will do during the fellowship
Using the SMART Goal questions remember to include:
 Who will be involved?
 What outcomes do you expect to achieve?
 What learning methods would be used?
 When would the NCPF project take place?
 Where will you do the fellowship?
 Why would this proposed NCPF meet the goals you outlined
earlier?
 What would your mentor do? Make sure your mentor has input
to the proposal.
 How do you propose to meet your goals?
Step 4: Summary
• Your final section should summarize
– why you want to participate,
– why you should be selected to participate,
– what you plan to do during the fellowship,
– what support you have confirmed from your
organization, and
– what your mentor has agreed to do.
General Tips
TIME
• Give yourself enough time to complete the proposal
• Give enough time for others to review the proposal
and be open to recommendations/ideas for
improvement. Don’t leave the review until the end
• If your proposal is not clear to another person, it
won’t be clear to the reviewers
General Tips
PROPOSAL CONTENT AND FORMAT
• Write clearly and to the point. Do not use “flowery”
language or too many words that are not necessary to
give a clear picture of what you are proposing.
• Include as many details of your plans for the fellowship
as possible. The reviewers cannot conceive what you
are thinking in your head, so make sure your proposal
is clear (RNAO website 2008).
• Make sure you answer all the questions asked in the
call for abstracts/proposals. The reviewers ask for
certain things for a reason. If you don’t answer them,
you will not be successful.
General Tips
MARKETING
• Remember that the reviewers don’t know you and
can’t see you. Make sure the application reflects your
suitability for the program.
• Don’t be afraid to “market” yourself. Let the
reviewers know all the good qualities you
possess.
References
•
http://www.topachievement.com/smart.html
•
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html
•
National Primary and Care Trust Development Programme (2004). Ten Steps to
SMART
objectives. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from:
http://www.natpact.nhs.uk/uploads/Ten%20Steps%20to%20SMART%20objectives
.pdf
•
RPNAO Proposal Guidelines