Proposal Development Support Services

Supporting stronger, more competitive proposals

Why Proposal Development Matters

Proposal development is the strategic, creative, and content-focused work of shaping a proposal so that it is compelling, clear, and competitive. ERGP provides targeted support to help lead PIs tell a compelling story, strengthen the proposal narrative, and present the research effectively. To get the most from our services, plan ahead and submit your request early.

Our Services

We tailor our approach to focus on components that can elevate the proposal.

  • Full Proposal Development: End-to-end support in crafting a strong, cohesive proposal
  • Narrative Development Assistance: Refining your research story and framing key ideas
  • Editing and Content Refinement: Strengthening clarity, organization, and flow
  • Graphic Design Coordination: Integrating figures, visuals, and layout support
  • Budget Development Support: Aligning your budget with your narrative and sponsor requirements
  • Other Assistance: Examples of additional ERGP proposal development services are below

How We Work

These services complement — but do not duplicate — the proposal preparation and regulatory processes provided by university-level pre-award units, which handle the administrative and technical steps required to assemble and submit your proposal. All ERGP proposal development support services are subject to team availability.

Request Support

Ready to get started? Complete our quick Online Request Form to let us know what you need and how we can help.

Examples of ERGP proposal development services

Narrative development assistance and editing

  • Assist with analyzing funding announcement and requirements
  • Develop proposal guideline summary
  • Generate proposal development outlines and timelines
  • Proposal strategy development and grantsmanship advice
  • Develop document outlines and provide guidance for organization and strategy
  • Assist with refining key proposal components, including:
    • Project summary/abstract
    • Project narrative/description
    • Broader impacts
    • Results from prior support (NSF)
    • References cited (editing only)
    • Mentoring plan
    • Data management and sharing plan
  • Proposal graphics coordination (limited internal services available)
  • Ensure consistent appearance and content across all documents
  • Arrange peer review (red team review)
  • Support proposal resubmission revisions

Other proposal development assistance

  • Budget development and justification
  • Cost sharing budget and match commitments
  • Facilities, equipment and other resources
  • Provide templates, boilerplate text, and examples for common proposal elements
  • Draft and collect letters of commitment and institutional support
  • Prepare other appendices (depending on content required)
  • Assist PI in navigating internal university proposal review and submission processes
  • Facilitate collaborations, including assistance with identifying community partnerships and stakeholders