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ENC 3246: PROF COMM ENGINEERING – PROPOSAL PROJECT Writing and Submission Requirements

Length: 1200 words per person Format: IEEE manuscript form Submission: Turn in to E-Learning as an attached document in Word (.docx). Name the file using the

group members’ last names and the name of the assignment with no spaces (e.g.: Smith Wesson Proposal.doc).

Assignment Prompt and Context

In professional fields, a proposal is a document that argues for the funding of a particular project or

attempts to win a contract to develop or build a product. Though the requirements can be described in

different ways, the global structure of proposals is virtually always the same: Problem Solution. You

must first define a significant problem and then explain a feasible solution. Another very important

requirement is that you establish the significance of the problem and the benefits associated with the

solution. Some funding agencies, in fact, require a separate “significance” section.

This assignment takes the form of an “RFP” or Request for Proposals by the University of Florida. Your

task is to form a working group and craft a proposal that will win one of these grants. Your group should

have a clear and identifiable identity (name, logo, or group slogan) with which to brand your proposal,

and this identity should reference your professional skills. To complete the project, you will also include

2 other documents: a prospectus and a progress report.

Step One: Read the RFP – note details about

what the RFP is looking for (first paragraph!)

Step Two: Meet group members – brainstorm

ideas that fulfill the RFP

Step Three: Write a prospectus that makes the

motivation for your proposed project clear

Step Four: Begin collecting data necessary for

each step in the proposal

Step Five: Submit a progress report to your

supervisor (instructor)

Step Six: Submit your proposal

Request for Proposals

The University of Florida Office of Sponsored Research US Department of Commerce

US Department of Energy

The University of Florida has received a significant new grant from a joint US Department of

Commerce and US Department of Energy task force created to stimulate new research

opportunities for emerging technologies. These newly created grants stipulate that project

proposals, not to be less than $500,000 and not more than $10,000,000, will be awarded to

projects which are innovative responses to some of the economic, environmental, and social

problems facing America today. Proposals which “significantly improve the quality of life for

individual American citizens at home, at work, or at school, or directly and immediately improve

the quality and competitiveness of American industry within the global marketplace” will be

given top priority.

The Office of Sponsored Research is now actively soliciting proposals from all interested firms in

North Central Florida. An awards committee, in conjunction with donor agencies, will prioritize

applications and decide which local proposals get funding for this fiscal year.

The proposal should illustrate a clear understanding of the agencies’ needs, a clear focus on

benefits, honest and supportable claims, appropriate detail, and a realistic budget. The page

design must be accessible, the supplements should be tailored for the different audiences that

will read the document, and all sources and contributors should be properly cited. Proposals

should have all of the elements listed below and must be 15 to 20 pages in length.

Elements of the Technical Proposal

1. Letter of Transmittal (not more than one page): This is the final letter to the Office of Contracts and

Grants. It is the cover letter for your Proposal. An opening paragraph will advise that the proposal is

attached. Middle paragraphs will recall the elements of the problem, research, and plan. A final

paragraph will express confidence that the project has merit and deserves consideration for funding.

Include a contact number.

2. Title Page: Include title, name and address of the foundation, your name, and the date. A graphic

might be used. This page needs attention to design as well as content.

3. Executive Summary (not more than two pages): An executive summary is typically written for a non-

academic audience--a busy senior executive, or the donor perhaps, who cannot take time to read an

entire proposal but wants to know the general ideas from many proposals. In about a tenth of the size

of the whole report, the summary defines the problem, outlines the key elements of the plan, and closes

with a statement expressing confidence that with funding this proposal will yield significant benefits. It

must be written in the third person without citations. Number this page as lower case Roman numeral

two (ii).

4. Table of Contents: This page lists all sections and subsections of your paper along with the starting

pages. Attend to formatting as well as content. Continue numbering with Roman numerals.

5. Table of Figures and Tables: List each figure along with its title. Show the page where the figure

appears. Format should be consistent with the Table of Contents.

6. Problem Statement or Task (600-900 words): In this section you are introducing the problem and

attempting to make a persuasive argument for the seriousness of the issue. Primary research

information is essential in this section, and this must be used in conjunction with standards, formulae, or

principles used in your field to establish norms for problems such as the one which is the subject for this

paper. A visual aid is also needed. The opening page of this section begins the use of Arabic numerals.

7. Review of Secondary Research relating to the problem and solution (600-900 words): The review of

secondary research helps the proposal establish authority. Examining the research relating to the topic

and the ways the problem has been dealt with in the past creates the foundation for the proposed plan

of action. In technical or non-academic proposals this review is incorporated into both the problem

statement and the solution and tends to be a bit shorter than reviews in academic proposals. Use

scholarly and professional sources rather than popular ones.

8. Solution or Technical Plan (900 or more words per sub-section): This is the section where the details

of the plan are presented. Organization of the section will depend on the nature of the plan and the

number of elements. The plan must logically follow from the literature review. Bulleted or numbered

lists can be useful for organizing the plan components. In this section, try to explain what needs to be

done and how to go accomplishing them. Include visuals to help illustrate the plan.

9. Budget and Schedule (300-600 words): Be as detailed as possible. Strive for realistic figures. Items in

the budget must be directly related to aspects of the Technical Plan. In some cases, it might be

necessary to include budget justification statements for specific items.

10. Evaluation Plan (300-600 words): Explain how the plan's success will be evaluated and how that

evaluation will be reported to the funding agency (typically in the form of progress reports). Also try for

a strong persuasive statement to convince the foundation that this plan deserves funding.

11. References: Include at least eight sources (twenty wouldn’t be out of the ordinary). The list should

only include scholarly and professional sources. Remember that the overall persuasiveness of the

proposal depends upon the strength of the authorities researched to help establish the logic for the

plan.

12. Visual Aids: tables, graphs, drawings, etc. (integrated into the text): At least four visuals must be

included in the paper, though many topics require more to clearly develop the Technical Plan section.

13. Appendix (if necessary; often not required): Visuals that are too large to integrate into the text

might be placed in an appendix. Copies of questionnaires or other documentation relating to the

primary research should be placed in an appendix.