An introduction can make or break a proposal. Many funding agencies employ colleagues in the same field to sit on a review panel and critique your work. The panel may meet in one location for a one-or-two day period, or they may be sent the documents electronically. Either way, when it is time to review the proposal the reviewers are usually tired. The way the introduction is crafted can be the difference in a proposal getting put in the reject file or possible fundable file. It is a shame to spend so much time and effort for someone to only read the introduction of a proposal.
A great deal of thought should go into the cost section of the proposal. If the team underestimates the project cost, the project may not be able to be completed. Offering a synopsis of the costs gives the funder the opportunity to understand in more detail how the applicant will use their money. This class is focusing more on academic proposals where budgets and costs are not typically necessary. Budgets for grants and contracts are a critical part of those proposals and should be addressed with a critical lense.
I like to think of the conclusion of the proposal much like I do the closing arguments of a jury trial. The conclusion is the last memory the reader will have of a project. The reader should be aware he or she is moving from the body of the proposal to the conclusion. The reader is more than likely tired and the conclusion should reenergize them and remind them of why this is definitely a fundable proposal. Bringing the main point back into the eye of the reader is critical in closing your proposal.
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