Application 2.2

Grant Proposal Basics – Idea Generation

Overview:

The building block metaphor provides a structured and intuitive framework from which to better understand and navigate the complexities of grant writing. There are incremental steps and an interconnectedness to each section of a grant proposal so as you reflect on each building block, consider how it is related to previous components.

Assignment:

Picture the following scenario. You walk into the office after lunch on a Monday afternoon and your supervisor asks if you have a few moments to talk about an exciting idea that would help better serve a particular population of interest. As it turns out, your supervisor has been charged with coming up with several ideas on how to better meet the needs of a group and you are asked to help develop some thoughts. Several of your colleagues are invited to engage in the conversation although there is little direction on how to move forward. How do you start?

A typical approach to generate ideas includes facilitating a brainstorming session. However, the nuances of effective brainstorming can significantly impact the outcomes. Consider the following steps to effectively generate ideas or expand understanding around a particular idea (Jordan & Ramsing, 2017).

• Set clear guidelines – ensure everyone involved clearly understands the purpose and goals behind the session. Consider setting a time limit (e.g. 3 minutes per section with the exception of the evaluation) and attempt to limit the scope of the issue to help with focus.
• Suspend judgment during the process; create a noncritical atmosphere where all have a voice and can contribute.
• Freewheel – generate and record as many ideas as possible. Go for quantity and remember, there are no poor ideas at this stage. Use a board or paper to show the ideas so all can see what is being produced.
• Build upon each other’s ideas.
• After the creative brainstorming session, start the evaluative process to determine merits of the ideas. Based on the list and your knowledge of the scenario, what items are feasible? What items will likely not work?

Now let’s brainstorm some ideas. Using the process described above, in a small group generate ideas on the following topics (plan to freewheel for 3 minutes and discuss feasibility of ideas for 4 minutes):

• Student engagement in education
• Increasing youth physical activity
• Global warming
• Food insecurity
• Increase in anxiety and mental health challenges of students
• Addressing national trend impacting university student enrollment

Alternative:

Brainstorming for solutions is a common way to generate or refine ideas for a grant. Alternatively, brainstorming for questions rather than answers (e.g. solutions) can be beneficial as a means to explore a topic in-depth and break down cognitive bias (Gregerson, 2018). By focusing on questions versus answers, we can be better positioned to be creative in our thinking. The process is similar to brainstorming and includes the following steps (Gregerson, 2018).

• Gather a group and frame the discussion as an opportunity to view a topic from a different lens. It is helpful to include people who are not specialists in the particular area. Start by spending two minutes to share or frame the problem. No need to go into too much detail. Next, share the crucial rules – participants can only contribute questions and there are no preambles or justification for pitched questions. It is helpful to frame questions that are short, open ended, simple. Breakthrough questions are often based on ideas that go beyond basic recall.
• Brainstorm the questions. Set a timer for four minutes and as a group generate as many questions possible about the topic. Each question should be displayed for the group to read may it be on a computer, white board, or flip chart. The key is to not answer the questions nor censor what is being said. Use the process as fodder to build off what others are saying or start a new train of thought. The emphasis is on the quantity of questions.
• Review and identify pathways that are feasible and may work to address the foundational issue. The pathways can be a channel for great grant writing ideas.

References

Paulus, P. B., and Kenworthy, J. B. (2019). Effective brainstorming. In P. B. Paulus and B. A. Nijsta (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Group Creativity and Innovation (pp. 287-305). Oxford University Press.

Jordan, D., & Ramsing, R. (2017). Leadership in leisure services: Making a difference. Sagamore Venture: Urbana, IL.

Gregersen, H. (2018). Better Brainstorming: Focus on questions, not answers, for breakthrough insights. Harvard Business Review, 96(2), 64-71.