Grant writing requires a team to write it successfully from the start, and you need to recruit a team, among your colleagues, with specific skill sets. Therefore, you need to build a team to make the writing easy and build morale. The roles you give to your team may need some to be at the centre and others at the front. The writing and editing role of the federal grants paper is for the front and centre team members. The support and cheering team are roles that are for the back. The back team also prepares the budget and ensures that the team meets deadlines. The mix of team members and supporting roles is vital for a seamless writing project. Below are the colleagues you need on your grant writing team.
1. The team leader
The team leader holds the hot seat. This individual should shake every bush to find the money. They are extroverts who track down leads and know who to recruit to work through the project. This individual is hungry for success. Thanks to their charisma and ability to command attention, you will know one when you see them. Also, they should have the ability to zoom out and see the bigger vision of the project at hand. This member is crucial as part of the grant writing team because they are on the hot seat if anything goes wrong, especially on their watch.
2. The money manager
This team member is budget savvy and can translate the objectives of your grant writing into a budget that is ideal for the grant parameters. Not only will they help with writing the budget, but they also come in handy with the handling of awarded grant money. More importantly, if you plan to go back to the same funder for more. Finding the right person to be the money manager, you can know through the many mathematical spreadsheets and software programs they operate. Also, they are masters of assertiveness and diplomacy.
3. The detail-obsessed
A detail-obsessed person should be in your team for their meticulous nature. Such a person scans through a paper and finds every error. Also, they see where the main picture that you envision does not make sense. They thrive in the minutiae. Having this colleague in your grant
writing team is vital as they will enjoy reading the proposal instructions, and the rest of the tea is sure they will not miss anything important. To spot this member, they always have a to-do list in the crowd.
4. The conflict manager
A conflict manager is responsible for boosting the morale of the team. When writing a grant, things can get tense, and members can snip at one another. Therefore, you need someone who intervenes in such cases. Most people choose the team leader, but this is petty stuff for a team leader to handle. But a conflict manager can diffuse the tension by cracking jokes, suggesting breaks, and knowing how to handle various conflicts as they arise. To spot who should be your conflict manager, they are the heart of every team and everyone’s go-to person.
5. Other team members
Add other team members as well. They may not be the main members, but they are still vital to the team. The style and substance colleague contributes more to actual writing, know the funder, the field, langue and tricks, and hooks. The crafty colleague is in charge of creativity. Also, you need a member who ensures the proposal flows cohesively. Finally, every team needs a free agent. The free agent is the family member, a friend, or a gullible colleague. They come in
handy to ensure your work is complete and polished by taking a final look at the proposal, and their fresh eyes are a value in every team.
To sum up, the above is a dream team roster you can consider. Having a team makes it easier to write a grant. The end game is getting the grant money, but you also need a system in between that is harmonious in the grant writing team, and such a functional experience will reward you
with success.
