Written for and to yourself, this memo will help you clarify and understand who will read your application and how they will read it, and therefore, what you need to say and how you should say it. This means identifying the strengths and figuring out how to compensate for the potential weaknesses of your proposal. The easiest thing to do for a screening committee, as they select the small group of proposals that will make it to the next level, is to eliminate your application from consideration. What can you do to persuade them otherwise? • The Process Memo should be nearly a full page, single-spaced. The first paragraph should describe and analyze the genre and purpose of the grant proposal—especially as it compares to the Job Packet, Internal Memo and Feasibility Study. A second paragraph should analyze the specific audience of the steering committee and RFP, and a third paragraph should take both into account as you discuss the rhetorical moves you will make (see “Elements of Proposals” to present and make a strong argument for your proposed project, including any potential pitfalls or weaknesses, such as the existence of similar projects or resources on campus, logistical or ethical challenges, and so on.
#process #memo
