The main body of the proposal has to convince the reviewers and the donor that

• the work is original, new and relevant;
• the methods are appropriate;
• the work proposed is feasible and
• the applicant and the team members are capable of conducting the activities and of administering the project.

Consider the limited time of the reviewer and/or donor who has to assess usually large number of submissions. Put yourself in the place of such a reviewer and adjust your writing accordingly. Make sure that your write-up and its style and form attract both the scientific specialist and the administrator (donor).

These issues need to be addressed under the following headings (may vary depending on specific donor requirements):

• Background / Introduction
• Own previous work
• Problem statement / Goal / Objectives
• Methods
• Expected outcome
• References