Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course equips you with the skills to write compelling grant proposals. You'll learn to refine your research interests, connect with relevant resources, structure and articulate your project needs, and improve your writing through creative revision and feedback.

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Determine people, organizations, and resources connected to your area of interest and reach out to learn from them  
    2. Recognize and write the basic sections and arguments of a grant proposal   
    3. Show how you have the qualifications and connections necessary to complete your project  
    4. Approach rough drafts with a creative mindset  
    5. Strategize how to begin the revision process effectively  

    • Course Instructor: Peter Civetta

      • Peter Civetta

        Peter Civetta is the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at Northwestern University, advising students on grant proposals and fostering research initiatives. He is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Theater Department, teaching on performance and culture, focusing on religion, politics, and comedy. Peter earned his Bachelor's degree in Theatre from Boston College in 1989, worked as a professional actor for nearly ten years, and received a Master's and PhD in Theatre Studies from San Francisco State University and Cornell University, respectively. His research explores comedy's cultural impact and performance's role in religious and ethical beliefs, with a focus on preaching across faiths. Peter also runs the Extraordinarily Sophisticated Imagination Club, a non-profit theatre program for children.

        View Bio for Peter Civetta

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: Balancing the Needs of a Viable Research Project 

          This module will help you to:

          1. Reflect on your interests with increased specificity  
          2. Find relevant scholarship and other sources that can help you to learn more about your areas of interest  
          3. Determine people, organizations, and resources connected to your area of interest and reach out to learn from them  

        • Module Two: Telling the Story 

          This module will help you to:

          1. Finalize the structure and intentions of a grant proposal
          2. Write a compelling introduction  
          3. Articulate the need for your project through a review of relevant literature  
          4. Formulate a clear, answerable research question and outline the steps to address it  
          5. Show how you have the qualifications and connections necessary to complete your project  

        • Module Three: Refocus, Revision, Refinement

          This module will help you to:

          1. Approach rough drafts with a creative mindset    
          2. Strategize how to begin the revision process effectively  
          3. Seek out feedback on your writing   
          4. Improve the craft and quality of your writing  

        • Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.