Grant Procurement Isn`t Just About Better Proposals

When grant funding becomes more competitive, institutions often respond in a familiar way: they encourage faculty to attend another grant-writing workshop. While stronger writing is certainly beneficial, today’s funding environment suggests that writing alone is no longer enough.

The reality is that many well-crafted proposals are not being funded. The reasons often have little to do with grammar or formatting and much more to do with strategy. Funding agencies increasingly expect multidisciplinary collaborations, meaningful community engagement, workforce development plans, and projects that align with broader national priorities.

In other words, successful grant procurement begins long before a proposal is written. In other words, “seek to understand first, and ask to be understood secondly.”

The institutions that consistently secure external funding understand this. They invest in creating a research ecosystem that supports faculty throughout the entire grants process. Investigators need help identifying opportunities, developing partnerships, understanding sponsor priorities, and building sustainable research agendas. They benefit from mentoring, peer networks, and institutional support that extends beyond a single submission deadline.

This is where the concept of grantsmanship becomes important. Grant writing is a skill. Grantsmanship is the ability to think strategically about research funding and to build competitive programs over time. The distinction may seem subtle, but it can have a profound impact on an institution’s research enterprise.

Rather than asking, “How can we help faculty write better grants?” perhaps the better question is, “How can we help faculty become more successful grant competitors?”

The answer lies in building a culture that values ongoing research development and professional growth. Training should not be viewed as a one-time event but as part of a long-term commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and supporting investigators at every stage of their careers.

As the funding landscape continues to evolve, the most successful institutions will not simply produce better proposals. They will cultivate stronger investigators, more resilient collaborations, and a sustainable pipeline of funded research.

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Mathilda Harris

Director at Grant Training Center

Over the past 18 years, she has written grants, conducted capital campaigns, developed strategic plans for grant procurement, and assisted individuals and institutions to write winning proposals for various donors.

Latest posts by Mathilda Harris (see all)

• Grant Procurement Isn`t Just About Better Proposals - June 15, 2026
• The Most Urgent Issue for Foundation Grantees Right Now - June 1, 2026
• How Funding Is Changing & What Grant Seekers in the U.S. & Canada Need to Know - April 20, 2026