ASM 591: Proposal writing
Spring 2007
Social Sciences Building, Room 208
Monday, 3:15-6:05
Anne Stone
Office: LSE 417 phone: 727-6310
Office hours: Wednesday 2:00-5:00 email: acstone@asu.edu
Course description: This course is a practicum in proposal writing and reviewing for graduate students. Each week, students will write a section of a grant proposal in the format of the National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant. Students will also critically and constructively review the other students’ proposals. The course will meet once a week and each class will consist of lectures, student presentations, and discussions designed to aid the students in preparing their dissertation proposals and training for a career in academia.
Course requirements: A graduate student who takes this class should have already selected a dissertation topic. In addition, he or she should have taken an independent reading course on the topic with his or her advisor, and/or written one field statement. Grades will be based on weekly assignments and class participation (25%), the final proposal turned in at the end of the course (50%), and reviews of other students’ proposals (25%). Assignments and readings will be posted on the course web site (Readings as well as completed assignments to be evaluated by the class will be posted on blackboard. To login go to http://my.asu.edu)
Schedule:
Week 1: (January 22) Introduction and course overview. Discussion of the goals of constructive criticism.
Assignment: Prepare 2 page (max) reaction paper to three reviews of Isbell’s Mummies and Mortuary Monuments: A Postprocessual Prehistory of Central Andean Social Organization.
Write a professional CV and a NSF-formatted CV.
Week 2: (January 29) Overview of NSF proposals and reviews. Other on-line funding sources.
Assignment: read example proposals and write one primary and one secondary review.
Week 3: (February 5) The review process
Assignment: Write draft Introduction section (All weekly writing assignments are due in online folder by Saturday at 5 pm. Class members must read all sections and be prepared to comment constructively by following Wednesday).
Week 4: (February 12) Presentation of introduction. Discussion about dissertation committees and mentors.
Assignment: Revise introduction.
Week 5: (February 19) Presentation of revised introduction. Jodi Guyot will speak about grant submission process at ASU.
Assignment: Write draft Background to research section and draft Study area section (if applicable).
Week 6: (February 26) Presentation of background/ study area section. Discussion about networking.
Assignment: Write draft Model/Hypotheses section.
Week 7: (March 5) Presentation of Model/hypotheses section. Discussion of IRB and IACUC issues.
Assignment: Write draft field and laboratory methods section. (i.e. sample/data collection)
Week 8: (March 12) Spring Break, no class.
Week 9: (March 19) Presentation of field and laboratory methods section (include sampling discussion if appropriate). Discussion about publishing.
Assignment: Write draft analytical methods section.
Week 10: (March 26) Presentation of analytical methods section. Discussion about postdoctoral opportunities in Anthropology.
Assignment: Write significance of research section.
Week 11: (April 2) Presentation of significance of research section. Discussion about the academic job search.
Assignment: Write draft proposal summary (one page).
Week 12: (April 9) Presentation of proposal summary. Discussion about promotion and tenure.
Assignment: Write research schedule, data sharing plan, draft budget, and budget justification sections. Complete appendices, tables, and bibliography.
Week 13: (April 16) Presentation of research schedule, data sharing plan, draft budget, and budget justification sections.
Assignment: Write complete proposal (due on the server by April 23) and write reviews of all other student proposals (due to me on April 30).
Week 14: (April 23) TBA
Week 15: (April 30) Discussion of complete proposal.
Assignment: Complete final proposal (due just to me on May 7)