Writing proposals and grant applications

Nursing and midwifery are disciplines engaged in both art and science. This assertion applies equally to proposal writing. The art implied refers to writing style, coherence, knowledge of the research problem/question, clarity and readability. The science refers to the techniques and rigour involved in writing a proposal. The proposal must convey to the reader through a compelling argument that the research needs to be conducted, that the proposed researcher or research team has the capacity to conduct the study, that the study is well designed and that the findings will lead to a worthwhile outcome. Writing such a proposal involves a degree of style to convince, which is the art, and precision in the method, which is the science.