In addition to enjoying a national reputation for excellence in undergraduate teaching and learning, Eastern Michigan University faculty and staff also do a considerable amount of sponsored research and provide valuable training and consulting services to clients throughout the world.

As more and more EMU faculty and staff have become involved in externally funded research, training, and creative projects, the need has become increasingly apparent for a handy, step-by-step guide to the proposal-writing process.

And that is exactly what Alethea Helbig, Emeritus Professor of English, has produced here. We're grateful to her for being willing to share her extensive knowledge of the grant-application process and reducing it to this readable handbook format.

If you're new to the world of external funding, or returning to it after an absence, you'll find exactly what you need to know here, without jargon or useless verbiage. Some readers will enjoy reading it straight through.

In the world of grants, there are many tricks and secrets to success, many of which are revealed in this handbook. But one basic principle never changes: the best way to get a grant is to write a proposal.

By all means, learn as much as you can about the process from this useful handbook. But after you've learned what you need to know, take the plunge and write a proposal.

If you fail, resubmit. If you persist, you will eventually be successful. Good luck, and welcome to the exciting world of grants!

Brian D. Anderson, Director
EMU Office of Research Development