Lecture for Engl 317, Project 5

1. GROWING IDEAS FOR PROPOSALS

2. What is a proposal?
• Defines a need or problem.
• Seeks to persuade the audience that a given solution
to that problem is a) feasible, and b) the best one.
• Promises to deliver something to an audience: goods,
services, research findings, projects.
• Can be solicited (RFPs) or unsolicited (internal)
proposals.

3. IDENTIFYING SOMETHING TO PROPOSE
 Can’t be recycled work from other courses
(e.g., your senior design or thesis proposal).
 Needs to be something that YOU realistically
can do.
 Needs to be feasible with the budget you’ve
proposed.
 You need to STUDY and do preliminary
research to ascertain these things.

4. INVENTION
1. Read RFPs in “Funding Opportunities Folders” to
get a sense for what they’re asking for.
2. Look at “Help: Finding a Project Idea” to generate
ideas.
3. Do a needs assessment.
4. Ask good questions.

5. ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS
 What is the relationship between X and Y?
 How does X affect Y?
 Why does X affect Y?
 What causes X?
 What are the effects of X?
 How can X be prevented or mitigated?

6. Food and Farm Compost Facility Upgrade: Static Pile
Aeration $3,000.00; Nick Plass
Nick Plass is a senior in Animal and Veterinary Science. Plass’s $3,000
grant, entitled “Food and Farm Compost Facility Upgrade: Static Pile
Aeration,” will upgrade the compost facility located at the University of
Idaho Dairy north of Campus. Currently, compostable material
generated on campus is delivered to the UI Dairy for composting but
the system is near capacity. The static pile system will significantly
increase capacity and efficiency as well as increase the quality, safety,
and sustainability of the final product.
Current Status: In progress.
Reverse engineer the question here: