Proposal Writing

There are two kinds of grant proposals.  Hard ones, that are from the National Park Service national headquarters.  I have been working on them for weeks.  If you want extra money for some study that is not in the budget then you have to write a proposal and see if you are awarded the money.  You are up against all the national parks.  I have finally finished writing four proposals.  One in conjunction with Denali, Lake Clark and Kenai Fjords to study wolverines, one to see if we have farmed fox on the islands off our coast and arctic char in Kaguyak crater, one to see if trumpeter swans are expanding their territory into Katmai and one to create an interactive app for visitors that will collect information on animals seen in the park.  Yesterday all four were park approved.  Now they go before the regional office to see if they get approved there and moved on to the national decision.  It felt good to be finished.  Now I start working on soft grants.  That is money from private industries or groups that donate to help further science.  I am going to try to get money donated to work on a wolf collaring project, my four hard proposals and I am going to try to get a cooperative international agreement with the park in Russia that is considered by some to be a sister park.  My goal today is to learn more about that park and to try to make an initial contract to see if they are interested.  I may not be in the field but I am learning great stuff researching information about these projects.  Keep your fingers crossed that I receive a grant or two because I am sure they will give me stories to tell.