When we think about white papers it’s usually related to getting feedback from funders. We want to ensure that we communicate our idea in a way that's digestible and allows the funder to say yes, no or maybe -- hopefully starting a conversation. While this is the obvious reason for a white paper, there are some important secondary reasons, as well.

A summary document like a white paper helps you conceptualize the research. It forces you to pose and answer the important questions up front: What problem am I solving? Who will care about it? and What's the best way to frame it in light of the current state of the art and any preliminary data I already have? Basically, it’s a vehicle in which you hash out what you want to do with that research idea.  

It's very likely that you have a number of different ideas in your head, if not already in notes or drafts somewhere. By forcing yourself to put these into one- or two-page documents you will see which ones flesh out better than the others in terms of their maturity or of their having a compelling story behind the concept.

Secondly, this exercise will help you identify your concept’s weak points earlier in the process while there’s time to address them at your leisure. If you don't find them until you're finishing the draft of a full proposal under a deadline, it may be difficult to fix the situation quickly.

Further, these short documents are ideal for sharing with colleagues -- to ask for feedback or to explore a possible collaboration. It’s a much bigger ask to request someone to read through a completed lengthy draft proposal than your one- or two-page white paper.

Lastly, you will end up using these first-cut white papers. Today, with uncertainty about the state of funding, is a good time to write up the work you want to do, even if you don’t know exactly where or when it might go. You’ll get ideas for where it could go during the writing process. And, when that call does arrive, you’ll have something to work from, rather than starting from scratch.

When I was a program manager, PIs who wrote strong proposals for our solicitations explained that they always did a project summary or abstract before the full submission. After all, if you can't envision the entire proposed project, you're not ready to create the long-form version.

White papers will help you in multiple ways.

How not to talk to funders (and potential new collaborators) at a conference

Summer is a time of many conferences! If you’ve got one coming up, check out this video to help you prepare. This year, funders could have a hard time getting approval to attend conferences, unfortunately. However, the tips in this video can be applied to anyone you are looking to connect with, like potential collaborators.

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 12-week program to get you there.

Check out our storefront where you can access our free Unlocking DOD Funding for University Researchers course and other resources, including for faculty applicants.

Ready to book a call to discuss how our program can support faculty at your institution? Let’s chat!