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To Apply Or Not To Apply: A Survey Analysis Of Grant Writing Costs And Benefits, Ted Von Hippel, Courtney Von Hippel

Ted von Hippel

We surveyed 113 astronomers and 82 psychologists active in applying for federally funded research on their grant-­‐writing history between January, 2009 and November, 2012. We collected demographic data, effort levels, success rates, and perceived non-­‐financial benefits from writing grant proposals. We find that the average proposal takes 116 PI hours and 55 CI hours to write; although time spent writing was not related to whether the grant was funded. Effort did translate into success, however, as academics who wrote more grants received more funding. Participants indicated modest non-­‐monetary benefits from grant writing, with psychologists reporting a somewhat greater benefit overall …