Building on ideas

Unsuccessful proposals can sting (allow me to cry into my espresso over just another failed proposal dammit). Our failures often contain the seeds for the next successful project (at least, that is what I am currently trying to tell myself).

Every application forces us to crystallize our ideas, articulate research questions, and sometimes even form valuable new partnerships. Even when the outcome isn’t what we hoped for, there are some wins in there: ideas that can be repurposed, networks that can be strengthened, and new directions that can broaden our academic scope.

Here are some ways you can build on your existing ideas, even from work that didn’t quite land the first time around:

• Reuse research ideas from past proposals: Even if a proposal wasn’t funded, the core ideas often remain solid. Calls differ in focus and framing, so revisit your rejected proposals and see how the ideas could be adapted to new contexts, with different emphases, or supported by fresh findings. What didn’t resonate with one committee might be exactly what another is looking for.
• Strengthen your proposals with reviewer feedback: Rejections usually come with comments. Treat these not as personal criticisms, but as free expert advice. Incorporate their suggestions to refine your research questions, broaden your impact statements, or clarify your methods. Each cycle makes your work stronger.
• Leverage your consortium contacts: Collaborations forged for a proposal don’t have to dissolve if the project isn’t funded. Stay in touch with those partners; your shared experience of preparing a proposal is already a bond. You may find opportunities to co-author papers, share data, or come together again for a different funding call with a stronger, more experienced team.
• Use existing materials to reduce effort next time: Writing a grant proposal is like building a toolbox: background sections, impact pathways, work packages, and even budget structures can often be reused with adjustments. Instead of starting from scratch, think of each proposal as a template that evolves with each attempt.
• Broaden your scope into interdisciplinary work: Unsuccessful proposals can reveal where your work is too narrow. Consider connecting your research questions to other disciplines; sometimes framing your expertise as part of a bigger, interdisciplinary puzzle makes your ideas more fundable and more impactful.
• Grow your confidence as a grant writer: Each proposal is training. Even without funding, the process sharpens your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively, and wrestle budgets. Over time, you’ll find you can anticipate reviewers’ concerns and strategically present your research in ways that resonate more broadly.

Building a research career is a long game. Few academics succeed on their very first proposal, but those who persist (and who learn to recycle and reframe their ideas) often emerge stronger and more versatile (again – this is Eva without funding trying to peptalk herself into not giving up and running off to open a bakery).

How do you leverage the experience built with unsuccessful proposals?