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Grant Unit Day 1:


Statement of Need
Dr. Will Kurlinkus
University of Oklahoma
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Homework
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What can professional/writers and communicators do to


solve this problem?
• Specific Problem/How do I know it’s a problem?
• Specific Audience/Population: Who is affected and/or
needs to be persuaded? Why study this here and not
elsewhere, first?
• Specific Funder: Who cares enough and has money?
• Solution: What things/programs can be created?
• Purpose: What will this thing/program do and how?
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In 3 sentences describe your


problem.
+ Statement of Need: Show Me The
Problem

The statement of need specifies the conditions you


wish to change. It should quickly summarize the
problem, show your familiarity with prior research or
work on the problem, reinforce your credibility for
investigating the problem, and justify why this
problem should be investigated.
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What the Statement of Need
Involves
1. Show me this is actually a problem and why it’s worth solving. Establish the
importance and significance of the problem.
2. Demonstrate a precise understanding of the problem or need that you are
attempting to solve. [specific context, specific stories, specific stakeholders,
specific institutions]
3. Has someone else attempted to solve this problem (the answer is always yes)?
How does your problem differ? And why does it still need solving? (They Say/I
Say). Show me that you’ve researched: use statistics, quotes, other solutions, etc.
4. Clearly convey the focus of your project early in the narrative (you need to solve
something very specific). Hint at your solution by focusing your problem.
5. Indicate the relationship of your project to a larger set of problems or issues and
justify your scope. Why has your particular focus has been chosen and not
another?
6. Justify why your problem should be of special interest to the sponsor. Why does it
matter to the granting institution and their focus? What are the benefits to the
sponsor if it’s solved? To the world?
7. Demonstrate that your problem is feasible to solve.
8. Make the reviewer want to read further.
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+What do you need to know/have to


prove your problem?
+Where are you going to look for it?
+Who are you going to ask?
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What assumptions does your
problem+solution set need to
prove?
For example, if you identified more parental involvement in
children’s educational experiences as the need, you must ask
the following questions to prove your need’s validity:
1. Does parental involvement correlate to better educational
experiences, increased levels of educational attainment, or higher
performance?
2. What kind of parental involvement in a child’s educational
experience has a positive effect, e.g. helping with homework,
attending parent-teacher conferences regularly, or providing
extracurricular educational experiences to complement classroom
lessons?
3. What are the barriers to parents providing this type of
involvement in their child’s education?
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Sample Statements of Need
 Analyze Example: pp. 91
1. What’s the specific scope and population that has the problem? Is the problem too
broad or narrow? Is their an explanation of why this population and scope and not
another? Why do this project here and not elsewhere?

2. Does this statement of need highlight kairos/timeliness? Does it explain, “Why


Now?”

3. Does this statement of need address other people’s solutions? Is there a They Say/I
Say statement?

4. How are ethos, pathos, and logos used?

5. How is pre-existing research addressed? Does this person feel well-versed in the
area? How/why?

6. Is there any information missing? Or questions you have? Does this statement of
need make assumptions or leaps in evidence that need to proved?

7. Can you tell that this statement is geared toward a funding institution? What do you
think that institution’s purpose/goals/mission is?

8. What audience does this writer assume?

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