Writing Winning Grant Proposals
Education in Moldova
Speaker
Dr. Amy Beck Harris (Lecturer, Ford School), Dr. Stephanie Leiser (Lecturer, Ford School and Director, CLOSUP)Date & time
Location
Registration has closed for this event.
This is an in-person event for current and incoming Ford School (in-residence) MPA/MPP students only. This event will not be recorded or livestreamed; however, photos may be taken for future use by the Ford School and/or U-M. If you have any questions about event photography, please email [email protected].
When RSVPing for the event, students must confirm their availability to attend all four (4) workshop sessions in their entirety. Students must also agree to complete workshop pre-readings and assignments. Space is limited.
Prof. William Axinn, IPC’s Interim Director, will provide opening remarks.
Light lunch will be provided.
Overview
What makes a winning grant proposal? What program design and budget choices do policy practitioners make when applying for funding?
To explore these questions, join Dr. Amy Beck Harris (Lecturer, Ford School) and Dr. Stephanie Leiser (Lecturer, Ford School and Director, CLOSUP) for Fall 2025’s Aid & Development workshop series. This year’s series will focus on drafting compelling grant proposals, a skillset relevant for both international development- and non-international development-focused policy careers. Students will explore key strategies that help grant proposals stand out and will practice applying them to a real-world case.
For the workshop’s case study, Drs. Harris and Leiser will draw upon a recent international development grant proposal solicitation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Moldova-based education work: Model School/Strategic Planning Support for 10 Model Schools. While the case focuses on an international development grant project, all Ford School (in-residence) MPP/MPA students are welcome to register, as the grant strategies and approaches are widely relevant.
The Fall 2025 series will challenge students to make strategic design and budget decisions. During the first three workshop sessions, students will work in groups on narrative- and budget-related tasks. The fourth session will culminate in students presenting their work to colleagues and a panel of Ford School judges for feedback and discussion on what makes a compelling application. No written proposal will be required given that this is a non-credit bearing workshop. One to two student teams will be invited to participate in the Ford School’s Gramlich Showcase of excellent student work in the Winter semester.
By the end of the four-part workshop, students will have gained a better understanding of the grant proposal development process, including the connection between program design decisions and budgetary constraints. They will also gain experience analyzing a grant proposal request and developing a compelling strategy.
After attending all workshop sessions, students will receive a certificate of completion. Please note that Aid & Development is not a Rackham Graduate School certificate program. Students may not seek academic credit for their workshop participation.
Organized by IPC, Aid & Development events provide students the opportunity to build practical skills for future international development careers. CLOSUP is serving as co-sponsor for the Fall 2025 workshop series.
Pre-Workshop Reading
IPC will provide students with a reading assignment from the Moldova case study. No prior knowledge of Moldova or the education sector is necessary. Students must agree to complete this assignment before the September 8 session.
Speakers
Dr. Amy Beck Harris, Lecturer, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Harris merges experience as a former foreign aid implementation professional working on USAID and World Bank projects with academic expertise in public management, international development, foreign aid contracting, and participatory development. Harris holds a PhD and MS in Public Policy and Management from the University of Washington, an MA in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College.
Dr. Stephanie Leiser, Lecturer, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and Director, Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)
Leiser’s general area of interest is in public finance, budgeting, and financial management, and she has particular expertise in state and local tax policy, business taxation and incentives, and local government fiscal health. She was previously a lecturer at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, where she earned her PhD in 2014. A Ford School alum (MPP '05), she has also worked as a tax policy analyst for the Michigan legislature and continues to be involved in state and local fiscal policy in Lansing.
