Gail & Jim Greenwood, Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.

Copyright © 2000 by Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.

Oliver Murphy, President of Lynntech, Inc. and a very successful SBIR applicant, makes it simple in explaining why it is important to include graphics in your Phase I or II proposal: he says to imagine thumbing through Time Magazine and not seeing a single picture or graph but just page after page of text—would you want to read that publication? The same holds true for an SBIR or STTR proposal: if you include nothing but page after page of text, you risk boring or discouraging the reader from thoroughly reviewing your proposal.

Graphics not only help break up the monotony of text, but they also help readers who learn visually rather than through the written word. They also can help reinforce key points or important advantages of your approach.

So what kind of graphics should you consider including in the proposal? There are a number of things that can be presented graphically, including some that cannot be described as well in text. Some examples include:

A timeline showing when each task will be performed

Charts or graphs showing the results of preliminary research, or comparing the proposed approach with alternatives

A flow chart explaining the order and relationship of tasks in the project

A simple illustration showing what the prototype coming out of the Phase II effort might look like

A summary of the results of Phase I and how they lead logically to Phase II and how the outcome from Phase II leads to the Phase III effort.

If you include graphics in your SBIR or STTR proposal, we suggest that you consider the following.

Follow agency’s rules. Some agencies have strict guidelines on any graphics included in an SBIR/STTR proposal submitted to them. Some do not allow color graphics or require that captions and legends be done in a minimum font size or larger.

Don’t leave the reader guessing. The most common problem we see in the use of graphics in SBIR/STTR proposals is the failure of the writer to adequately reference the graphic in the text. Simply writing "see Figure 4" is not enough. The reader may not take the time to figure out what the graphic is supposed to be conveying. Or worse, they may interpret it differently than you want them to. For both of these reasons, always explain in the text what you are trying to show or demonstrate in a graphic.

Decide the graphics up front. We sometimes read proposals in which the graphics appear to be included at the last minute—perhaps after the writer has decided that they are within the proposal page limit and therefore can toss in a couple of tables or pictures like "icing on the cake." Such add-ons usually do not incorporate well into the proposal. It is better to decide up front, when you are outlining the proposal, what concepts or points can best be presented graphically, and then build the graphics into the proposal from the beginning.

Prepare for graphics abuse. Okay, that three-color chart looks impressive as it rolls off your laser printer, but what will it look like if it gets photocopied later in black and white? Or what if that pretty photograph gets faxed—does it still show something meaningful, or does it basically look like just a blob of ink? While the agencies are pretty good about telling you how many copies of your proposal to submit, the agencies and reviewers sometimes make and send copies.

Keep it clean. Never include a graphic that is not referenced within the text. Make sure that the graphics are all labeled and numbered consecutively—two Table 5’s or starting with Chart 2 when there is no Chart 1 reflects badly on your credibility as a careful, conscientious research and commercialization firm. Also, remember that a graphic should appear on the same page as it is referenced, or on the page immediately following. If you reference a figure again later in the proposal, help the reviewer by telling them what page it is on.

Don’t pursue trivia. We sometimes see graphics that convey only minor or irrelevant points. Don’t waste part of your precious 25 pages, or your reviewer’s limited time, with such trivialities.

Doodling isn’t dandy, Yankee. Make your graphics high quality and professional in appearance. Nothing should be hand drawn, unless it is done by a professional illustrator or other person with an artistic gift.

Avoid plagiarism. Never copy and include in your proposal anyone else’s graphic without giving them credit in a proper reference.

Someone once said that a picture is worth a thousand words. That can be true, but make sure they are the right thousand words. Make the graphics in your SBIR/STTR proposal easy to see and understand. Make sure that it is directly relevant to your project and your message to the reader. Avoid using graphics to convey trivial or irrelevant information.