Tool 8: Grant Project Management Timeline

Supports Habit 8 of Ten Habits of Great Grant Writers.

Prefer to fill it in?

A fillable version of this tool works right in your browser: open the interactive version. Add your own rows, columns, and items, then download, copy, or print your work. Nothing leaves your device.

Standard version (60 to 90 day window)

When	What
Day 1	Read the announcement cover to cover with notes. Complete the First Read Checklist. Decide: apply or decline.
Days 1 to 3	Build this plan. Set up the shared folder, announcement link, and Team Table of Contents. Start every dependency on other people: letter of support requests (with drafts and aims), subaward budget requests, partner grants office timelines, portal registrations. Ask your own grants office for their internal deadline.
Week 1	Outline the narrative against the review rubric. Assign sections. Confirm all registrations are progressing.
Weeks 2 to 4	Draft narrative and budget in parallel. Collect biosketches (Habit 6 folder). Check in on every external dependency weekly.
Two to three weeks out	Full internal draft. Compliance check against the checklist (AI-assisted is fine; your reading is the source of truth).
Ten days out	All letters and subaward documents in hand (their deadline, not yours). Internal review complete.
One week out	Final assembly. Portal upload test.
Three or more days out	Submit. Never on the final day.

Compressed version (30 day window)

Same order, no slack: Day 1 is reading, the plan, and every external request, all before sunset. Weekly check-ins become twice weekly. The internal draft lands at day 18 to 20, letters at day 23, submission at day 27.