A caveat - Every proposal should be written with the funder's interest in mind. Follow their guidelines carefully. Establishing credibility is critical in gaining the funder's confidence. Below is an example of typical information that is included as material in the project summary or introduction. Feel free to cut and paste this information into your proposal, bearing in mind that you should provide only information that the funder requests or that strengthens your proposal.

Boilerplate Information for UNI

The University of Northern Iowa (UNI), located in Cedar Falls, Iowa is one of three state universities. Established in 1876, UNI has earned distinction as one of the top ten public comprehensive universities in the nation. UNI emphasizes outstanding undergraduate education, with complementary graduate programs at the master, specialist, and doctoral levels.

For the eighth consecutive year, the University of Northern Iowa is ranked second in the Midwest Region’s Top Public Universities Master's category, according to U.S. News & World Report’s year 2005"America’s Best Colleges." The magazine’s ranking criteria include academic reputation, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving rate.

The State Board of Regents governs the University of Northern Iowa as well as University of Iowa and Iowa State University of Science and Technology. The University of Northern Iowa offers a broad range of degree programs and educational opportunities at the undergraduate and master’s levels, and advanced study in selected practitioner-oriented doctoral programs. The University of Northern Iowa is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), and the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (NCA) accredits the University through the master’s degrees, the specialist’s degrees and the doctorate (Doctor of Education and Doctor of Industrial Technology.)

95% of UNI students are from Iowa and they represent all 99 counties. Upon graduation, about 75% of UNI graduates take positions or continue their education in Iowa – a higher percentage than that found at most other Iowa colleges and universities. UNI also encourages its students to have international experiences. The UNI student body also includes representatives of 45 other states and 57 countries. In a study published last year in the Chronicle of Higher Education, UNI ranked first among master’s level universities in the number of its students studying abroad.