Special Introductory pricing
Shaderware has recently launched its biggest ever upgrade! And to celebrate, it has come up with a special bundle. For an introductory period, the whole Virtual Radiography TM suite will be sold together at an attractive offer price.Please contact us for more information and a demonstration of the new simulations.
Building the Business Case
There are four questions most of our customers have had to answer at some stage to obtain funding for this purchase:
Only you can answer these questions satisfactorily as the answers depend on local factors. However, it is vital that radiography educators continue to use innovative methods to improve the quality of student learning. This is because the demands on the radiographer are ever increasing, with increases in productivity being demanded daily, and new examinations constantly being developed. We must also consider radiographer training from the patient perspective. Do patients want to know every opportunity has been used to allow students to practice and make mistakes in a simulated environment before they meet their first patient? Of course. Radiology procedure simulation has been shown to reduce patient & staff radiation dose by up to 48% and is therefore justifiably good practice from a clinical safety perspective alone. The UK Chief Medical Officer outlines this need in the report “Safer medical practice: Machines, manikins and Polo mints”
Virtual radiography is not the only way to meet the need for better prepared students. However, it is one of the cheapest. Educators are called to work within tight resource limits, and the capital cost of live x-ray equipment and the ongoing revenue cost of servicing and maintenance can become burdensome. Expanding this provision would be costly indeed. While a tutor is with a group of students in the live lab, others can be gaining experience using simulation, with little ongoing cost to the institution. There are several universities across the globe, who use virtual radiography TM instead of a live lab - thus saving a large sum initially and annually.
Where virtual radiography TM has been implemented, it has reduced errors. Students themselves report that it supports optimization of radiation doses and reduced their initial anxiety on entering clinical placement. We want to see happy students, who feel that they are as well prepared as possible for the demands of clinical placement. Clinicians want safe students, who are less likely to make simple errors.
Virtual radiography TM is the only computer simulation for diagnostic radiography practice currently available. It has a long pedigree, with the first commercial version selling in 2006. It has been adopted worldwide and has been developed in close partnership with radiography educators. It has been validated and won several awards. Students enjoy using its 'point and click' interface, and value the feedback they get from it.
There may be any number of local reasons for choosing virtual radiography TM as the preferred next investment at your college or school, but those reasons outlined here will also play their part. Some more advice follows on connecting with the grant writing process.
Grant Writing Tips
While one or two licences for virtual radiography TM may be a discretionary spend for most schools of Radiography, we are aware that equipping a whole lab, or a corporate licence will require application to, and scrutiny of a committee. Here are some tips taken from successful institutional experiences. The following is an actual grant proposal sample by Sections:
PROPOSAL SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
This is the section you begin with. Very rarely do grantors read the entire proposal. Therefore, a convincing and informative proposal summary or abstract can serve as a punch line for getting funding. It should be clear, concise and specific. It should describe who you are as an applicant, the scope of your project, and the cost of the project. Often the applicant is a business. It is important to include a couple of sentences about your credibility as an applicant. Include also a couple of sentences about the problem needing funding. Write briefly about the objectives of your project and the methods you plan to apply to achieve these objectives. Include total cost of the project or business venture, amount of funds already available toward the project (if any) and the amount you are seeking to accomplish the project. Make this brief (about half to three quarters of a page) and engaging.
INTRODUCTION
Introduce your business as an applicant for funding. A positive reputation of the applicant organization or business as well as the content of the project for which funding is sought can expedite funding. Build the credibility of your business in the introduction section by clearly establishing who is applying for funds. The introduction describes the applicant's purposes and goals. It describes the applicant's project and activities as well as the applicant's clients and constituents. It provides evidence of the applicant's accomplishments and expertise in the area needing funding. The introduction offers statistics in support of these accomplishments and quotes, and endorsements in support of the applicant's previous efforts in the area. The introduction should support qualifications in the area of activity. It should also logically lead to the problem statement. It should be as brief as possible, interesting and free from unprofessional jargon.
PROBLEM STATEMENT OR NEEDS ASSESSMENT
This section is of reasonable dimensions regarding the purposes and goals of the project for which funding is being sought. In this section, do not try to appear as if you want to solve all the problems of the world. Be focused on one area of concern. In your case, you are merely seeking grant tips to help your customers make purchases. But just in case of a specific software grant it is necessary to provide general project information such as what type of software the grant will enable the grantee to purchase-whether it is video conferencing software, whether it will be commercial software, or domestic software, or data security software; who will benefit from this. It is also important to state with statistics the need for these services in the community and how they will benefit the community at large-Philanthropists are generous with grant seekers who have community development at heart. The statement should also be stated in terms of clients' needs and beneficiaries, but should not make any unsupported assumptions. Let it be interesting to read and brief. It should also make a compelling and informative case.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
This section describes the outcomes of the grant in measurable terms (for example, the grant will help small business acquire the software they need to effectively run and expand their businesses and better serve the community. It will also reduce unemployment by about 20%-Just an example). In this section it is important to try and stipulate at least one objective for each problem or need committed to in the problem statement. Objectives are outcomes. They are not methods. Describe the population that will benefit from the project being funded-the local community, in this case-Just another example. Indicate the time by which the objectives will be likely to be accomplished. Let the objectives be measurable, if possible.
METHODS
The methods section describes the activities to be conducted to achieve the desired objectives. This section should flow naturally from problems and objectives. It should clearly describe project activities and state reasons for the selection of these activities. It should describe the sequence of the activities as well as the staff involved in the project. This section should also describe the clients and client selection benefiting from the project. The methods section presents a reasonable scope of activities that can be conducted within the time, and the resources needed for the project.
EVALUATION
This section presents a plan for determining the degree to which objectives are met and methods are followed. It presents a plan for evaluating the accomplishments of the objectives as well as a plan for evaluating and modifying methods over the course of the project. The section also tells of who will be doing the evaluation and how they were chosen. It clearly states the criteria of project success and how data will be collected to prove the success of the project. It explains any test instruments or questionnaires to be used to collect the data. Finally, it describes the process of data analysis and the actual report to be produced.
FUTURE FUNDING
This constitutes the description of a plan for continuation beyond the grant and the availability of other resources necessary to implement the grant such as volunteer services and donations. The section presents specific plans to obtain future funding if the project is to be continued. It describes how maintenance and future project costs will be obtained should they be necessary. This section should be accompanied by letters of commitment (as attachments) should that be necessary.
BUDGET
The budget section of the grant proposal clearly delineates costs to be met by the funding source and those provided by other funders. It is detailed in all aspects and includes costs that will be incurred at the time of the project. It includes all items asked of the funding source and items paid for by other funders. It includes all volunteers and their services, if there are volunteers. Budget section includes details of fringe benefits separate from salaries such as gas expenses, mileage and all non-personnel costs. It also includes all consultants for the project. It includes indirect costs where applicable and attempts to prove that the amount being requested is necessary to accomplish the project.
