Stacy L Chin warns founders not to draft budgets last when writing SBIR proposals. Building the budget alongside your research strategy prevents unrealistic salaries, missed costs, and shows you actually understand what it takes to execute the project.
Far too many founders finish writing the proposal and then try to squeeze together a budget right before the submission. The result is unrealistic salaries, missing costs, budgets that don't really align with the research plans, and reviewer questions that could just have been avoided. Because your budget isn't asking reviewers for money. Rather, it's another way to demonstrate that you understand what it takes to execute the project. So my advice, build your budget alongside the research strategy, not after it's finished.
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