APPLICATIONS. Reviewers know less about your field of research and spend less time reading your application than you might think. It’s therefore essential that you make the application clear and easy to follow. And you should think carefully about how to answer six key questions before you start to write. This was some of the advice given to researchers who attended a grant writing course held by the Institute of Medicine in September.
The two-day course was led by Rosie Perkins and Reghan Borer, scientific editors at the Institute of Medicine. Ten researchers took part, from experienced postdoctoral researchers to professors. One attendee was Ludger Grote, adjunct professor and consultant at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
“It was a great course, highly focused and interactive. Thanks to the course leaders and my research colleagues, I was given lots of useful tips and concrete advice for my upcoming applications. For me, the most important takeaways were that I need to take time; get other researchers to read through the application before I submit it; and work very carefully on the wording, especially of the research hypothesis and aims. I have recommended the course to all my colleagues in pulmonary medicine,” he says.
Six key questions
The course focused on writing skills, perfecting the specific aims, and how to get the message across more clearly. On day one, the course leaders asked the participants to answer these key questions:
- What do you intend to do?
- Why is it worth doing?
- What has already been done in the field/what is already known?
- What is the gap of knowledge?
- Why are you suited to carry out this work?
- What is the significance of this work in the short and long term?
On the second day, the attendees shared their answers to these questions, based on the applications they had brought to the course. They then received feedback from the course leaders and their fellow participants.
“Many realised it was harder to answer these questions than they first thought,” says Rosie Perkins, who has been working with grant applications at the Institute of Medicine since 2006.
Perfect your purpose and aims
According to Rosie Perkins, one of the most important tips is to start by perfecting your purpose and aims.
“The purpose and aims must be clear, focused and worthwhile. Identify critical knowledge gaps in your field that you’re especially qualified to fill. Describe how your research will move the field forward. Most importantly, present a study proposal that people in your field are interested in. If you’re proposing a research project that no one cares about, then great writing will not make any difference at all,” she says.
“It’s also vital to find a balance between the various parts of the application. The background should explain why the research is necessary. The project description should indicate how you’re going to carry out the research. Use preliminary data to show that the research you’re proposing is feasible.”
Write for your reviewers
In addition to the course leaders, Professor Jan Borén, Director of the Institute of Medicine, took part as guest lecturer. Having reviewed thousands of applications for various research funders, he has extensive experience in the area.
“I’m amazed that many researchers don’t spend enough time preparing their applications. You must make it easy to see what you’re planning to do, how you’re planning to do it and why. The reviewers rarely have detailed knowledge of your specific research area, so your application has to be well structured and easy to read. Writing good applications is not simple and it takes a lot of practice,” he says.
TEXT: KARIN ALLANDER | PHOTO: KARIN ALLANDER AND JOHAN WINGBORG
Ten tips for a better application
- Start early and read the guidelines thoroughly.
- Perfect your purpose and aims. An application will not be good if you don’t have a good research idea.
- Think about the six key questions (listed above in this article) before you start writing.
- Write for your reviewers. Remember, they often lack your depth of knowledge. Express yourself as simply, clearly and concisely as possible. Avoid jargon and abbreviations.
- Present preliminary results and refer to your previous studies to show that your proposed research is feasible.
- Ensure that the layout is clear and easy to navigate. No one wants to read a dense mass of text with no subheadings.
- Use figures that are easy to follow, ideally one per page.
- Ask for feedback from other researchers and use it to improve your text. Don’t get attached to your original wording but be prepared to rewrite parts of your application to make it easier to follow.
- Make sure you’re proud of every application you submit. If you submit a low quality application, the reviewers might remember it unfavourably when they read your next application.
- Attend a grant writing course (see dates of forthcoming courses and seminars below) and read more at https://writebetterproposals.org.
Courses and seminars in grant writing, autumn 2022
- Grant writing for junior researchers
Date: three half-days — 23 November, 30 November, 14 December
Place: Lars Öberg conference room, Academicum, Medicinaregatan 3
Last day for registering interest: 11 November
Organisers: Research Support Office at Sahlgrenska Academy and Future Faculty
Read more about the course here - Lunch seminar: Grant Writing in a Nutshell — Tips and Tricks
Date and time: 29 November, 12 noon–1.30 pm
Place: Zoom
Last day for signing up: 23 November
Organiser: Grants and Innovation Office
Read more and sign up here
- Two-day course in grant writing
Date: 8–9 December
Place: Erik Dahlbergsgatan 11B
Last day for registering interest: 23 November
Organiser: Grants and Innovation Office
Read more and register your interest
