Morning:
Afternoon:
Who? . . .
Why?
If you start writing a grant application without answering these questions, you might never finish.
About 75% of funded applications are very badly written
Apply the following test
Works best with a magic formula
Background/Literature review
Description of Project/Methods/Research Plan
The AIMS and OBJECTIVES deliver the sales pitch.
IS THE PROJECT IMPORTANT (to Them)?
WILL THE PROJECT BE SUCCESSFUL?
ARE THE APPLICANTS COMPETENT?
WOULD A GRANT BE VALUE for MONEY?
IMPORTANCE (evidence)
SUCCESS (project details)
COMPETENCE (evidence)
VALUE for MONEY (project details)
IMPORTANCE?
Pick an important question
Start the literature review
......
If the description of the research is less than 50% of the case for support it is probably a 'zombie'.
Design a project that you can deliver
Don’t make the project much bigger than your past funded projects.
Committee of successful researchers
Very busy people
Very successful
Not knowledgeable about your particular research area.
May have ’user’ representation
Supported by secretariat
Designated members report on the proposal
Discussion by all members of the committee.
All members in the discussion can influence the score.
Referees will analyse your grant in detail but:-
It must be a very good sales pitch
Applications
Expert referees’ reports
Designated members’ reports
10 statements define a (grant application) case for support
’We need to know’ + tag phrase because....
We need to know the relationship between the performance of single neurons and the performance of the whole visual system in order to establish the likely contribution of single neurons to perception. . . .
’We will do this sub-project in order to discover’ + tag phrase
We will record single neurons during perceptual tasks and calculate sensitivity functions for neural responses and for task performance in order to characterise the relationship between the performance of single neurons and the performance of the whole visual system.
We need to know the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1 in order to establish the potential contribution of V1 to perception. The potential contribution can be assessed using a range of perceptual tasks, such as visual pattern discrimination, object discrimination, and motion-detection. For any such task, we can infer the contribution of cortical area V1 to that task from the relationship between the perceptual capabilities of single neurons and the perceptual capabilities of the individual.
This is the start of a sub-section of the background. There will be a couple of pages of text (at least 3 subsections, each with its own heading) between it and the start of the corresponding sub-section of the description of the project, which follows here.
We will record in cortical area V1 during perceptual tasks and analyse how neural response varies with stimulus strength in order to measure the perceptual capabilities of single neurons. Stimuli from a set that covers a range of strengths will be presented repeatedly in random sequences under computer control. The computer will record responses during the presentations, and during equivalent periods when no stimulus is presented, for off-line spike sorting and analysis.......
What's been funded?
Advice on writing:- www.parkerderrington.com/blog
Sentence 6 introduces the introductory part of the description of the project.
Sentence 10 introduces your discussion of what will happen after the research is complete
It will depend to a certain extent on whether the importance is academic or practical or both.
Sentence 1 should have 3 parts:-
Sentence 2 says what it is that makes the outcome important. For example....
Standard Structure: Key sentences as Introduction and Skeleton
Decide what message you want your audience to take away.
Use a good communication approach to deliver that message
Be yourself!
Remember: It’s human-to-human
Look at your audience and expect them to look at you
Tell-Explain-Remind
Tell them what they are going to hear
Then remind them what you told them
Work out your message - and learn it
Communicate it Human to Human
Don’t exceed your time
Thank you
It has to be good enough to make the reader read on
They will have 99 other applications.
They also have a TV.
What will make them want to read your application?
What the project will achieve, in 'big picture' terms.
How it will achieve it (your research approach).
An example of your achievements using that approach.
Interview your neighbour (3 mins)
Swap roles and interview again (3 mins)
Write a sentence for your neighbour's project (2 mins)
Write a Sentence for your own Project (2 mins)
Optimise and discuss.
Why is this a good Person?
Why is this a good project?
Direct Outcome?
Training Outcome
Why is this a good place?
Ask your neighbour about their project. Try to understand and remember:-
What will their project achieve?
Would that achievement be important? Why - objectively?
How will the project develop their career?
Why would their chosen organisation/lab be the best place to hold the fellowship - objectively?
After 5 minutes, change roles and repeat.
Imagine that you are trying to persuade a committee to give your neighbour a fellowship.
Write a short statement that will convince them to do so.
You have 5 minutes.
Imagine that you are trying to persuade a committee to give you a fellowship.
Write a short statement that will convince them to do so.
You have 5 minutes.