Supplementing Graduate Students’ Skills with Grant Writing Training
Presenters: Anna Brailovsky, University of Chicago (formerly University of Minnesota)Sarah E. Robertson, USciencesMichael Thompson, University of New Hampshire
Overview• We’ll cover a variety of sessions focused on graduate student
training, ranging from one day to semester long interventions
• Perspective from four institutions
• Models to engage students in RD training similar to what we do for faculty – from finding funding opportunities to proposal submission
• Working with graduate students builds community and enhances their career development
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
WHY?• Faculty mentors don’t teach basic grant seeking/ writing
• Students need to be trained to communicate beyond their discipline
• Students need to be able to communicate the importance and value of their research in a way that is compelling to broad audiences ---interdisciplinary exchange allows students to become conversant in other fields, widening their career opportunities
• Because graduate students aren’t being taught to explain WHY
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
University of ChicagoCentralized Full Service Environment
“UGrad” (under Provost’s Office)
• Provides support for academic and professional activities including grant writing
• 2.5 FTE dedicated grants/fellowships consultants• One-on-one strategizing meetings• Feedback on drafts• Opportunity-specific peer review workshops (facilitated by staff)
multiple times a year
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
University of MinnesotaLimited Central Service Environment
• University Writing Center offers personal writing consultation (no dedicated grant-writing experts)
• Slate of Career Development workshops includes fellowship application prep
• Non-discipline-specific semester-long, for-credit GRFP class sometimes offered
• Library offered workshops on Pivot (mostly replaced by YouTube tutorials)
• Colleges and centers take different approaches#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Low-Resource Offerings
• College-wide info session (introduce resources & tools)• Opportunity-specific info session (review RFP, writing strategy)• Department info session (identify relevant programs, create
community resources)• Reviewer conversation (introduce grantsmanship principles)• Modules for on-going research design and proposal development
courses/workshops
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Example: one hourGRFP info session
• Circulate 2-3 successful applications prior to session• Review application elements and requirements• Discuss effective aspects of each successful sample in relation to
guidelines• Review useful on-line GRFP writing resources (e.g.
http://www.malloryladd.com/nsf-grfp-advice.html)
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Example: one hourDepartmental Funding Basics session
• Review most common funding for field• Discuss strategies to become competitive over time (building
relationships, timing, etc) • Walk through concise grant-writing structure (e.g., Dr. Karen’s
Foolproof Template)• Share grant-writing resources
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Example: two-hourNSF DDRIG Hands-On Submission Workshop
• Students must have NSF ID and advisor must initiate application• Students work on own lap top in Fast Lane to explore system• Provide guidance on all components (budget justification, data
management plan, etc)• Pace will depend on students – may have more or less time to
devote to writing strategy
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Example: Dissertation WorkshopRIGS Interdisciplinary Proposal Development Wkshp
• Internally-funded week-long spring break wkshp• 15-20 students at proposal stage ($1000 stipend)• 4 faculty mentors (small honorarium)• Scheduled time for RD staff to present and Q&A
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
USciences Overview
• PUI environment• OSPR – 2 staff• RD offerings ~3+ years
• Workshops• Editing• Reviewing
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
USciences Graduate EnvironmentGraduate Student Population
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Biochemistry
Cancer Biology
Cell and Molecular Biology
Chemistry
Health Policy
Pharmac eutics
Pharmac ognosy
Pharmac ology & Toxicology
PhD Students Enrolled (2018) • 1231 undergrads• 694 professional student• 306 graduate students
• 136 PhD• 40 GSI’s• 12 GRA’s
USciences Current EffortsCurrent Efforts around Writing and Grantseeking
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
• Speaking to different program directors and asking to come to their classes
• Building Resources• List of standing student and fellow funding opportunities• F31 handbook
• Grant Workshop/Camp
USciences Building Period
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
• Working with Graduate Faculty• Attending student talks and posters• Close relationship with Director of Graduate Education• Grantsmanship workshop with the Graduate Student
Organization (GSO)• Highest attended GSO event• Students commented on needing protected time to write and
guidance on starting
USciences Current EffortsCurrent Efforts: Grad Student Grant Camp
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
• 6-9 weeks over summer• New topic each week
• F31/F32 and NSF documents • 1 hour per week
• 15 min intro• 30 min writing• 15 min feedback
TopicIntro to Fellowship Grants
Abstract and Project Narrative
Biosketch Facilities and Equipment
Background and Goals
Selection of Mentor and USciences
RCR training
USciences Current EffortsResults and Next Steps
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
1 1
2
4 4
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
# Applications• Recognition event to include students
• Grant Camp for Faculty• Grant Writing course??• Considering:
• NIH Diversity Program Consortium Sponsored Programs Administration Development (SPAD) Program
UNH Environment• 15,000+ students
• 2,330 graduate students• 590 PhD / 1,740 Masters
• Recently moved from R2 to R1 “Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity”
• Centralized RD Office, Grad School, and Fellowships Office
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
UNH Current Efforts
GRAD 935: Intensive Grant Writing Seminar
Initiated in 2015
NSF GRFP
UNH Program Initiated in 2012
Graduate Writing Academy
In pilot now
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
UNH Current Efforts: GRAD 935• Two-week course offered in J-Term and Summer Session• Open to graduate students in all disciplines • Course culminates with students writing and workshopping their
own proposals • 6 sections offered since 2015• 42 students • 10 proposals submitted
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
UNH Current Efforts: GRAD 935• Major focus on writing and audience
• Guest speaker:• Finding Funding• Sponsored Programs Administration• Foundation Relations• Collaborative Proposal Work
• Book: Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded by Joshua Schimel
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
UNH Current Efforts: Writing Academy
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
• Interdisciplinary Academy focused on Science Writing and Communication
• Collaboration between Grad School, RD, faculty (Biological Sci., Physics, Engineering, English), and staff (UNHI, Extension)
• Academy culminates in outreach projects
• Split evenly between STEM and humanities students
• Requires more resources than UNH has been able to commit –some parts have been delivered, but not yet a success
UNH Current Efforts: Writing Academy
MCommunicating science: The science writing landscape and the roles of scientists and nonscientists
Lunch
Introduction: Describing your work
TGoals of scientific writing: within and beyond scientific research Finding support for your research
Translation in scientific writing: within and beyond scientific research
W
Structure: depth, emphasis and transitions
Visual communication in science: form and implementation
Audience and story
Anatomy of primary literature: form follows function
ThLanguage and narrative in scientific writing
Collaborative work: Planning capstone proposal
Hallmarks of effective collaboration
F Collaborative work: Developing and polishing capstone proposal Presentation of capstone proposals
Key Joint(see Table 4)
STEM(see
Table 5)Humanities
(see Table 6)Grant Writing &
Audience(see Table 7)
Work in pairs
Table 3: J-term Writing Module Schedule
UNH Current Efforts: Writing Academy
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
MPowerPlay Interactive Theater
Lunch
Breakout Exercises and Collaborative Work
TStakeholder Engagement Interactive Workshop Industry and Commercial Partner Panel
WCommunicating with the Media Panel Social Media Panel and Workshop
ThCollaborative Work Collaborative Work
FFirst Group of Capstone Presentations Second Group of Capstone
PresentationsDebrief and Reflect
Table 8: Summer Scientific Communication Module Schedule
UM GRFP 1-credit course (7 wks)
• ~10hr/wk commitment for instructor
• Small range of related disciplines most useful
• Can include other fellowships
• Submission of proposal is requirement for class credit
• Student’s advisor is looped in on all feedback
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
UNH Current Efforts: NSF GRFP
• Collaboration between Grad School, Fellowships Office, and Research Development
• Since 2013 – 6 cycles
• 154 student applicants (since 2013 – 6 cycles)
• 19 winners
• 16 HMs
• ~20 current UNH fellows
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
UNH Current Efforts: NSF GRFP• Brief overview of program schedule
• Spring sessions for UGs• Fall info session, writing workshops, individual conferences,
writing boot camp, letter session for reference writers
• Changes in 2019 – 2 hour class
• Previous presentation: How One Institution Collaborated Internally to Increase Success with the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Institutional Challenges
• USciences:
• Lack of broad buy-in• Silos
• Separate schools and programs• No central classes or resources
• Teaching loads increasing• No easy communication/marketing process
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Institutional Challenges
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
• UNH:
• Coordinating Offices’ Efforts (Graduate School, Research Office, Fellowships Office)
• Creating non-credit, free courses
• Outreach dependent on Director Graduate Study / Graduate Program Coordinator
• Teaching is hard
Promotion and Marketing• USciences
• Meeting the students where they are• Working closely with Graduate Advisors• Having food
• Pi/Pie Day!
• UNH• Close communication with Grad School, Fellowships, Colleges
and Departments (Grad Program Coordinators)• Twitter• PI distribution lists
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
Leveraging Graduate Training
• Connect with DGSs to identify appropriate courses and programs for presentation (research design, proposal development, intro to profession)
• Include grant writing support as professional development component of graduate training grants (SSRC-DPD, NSF NRT, NIH T32 or R25)
• Foster development of grants to support graduate student writing (NSF IGE)
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019
ContactAnna BrailovskyUniversity of [email protected]
Sarah RobertsonUniversity of the [email protected]
Michael ThompsonUniversity of New [email protected]
#NORDP2019 Providence, RI April 29 – May 1, 2019