Writing the Perfect Bid

Professor David Shemmings PhD

Deputy Head SSPSSR

Basic Principles

Bids are not very well written Give ME money Referees don’t make the decision Mistake to write a full literature review Systematic structuring of an application

For each RQ (about 4) clarify fully • WNTK - We Need To Know• (HOW?)• TWTU - This Will Tell Us

Testing an application Don’t give it to your mates!

Why do funders give grants?

Realistic promise of an answer Investigators

Ability Opportunity

Resources Sufficient Necessary

i.e.VFM

Important question How is importance defined?

Directed mode Responsive mode

How do funders make decisions?

Who?– Panel

• Expertise How?– Panel Meeting

• Role of Referees• Role of Designated Members

What are the key componentsof a research proposal?

The questionBreak the question down into answerable components (about 4)

Why it is important?How you will answer the question?

Break the research down into components that answer each component of the question

What you will do with the knowledge?

What are the essential attributes of a grant application?

Quick to read Especially to speed read And to read in snatches

Easy to understand Convincing

phraseology

…situates micro-processes of social well-being within global social development.

The socially and culturally contructed nature of … mean that macro strategies and community level intervention has limited impact …

… this research has wide-ranging relevance to the study of …

How do you make a grant application convincing?

Use the literature to make your case NOT to write a literature review

Prime with relevant information Say how resources will be used in description of research project –

prepares for justification of resources We Need To Know (WNTK)

Explain how and why WE NEED TO KNOW the answer to each part of the research question

This Will Tell Us (TWTU) As you describe the research project explain what THIS WILL TELL

US. If it's not something that WE NEED TO KNOW, go back to the previous step

and write another WNTK.

Structure

State the problem then break down into a ‘3/4/5 item list' of things we

need to know (WKTK)• this is easier to grasp and is convincing • it also forces you to be clear about the direction and detail

State the research approach then break the research activity into a 'four item list' of

things you will do to get your answers. State what each of these four activities will tell

us (TWTU) State how you will disseminate the research

How do you get started?

• Start with what you will do and why.– Write a piece of the research project, including

the TWTU.– Write the corresponding bit of background and

the WNTK.– Repeat the above until you have described the

whole project and its background.

• Add the dissemination• Take bits for the summary• Add the reason for importance

Planned ESRC proposal

Title The visibility and ‘invisibility’ of men in the lives

of children where there are safeguarding concerns

(Part of) background and (beginning) of Main RQ Media reports of the death of (Baby) Peter Connelly

made frequent mention of two men who managed to stay ‘invisible’ during the 60 visits by social workers, police officers and various health professionals. Along with the mother, these men were subsequently found to have been responsible for his death. The proposed research uses a mixed methods design to understand how social workers assess the presence, involvement and influence of men in the lives of children where there are allegations of maltreatment

RQs

1. How do social workers describe their response to referrals and their approach to assessment?

2. How do social workers engage with the family when men are known to be involved?

3. How do social workers analyse their practice when men are thought not to be involved?

4. How do social workers analyse their practice when the possibility of a child being abused by ‘unknown’ male/s is thought likely?

1. How do social workers describe their response to referrals and their approach to the assessment?

WNTK How social workers analyse the background

details of a referral How they determine who is involved in the

child’s life Whether and how social workers actively

consider the possibility of male involvement in the care of a child or their regular proximity to the child

(How?) File study with content analysis, narrative

interviews, Q-Methodology

1. How do social workers describe their response to referrals and their approach to the assessment?

TWTU Whether and how social workers consider

the presence of men in the mind of a child Whether and how they assess the male

contribution (i.e. as benign, malevolent or positive) to the child’s care and protection

Types of reasoning and logics used in assessments

Amount and quality of multi-agency information gathering

2. How do social workers work with the family when men are known to be involved?

WNTKDelineation of methods for engaging

family membersExtent of use of theory and research

when assessing, interviewing and drawing up protection plans

(How?)File search and content analysis,

interviews

2. How do they work with the family when men are known to be involved?

TWTUClarity, specificity and articulation of

concernsHow they assess positive male

influence (e.g. ‘social fathers’)Level of openness and honestyUnderlying implicit value base

3. How do social workers analyse their practice when men are thought not to be involved?

WNTKHow social workers determine the

non-presence of menWhether and how they update their

assessments (How?)

Interviews around practice, scenario-and vignette-based case discussion

TWTU Extent of use of techniques aimed at

observing and analysing the child’s behaviour and representations as an indicator of the presence and proximity of men

Knowledge of such techniques (independent of usage)

Use of the Public Law Outline to increase ‘leverage’

3. How do social workers analyse their practice when men are thought not to be involved?

4. How do social workers analyse their practice if the possibility of a child being abused by ‘unknown’ male/s is thought likely?

WNTKHow social workers evaluate risk from

the presence and influence of ‘invisible’ men

(How?) Interviews around practice, scenario-

and vignette-based case discussion

4. How do social workers analyse their practice if the possibility of a child being abused by ‘unknown’ male/s is thought likely?

TWTU Social workers’ ability to ‘hold’ situations

together to protect a child when the presence of men is being denied (but thought likely)

How social workers protect civil liberties and human rights

Whether and how managerial consultation and legal advice are sought (don’t add ‘and how effective they are’ if you aren’t going to!)