how to get that grant!
TRANSCRIPT
BOOKS & MEDIA UPDATE
April 2004 55
How to get that grant!Thomas R. Blackburn’s experience of funding programs comes to the fore inhis guide to writing grant proposals, which offers excellent advice to scientists,reviewers, and funding agencies alike, says Sean McCarthy.
This is an excellent book, written by someone who has
considerable experience as a scientific proposal writer,
reviewer, and funding program manager. It is not
designed to help scientists with bad ideas win
contracts. It is designed to help scientists
communicate good ideas to funding agencies.
Documents and guidelines from funding agencies are
typically written using jargon and in a style that
borders on boring. Getting Science Grants is written in
a very lively style and is totally lacking in jargon. In
fact, it is written like a thriller. There is a murder in the
very first sentence: a proposal is killed. The book then
examines the motivation for the killing (review
criteria) and identifies the different individuals who
had the opportunity to kill it
(reviewers, panels, and program
managers). The book also
describes why other proposals
were not killed and went on to
become successful projects.
Blackburn describes his book as a
general introduction to scientific
proposal writing. He uses US
science funding programs as his
model. Despite this, the
description of the process is a
very good introduction to the
European Union’s funding
program and, indeed, to the
science programs of most
European countries.
In many instances, Blackburn suggests that, when
problems arise, the scientist should simply phone the
relevant program manager in the funding agency. This
is not as easy as it sounds. For beginners, or for
experienced scientists dealing with a new funding
agency, the process of establishing contacts with
program managers can take time. The key message,
however, is that these personal contacts are an
essential part of the whole process of proposal writing.
Blackburn states that his book is designed to help
scientists improve their skills in writing proposals. This
is true, but it is far more important than this. For
beginners, the book is an excellent introduction to the
world of competitive science. It describes proposal
writing, the review process, and the responsibilities of
the scientist when a contract is awarded. For
experienced scientists, there is an important section
that explains the difference between a ‘very good’
proposal and one that is ranked ‘excellent and
recommended for funding’. This is original and could
only be gleaned from the author’s detailed
involvement in all phases of the process. Finally, for
reviewers of scientific proposals, this book should be
listed as recommended reading.
The best and most stimulating point is hidden in the
depths of the book (page 104 of 160). Blackburn states
that, even when a proposal is rejected, the scientist
would “still be better off for having written the
proposal”.
The author advises scientists that
“the substantial effort of all the
preparatory work and through the
mental discipline of organizing
your thoughts… you advance and
deepen the command of your
field”. He then makes a very
important statement. “It is
arguable that the US has become
the scientific leader of the world
as much through the institution of
competitive, peer-reviewed
funding as through any other
single factor,” he writes. “Writing
proposals would be good policy
even if everyone had all the
money they needed. When you
have written a well-crafted and competitive proposal,
you have created something important and grown in
sophistication because of it. That is never a waste of
time.”
This is an important message for the scientist but
more important for the funding agency. It stresses the
need for joint efforts by agencies and scientists to
advance science. It also highlights the importance of
program design, proposal review, and the professional
execution of contracts.
Sean McCarthy of Hyperion Ltd. advises scientists on
how to write competitive proposals for the European
Union’s Sixth Framework Programme.
Thomas R. BlackburnGetting Science Grants: Effective Strategies for Funding Success
John Wiley & Sons (2003), 160 pp., ISBN: 0-7879-6746-7
$30 / £18.95 / �26.10
Diffraction Analysis ofthe Microstructure ofMaterials
E. J. Mittemeijer and P. Scardi (eds.)
Springer-Verlag (2004), 552 pp.
ISBN: 3-540-40519-4
$169 / £100 / �139.05
An overview of X-ray and neutron
scattering methods for
microstructure analysis of materials
is presented in this book. It details
techniques for determining crystallite
size and atomic-scale strain. Methods
for the analysis of residual stress are
also covered.
Nano andMicrostructural Designof Advanced Materials
Marc Meyers, et al. (eds.)
Elsevier (2003), 300 pp.
ISBN: 0-08-044373-7
$150 / �150
This book contains a series of articles
on the characterization, analysis, and
design of materials at the micro- and
nano-scales. A number of structural
and functional materials systems are
covered, but the emphasis on
tailoring structure-property
relationships is clear throughout. The
book celebrates the 70th birthday of
Gareth Thomas of the University of
California, Berkeley, who has been a
pioneer in this field.
NondestructiveMaterialsCharacterization
Norbert G. H. Meyendorf,
et al. (eds.)
Springer-Verlag (2004), 416 pp.
ISBN: 3-540-40517-8
$129 / £77 / �106.95
Nondestructive characterization
techniques for detecting and
quantifying degradation processes,
such as corrosion and fatigue, are
described. The book emphasizes the
application of these methods to
aircraft materials, especially Al and
Ti alloys. It introduces X-ray,
ultrasonic, optical, and thermal
techniques.
Expert
Graduate
Undergraduate
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