supplementing graduate students’ skills with grant · 2019-06-12 · • book: writing science:...

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


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


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


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)


http://www.malloryladd.com/nsf-grfp-advice.html

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


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


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


USciences Overview

• PUI environment• OSPR – 2 staff• RD offerings ~3+ years

• Workshops• Editing• Reviewing


USciences Graduate EnvironmentGraduate Student Population


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


• 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


• 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


• 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


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


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


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


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


https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241

UNH Current Efforts: Writing Academy


• 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


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



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


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


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)


https://www.nordp.org/assets/RDConf2015/presentations/nordp-2015-thompson.pdf

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


Institutional Challenges


• 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


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)


ContactAnna BrailovskyUniversity of [email protected]

Sarah RobertsonUniversity of the [email protected]

Michael ThompsonUniversity of New [email protected]


supplementing graduate students’ skills with grant · 2019-06-12 · • book: writing science:...

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