Some favourite resources on grant writing

Tips for capturing unicorns – writing your first successful application: https://researchwhisperer.org/2018/05/15/your-first-successful-application/

--- Discuss widely before writing; build the right team; aim high with near term goals; 80/20 rule; remember Nordic design presentation; 8 and 2 rule; narrative is key; use questions; edit ruthlessly

Five elements of any application: https://researchwhisperer.org/2011/11/01/every-application/

-- an idea (what); background including your academic journey (why); a plan (how); a budget; people to do the work (be clear who is doing what)

Clever ways to design your research - standing out from the common 'overselling' angle: https://researchwhisperer.org/2017/07/25/one-with-the-lot/

---'Funding bodies are hardly ever comparing apples with apples. If they are lucky, they are comparing apples and pineapples. More likely, they are comparing apples and the Appalachians.'

---'They don’t want ‘more’ research. They want ‘better’ research. They don’t want mass-produced; they want haute couture.'

--- KNOW YOUR DAY RATE (hourly rate + salary costs like superannuation + Univ overheads + contingency to cover other things getting in the way) x 8hrs and then add a margin.... helps you decide if this work is 'worth doing'

Research grant applications 101: https://researchwhisperer.org/2011/07/27/research-grant-applications-101/

-- get yourself a network of paper and grant reviewers ASAP

Reading Example Applications: https://researchwhisperer.org/2019/09/24/example-applications/

-- ask for the referee comments and responses to get a full picture of the application

-- 3 things to gain from reading other's applications: understanding requirement sof the funding agency; how to say things; ideas about how to frame and present your ideas

How to win a research grant: six academics from different disciplines share advice in THE: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/how-win-research-grant

Foolproof grant template from The Professor Is In: https://theprofessorisin.com/2011/07/05/dr-karens-foolproof-grant-template/

How to make a simple Gantt chart: https://researchwhisperer.org/2011/09/13/gantt-chart/

-- list your activities (turn methdology into a step by step plan); estimate the time required (chunk into weeks); put activities into order (what do I need to do by when? need from others and when? how do I check I am still on track?); chunk it up; turn it into a picture

Constructing your budget: https://researchwhisperer.org/2011/12/13/budget/

-- details you need to know: salary level of each participant; salary level for new positions; length of employment; destination cities, not countries; length of stay in each destination; type of laptop.

-- travel (transportation, accommodation and daily living allowance)

Estimating Investigator & Researcher Time on a Project: http://socialscienceresearchfunding.co.uk/?p=283

-- draw a table with phases of the project as rows, add project staff as columns. Add up columns and work backwards from these numbers on project days to calculate a percentage FTE (UK research councils assume 220 days = 1 working year). You can use this table in the 'justification for resources' section

How to make a simple research budget: https://researchwhisperer.org/2014/10/07/simple-research-budget/

Don't leave the budget to the end: https://researchwhisperer.org/2013/04/09/budgets-as-project-planning/

How to write a simple research methods section: https://researchwhisperer.org/2015/03/10/writing-research-methods/

-- write what you know; discuss it with a friend, their questions will prompt you to fill in gaps; make a timeline and budget; be specific about what you're collecting and how you'll analyse it (interviews, 30 transcripts of 60 minutes each, coded in Nvivo. Themes include space expectations, life stage, and household size); explain the why for every decision; tell us why this is the best way to answer the question.

The devil is in the details: https://researchwhisperer.org/2011/11/29/nitty-gritty/

-- to approve of your methodology, give reviewers as much detail as you can

--questions you should be pre-empting in your methodology:

• What sort of methods will you be using?
• How many studies do you need to resolve your central question?
• How will the observations be collected and analysed?
• What sort of insights or themes will you be looking for, and how will you map them?

Start reviewing grants whenever you can: https://researchwhisperer.org/2018/05/22/choosing-the-unicorns-an-ecrs-perspective-on-grant-reviews/#more-8656

-- Being a reviewer will clarify criteria council is focused on such as: the relevance of the topic to the call; the competence and reliability of the researchers; the significance, novelty and viability of the research; and the practicalities and appropriateness of the approaches, methods, hypotheses, dissemination strategy