class: RWH_bg_title # .black[Applying for funding] ### RCPE Introduction to Research .RWH_footnote_title[ .RWH_footer_bold[ Rob Hunter | @renalrob ] ] .RWH_footnote_right_title[ .RWH_footer_bold[ March 2026 ] ] ??? Grant-writing is about the journey, not just the destination. Slides created with [xaringan](https://github.com/yihui/xaringan). --- # Overview - What are the sources of research funding? - Structure of a grant application - How does writing a grant differ from writing a review? - What do funding panels like and dislike -- <br> > .red[But why do we care?] .RWH_footnote_right[.RWH_footer_style[slides at: www.kidneyfish.net/talks/]] ??? Why do we apply for funding? Best way to improve ideas and capability. (Analogy to kidneys - output is homeostasis not urine.) 5 benefits of applying for funding: - refine ideas - build team - improve data - improve writing (is competitive writing! - Steven King on steroids) - beat imposter syndrome --- class: center, middle, inverse # .white[Sources of research funding] ---  <!--[:scale_c 80%]--> ??? Biggest funder are charities (of which Wellcome, CRUK and BHF are biggest). In 2018, charities funded £1.3bn, NIHR £1.1bn and MRC £0.8 bn – see www.amrc.org.uk. NIHR in England is broadly equivalent to CSO in Scotland. Both UKRI (i.e MRC) and NIHR/CSO are publicly funded; the latter administered directly by Dept of Health. Highlight AMS Starter Grants for Medical Lecturers. --- # Types of funding - training fellowships (PhDs, post-doctoral, career re-entry) - starter grants - travel grants - project / program grants - specific calls (equipment, CIC, public engagement...) --- class: center, middle, inverse # .white[Structure of a grant application] --- # Structure i) **person & place**: CV, personal statement, support letters ii) **project**: abstracts, aims, details, resources iii) **other stuff**: impact, communications plan, data management, ethics... -- <br> <br> > .red[Which bits are worth spending most time on?] ??? Lay abstract Aims / question / hypothesis Concept figure --- # Overview - .gray[What are the sources of research funding?] - .gray[Structure of a grant application] - .bold[How does writing a grant differ from writing a review?] - .bold[What do funding panels like and dislike] --- class: center, middle, inverse # .white[Why is grant-writing different?] --- class: bg-black  ??? Main reason that writing a grant is different from writing a review is that the audience is different. For a review, reader will be interested and engaged - they have chosen to read it! --- class: bg-black  ??? For a grant application, reader will start from a position of ignorance / disinterest and will also be short on time / irritated. Another difference is that you are competing against other applications. Success rate of biomedical research applications is around 20% (Wellcome site and Herbert et al, Nature 495, 314, 2013). --- class: center, middle, inverse # .white[Dos and Don'ts] --- # Dos - start early and get lots of help - clear aim / hypothesis / research question - lots of pictures / use white space and formatting <br> - power calculations - risk mitigation - collaborations <br> - read aloud before submitting ??? Some applications can take years to write; most several months; beware internal deadlines. Magical formula (triad) = clear question, state-of-the-art methodology, risk mitigation (de-risk with pilot data and collaborations). <br> <br> # Some specific tips - "I shall" *vs.* "I will"? - probably prefer I will - scan through for over-used / misused words: "novel", "therefore", "aim", "however", "the fact that", "ameliorate"... - Vancouver references (science-without-titles.csl) - "Stephen King" rules: short sentences (<15 -- 25 words), active voice, Anglo-Saxon, positive statements - no good evidence on readability re: justified vs. left-aligned - so use whatever looks best - [power calculations](https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources/how-decide-your-sample-size-when-power-calculation-not-straightforward) (or [here](https://eda.nc3rs.org.uk/experimental-design-group#samplesize)) - consider structuring main body as rationale, approach, output for each aim - could use Kahneman techniques - e.g. use repetition for priming effect --- # Concept figures  --- # Concept figures  --- # Don'ts - not enough detail - too much detail - jargon / abbreviations - the "so what?!" question not answered - overblown claims / too much hype --- # Language  novel | critical | key | innovative | scalable | transformative | transdiscipliniary | actionable | impactful .RWH_footnote_right[.RWH_footer_style[[Millar *et al.* (2022)](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2795635)]] ??? Study of 900,000 NIH grant application abstracts (>350M words). Hyped language is common in grant applications. Considerations: - everyone else is doing it so perhaps we should too? - can result in meaningless statements ("interdiscipliniary", "transformative") - predisposes to tautology - risk of "semantic blanching" - words become less impactful with time --- # Lay abstract - write to the brief (know the funder's mission) - go big picture (context, aims, impact) - do NOT translate technical abstract - use person-centred language ("volunteers" not "subjects") - don't oversimplify (lay people are very intelligent) <br> - look at [examples](https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/what-does-a-great-lay-summary-look-like) - consider [readability tools](https://readable.com/) ??? Really important - often the only bit that will be read. Lay members on funding panels. Anticipate the "so what?!" question. Include quantitative data - e.g. number of people with a condition. --- # Lay abstroct > “He’s not the man I married...he used to be so calm.” > “Every little thing seems to make me angry.” > “I’m afraid to leave the children with him.” > I am a neurologist, and these words are directly from my patients with severe head injuries and their families. > Behavioural problems and poor emotional function, such as being more irritable, frequent anger and even physical violence, are common after head injury. They are a major reason why patients lose their jobs, experience relationship breakdown and become socially isolated. > I want to investigate why head injury patients experience poor emotional function and behavioural problems... .RWH_footnote_right[.RWH_footer_style[from: https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/what-does-a-great-lay-summary-look-like]] --- # Lay abstract > ...An area at the top of the brainstem is the major source of noradrenaline in the brain. White matter connections carry information between this area and the rest of the brain. These connections are particularly important for emotional function and thinking. White matter damage is very common after severe head injury. Therefore, one possible reason for behavioural problems is that damage to these white matter connections leads to abnormal function of the noradrenergic circuits and poor emotional function. .RWH_footnote_right[.RWH_footer_style[from: https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/what-does-a-great-lay-summary-look-like]] ---  ??? Grant-writing is about the journey - not the destination. If unsuccessful then will have grown a bit so likely to be successful the next time. --- # Useful links #### Starting points - [ECAT pages](https://www.ed.ac.uk/medicine-vet-medicine/our-research/cmvm-research-support/translation-commercialisation/edinburgh-clinical-academic-track) - [Academy of Medical Sciences](https://www.acmedsci.ac.uk) - including [ten tips](https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/ten-tips-for-grant-applications) - [Wellcome: how to write a grant](https://www.wellcome.ac.uk/funding/guidance/how-write-wellcome-grant-application) - [UKRI: 12 tips](https://www.ukri.org/blog/12-top-tips-for-writing-a-grant-application/) #### Writing - [*Writing Science*](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241/ref=sr_1_1?crid=342441TBYNQ65&keywords=joshua+schimel+writing+science&qid=1667215728&sprefix=joshua+schimel+writing+science%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-1) by Joshua Schimel - [Plain English campaign](http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/free-guides.html) #### Lay summaries - [NIHR](https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/plain-english-summaries/27363) & [top tips](https://www.rds-london.nihr.ac.uk/resources/tips-for-writing-a-lay-summary/) - [Acad Med Sciences tips](https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/10-tips-for-writing-a-lay-summary) & [example lay summaries](https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/what-does-a-great-lay-summary-look-like) - [Imperial blog](https://blogs.imperial.ac.uk//fom/files/2018/05/Lay-Summary-v2018_PFDC.pdf) - [Diabetes UK](https://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/for-researchers/apply-for-a-grant/general-guidelines-for-grant-applicants/tips-on-writing-a-lay-summary) .RWH_footnote_right[.RWH_footer_style[slides at: www.kidneyfish.net/talks/]] ??? Also useful: - [Imperial pages](https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-office/funder-information/types-of-research-funding/) - [AMRC](https://www.amrc.org.uk/)