Nina Stedman for TuTech GET FUNDED! ENGLISH FOR GRANT WRITING Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 1 Style Assessment When you read an English-­‐language text, remind yourself that you can judge the effectiveness of the writing even though you may not have native-­‐speaker competency. Beyond reading for content, ask yourself whether the text you are reading can serve as a good stylistic model for your own writing. There are two main aims for writing effectively: to be clear, and to be concise. Your main aim is for your reader to understand you with ease. Remember that two short sentences that are clearly linked to show the logical connection are far more effective than one long sentence. If a sentence has to be read twice in order to fully understand its meaning, it is almost certainly too long. Formal style The style you are aiming for is formal academic English (also called standard English). Style (also called register) is an elusive term, and the conventions governing formal English are constantly in a state of flux. However, the guiding idea is that you sound strictly logical, impersonal and dispassionate whilst writing persuasively. By following stylistic models that do this, you indicate that you are able and willing to move beyond your immediate personal concerns and are prepared to consider the greater good. Following these stylistic conventions will help you make your aim clear whilst considering the benefits not just to yourself, but also to society as a whole. The best way to hone your writing skills in this style is to learn from accomplished writers in suitable genres. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 2 The Template The structure of your grant proposal determines which expressions you will want to use. For every grant proposal there are three key questions that you should ask yourself and provide an answer for. These are: 1. What’s my project? 2. What’s new? 3. What’s good? Connected to each question, there is a key word. This key word provides you with a semantic field. This semantic field will provide you with a range of possible expressions to use. These expressions will form the basis of your answer. The answer to each of the questions should be discussed in one of the first three paragraphs. You may want to return to question 3 at the end of your proposal. For question 1, the key word is objective; for question 2, the key word is innovation; for question 3, the key word is benefit. Here are some sample phrases that will enable you to answer the questions: What’s my project? The objective of the PROPOSAL is to apply new design concepts to the development of ... NB: the semantic field surrounding ‘objective’ will also give you options to rephrase using the word ‘aim’. What’s new? The key innovation of the PROPOSAL lies in... NB: You may want to emphasize one aspect of several innovations you propose by using the words ‘key’ or even ‘groundbreaking’. What’s good? The PROPOSAL will be of benefit to societies facing demographic challenges in the near future... NB: Since you are looking for benefits not just to you, but to society, there are two semantic fields in relation to question 3, ‘benefit’ and ‘society/societal’. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 3 The Generic Proposal Narrative It is a good idea for you to think of your proposal in terms of narrative structure, mapping out the course from the problem or challenge that you have identified to a solution that stands to benefit many people. This is a list of guiding questions that you should ask yourself. The proposed order will give you a convincing structure. You should follow this, certainly at the beginning and end of your proposal. Of course, depending on your project, you may find it necessary to reverse the order or drop some of the questions in the main body. Guiding Questions What is this project about? What makes it interesting? What is new? Why is this worth doing? What are the benefits? Technical aspects: How does this go beyond the state of the art? How does this differ from what is already available in the field? Why has it not been done before? How is this quantifiable? Why fund this partnership? What is the expectation on the impact of results? What is the exploitation horizon? How does the proposal fit to the framework programme? What are the societal benefits targeted by the framework programme? In order to achieve clarity, it is recommended that you write your proposal in answer to these questions. Try to produce one paragraph for each of the questions. Try to limit yourself initially to 1000 words (2 pages of A4 paper). Try to produce a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph. What is a topic sentence? Writing with topic sentences is a technique for structuring a formal piece of writing. It is particularly useful if you are presenting an argument. Think of the first sentence of your piece, and then of the first sentence of every paragraph as the anchor for everything that follows. Always state the theme first, and then what you have to say about a certain aspect of the theme, or maybe two aspects in order of importance. A paragraph should not deal with more than two aspects of the topic. If you are dealing with more than two aspects, it might be worth thinking about beginning a new one. It is always tempting when you are an expert on a topic to condense too much because you are so far ahead of your audience in the thought process. Remember that your reader should be able to follow your thought process with ease. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 4 Every guiding question gives you at least one key word for at least one semantic field. We are looking for complete phrases that you can use ‘ready made’ to deal with your answer in this field. The original first question was: What is this project about? The answer will give you your topic sentence for your first paragraph and your proposal as a whole: What is this proposal about? EXAMPLES from the European Research Council (ERC) brochure ‘Some Striking ERC Projects’ (http://erc.europa.eu) Subject: robotics The aim of this project is to design and manufacture microscopic chemical robots; such robots do not exist at the moment and their development will be unique and very challenging. Subject: no driver cars The OFAV project aims at exploring the use of “intelligent cars”, which move without a driver and with a sophisticated system of sensors. Subject: climate change This project seeks to map the melt water extent under the Greenland sheet ice for better predicting the ice-­‐sheet’s response to climate change... Subject: astrobiology The project E3ARTHS studies a key domain of astrobiology: the origin, evolution and identification of habitable worlds in space, and the search of biomarkers on Earth-­‐like planets. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 5 Guiding questions and key words for semantic fields What is this project about? aim, objective What makes it interesting? What is new? innovation, new Why is this worth doing? What are the benefits? societal benefits, advantages Technical aspects: How does this go beyond the state of the art? results, improvement How does this differ from what is already available in the field? Why has it not been done before? comparison: difference, improvement How is this quantifiable? quantifying, future projection, results Why fund this partnership? partnership, reputation, interdisciplinarity What is the expectation on the impact of results? results, future outlook What is the exploitation horizon? applications, future outlook How does the proposal fit to the framework programme? aims, objectives, compatibility, relevance What are the societal benefits targeted by the framework programme? societal benefits, specific targets We are looking for expressions that fit these semantic fields or categories; please bear in mind that these category headings are not carved in stone; you may choose another synonym or near synonym as your category heading. The two MOST IMPORTANT categories for your proposal are: • innovation: what’s new, breakthrough technology, solution to a problem, insight gained, knowledge base expanded • benefits to society: a future outlook on improvement for people. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 6 aim, objective The objective of the Med proposal is to apply new ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) design concepts to the development of a new generation of ASICs for advanced medical devices. innovation, new The key innovation is to achieve a standard ASIC which may be used for a range of bio-­‐data signals, thereby replacing the discrete, single application dedicated components currently used in bio-­‐data measurement equipment such as ECG etc. societal benefits, advantages The ASIC will enable devices to be developed which are more compact, more reliable and more comfortable for the patient. It will also enable significantly lower productions costs to be attained. results, improvement The result will lead to the development of a new generation of... The result will enable the production of an improved... The result will expand the data available for.... comparison: difference, improvement The size and performance of a well-­‐designed DEVICE surpasses all other means to achieve miniaturization of electronic devices. Unlike the ABC project of the University of U which is concerned with ..., this proposal is not primarily concerned with ..., but addresses the need for.... quantifying goals, technical specifications, future projection The key objective of the proposed project to specify and develop a DEVICE with (list technical specifications) will enable power consumption to be reduced by a factor of 5-­‐10 and thereby permit ambient devices to be developed for at least 12 hours mobility. The signal to noise ratio will be reduced by a factor 2 compared with current systems. These design goals will be achieved using the specific experience of the research partner. The design will use the predictive coding methodology to be specially optimized for medical applications. Remarkably, the medical sector has so far been ignored as far as advanced integrated chip design is concerned. partnership, reputation, interdisciplinarity Partner X is the world leader; partner Y has a leading specialization in...; partner Z is a world authority research partner for... This collaborative approach will bridge the gap between... results, applications, future outlook This proposal could finally result in a significant contribution to the field. The results of the proposed work will lead to the production of a DEVICE that may become a standard component in all forms of sensitive measurement equipment. This proposal is likely to yield extensive sets of data on which future predictions for... can be based. Post project development of the first products is expected to take a maximum of .... years and can be made available to... Product variants, enhancement and derivatives are expected to continue to be developed for ... years. Changing demographics are likely to fuel demand for an enhanced DEVICE. aims, objectives, compatibility (with framework/call), relevance (to framework/call), societal benefits, specific targets The goals of the project fit solidly within the scope of the framework in respect of its emphasis on... The goals of the proposed work are fully in line with the overall objectives of the programme with its focus on technology development to improve... The proposal directly relates to the overall objectives of the 123 Work Programme for 2012 as specified in ... The proposal is also relevant to the objectives of the European policy on CLEANTECH described as follows: ‘the development of embedded technologies, their interconnections and their full integration into the service infrastructure...’ The proposal is also relevant to the HUB programme with its aim of improving the competitiveness of European industries by supporting development of critical technologies for ‘innovative products, processes and organisation’. In line with the HUB programme, the project will contribute directly to the development of a new generation of products in the medical instrument sector and significantly enhance the quality of life of a growing group of patients along with improving the competitiveness of the involved industries compared with Japan and the US. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Exercise to consolidate Unit 6 EXERCISE: Read the following sentences adapted from original proposals and decide on their usefulness and possible category headings for your portfolio. CHEMIBY proposes to set up a research and training network in chemical bioanalysis. Its focus lies on the rational use of available resources that so far have not been tapped into. BolNet aims to enhance rural electrification to improve life quality and to reduce poverty. The proposed project will support local policy makers to develop a strategy for wider dissemination of renewable energy at regional and country level. The first objective of the project is to close the information gap. Workshops and conferences will foster dissemination and knowledge exchange. Therefore, the promotion and use of renewable energy in South America is a matter of urgent importance for both businesses and households. The promotion of biogas could be a possible solution to the economic and ecological problems of both countries. Technological restrictions will be analysed and an action plan to further the implementation of biotechnology in Foreignstate will be developed. The continental climate with cold winters will be a challenge for biogas technology. This will result in the identification of innovation needs and further research technology. Biogas technology will be improved and adapted to specific climate regions, thus expanding the range of possible applications. The detailed analysis of the framework conditions will result in the development of an action plan to support decisions of potential biogas producers and to promote the enhanced implementation of biogas plants. The investment of pig breeding companies in biogas plants would lead to less waste and improved fertilizer quality as well as providing farms with an energy supply. Surplus production could be sold, thus generating additional income. The target groups for the proposed project will be the regional and national governments which are responsible for favourable framework conditions to promote biotech. The proposed project aims to create favourable conditions for investment in biotech enterprises. The results of the proposed project will serve to enhance the production of a new generation of BioDevices. The promotion and use of BioDevices is a matter of urgent importance for both businesses and households in Euroland. Another aim is to give impetus to processes that facilitate the development of energy-­‐
efficient BioDevices. In contrast to conventional devices, NewBioDevice can be built on a scale small enough to further the mobility of its users. Some of the output indicators are:... The cooperation with these international partner organizations will enhance knowledge exchange and foster mutual understanding. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 7 Building your Portfolio of Expressions In unit 6 we have already seen that certain phrases can be grouped under semantic headings in response to the guiding questions in the template. Some parts of the sentence are versatile, i.e. they can have a number of applications in different contexts. The content words may have to be adapted or replaced depending on your specific project. A useful feature of formal writing in English is the use of words at the beginning of a sentence that are often called ‘sentence connectors’. Sometimes these form expressions in a group of two or more words; these are called ‘introductory prepositional phrases’ because they contain a preposition (or function word). Both types are separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. These expressions serve one of two functions: they connect a second sentence to a preceding statement, or they serve to introduce a new aspect or idea. The beauty of these constructions lies in the logical clarity that they convey. Moreover, non-­‐
native writers of English very often find that the rest of the sentence ‘falls into place’, thus facilitating grammatical correctness and idiomatic expression. It is a point worth repeating that two short sentences that are clearly connected usually result in greater clarity and ease of understanding. Here are some more examples in addition to the two words printed in italics above: In view of the fact that energy costs are expected to rise, it is necessary to ... At this advanced level, learner autonomy is a key factor in improving performance. Many of these expressions can be grouped into useful categories to perform certain argumentative steps that we undertake in almost any formal writing situation: adding information Also, the data supports the conclusion that a significant shift toward ... Furthermore, the impact of this development is likely to affect large numbers of... In addition, the low-­‐impact design delivers an improved performance in... comparing and contrasting Unlike existing devices, the ABC enables the patient to remain mobile for longer. Similarly, the TAB platform provides an interface for multiple users. In addition to the phrases in unit 6, the Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. New Edition. Oxford: 2007, provides a mid-­‐section titled ‘Improve your Writing Skills’. This section provides complete sentences under the following headings: o introducing topics and o expressing cause and related ideas effect o adding information o expressing possibility o comparing and and certainty contrasting o introducing a o exemplification: concession (e.g. introducing examples however, neverthelesss) The dictionary makes use of corpus linguistics to compare native-­‐speaker writing with learner writing. It provides advisory notes marked BE CAREFUL to highlight common pitfalls. For example, under the heading ‘expressing cause’, there is the following warning: ‘Because is frequent in academic writing and professional reports, but many learners use it too often.’ For every entry in its main body, the Macmillan dictionary provides complete sentences with notes on usage and collocations, and is therefore highly recommended. Beyond the Workshop: building your Portfolio of versatile expressions Inductively, we have arrived at an approach to using the English language by looking at complete phrases that transport meaning and can help you develop your argument. You can expand your repertoire by building your own portfolio of phrases that you are likely to use in a professional context. The first step is to read not just for content, but also for language. Several genres are suitable in terms of both; conversely, building your repertoire of expressions can help you produce written work in these genres. Apart from proposals, abstracts, press releases, and science journalism can provide you with a wealth of useful and sophisticated expressions. The next step is to decide on which categories of expressions you intend to look for. It is advisable to have a list of these categories on file for instant reference or reminders. You can then create a file for each one of these. If you are reading a digitized publication, you can usually copy and paste the sentence you have selected into your document. For easy future reference, it is a good idea to underscore the versatile part of the sentence. You are encouraged to choose the expressions that suit you from the range of possibilities. The reading material provided in your workshop folder gives you samples from a number of recommended sources:
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The European Research Council (press release) Nature (review section, abstract) The Nobel Prize site (press release) The Lancet BBC (health and science section) The Daily Telegraph (science section) The Economist Sir John Maddox (Guardian obituary; What Remains to be Discovered). The late editor of Nature is a past master of science writing. Please note the clarity achieved by his use of topic sentences. Nina Stedman Grant Writing Unit 8 VISUALIZATION AND METAPHOR We tend to think of metaphors in terms of poetic language, but it is practically impossible to speak or write in English without using metaphors. These conventional metaphors are often used unconsciously, but it can make your writing more effective to think about the images conveyed by your choice of words. For example, your reader is unlikely to perceive the expression ‘breakthrough technology’ as a poetic metaphor and actively visualize the image that is inherent in the expression. Nonetheless this will have a certain effect that goes beyond the concrete meaning of the words. The subliminal message is a positive one of overcoming a barrier in order to achieve advancement in a field of endeavour. This latter expression is, of course, also a metaphorical one. The Macmillan English Dictionary provides a very brief introduction to the pioneering work of George Lakoff on metaphor in its section on ‘Language Awareness’: Lakoff, George and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1979. Metaphors affect the ways in which certain ideas can be expressed in English, and by extension how language users think about certain concepts. Lakoff describes these as conceptual metaphors, and his approach is the basis for the ‘Metaphor boxes’ in the dictionary. Whenever you engage in ‘close reading’ for language use, and certainly whenever you write a piece for publication, you should check for these hidden metaphors and the images they convey. Using metaphorical expressions consciously can make your writing more effective if you choose ones that convey a positive message. You are advised to check that the metaphorical expressions you use do not undermine the message you are trying to put across. ‘To undermine’ is, of course, a metaphor. It has its roots in the long mining tradition of the British Isles and has only negative connotations to do with structural weakness ultimately leading to collapse. Some writing style guides advise that you should always avoid cliché. I would argue that you should always check whether the conventional metaphorical expressions you are using serve your purpose. Try to be aware of the connotations of words and of the subliminal messages connected with them. You can actively use imagery to convey a positive subliminal message that supports your claim. Try to avoid the pitfalls (metaphor) and aim to polish (metaphor) your text so that it convinces the reader. Many texts, for example press releases, especially in the realms of politics and business, are carefully crafted to avoid negative subliminals and emphasize the positive. Here are some examples: The word problem is avoided at all costs and usually replaced by challenge. This collocates with the verb ‘rise’ as in to rise to a challenge. The ERC website uses the phrase to tackle research challenges. Similarly, the words lack or gap are often replaced by potential as in innovation potential on the same site. Frontier research is here used as an alternative for breakthrough, the metaphor mentioned above. Both are positive words, but the frontier not only suggests new territory, but also personal bravery in claiming or conquering it. Some people argue that light vs darkness is the master trope of Western Civilization. The prime example is the term ‘Enlightenment’; using light metaphors may be useful when you talk about an increase in knowledge. Many of you will be proposing a certain development that you intend to bring about. It might help you to think in spatial terms: basically, anything that points upward is perceived as potentially good. Also, anything related to organic growth is perceived as positive, unless it is specifically related to a negative phenomenon such as cancer cells or the world population. You will want to emphasize the societal benefits of your research. Any expression that indicates social awareness is usually perceived as positive; hence the frequent use of the word ‘network’ and related terms such as ‘partnership’, ‘co-­‐operation’, ‘shared platform’, ‘interactive features’ etc. Here are further examples you are likely to engage with: up startup company upward trajectory bottom-­‐up approach growth science park field of research seed capital business incubator to feed into create a creative approach a creative solution a creative environment sample sentence The challenge is to create an environment that is conducive to growth. If you cannot avoid presenting a negative phenomenon because dealing with it is your challenge, try to work on word order to emphasize the positive nature and direction of your work. Here are some examples of rewritten sentences: In this medical scenario, it is important that we starve cancer cells. Cancer cells must be starved in order to enable healing... In the current economic climate we must minimize costs. Costs are unsustainably high; we must minimize them in order to free up resources for growth in... Always check whether what you have to say can be phrased positively. Visualization Technique One thing to be aware of is that any text or speech becomes more persuasive when you make it your own. If you choose to follow the portfolio approach, I suggest that you regularly check your phrasebank for stylistic choices that you actively wish to use and prioritize these on your lists. It is strongly recommended that you make yourself acquainted with the political guidelines that lie behind the funding scheme or call for papers to which you are responding. Any political strategy behind a European scheme is likely to have at its core the aim of promoting growth that is environmentally and socially sustainable. You are required to present your project as a contribution to these overall goals. By all means, look at the ‘buzzwords’ in the publications of the organization as well as in the wider debate. You should try to actively visualize these and relate them to what you bring to the table. Even if you are ‘borrowing’ from a native-­‐English writer, the words of your proposal should always sound like your own. Actors talk about inhabiting the text of a play or film script; this metaphorical expression describes the process of making the words that you are given your own. Behind this lies a process of visualization and appropriation. It might help for you to visualize the following scenario: In my field, I aim to create growth by ... Another exercise might be to use analogy to explain your project. Even if you decide not to use the words of the analogy or simile (using expressions with ‘like’ or ‘as’), this can help you to move from the abstract to the concrete, especially when it comes to potentially beneficial outcomes. Try to explain your research project to a bright 10-­‐year old. If this fits to your project, try to visualize the positive and life-­‐enhancing effect of an application resulting from your research. Is there a person you know who might benefit from your frontier research or breakthrough technology?