Not all grant writing needs to be a pain. Indeed, grant writing could be one of the most rewarding activities you will do; if you do it right.
Many applicants consider the process of grant writing as an episode that has two defining moments: the (anti-climatic) submission and -most often than not- the moment when one receives bad news.
However, grant writing is not an episode. Its a process from which -if lucky- one will get the sought for funds, but -if one is smart- one may gain much more even if the grant ends up not being funded.
The other way of looking at grants writing involves staying teachable, being open to new ideas and new collaborators, different and bigger challenges, etc. Done smartly, grant writing is a process of personal growth and investment in the future by:
- setting aside time to explore crazy ideas
- to update one’s knowledge
- to build new collaborations and strengthen existing ones
- to boost lab’s members’ integration and shared narratives
- to lead by example
- to reinforce links with institutional management
- etc
That is, grant writing is not a zero-sum game in which one either wins or looses, in which either we get the funds or the competition gets it. Done right, its always a win-win process.
Throughout this blog, I will share with you my journey in the business of grant writing.
I’ll discuss some of the insights I gained along the way and I will provide suggestions and tools -some of which I created- that I regularly use to become a more productive grant applicant.
I believe there is another way to writing grants and I hope that this blog will help you have a more enjoyable and productive grant writing experience.
I would love it if you would engage with me, the club and the wider community by sharing your good and bad experiences concerning external funding production. In particular, at these early days, I would be keen to hear what you would like to see discussed in these pages.
So stay tuned! Stay engaged!
