Grant Me the Courage to Apply for Grants!


Today, I took a little vacation away from my desk and went along to a grant-writing workshop which had been brought to my attention by my local UCU branch.  Even though I’m still just a lowly 2nd year PhD student, I figured that this kind of training would be useful for any applications for travel grants I might write over the next 18 months and for any future projects further down the line.  Plus, there’s never really a bad time to learn something new, and I guess this kind of workshop qualifies as useful #phdprocrastination.

The workshop was run by Andrew Derrington, who has used his experience both in academia and on research grant committees to put together some useful formulae and tips for writing clear, well-structured, and easily accessible research grants.   The day began with an outline and explanation of the various steps to writing an acceptable grant application, which was then followed (after lunch!) by a session which encouraged us to write some of the key sentences and project aims which had been outlined in the first session. Andrew encouraged discussion and interruption throughout the day, which certainly helped me understand some of the nuances of the ‘magic formula’ being described, and made the sessions feel more interactive and engaging.

I took three main things away from this workshop:

1)    I actually learned how research grants work:  
I found it interesting to hear from people in so many different fields and learn about the diverse projects they were planning on undertaking and how they had approached the issue of funding in the past.  As someone who hasn’t actually started their academic career and who has limited experience in this department, hearing these stories, alongside Andrew’s own accounts of the workings of research councils and the decision processes surrounding grant applications definitely helped answer many of the questions I’d had about the whole matter.

2)    It’s ok to think big:
As I’ve probably already mentioned on this blog, as a Classicist, I’m often asked how/why my research matters to anyone else, and how my work can have any relevance to the rest of society.  During this workshop, I discovered that I was not alone! During the writing session in the afternoon, Andrew encouraged us to consider the biggest possible picture for what our proposed project hoped to achieve, forcing us to look beyond disciplinary boundaries and the limits of our own immediate research, to think in broad, overarching terms which would engage and intrigue a non-specialist reader.

3)    It’s all about technique:
So, I used to hate it whenever people told me to ‘just make your writing clear’, or ‘writing successful pieces is all about technique’, without actually specifying what is meant by ‘clear’ or ‘technique’. Andrew showed us how (and also explained why!) grant writing requires a different approach and style to the academic writing we do in our day-to-day lives.  During my PhD, I’ve been eager to pick up new skills wherever possible, be that training in research methods, foreign languages, or presenting, so I’m excited to try and develop the writing styles which were discussed in today’s session.

Overall, I found this workshop really helpful. ‘Helpful’ (or indeed the three points above) doesn’t really cover what I’m taking away from today.  This was one of the few occasions where funding has been discussed without an introductory spiel about how you will never be successful in getting funding/any kind of position and you should ‘keep your options open’ and ‘think about other things’.  This isn’t to say that I was given any kind of false hope today.  I know that applying for funding is incredibly competitive.  I know it's hard.  I know the odds aren't really in your favour. 

 
Add caption

But I came to learn more about research funding, writing grants, and the grant application and selection process, and that I did. I left feeling inspired, rather than deflated. Even though I was probably by far the most junior (and clueless) attendee, my questions and concerns were welcomed and answered, and I am much clearer on the grant process than I was yesterday. And finally, the way Andrew encouraged us to think about projects for which we might apply for research grants was handy for thinking about how to break down a large task into smaller goals.  I really wish that I’d attended a session like this before applying for my PhD! I’m not going to be applying for any grants any time soon, but I am going to go back over my PhD outline with Andrew’s advice in mind and do some reshuffling of my research goals to help better visualise its progress and development.

I really cannot recommend this workshop enough. If you get the chance to attend another one of Andrew Derrington’s workshops, or want to check out some of the great tips and resources he has to offer, head to his website to find out more: www.parkerderrington.com

E over & out
x


Classics and Ancient History PhD student at the University of Liverpool, working on Lucan, Necromancy, and Civil War. Generously funded by the AHRC NWCDTP. Also enjoys music, polo, and gin. For more information, head here: www.nwcdtp.ac.uk/current-students/student-profiles/elaine-sanderson/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts!

Image

Learning to Love…Ovid!

 In light of yesterday’s Grand National, I thought I’d turn to a Latin poet whom I have recently come to appreciate.   I first encountered Ovid at around the age of fourteen, when I was handed his guide to picking up women at the racecourse, taken from his work Amores, as a translation exercise.   I was slightly alarmed to be presented with a text which advocated spying on women as they watched the horses go round the track, and sneakily groping people amongst the crowded stands, and so pigeonholed Ovid as a rather immature, trivial and tedious poet.   It’s safe to say, we got off on the wrong foot. Photo by Greg Roberts. Grand National day 2014.  I wonder how many race goers took Ovid's advice to heart... I ran into Ovid again at AS level, with Book VIII of his epic poem, The Metamorphoses being assigned as a set text.   Once again, I was far from overwhelmed.   Reading his portrayal of the various exploits of Scylla and Daedalus, I felt...
Image

The Importance of Going Outside

Ever since I was a secondary school student revising for my GCSE exams, I have been reminded time and again by well-meaning people of the importance of taking regular breaks when working.  Carefully scheduled 5/10 minutes here and there to break up the monotony of sitting at a desk, staring at books/screens and scribbling notes.  As a PhD student, I thought I was doing pretty well with this.  I often get up to make warm drinks in the kitchen next door or walk a few meters down the hallway to collect documents from the printer.   And yet, I kept finding myself angsty and frustrated, at times even a little claustrophobic, as I sat at my desk, working away on a project I continue to find exciting and stimulating.  Right now, I'm not at my most stressed. I'm not chasing nine different people trying to tie ends up for a conference, I'm not simultaneously working on four completely different assessments, and though my mental health has been iffy as of late (chee...
Image

Summer of Classics 2015: Sicily and the Valle dei Templi

Every year, the Exeter University Classics Society organise one of the highlights of their calendar: a trip abroad to visit various ancient sites.  A wonderful post-exams treat, these trips allow students to visit sites and see artefacts studied as part of their courses, develop and broaden their perspectives on the Classical World, and catch up with friends after weeks of isolation in the library.  This year's trip to Sicily was a lovely way to round off the final year of my undergraduate studies, and mark the end of my Classics Society presidency.  Organising and managing students can be challenging at the best of times (trust me, it's like trying to herd fish!), so when you throw in flight bookings, risk assessments, and passports, everything becomes that bit more complicated.  Eventually, our adventure got underway, thanks to the hard work and limitless patience of some very dedicated committee members.  We embarked upon a glorious Sicilian adventure, trave...