A Grant to Attend a Research Writing Course

Greetings again. I hope 2011 has started well for you.

This week I have good news: An AuthorAID grant is available to help a researcher from a developing country attend an intensive course in research writing.

The course will be at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. It will begin on 27 June 2011 and run 3 to 4 weeks.

Application instructions for the grant have been posted. The application deadline is 18 January 2011. We look forward to receiving applications for this grant.

Special thanks go to Bernard Appiah for his hard work in preparing the application instructions. Julie Walker and I also contributed to the instructions.

Speaking of grant applications . . . I recently read a good little book: Write an Effective Funding Application: A Guide for Researchers and Scholars, by Mary W Walters (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009).

Here, from this book, are some tips on preparing a large grant application:

• Several months before the application is due, list all the documents you’ll need. (These might include, for example, your updated CV, forms relating to ethics, and letters of support from administrators.)
• Make a timeline (schedule) for preparing your grant application. Include time to prepare several drafts of the application.
• Remember to present the context for your work. For example, say why the proposed work is valuable, and say how it relates to other work in your field.

Next week I hope to provide more tips from this book. Meanwhile, wishing you a good week! —Barbara