Every researcher today wants to publish in a high-impact publication and grow in their research career and profession. For getting successful publications and doing quality research work, the requirement of funding is very much essential. Hence, in today’s world, academic achievement and advancement in medicine are primarily determined by the quality and number of grants obtained. In 2010, the United States of America was the most significant sponsor of life science research, investing a total of US$240 billion (US$70 billion in commercial research and US$40 billion in government and non-profit research). Yet it is stated that over 80% of funds were squandered due to poor/useless research findings and unavailable reports. In such scenarios, strong grant writing has become more essential to showcasing a solid research case.
From our discussion with successful grant writers, we highlight here a few tips for successful grant writing that will help new as well as experienced researchers:
- To improve your concept, examine the abstracts of past funded studies and the full text of successful research papers.
- Your application should start with a fantastic idea, but it will not be funded if your to-be-submitted idea does not meet the funding program’s primary purpose or goals. We recommend that you look at the background information on the funding body’s website before contacting them to determine if your idea qualifies.
- Ensure you understand and have answered all of the grant application‘s relevant questions. Reviewers and assessors frequently use these components to evaluate proposals for the funding body. These components could include (a) scientific merit; (b) applicability of your proposal to the program’s goals, (c) academic or research team’s strength and composition; (d) proposed research’s societal impact; (e) overall project administration plan; (f) anticipated scientific outcomes; and (g) the plan for dissemination.
- Think of yourself as a reviewer and evaluate your proposal on its merits, shortcomings, chance of success, personnel credentials, and other aspects. Now write the proposal rationally and concisely to facilitate the review process for reviewers and expert scientists.
- Ensure that the grammar and style are correct and that any references you used in your project are listed in the reference list.
- It should clearly and concisely describe how your chosen methodology and research approaches will lead to a successful project.
- Prepare a comprehensive timeline and budget that contains justifications for the timeline and expenses. Make sure you verify and double-check your budget. Surprisingly, many proposals include math errors that jeopardize their legitimacy. The budget should add up and support the story’s logic in the proposal.
- Your research group must have a funding recipient, a subject specialist, a methods expert, a qualitative researcher, or a health economist/statistician, and the proposal will be overseen and verified by a medical writer.
- The grant application form must be completed in the format asked and revised at least three weeks before the deadline to allow for full proofreading.
- Finally, don’t take anything for granted as competition is high; double-check everything. Make sure that the final submission is clear, readable, and intelligible for other researchers.
Conclusion
As many funding agencies cut research funds and more researchers compete for financing, the ability to create a high-quality grant proposal is becoming increasingly vital. We can say from our experience that successful grant writing requires careful thought and considerable skill. These tips will help researchers in drafting a better proposal. Medical research facility members should be educated and trained frequently through international workshops, conferences, and courses in research and grant writing to enhance the quality of medical research going ahead for funding.