Scientific Grant Proposal Writing

Scientific Writing for Successful Grant Proposals

SUCCEED Acronym

The acronym SUCCEED encapsulates the core principles of strong grant writing, focusing on need-to-know information for health research.

• S - Simple and Schema:

  • Ground grant writing in simple ideas.

  • Connect these ideas to schemas, which are pre-existing ideas the readers (reviewers) already possess.

• U - Unexpected and Urgent:

  • Frame the science in a way that immediately captures the reviewers' attention.

• C - Case:

  • Answer the "so what" question.

  • Illustrate the problem to be solved, possibly using a patient case.

• C - Concrete:

  • Employ the "ladder of abstraction" model to maintain connection with people, places, and feelings.

  • This helps reviewers find a relatable connection to the proposal.

  • The method will be demonstrated with an extended example.

• E - Emotion:

  • Consider the desired emotional response from reviewers when they read the proposal.

  • Use framing, specific word choices, and overall approaches to foster enthusiasm and engagement.

• E - Endings:

  • Recognize the importance of how ideas are concluded.

  • The final impression left on the reader can be as crucial as the initial hook and the content in the middle of the proposal.

• D - Deadlines:

  • Focus on maintaining progress, staying motivated, and consistently producing written content (words, sentences, pages).

Additional Points

• The concepts presented may be new or serve as a review, depending on the individual's experience.

• The presenter encourages the audience to participate in each of the following SUCCEED sessions.