Touch Their Hearts; Get Their Money – Four Tips to Telling a Grant-Winning Story

February 11th, 2011

Anna Goldsmith

Time and again, we hear how important it is to tell a good story when giving a presentation. Here, guest blogger Anna Goldsmith, an exceptionally creative and witty copywriter and successful entrepreneur, gives us geeky scientists a few tips on how to pull this off. Enjoy!

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So you’ve invented something. Something big. Something that’s going to absolutely and forever change how doctors/scientists/researchers/the human race does Y. (I don’t know what you invented. I’m not a scientist. I’m a writer.) You even managed to get an audience with Company Z who has the resources to turn X into a reality.
Great: What now?

What is it going to take to turn your dream into a reality…
And more staff and equipment to call your own? It doesn’t take a degree. Your competitors have that. (Come on, you didn’t think you were the only one after Company Z’s money, did you?) It doesn’t take a great idea — that’s a given if you got the meeting. What separates you from your competitors is your ability to make Company Z care about your idea. And that means you have to tell a good story. Panicking? Don’t. You probably know a lot more about the art of storytelling than you think: especially if you are a parent.

Here are four tips that will have them eating out of the palm of your hand or better yet, reaching for their wallet: Read the rest of this entry »

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The Who, What, Where, When, How and Why of a Specific Aim

January 28th, 2011

The Specific Aims section is one of the most important parts of your SBIR/STTR grant application. You can bet that the reviewer will read this section and refer back to it numerous times while reading your grant.

The SF424 Guide to SBIR/STTR grants states that the applicant must define the specific objectives of the research covered in the application, the hypothesis being tested, and the technological innovation. Additionally, one must “define the proposed product, process or service to ultimately be developed” (and this is italicized in the instructions- be sure to do this). Milestones must be defined and are used in the evaluation process. This section usually consists of a set of summary paragraphs and a list of Specific Aims (usually 2-4 in a six-month Phase I SBIR/STTR grant). This section is limited to one page, so it is important to be succinct.

So the question is: How can a researcher write a few concise statements describing the experiments that will be performed to develop the proposed product?

Here is a tip: for each Specific Aim, simply identify the Who, What, Where, When, How and Why. Read the rest of this entry »

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Three Tricks for Tricky Word Choices

November 30th, 2010

There are several examples of words that are misused, resulting in one of the top sources of confusion for scientists when writing a manuscript or grant. And many times, the scientist doesn’t even know that he or she is confused! Here are some of the most common misunderstandings I have observed when editing manuscripts and grants, and tricks that scientists can use to easily sort it out. Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Grant Writing, Journal Article, Manuscript, SBIR grants, Scientific Writing, STTR grants | 4 Comments »

The ABCs of Writing a Title for Your Next Journal Article

August 27th, 2010

Next time you struggle to write a descriptive title for your manuscript, remember these ABCs:

A is for attention

Most scientists only scan the title of articles before deciding to read more. Make sure your title is compelling and grabs their attention, making them want to read your article.

B is for brevity

Be brief. Make sure your title is clear and concise, with no extraneous words, and entirely self-explanatory. Try to include a few keywords that will lead others to your article.

C is for conclusion

Describe the main conclusion of your article. Don’t be vague.

The best way to illustrate these points is by way of example. Here are some basic comparisons between a good title and an even better title. Read the rest of this entry »

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Five Tips for First-time SBIR/STTR Applicants

July 15th, 2010

As the August 5 deadline approaches for the submission of SBIR/STTR grants, many of you may be still working long nights on your application.  By the way, this deadline stands under the assumption that a continuing resolution (CR) is passed to fund the program beyond July 31 (see http://www.zyn.com/sbir/ for details). We have our fingers crossed here.

Having assisted several investigators in writing and editing SBIR/STTR grant applications (and currently writing one myself), I know how involved the process can be, especially for first-timers. I highly recommend educating yourself by going to an SBIR conference (this year’s is in Oklahoma City, http://www.sbirok.org/), attending an information session or workshop (offered by numerous universities and incubators), or listening to online seminars, such as those offered at http://center.ncet2.org/.

For those who are new to the process or maybe just considering it, I have compiled a list of tips: Read the rest of this entry »

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When Writing Your Next Journal Article, Try Beginning at the End

July 2nd, 2010

When sitting down to write a manuscript, where do YOU start? At the beginning, where it seems most logical? You struggle with a title… try to decide the order of authors… start writing the abstract or introduction. You end up getting stuck in some or all of these spots, then curse the whole thing and decide you need a break and head for your favorite coffee shop.

Well, consider this the next time you sit down to write your next manuscript: start at the end.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The Scientist’s Struggle

June 20th, 2010

If you’re like most scientists, when it’s time to sit down and write a journal article or grant, it isn’t exactly that easy to put words down on a page. Sometimes, simply finding the time to actually sit down at the computer to start writing is challenging. And when a grant application deadline is looming, the pressure is on, making the entire process even more daunting.

Here are some tips to help you focus and get started.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Greetings!

May 26th, 2010

Whether you are interested in improving your English writing and grammar skills, or looking for tips on how to ensure you are effectively communicating the results of your scientific research, you have come to the right place.

This blog, written by the editors at The Isis Group, will provide you with the key information you need.

If you don’t see a post for your topic of interest, let us know so that we can address it in the future.

Enjoy!

Laura

Laura M. Hales, Ph.D.
Founder, President
The Isis Group
www.isis-editing.com

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