Writing Help
A successful proposal elegantly and succinctly frames an argument for funding a unique contribution to knowledge. Please see below for resources and advice on approaches to proposal and academic writing as a life, practice, and perfectible skill.
Writing Resources
Readings on Academic Writing
- Academic Writing Shouldn't Suck (Pinker, audio interview, The Economist, Oct 8 2014)
- Why Academics Stink at Writing (Pinker, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 26, 2014)
- Fussy Professor Starbuck's Cookbook of Handy-Dandy Prescriptions for Ambitious Academic Authors
- Why I Hate Passive Verbs and Love My Word Processor
- 30 Successful Tips for Academic Research and Writing
- Improving Your Academic Writing: My Top Ten Tips
- Ten Tips on How to Write Less Badly
Resources for Grant Writing + Proposal Development
- Key Messages: Begin with the End in Mind: Detailed strategies and advice from a SSHRC expert panel talk given in 2013. Click the link to download a printable version.
- Proposal Structure & Aims
- Research Funding Toolkit: The focus for this resource is across the pond; however, videos, live chats, presentations, and a book offer generalizable information for academics wanting to improve their grant writing skills.
- Video Walkthrough: Insight Development Grants
- Setting Goals and Objectives (YouTube)
- Grant-Crafting Tip Sheets (Education Research Archive)
- Understanding The Genre: Arguing for Success (Presentation by Dr. Roger Graves): Part 1 and Part 2. Handouts from this session are available through Dr. Graves`website.
- Grant Assist Program: Offers professional editing services for faculty interested in having their grant proposal copy edited
- Understanding Structure and Aims (Grant Assist Program workshop)
Articles + Columns
- "How to Fail in Grant Writing" (Jakob et al., 2010)
- "Debunking Some Myths About Grant Writing" (Henson, 2003)
- "Genre Analysis of Research Grant Proposals" (Feng & Shi, 2004)
Books
- Effective Grants Management (Ward, 2010)
- Developing Effective Research Proposals (Punch, 2008)
- Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request from No to Yes (Clarke, 2007)
- Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals (5th ed.) (Locke, Spirduso & Silverman, 2007)
- The Complete Book of Grant Writing: Learn to Write Grants Like a Professional(Smith & Works, 2006)
- Models of Proposal Planning & Writing (Miner & Miner, 2005)
- Successful Grant Writing: Strategies for Health and Human Service Professionals (Gitlin & Lyons, 2004)
- Grant Writing in Higher Education: A Step-by-Step Guide (Henson, 2004)
- Webster's New World Grant Writing Handbook (Wason, 2004)
- How to Write a Grant Proposal (New & Quick, 2003)
- Research Proposals: A Guide to Success (3rd ed.) (Ogden & Goldberg, 2002)
Knowledge Mobilization
The Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum
Research Impact: This Canadian knowledge mobilization network links universities, communities and government. Resources, Web 2.0 tools, blogs, a journal club and more are hosted on this site.
Writing Retreats
If you are a researcher who is productive when writing off-campus and away from distraction, perhaps you and your research team are interested in a writing retreat. The following venues offer beautiful surroundings with various amenities and services:
- Banff Centre (417 km south-west of Edmonton)
- Devonian Botanic Gardens (15 minutes southwest of Edmonton)
- Hidden Springs Retreat Guesthouse (Winfield, Alberta)
- Pallisades Centre (Jasper National Park)
- River Lodge Retreat (40 minutes west of Edmonton)
- Star of the North Retreat Centre (St. Albert, Alberta)
- Retreats Online: Database for local, national, and international retreats and venues