Writing Help

Crafting a successful proposal requires elegantly framing an argument for funding a unique contribution to knowledge. Explore the resources below to enhance your academic writing skills and excel in proposal development.

Readings on Academic Writing

• What to read to become a better writer (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
• 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.
• Grant-Crafting Tip Sheets (Education Research Archive)
• 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 Canada: Network connecting universities, communities, and government.
• 8 strategies to communicate science effectively to policymakers.

Writing Retreats

If you find yourself more productive and focused when writing off-campus and away from distractions, consider a writing retreat for you and your research team. Explore the following venues, offering serene surroundings and amenities to support your writing process:

• 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