Grant Writing and Science communication

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/P_MGWSCCOM

Course Objective

To teach students of the RM "Genes in Behaviour and Health" how to write fellowship and grant applications and how to communicate scientific findings to peers, participants, and the public. All is applied to the field of behavioural genetics.

Course Content

The course consists of two interrelated parts: writing grants and communicating science. Both are key skills for a successful academic career. Grant writing has become an essential aspect of academic life. To write a successful grant one needs a good overview of the body of literature, identify the knowledge gaps, come up with an innovative, challenging, yet feasible research plan, and of course good writing skills. In this course, successful applicants will share their knowledge and will help students write their own proposal in the format of a PhD fellowship. Grant proposals are not only evaluated on the scientific content, but also on aspects like track record and societal importance and impact. Writing these sections will also be discussed and practiced. Academics should also be able to clearly communicate scientific findings to their colleagues and society at large. This involves both oral and written communication via diverse media, like conference talks, journal articles, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, blogs and twitter. Articles on science communication with advice and red flags will be discussed. Students will read, watch, and listen to examples of good science communication. Students will also learn by doing and by giving and receiving feedback. All content and all assignment are tailored to the field of behavioural genetics.

Teaching Methods

Tuition consists of lectures, homework assignments, and active participation in discussions and hands-on activities in class.

Method of Assessment

The following elements count towards the final grade:
• Mock radio or television interview about the student’s first internship (20%)
• The student's (written) feedback on the fellowship application draft of a fellow student (20%)
• Fellowship application (60%) N.B. All grades should be 5.5 or higher to pass the course.

Literature

The following book needs to be purchased before the start of the course. Students will work through the entire book. Kail, R.V. (2019). Scientific Writing for Psychology. Lessons in Clarity and Style (2nd ed.). London: SAGE Publications. The remainder of the reading list will consist of websites of funding agencies (e.g., NWO, European Research Council), papers about grant writing, science communication, and journal peer review (e.g., http://www.sciencemag.org/authors/peer-review-science-publications), and examples of popular scientific articles, blogs, and twitter feeds by and interviews with renowned scientist in the field (e.g., blog: http://deevybee.blogspot.com/, twitter: https://twitter.com/NTRscience, radio interviews: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015sqc7/episodes/downloads).

Target Audience

Students of the Research Master Genes in Health and Behaviour who have successfully passed at least four out of the five first-year courses. Because the content and assignments of the course are all in the field of behavioural genetics, the course is not suitable for students in other fields.

Entry Requirements

The student should have passed at least four out of the five first-year courses of the RM "Genes in Behaviour and Health" and should have a second internship lined up.

Recommended background knowledge

This course is for students of the Research Master Genes in Health and Behaviour who have successfully passed at least four out of the five first-year courses. Because the content and assignments of the course are all in the field of behavioural genetics, the course is not suitable for students in other fields.