This post is specific to my current doctoral program in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University. It will act as a reflection over the recent workshop I attended from IU’s GradGrants Center. The workshop focused not only on offering basic tips and strategies for writing grants, but also as an introduction to the services that the GradGrants Center offers students at Indiana University.
What stood out to me most throughout the workshop was the enormous variety of funding opportunities and fellowships that are available to graduate students. Additionally, these funding opportunities can cover a wide variety of needs (e.g., research, housing, etc.). We walked through the Pivot site, which allows users to search through an immense database of grants that are currently open for application. Looking specifically at my future areas of interest, like computer science, there are some interesting possibilities for grants that I could apply for while conducting my dissertation research.
The specific tips for grant writing that were offered throughout the workshop were also incredibly beneficial:
- Start Early
- Review your Grant’s Mission and Guidelines
- Answer the Question that was Asked
- Make it Readable
- Show, Don’t Tell
- Use Confident, Active Prose
- Think About Feasibility
- Seek Feedback
Some of these were ideas I had thought about before, but one of the most helpful was discussing the timeline, and learning that it typically takes 6-12 months after a grant is accepted before a recipient will receive the funds.
Gaining a better understanding of the writing style that should be used in grant writing was also incredibly helpful. Prior to this, I had only had experience working on one grant. While writing it, I was very unsure about what style of writing to use. The workshop discussed focusing on active prose and using strong verbs, as opposed to using conditionals:
Finally, it was great to learn about all the additional services that the GradGrants Center offers. You can bring in drafts of grants to receive feedback, you can get help with funding searches, and they can help with any general questions about funding as well. Plus, the GradGrants Center offers 3-4 workshops each semester that are geared towards common graduate student needs. These workshops cover topics like proposal writing, personal statements, budgeting for research, common applications mistakes, and so on.
Overall, the GradGrants Center offers an enormous amount of support for graduate students in need of funding opportunities. I’m sad that it’s taken me until my third year to find out about this resource!
You can follow GradGrants on twitter as well.
