I was a bit of a featherweight in my posting schedule last week. Sorry about that. As we move into October my posts might get increasingly erratic – I think I have a deadline every week for the next few months.

As I mentioned last week, I am trying to get clarification on the binning process and have been sent reams of information by NSERC that I need to wade through. I think that I am starting to understand things a bit better, but unfortunately it also raises more questions and concerns about the process. Hopefully, I can collect my thoughts on this topic so that I can post them later this week.

For anyone that is visiting the blog for the first time and would like to see post summaries, use the drop down box on the left sidebar to search for the category “recap” or click this link and you will find posts that summarize the blog topics over the past few weeks.

Here is a recap of last week’s posts:

Grantsmanship = positioning for success covered some basic grantsmanship principles such as following the rules, taking ownership and avoiding ego creep.

DG2010 – Hurdling writing reluctance focuses on another element of grantsmanship, which is getting something on paper. Procrastination can kill a grant application before it starts, as inadequate preparation generally shines through.

While not directly related to the NSERC Discovery competition, the post SSHRC tips and tricks includes some handy links similar to my much earlier post Discovery 2010 – Important Links (which someone told me they made their homepage).

Speaking of feeling loved, thanks to Rob Annan of Researcher Forum for the kind word on the DG2010 post series and linking to my blog. If you ever have the time or interest to learn more about Canadian research policy and relevant news, this blog is definitely worth a read. Rob always has well thought out insights into the news of the day and also hosts and writes CanadaResearchFunding.org that contains many resources for Canadian health researchers.

I just realized that I was finally going to hit this milestone as I was cobbling together posts for next week. Hooray for me!

It has been a long time since I had much to do with any Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grants, but since the deadline is coming up on the 15th for the Standard Research Grants Program, I thought that it might be useful to post a few thoughts in that direction.

Useful links and other information:

• SSHRC Standard Research Grants Program Description

• SSHRC online system
• Tri-Council Financial Administration Guide
• Jo VanEvery, a fellow grant coach, has an e-book called “Writing your SSHRC Grant Proposal” available on her website. According to her page “A friend . . . calls it ‘the instructions you wish SSHRC gave you’.” It will help applicants navigate the tricky questions of “I read books and think big thoughts. What do I put in a methodology section?”.

When I have some time, I would like to read Jove’s book. I’m sure that her experiences as a SSHRC Program Officer gave her unique insight into how to approach (and avoid) many of the common pitfalls SSHRC applicants face.

Often, one of the toughest parts of grant writing is getting that first draft of the research proposal down on paper. Last year I wrote a post on “Springing out of the writing block” and the advice there is still pertinent today.

The best tip for getting past the inertia of being overwhelmed is to break down the tasks. This post includes a list of all the tasks for getting a Discovery grant proposal together. Look through the list and identify some tasks that you can accomplish. Small steps, even ones that seem trivial, are still steps toward the goal of a completed application.

Another advantage of taking the time to plan out the steps in your calendar is that you will have fewer “Ack, I still have to do xxx!” moments in the minutes/hours/days before the deadline. Taking care of these tasks earlier in the timeline will help make the grant application process a little easier to fit into your already overloaded schedule. It is worth noting that many of the required tasks take less time when you not stressed and early birds avoid the frustrations of the pre-deadline NSERC online system.

If you don’t already have a draft of your proposal in hand, take a few moments to write out the heading pieces and start outlining your grant proposal. (See this post for the required headings.) Even this small step will make the future ones a little less daunting.

How can a returning applicant position themselves for success? These points are relevant to any funding agency or program, not just NSERC or the NSERC Discovery program.

1. FOLLOW THE RULES – take the time to refresh yourself on the funding agencies needs, wants and application rules, because the game may have changed since your previous application. This is especially important for budget items – what was allowable 5 years ago might be verboten today.

2. TAKE OWNERSHIP & DO YOUR HOMEWORK – if you are getting several people to write pieces of the grant, make sure that the final product is cohesive and accurately fact checked.

3. GET THE LITTLE STUFF OUT OF THE WAY EARLY – update your CV and prepare your supporting manuscript packages when you submit your LOI (letter of intent). This will reduce your stress at the submission deadline.

4. CONSIDER STRETCHING YOUR BOUNDARIES – some committees want to see more of the same and others want to see researchers push the boundaries. Do you see your program of research making incremental steps or giant leaps forward? Position yourself competitively – do your research on what the committee has funded in previous years.

5. AVOID EGO CREEP – “I have an impressive track record; therefore anything that I want to do is brilliant and does not require description or explanation.” Don’t take anything for granted. This is related to points 1 and 2 – just because you have a substantial research resume does not mean that you can skip certain steps in the application process or do not need to explain your research rationale thoroughly.

Agree, disagree? Post your comments below.