Summarized tips from the GPH scientific writing workshop
Natalie von der Lehr, science journalist and molecular biologist, visited GPH a few weeks ago and held a workshop on writing popular science summaries, an important component of any grant application. We have summarized the highlights from the workshop and share her best tips below
During the workshop Nathalie discussed key components of the popular science summary, how to adjust according to one’s target group, how to emphasize what makes your research groundbreaking and pioneering, challenges that can be encountered and the use of ChatGPT.
Aside from these practical tips, participants expressed that having a fresh set of eyes on their individual texts and receiving feedback, particularly from someone outside the research field, was greatly valued and appreciated.
Nathalies best tips:
- Write the popular science summary in parallel with the project description
- Like picking out a limited number of Lego blocks from your bucket to build a structure, lift out the most important parts of your detailed project description
- Place these in a separate document for the popular science summary as you go, even just in bullet points
- Ask yourself, "If the popular science summary is the first thing (or only thing) that the reader reads, what do you want them to know?"
- Play around with your text and consider presenting the most important information first to attract the reader's attention and interest
- Consider your target audience: the grant agency and their mission; those who can benefit from your research
- Simplify your language, not the content
- Try using cases or examples to convey your message
- Read your popular science summary out loud
- Remember that your text improves each time it is read and edited!
- Participate in an online "writers' corner" to dedicate time to grant writing (e.g., The Writers' Hour)