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May 5, 2008
Grant writing crucial skill for Ph.D. careers

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A recent Chronicle of Higher Education article called “What They Didn’t Teach You in Graduate School” advises new Ph.D.s to “Learn grantsmanship. Educate yourself about who provides money for your type of research … An ability to raise money can have a seismic effect on your career.”

At Emory, students do learn about grantsmanship in graduate school. This spring, the Graduate School has already learned about over 40 grants awarded to Emory graduate students, including multiple Fulbright grants, American Council of Learned Societies/Mellon grants, National Research Service Award Fellowships — and many more, ranging from funding for intensive language study to postdoctoral fellowships to studying knowledge exchanges in large organizations.

“Grant writing is important because it helps us obtain resources to translate our ideas into actual research and results,” said Dean Lisa A. Tedesco. “But more than that, to compete for grants is to step forward into the community of scholars who define your field of research, to seek recognition as someone who contributes new knowledge.”

Emory graduate students are helped in part by a well-rounded Grant Writing Program that addresses every stage of grant writing: identifying sources of funding, developing fundable projects, presenting projects in persuasive ways, and tailoring proposals to specific funders. Directed by professors Martine Brownley, Ivan Karp and Corinne Kratz, the program presents a range of sessions, from information sessions for first-year graduate students to intensive retreats for advanced proposal writers. The final session of this year, the Proposal Writing Institute, will take place on May 15 and 16.

“Writing successful grant proposals is a distinct skill that requires cultivation,” said Karp. “Even students who have exceptionally successful graduate careers can be at a loss in this context.”

“We are proud of the recognition of our students’ accomplishments and wish all of them great success in their endeavors,” said Tedesco. “We are also deeply grateful to the Grant Writing Program and to the many, many faculty advisers and mentors who so successfully support their students in this crucial aspect of professional learning.”