Writing Support

Consulting service: NIH K Grant Specific Aims Page
NIH K grant applicants, apply to have the specific aims section of your grant reviewed by Harvard faculty who have successfully received NIH grant funding. Offered by Harvard Catalyst's Writing and Communication Center, this service is free for Harvard-affiliated schools and institutions. Learn more and apply for a consultation.
Apply for a consultation

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) membership:

Harvard has an institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), effective Feb. 1, 2022. The pilot membership runs for 3 years, through Jan. 31, 2025. NCFDD’s career development resources, including robust writing support, are available to all Harvard-affiliated faculty, postdoctoral fellows, clinical trainees, staff, and medical, dental, and graduate (master’s/PhD) students.  All you have to do is choose “Harvard” from the options; membership is free . 
Register here

NCFDD writing resources include these Monday Motivator topics:

• Writing Rocks
• Writing is Thinking
• Tame Your Inner Critic
• Let’s Get Ready For Summer Writing
• Write. Together
• Resistance Is Real
• Finding Your Way Back to Writing
• Positive Writing Affirmations

 

Noteworthy books and articles on (scientific) writing:

• We highly recommend this succinct yet thorough guide to excellent writing: 

 The Elements of Style, Strunk and White 

• This book specifically addresses scientific writing:

 The Craft of Scientific Writing, Alley 

• Other excellent resources on writing: 

 

How to Write a Lot, Paul J. Silvia

 

Clear and Simple as the Truth: Writing Classic Prose, Francis-Noël Thomas and Mark Turner

 Style: Toward Clarity and Grace, Joseph M. Williams

• "A Blueprint for Writing Effective Emails" from Thomas Jehn and Lisa D. Ellis
• "Top 10 Problems Reviewers Cite in Applications" by NIH Staff
• "A Step by Step Guide to Writing a Scientific Manuscript" by Volker Wenzel, Martin Dunser, and Karl Lindner
• “The Science of Scientific Writing” by George Gopen and Judith Swan 
• "10 Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review" by Marco Pautasso
• "Three Questions to Address Rigour in Your Proposal" by Jennifer L. Wilson and Crystal M. Botham
• “Why Academic Writing Stinks and How to Fix It” by Steven Pinker

Guides to writing and publishing:

• Wordvice Journal Publication and Research Writing Guide
  Includes information on:
  • How to increase your manuscript's chance of acceptance
  • How to choose the right journal for your manuscript
  • Definition of peer review, and which type Is best for you
  • Why proper journal authorship matters
  • Tips for writing effective figure titles and legends, Methods and Results Sections
  • How to draft an effective discussion section and introduction
  • Verb tense review
• Fostering Scholarship in Medical Education: Resources for Authors and Reviewers from the AAMC
• Writing Effectively and Navigating the Publication Process: Advice from the Editors of Academic Medicine
  
  • On this episode of the Academic Medicine Podcast, editors share their advice for authors submitting their scholarship for publication and describe what they look for when they’re reviewing submissions. Also included are resources to help authors write successfully and publish their work. This episode is meant for new authors and authors new to medical education and, while the advice comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to other types of medical education scholarship, to scholarly publishing in other disciplines, and to submissions to other journals and publications.

 

PAST PRESENTATIONS:

• Combatting Procrastination (podcast) - Andrew Nierenberg, MD, Professor of Psychiatry; Elyse Park, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine; and Nancy Tarbell, MD, CC Wang Professor of Radiation Oncology
• Your Paper--Increasing the Odds of Its Acceptance at a High Impact Journal (podcast) - Julie Ingelfinger, MD, a long-time Deputy Editor at the New England Journal of Medicine
• Writing a Manuscript - Patricia A. D’Amore, PhD, HMS Charles Schepens Professor of Ophthalmology
• Looking Your Best on Paper: How to Write a High Impact CV or Resume (podcast) - Lauren Celano, MBA, Founder and CEO of Propel Careers
• CFD Grant Writing Course 
  • Session 1: Before You Begin Writing - 2021 Oct 6
    Rebecca Ward, PhD, Science Writer, Vyas Lab, MGH Division of Infectious Disease
  • Session 2: Specific Aims, Project Summary, and Project Narrative Page - 2021 Oct 13
    Trisha Berger, PhD, Medical Writer, Maus Lab, MGH Cancer Center
  • Session 3: Research Strategy – Part I: Significance, Innovation, and Preliminary Data - 2021 Oct 20
    Trisha Berger, PhD, Medical Writer, Maus Lab, MGH Cancer Center
  • Session 4: Research Strategy – Part II: Approach - 2021 Oct 27
    Rebecca Ward, PhD, Science Writer, Vyas Lab, MGH Division of Infectious Disease
  • Session 5: Supporting Documents – Part I: Environment and Biological/Chemical Components - 2021 Nov 3
    Margaret Hastings, PhD, Science Writer in the Rosenzweig Lab, MGH Cardiovascular Research Center
  • Session 6: Budgets and Personnel Documents - 2021 Nov 10
    Bakhos Tannous, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology 
    Mary Bouxsein, PhD, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
  • Session 7: Supporting Documents – Part II: Human Subjects and Vertebrate Animals - 2021 Nov 17
    Kamryn T. Eddy, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology    Margaret Hastings, PhD, Science Writer in the Rosenzweig Lab, MGH Cardiovascular Research Center
  • Session 8: Documentation for Unique Situations – Resubmission/Renewal and Fellowships - 2021 Dec 1
    Leo L Cheng, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiology
    Kristin White, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology

TO CONSULT:

NIH Grant Writers' Seminars and Workshops 
Sample Resources:

• Tips Before You Submit: Ever Wondered What Happens During the Scientific Review of an NIH Grant Application? Understanding how peer review works is key to writing a good grant application. In this 44-minute video, NIH Peer Review: “Live” Mock Study Section, scientists have gathered virtually to review three fictional applications in response to a fictional Request For Applications. Watch their discussion to learn how applications are scored, what questions are commonly asked, and what mistakes to avoid in your application.
• All About Grants Podcast: Considerations for a Research Plan In this NIH All About Grants episode (MP3 / Transcript) a duo of NIH program officers share their advice and experience on developing a research plan for a grant application.

2021 NIH Virtual Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration

• Resources available anytime on the NIH Grants Website:

  • Session recordings, transcripts, & slides: Bookmark the online 2021 NIH Virtual Seminar Presentation Materials
  • How to contact us or figure out where to look: Visit our Help page for guidance.
  • Looking for a specific presenter? On the presenter page, click on their names for contact information. 
  • Grants Process Overview:  grants.nih.gov

• Keep Informed! There are several important NIH Listservs and Social Media opportunities that can help:  

  • NIH Extramural Nexus (monthly newsletter)
  • NIH Virtual Seminars Email List
  • NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts Listserv
  • Twitter: @NIHgrants 

HMS Office for Postdoctoral Fellows
This resource includes a component on Manuscript & Scientific Writing (Prep Strategies for Writing, Writing for Publication Boot Camp, Cultural Aspects of Writing, and Professional Correspondence for Scientists).

Harvard Catalyst

• Writing and Communication Center                                         

By cataloguing content from a collection of courses and resources, the Writing and Communication Center provides countless videos, articles, websites, rubrics, and course offerings surrounding funding, written communication, speaking skills, visual media, and professional development.

• Grant Review and Support Program (GRASP)                   

Multi-year program for K grant awardees seeking independent research funding.

• Creating a Good Research Question

Watch a series of interviews with Harvard researchers as they explain how to create a good research question. Researchers share helpful frameworks, factors to consider, candid advice, and how they've utilized these strategies in their own work.

HMS Effective Writing for Healthcare
This resource is a professional development program launched in 2020-2021, with specialized tracks in (1) Writing for Medical and Scientific Journals, (2) Writing for the Public, and (3) Writing Grant Proposals.

Samples of Successful Grants

Promotion-Related Templates and Samples

• CV Narrative Samples:
  • CV Narrative Instructor AoE Inv (Sample)
  • CV Narrative Instructor AoE CEI + SSA Inv (Sample)
  • CV Narrative Asst Prof AoE CEI (Sample)
  • CV Narrative Asst Prof AoE CEI + SSA Inv (Sample)
  • CV Narrative Assoc Prof AoE Inv (Sample)
  • CV Narrative Assoc Prof AoE CEI + SSA Inv (Sample)
• Composing the HMS CV Narrative (Recording) (Slide Deck)
• Chief/Chair Letter (Template) (Sample)
• Letter of Recommendation (Template) (Sample)
• Recommendation for Promotion at Outside Institution (Sample)
• Tips on Letters of Recommendation

Fellowship Application

• Letter of Recommendation (Template) (Sample)

Responses to NIH Review of R01

• Sample 1
• Sample 2
• Sample 3

Resources for an Effective Poster

• Do’s and Don’ts when designing conference posters
  
  • Instructions on what to include and how to phrase each section of the Poster, from Colin Purrington, PhD. Also includes the following:
    • Provides Sample Templates/PPT files that can be utilized to create research posters
    • How to make your poster more engaging
    • How to present a poster
    • Motivational advice
• Creating an Academic Poster
  
  • Great In-depth PowerPoint and Video on what to consider when creating a research poster, from the Duke Office of Graduate Education. Also contains additional resources that can help in creating posters:
    • General Poster Guidance
    • Design Tips and Examples (PPT Download)
• 10 simple rules for a good poster presentation
  
  • Clear and brief: 10 simple rules for a good poster presentation.
• Which fonts, color, and graphics to utilize
  
  • Quick and Specific Tips on fonts, color, and graphics to utilize when creating a poster, as well as the software programs that can be utilized for creating posters.
• How to make an effective poster
  
  • Published paper on How to make an effective poster with a list of similar articles
• What to include and exclude
  • Video from University of Iowa on what to include and exclude on posters and in what format.