Given the central role of scholarship in academic medicine, the CFD has created a dedicated webpage to bring together the information to support your writing needs, projects, and goals.
Upcoming Programs
Scientific Communication Series
Sponsored by the HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows
IMRaD for Publication | September 27 (in person)
Writing Clearly and Effectively for Publication | October 11 (in person)
Learn Something New: How to write study-related standard operating procedures
Sponsored by the Division of Clinical Research
Thursday, August 24 from 12-1pm
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are a set of step-by-step instructions created to help study teams perform study-related tasks accurately and uniformly. In this session, we will discuss common SOPs for research projects and outline the process for writing effective SOPs.
Techniques to Writing a Competitive Grant
Sponsored by the Division of Clinical Research
Register by Fri, Sep 1
Session dates: September 13-November 8
This online course, formerly known as Successful Grant Writing Strategies, is designed to provide an overview of the requisite skills and comprehensive considerations needed to give participants an in-depth introduction to the grant writing process. Participants in this course will learn grant writing strategies firsthand from researchers who have successfully applied for funding from a variety of sources.
Crafting Your Faculty of Medicine CV
Sponsored by the HMS Office for Faculty Affairs
Monday, September 11 from 3:30-5:30 pm
This 90-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A, highlights some of the best practices for anyone maintaining a Faculty of Medicine CV. Participants will better appreciate how to use the standardized format to their advantage. The session covers the narrative as well as common questions about how to list various activities and achievements.
K to R Workshop
Sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research
Thursday, September 21 from 2:30-4:30 pm
This is a workshop for applicants of R Grants. Bring one section of your upcoming R grant to review and discuss with fellow applicants and one of our experienced faculty!
Manuscript Writing - 4 Sessions
This course is being offered to the entire Longwood Community
Mondays on September 11, 18, 25, and October 2 (October 16 in case of cancellation)
3:00PM-5:00 pm on Zoom. Link will be sent to all registrants. Please plan on keeping your video camera ON.
The focus of the class is how to write a research manuscript. We will have four 90 to 120 minute sessions, one session per week. The goal of the lectures is to provide writing instruction on topics that have immediate relevance to class participants. Each week's class will focus on how to write one or more components of you research paper: 1. Introduction, 2. Methods, 3. Results/Illustrations, 4. Discussion/Title/Abstract. Learning will occur via in-class didactic instruction and discussions.
Breaking News
Harvard University and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research have purchased a subscription to Nature Masterclasses.
Nature Masterclasses is an online platform by Nature Research (Springer) that offers courses and modules relevant to research, publishing, and grant writing. Anyone with an active HarvardKey – faculty, staff, trainees, and students – may freely access this resource during our subscription period (now through February 27, 2024).
Please click here to register. More information on accessing Nature Masterclasses can be found in this user guide.
The courses include the following:
- Scientific Writing and Publishing
- Effective Collaboration in Research
- Managing Research Data to Unlock its Full Potential
- Narrative Tools for Researchers
- Focus On Peer Review
- Persuasive Grant Writing
- Networking for Researchers
- Advancing Your Scientific Presentations
- Data Analysis: Planning and Preparing
- Data Analysis: Conducting and Troubleshooting
- Interpreting Scientific Results
- Finding Funding Opportunities
- Experiments: From Idea to Design
Recommended Resources on Writing
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.
MGH Scientific Writing Group Writing Support
The MGH Scientific Writing Group (SWG), led by Rebecca Ward, PhD, is comprised of Medical/Scientific Writers in the Department of Medicine with specific expertise in cancer immunology, cardiovascular biology, neuroscience, and infectious diseases. Together, they have experience editing and writing manuscripts as well as all types of grants (R01, R21, K99, F31, U19, U01, U54, internal MGH and foundation grants). They assist in the publication of primary articles, reviews, commentaries, perspectives, and book chapters.
In collaboration with the CFD, the MGH SWG provides freelance writing and editing services for MGH faculty and trainees which is fully subsidized by the CFD, up to 5 hours and limited to once annually. Please fill out this brief application
There is no deadline; apply when writing support is needed.
Workshops and Courses on Writing
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
- Session 1: Before You Begin Writing - 2021 Oct 6
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.
-
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:
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).
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.
Multi-year program for K grant awardees seeking independent research funding.
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.
Writing Evaluation Letters
- Letter of Recommendation (Template) (Sample)
- Recommendation for Promotion at Outside Institution (Sample)
- Tips on Letters of Recommendation
- The A4BL Anti-racist Tenure Letter Working Group (2022). Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: A guide for writing anti-racist tenure and promotion letters. eLife 11:e79892. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.79892
Templates and Samples
Promotion-Related Templates and Samples
- CV Narrative Samples:
- Composing the HMS CV Narrative (Recording) (Slide Deck)
- Chief/Chair Letter (Template) (Sample)
Fellowship Application
Responses to NIH Review of R01
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
- Instructions on what to include and how to phrase each section of the Poster, from Colin Purrington, PhD. Also includes the following:
- 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)
- 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:
- 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.
Contact Us
The Center for Faculty Development offers consultations and seminars to assist in the career development of faculty and trainees.