I have just completed an interesting project, and I thought I would write about it here, as it might prompt some of our readers to consider new ways that Clarity in Science Editing and Writing might help you achieve your professional goals. I have been consulting for a biotech company that is getting ready to bring one of their discoveries to an investigational new drug application to the FDA (that will be the subject of another new post soon), so I have been doing a lot of regulatory writing and other scientific writing projects for them. The one that really got me thinking, though, was writing an SBIR grant for them based on the lead scientist’s published and preliminary data. Over a span of about seven weeks, we went from a zoom meeting where we discussed ideas for the project to a submission-ready proposal that articulated excellent goals and conveyed a clear, cogent argument as to why this project deserves to be funded.
So that got me thinking. When I was running my own lab, juggling multiple projects and supervising postdocs, graduate students, technicians, and others, it was really hard to find enough time to get everything done by myself. If you read our page on our technical writing services, I talk about how a technical writer can be especially helpful in getting manuscripts completed and ready for submission, and how truly affordable that service is. I make a similar argument on the page discussing our grant services. But back when I was running my lab, writing grant proposals really took a lot of time, and it was often hard to get a proposal ready for me to share with my collaborators with enough lead time for them to respond with their comments before submission. I still did OK – there was one funding cycle where I was awarded two separate R01s – but it was hard. Looking back, I really wish that I could have had someone to help me with that writing.
So now, reflecting on my recent experience in writing a grant for this company, I have decided that I should offer a similar service to others who might appreciate a helping hand in getting a proposal ready for submission. Give it some thought. This would still be your proposal, based on your data and your ideas. I would just help you in getting everything assembled and ready for you and your collaborators to review and polish. Doesn’t that sound great?
Now, this is not a service that I would farm out to sub-editors or freelancers. I would have to do this myself. So, I can only offer this service for grants in subject areas that I have some experience in personally. What would those be? I would feel comfortable helping to write grants in the areas of oncology, tumor biology, cell signaling, small molecules, immunity, immunotherapy, and most areas of medicine. If you are not sure whether I could be helpful for you, let’s talk about it and we can decide together. Email me at info@clarityinscience.com or call me at (713) 489-3572. We can even set up a Zoom call if you would like. Give it some thought, then let’s chat. This may be just the thing you need to get ready for your next R01 submission. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dennis
Managing Director,
Clarity in Science Editing and Writing
Comments are closed