Groves Patricia S, Rawl Susan M, Wurzbach Mary E, Fahrenwald Nancy, Cohen Marlene Z, McCarthy Beckett Donna O, Zerwic Julie, Given Barbara, Algase Donna L, Alexander Gregory L, Conn Vicki
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
West J Nurs Res. 2012 Feb;34(1):6-23. doi: 10.1177/0193945911410278. Epub 2011 May 25.
The National Institutes of Health has implemented new grant application guidelines that include a substantial reduction in the number of pages allowed for project descriptions. Shorter proposals will potentially decrease reviewer burden, but investigators may find the new page limits challenging. Writing more concisely while still presenting a persuasive argument requires honing certain skills with regard to preparation, construction, and editing of proposals. This article provides strategies from the Western Journal of Nursing Research editorial board for preparing competitive shorter research proposals. Two key strategies for success are fully conceptualizing the study prior to writing and obtaining assistance from experienced colleagues during the editing process.
