Peña Courtney, Suzara Miroslav, Botham Crystal
Biosciences Grant Writing Academy, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2025 Aug 21;26(2):e0006525. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.00065-25. Epub 2025 Jun 4.
Grant writing is an important skill that scientists must acquire in order to have successful careers as independent researchers. However, despite its importance, many scientists report that they do not enjoy grant writing because it is stressful, lonely, requires a lot of time and effort, and involves the possibility of rejection. As a result, many scientists have more negative associations with grant writing than positive ones. In this article, we offer a novel intervention in the form of a social-emotional learning (SEL)-informed workshop and accompanying handout for emerging scientists to build more positive associations with their writing. The approaches in this workshop intentionally leverage SEL motivators (such as scientific identity, sense of purpose, and community) to help grant writers overcome common challenges that accompany the writing process. A pre-post survey analysis of this workshop showed a shift from negative/challenge-focused attitudes and perceptions toward grant writing toward positive/process-focused ones after the workshop. This 1-hour intervention can be facilitated by research development professionals, lab leaders, or anyone teaching scientific writing for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs.
撰写科研基金申请书是科学家们为了在独立研究领域取得成功职业生涯而必须掌握的一项重要技能。然而，尽管其重要性，许多科学家表示他们不喜欢撰写科研基金申请书，因为这压力大、很孤独，需要大量时间和精力，而且存在被拒的可能性。因此，许多科学家对撰写科研基金申请书的负面联想多于正面联想。在本文中，我们为初出茅庐的科学家提供了一种新颖的干预措施，形式为一个基于社会情感学习（SEL）的工作坊以及配套的手册，以帮助他们与自己的写作建立更积极的联想。这个工作坊中的方法有意利用SEL激励因素（如科学身份、目标感和社区感）来帮助科研基金申请书撰写者克服写作过程中常见的挑战。对这个工作坊的前后调查分析表明，工作坊结束后，人们对撰写科研基金申请书的态度和看法从以负面/挑战为重点转向了以积极/过程为重点。这个1小时的干预活动可以由研究发展专业人员、实验室负责人或任何为本科生、研究生和博士后教授科学写作的人来推动。
