VALIDATE ECR Workshop 2024: Grant Writing

The meeting kicked off with an exclusive Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop on 15th July. Held in the Air Room of the Avani+ Riverside Hotel, this highly interactive grant writing course provided early-career researchers with essential skills to craft effective research proposals and secure funding. Hosted by Scriptoria, a provider of training for international organisations and research centres, the workshop covered the nuances of the proposal review process and proposal writing skills. Participants were guided through the proposal evaluation process, learning how to draft compelling abstracts and write convincingly about research impact. The morning sessions focused on crafting executive and lay summaries, writing statements of need, and understanding funding opportunities with talks from notable funders, including Dr Alison Kraigsley from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Mariana Delfino-Machin from the Medical Research Council, and Mrs Samantha Vermaak from VALIDATE.

The afternoon sessions detailed the methods of work planning, linking outputs to outcomes, planning budgets, and the professional writing and editing cycle. Participants also engaged in practical exercises to refine their ideas and writing for a broader audience. Feedback from the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with participants praising the practical exercises and the trainer's interactive approach. The day concluded with a workshop dinner in the Sky Room, providing further networking opportunities for delegates.