Common Grantsmanship Hurdles of Early Career Clinician-Scientists and How a Medical Writer Can Help

Abstract

Researchers with medical training and clinical experience bring essential perspectives to academic medicine. Compared with their nonclinician, PhD-trained peers, clinician-scientists typically have less training in grant writing, and their time for this work is even more constrained. Medical writers can help clinician-scientists understand and fulfill the expectations of funding organizations and review panels, and ultimately, help them compete more successfully for funding. Based on the literature and personal experience in this role, I propose 4 grantsmanship hurdles that often confront clinician-scientists: (1) identifying funding opportunities that fit, (2) mastering the unique language and integrated narrative style of a compelling grant proposal, (3) turning ancillary documents from drudgery into assets, and (4) shedding the “bunker mentality.” This article surveys practical strategies by which medical writers can foster time efficiency, mitigate experience gaps, and help clinician-scientists develop persuasive grant proposals effectively tailored to the relevant audience.