Grant-writing for Engineers

The main goal of this short intensive course is to introduce PhD students with an engineering background to grant proposal writing. Nowadays funding is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain and grant-writing skills are more important than ever for those who are planning to work in academia or research organizations. The skill and knowledge the students will get on this course will help them in their future career. The course includes, but not limited to, an introduction on available funding opportunities, involvement of industry and public authorities, developing a project idea, cooperating with other partners, and making budget and time planning. Participants will be provided with valuable tools necessary for actively pursuing funding in the area of civil and transport engineering. The course is taught by several researchers with extensive experience in all aspects of grant applications and funding and exercises will give hand-on experience in the art of grant writing. The course will consist of both lectures and written assignments. The latter includes the written exercises and final report in the form of a grant proposal.

Knowledge.
After this course, the student:
1) Is familiar with the basic elements of funding application, such as research programs, calls, grants, evaluator committees and TRL levels
2) knows how the proposal should be structured and what is essential in the context
3) is aware how the right consortium can be formed and what is essential in choosing partners
4) understand what is essential for reviewers when they evaluate the proposal.

Skills.
The student:
1) is able to choose the correct funding agency
2) is capable of developing the idea into the proposal
3) is equipped to formulate this idea into a research question, project objectives and significance
4) knows how to write the relevant state-of-the-art
5) can write clearly and understandable for reviewers
6) is able to structure a realistic work plan and budget
7) is capable to work with fellow students to make joint proposals
8) can evaluate the proposals of other people

The course consists of a combination of the lectures, group work and exercises. Obligatory activities includes five written assignments.