Home » Skills » Postdoc Fellowship Writing Series

Postdoc Fellowship Writing Series

The Postdoc Fellowship Writing Series presents strategies for planning, drafting, and revising common components of a postdoc fellowship application. Whether you are applying for a federal fellowship, foundation grant, or just want to develop your grant writing skills, this series is for you.

Postdocs and senior graduate students from all disciplines are invited to attend individual events or the whole series.

Questions? Contact Alyssa Leystra (aleystra@wisc.edu).

Getting Started with Fellowship Grant Writing

Wednesday, April 30 12:00pm-1:30pm. Hector F. DeLuca Biochemistry Building (420 Henry Mall), room 2131.
Develop general strategies for outlining and writing an application that appeals to reviewers. By the end of the session, participants will be prepared to create a writing plan and identify a team to provide support throughout the writing and submission process.

Aims, Abstract, and Summary

Wednesday, May 7 12:00pm-1:30pm. Hector F. DeLuca Biochemistry Building (420 Henry Mall), room 2131.
Discover approaches for making a strong first impression on reviewers with a clear, concise, and persuasive summary of the proposed project.

Training Plan

Wednesday, May 21 12:00pm-1:30pm. Hector F. DeLuca Biochemistry Building (420 Henry Mall), room 2131.
Explore methods for crafting a compelling biography and training plan.

Research Plan

Wednesday, June 4 12:00pm-1:30pm. Hector F. DeLuca Biochemistry Building (420 Henry Mall), room 2131.
Get ready to craft a clear and compelling research narrative. The discussion will include tips for writing about innovation, significance, background, and alternative approaches.

Additional Application Components

Wednesday, June 18 12:00pm-1:30pm. Hector F. DeLuca Biochemistry Building (420 Henry Mall), room 2131.
Learn how to draft or acquire some of the most common additional application components, including budgets, letters of support and recommendation, and descriptions of the training and research environment.

If there is an accommodation that would help facilitate your participation in any of these events, please reach out to Alyssa Leystra (aleystra@wisc.edu).

Postdoc Fellowship Grant Coaching Groups

Are you planning to write a postdoctoral fellowship grant in the next 3-6 months? Join a faculty-led coaching group, designed to support you through the application process with an evidence-based approach. Work alongside your peers while you adhere to regular writing deadlines, practice thinking like a reviewer, and get actionable advice on how to revise critical components of your application.

Each coaching group will meet for 60-90 minutes during the following weeks:

May 12 - 16
May 26 - 30
June 9 - 13
June 23 - 27
July 7 - 11
July 21 - 25

Meeting dates and times will be scheduled based on the availability of coaches and participants. Groups will be organized according to grant mechanism, research discipline, and general availability. Formation of groups will depend on the number of applications and the availability of both participants and coaches. It may not be possible to assign all applicants to a coaching group.

Postdocs interested in participating must complete an application (linked below) by Monday, May 5th. The application should include the grant mechanism you plan to apply for, a brief description of your proposed research project and its alignment with the funding mechanism (maximum 2,000 characters), and your availability during the weeks listed above.

Apply here by Monday, May 5.

Questions? Contact Alyssa Leystra (aleystra@wisc.edu).