The Demands of Grant Writing

I Am Buried Under A Grant

Do you remember a time when you had to do a project or write a paper in high school or college and it took entire days or all night?  At times, my job is very similar to these experiences.  If you have been wondering where I have been all week, I have been basically stuck in my office.  I have just finished the fifth 12-hour day devoted to writing grants, and sometimes it does feel like I am in college again.

There are a lot of different types of grants that university professors write.  I usually write research grants to support my research at the university.  Grants are due in cycles which usually take place in October, February, and June.  So, this is the time of year where everything in my life gets put on hold so that I can focus entirely on these grants.  Each grant has to be written in a very precise way, following very specific instructions, and each one usually involves a number of people who contribute or assist at various times during the process.  If you are smart, it is best to begin preparing these grants months ahead of time because there are a lot of details that you must check and recheck.

For the last two years, I have been involved in multiple grant proposals in October.  Last October I worked on five (one of my own, and 4 assisting others).  This October I have worked on four (one of my own, and 3 assisting others).  The grants support my salary, the salaries of other people, and the expenses that it takes to run a research project.    I enjoy the challenge of creating the right project that will eventually provide valuable information that can help people have better health.  It takes a long time, sometimes years, to properly develop and describe the right idea.  I spend a lot of time with very smart people discussing ideas for projects.  Then I spend a lot of time alone drafting, editing, and finalizing each grant document with surgical precision.  In the end, when I submit the grant, I usually feel a sense of accomplishment but often am too exhausted to celebrate for a few days.

The four grants are all due on Monday.  So I am looking forward to Tuesday!

How do you manage the stress of major deadlines?

Learn more about stress, health, and stress management at Stress and Health Online.