A strong grant proposal will: 

• Clearly communicate the goals of the proposed research
• Connect the research goal to the proposed activities and budget
• Demonstrate how the research will impact the field and broader society
• Evoke interest and enthusiasm in your reviewers for your project
• Achieve all of the above using language that non-experts in your field can understand 

Essentially, a grant proposal is an exercise in effective science (research) communication - the art of translating complex, technical concepts into engaging and relevant information for non-experts. Whether you’re preparing a grant proposal, looking to amplify the reach of your research, or designing an outreach program, here are a few key principles for translating your work for broader audiences. 

Start with the end goal 

Having a clear picture of your end goal will help you build and align all of the components of your message towards that goal. Are you: 

• Designing a public outreach project?
• Developing a podcast or YouTube channel?
• Eliciting action from policy makers?
• Creating a broader impacts program?
• Writing for grant proposal reviewers? 

Take time to create a full picture of what you'd like to achieve. Are you trying to get your audience to engage or spur them to action? Once your goal is clear, work backwards to determine the necessary elements and best practices needed to help you reach your communication goal. Build a picture of how you will help your audience move towards the goal you have set.

Know your audience 

Who are you trying to engage? Reflect on the demographic, education, attention span, and level of interest of your target audience. What about your work will be the most relevant and impactful to your audience? What types of examples and analogies might work for them? Determine the level/style of language you should use. Take time to view your topic from their perspective to design your content appropriately.

Hone your message 

Non-experts do not want a long introduction with extensive background leading them to a hypothesis. Instead, start with your headline: Why your research is important and relevant to your audience. From there, determine the key elements of your work that fit your audience and end goal. Be sure to clearly connect all of your ideas to create a clear and cohesive message relevant to your overall goal. 

Watch your words 

Excessive jargon, acronyms, and examples will only fatigue, and possibly alienate, your audience. Instead, use only essential jargon, explaining your terms, and using carefully chosen examples that are understandable and relatable. Get feedback from people outside your field of expertise (preferably those representative of your target audience) to make sure that your communication level and style is appropriate.   

Bottom line 

Being able to effectively communicate complex topics to any audience is a skill useful to many areas of academia: grant writing, teaching, and public outreach, just to name a few. If done well, science communication can increase public engagement, scientific literacy, influence policymakers, and build trust in research. Developing better research communication skills also benefits investigators who develop a clearer picture of their research goals, greater opportunities for collaboration, and increased visibility and impact. 

If you're looking to improve your grant writing or amplify the reach of your work, be sure to learn more about science communication. For UC Davis affiliates, we have a module on Science Communication coming soon to our Grantsmanship Learning Lab that will include extensive resources, information, and action items to help you hone your research message.