George Gopen Offers Masterful Writing Workshop to Einstein Researchers
On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, more than 120 members of the Einstein-Montefiore community gathered in the Lubin Dining Hall, where the office of grant support offered a special multi-day workshop featuring Dr. George Gopen; the renowned professor emeritus of English and rhetoric at Duke University presented “Scientific Writing from the Reader’s Perspective,” imparting insights on how to write more effectively.
Dr. George Gopen reviews some key pointers on communicating effectively.
Dr. Harry Shamoon, associate dean for clinical and translational research, welcomed the attendees, noting, “The large number of faculty and trainees who turned out this morning is evidence that everyone can improve their scientific writing, regardless of career stage. It’s also a testimonial to Einstein’s office of grant support staff, which brought this master teacher to our campus to provide… an unforgettable grant-writing workshop.”
Dr. Gopen then entertained his audience by describing the critical components of a well-written sentence, paragraph, or “unit of discourse.” He also emphasized the need to consider reader expectations, to be sure “every word that arrives does something useful from the moment it arrives.”
Culling from more than five decades of experience as a teacher of the effective use of language, Dr. Gopen shared examples of poor, confusing writing construction; then he demonstrated how to improve them. He also discussed the importance of building trust with readers when writing. He noted, “A sentence is not good or bad by itself but in context with other sentences and the information provided.”
He added, “You’re writing for the world’s experts for the field you’re in, and you’re up against the crème of the crop where only 10 percent of those making applications will reap results. Learning to meet reader expectations can give you a leg up in a process where exhausted reviewers typically have a pile of material to plow through.”
Offering Intensive Instruction
The workshop portion of the program was open to all members of the Einstein community. It continued the morning of March 28, followed by two-and-a-half days of small-group intensives in which Dr. Gopen guided 30 Einstein faculty researchers in honing their grant proposals. Using two-page drafts each had submitted in advance, he instructed them on how to improve clarity in their writing, paving the way for potentially greater success in obtaining funding.
Dr. Dhanonjoy Saha, director of grant support, with Dr. Gopen.“The competition for grant money is extremely tough,” said Dr. Dhanonjoy Saha, director of the office of grant support. “We want to give our researchers every advantage possible to have success with their grant submissions.”
“Clinical work is the cornerstone of my practice; I aim to better understand how anesthesia affects cognition in small children and babies to assure their safety when they must undergo surgery. But it’s also important that I understand how to tell a story that will convey my goals in a way that’s meaningful to reviewers,” said Dr. Jerry Chao, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Einstein, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Montefiore, and an alumnus of Einstein’s Clinical Research Training Program, who attended the workshop and offered his draft proposal for critiquing in front of the full audience. “Understanding the paradigm of reader expectation is very helpful.”
Dr. Harris Goldstein, associate dean for scientific resources, reinforced this notion in his remarks to kick off day two of the workshop. He said, “Part of the role of our institution is to assist you in getting funding. That includes providing you not only with scientific resources to do so but also today with the literary skills to write compelling grant applications.”
He concluded, “Be intellectually fruitful and get funded!”
Editor’s Note: Due to the positive feedback and experiences of initial grant-writing workshop attendees, Dr. Saha has invited Dr. Gopen to return for another special workshop on grant writing. On Tuesday, May 22, and Wednesday, May 23, 2018, Dr. Gopen will again offer his insights on how researchers at all levels can achieve greater clarity and coherence in their writing. Click on the link above for further details.
Posted on: Tuesday, May 01, 2018