When the research is strong, but the story is not landing.

Where I come in

Your grant proposal needs to engage both specialist and generalist reviewers. Your research paper does not quite hang together, and so you are struggling to get it published. Or you need a solid sparring partner to sharpen your thinking so your stakeholder communications hit the mark. In each case, the obstacle is not what you know. It is how the thinking is organised and expressed. I work with research teams on grant proposal strategy and research positioning before a word is written.

What I bring

I hold a PhD in entomology and have worked in science communication since 2001. I do not need to be briefed on how the research world works. The conversation starts further forward.

Grant proposals

A successful grant proposal is not just well-written. It is well argued. The difference between a proposal that gets funded and one that does not is usually found before a word is written.

Does the team have a clear and shared understanding of what the funder is looking for? Does the proposal genuinely meet the criteria? And what trade-offs are worth making when the team disagrees about what to change?

I come alongside the team throughout the process. I join consortium discussions to help find a common language and crystallise ideas into a shared framework. I work through the funder’s criteria with you: what they are really looking for, what your proposal does and does not yet deliver, and what is worth changing. I help you weigh up the decisions that always arise. How much to push on a contested point. When to simplify. When to hold the line on complexity.

Once the thinking is right, I make sure the writing carries it. I help you strike the balance between specialised content for subject experts and a clear story for the non-specialist reviewers who also sit on the panel. And when reviewers respond, I help you work through their comments: what to take on board, what to push back on, and how to write a response that is appropriately nuanced.

Research papers

Every section of a research paper plays a strategic role. The abstract is a pitch. The introduction draws readers toward your research question. The methods section builds the credibility your discussion needs. The results tell a story. The discussion positions your findings in the scientific landscape.

I ensure each part of your paper fully plays its role. Whether your paper needs structural thinking from the start or careful editing to unlock what is already there, I help ensure that your research reaches the audience it deserves.

Strategic and corporate documents

Programme strategies, institutional positioning, annual reports, stakeholder communications. I travel with you as you distil and refine the ideas, help you reach consensus, and then produce the document that captures it clearly and engages the people who need to act on it.

How can I help your research to advance?

For new clients, the first hour is free. I look forward to thinking with you.

Testimonial