Abstract

We've successfully organized a series of proposal writing retreats, offering participants a more immersive experience compared to workshops. These retreats prioritize dedicated writing time while also providing opportunities for recovery, inspiration, and informative sessions.

Building on the University of Lausanne's (UNIL) expertise in doctoral retreats, we extended our success to researchers working on funding proposals. The evaluation of UNIL's doctoral retreats has already shown increased motivation to complete theses and a heightened appreciation for dedicated writing time, particularly among participants with children. Social pressure benefits have also spurred dynamism and efficiency.

The demand for proposal writing retreats is robust, especially among researchers dealing with numerous distractions. These retreats can help participants carve out focused writing periods, taking into account individual needs such as bio-rhythms and preferred working formats like ex-cathedra presentations or small group sessions. We supplement these formats with short activities like body movement exercises. The extended duration of writing retreats allows us to be highly adaptable to diverse participant preferences.

In 2023 and 2024, we will organize multiple proposal writing retreats, each tailored to a different funding instrument. These retreats will undergo comprehensive evaluation to fine-tune our approach, ensuring participants are stimulated, recover effectively, and find inspiration. We will present the results of these evaluations in Odense.

Our proposal writing retreats are designed to align with typical budget and resource constraints seen in standard proposal writing workshops. Co-funding models are an option, as demonstrated by the national collaborative funding obtained by University of Lausanne (UNIL) to organise doctorate writing retreats. Additionally, we are committed to addressing special needs, such as accommodating proposers who are parents, ensuring inclusivity within the typical resources available from grants offices.

This project is spearheaded by the University of Lausanne's central research service in collaboration with faculty-based research managers. We are open to collaboration beyond our university, fostering a spirit of cooperation and knowledge sharing across institutions. We believe our program offers a valuable contribution to the conference's objectives and the broader research community.