Essential Guide to Grant Applications (EGGA)

Our Essential Guide to Grant Applications (EGGA) is a free-to-attend, online, three-day masterclass, funded and hosted by NIHR RSS USP, on how to write a grant application for applied health or social care research that is strong from a methodological point of view, reads well and presents a convincing case for funding. The event will cover important writing tips, along with guidance on what reviewers will be looking for in an application. Attendees will learn how to make their research idea clear and compelling to reviewers, how to write a good methods section and how to demonstrate credible support.

The online masterclass focuses on how to sell your research idea by:

• writing a convincing application with a good structure, flow and argument;

• presenting a strong methods section, including statistical, qualitative, health economics and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) elements;

• having a good project plan;

• engaging with sources of external support for your research.

EGGA is held online. Content is delivered through:

• Presentations

• Panel discussions

• Q&A sessions

• Optional homework, worksheets and exercises

EGGA is open to all healthcare professionals, social care and public health practitioners, health researchers and SMEs who intend to apply to an open, competitive, peer-reviewed funding programme in the 12 months following the masterclass. Attendees are welcome internationally, but the content will be geared towards UK-based funding systems. The Research Support Service is part of the NIHR; although the content of EGGA is relevant for anyone applying for health or social care funding, it will be most relevant for those submitting to NIHR funding streams.

Presentations and practical sessions will cover the following topics (and more):

• Getting your message across to reviewers quickly and clearly

• Sales pitch and writing style

• Communicating the importance of your work

• What do funding panels love and hate to see in applications?

• The importance of the research question, title, aims and objectives

• The importance of Plain English summaries

• Showing reviewers you can deliver: the importance of a good case for support

• Expectations and common mistakes in the case for support

• How to present statistics sections

• How to present health economics sections

• How to present qualitative sections

• Reassuring reviewers

• Showing reviewers you can deliver: demonstrating credible support

• The importance of good Patient and Public Involvement

• The importance of good project management

• Demonstrating the potential for tangible outputs

• The importance of a good pre-submission review

The masterclass is held online.

Attending the EGGA is completely free of charge.

EGGA takes place annually, usually in the Spring Term. The next event will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of April 2025.

The event will run across three consecutive days from 9am to 3pm on each day. Delegates will be expected to attend all three days.

View the 2025 EGGA programme here.