Grant writing in life sciences: essentials
Grant writing in life sciences: essentials
General context
Starting to write a grant can feel overwhelming, and procrastination often gets in the way. This course provides practical “handles” and basic principles to guide you through developing a solid grant application.
Packed with essential tips, real examples, and advice from experienced VIB researchers, the course helps you build confidence in crafting competitive proposals.
After this course, you will be able to:
Identify the core components of a strong grant application.
Apply practical writing principles and structuring techniques.
Avoid common mistakes and enhance clarity and impact.
This basic course combines short, easy-to-digest content with practical exercises. The course has a broad scope and references the FWO PhD fellowship template but is applicable to multiple funding schemes.
Starting PhD students and master students preparing to apply for a PhD grant.
This course is part of the learning path Basic research essentials.
Trainers
Elien Vandermarliere
International Grants Office Manager
Elien Vandermarliere is International Grants Office Manager at VIB, where she leads strategic support for international funding applications under Horizon Europe. She guides scientists at all career stages through highly competitive funding schemes such as ERC and MSCA, combining practical insights with strategic advice to help applicants strengthen the clarity, impact, and competitiveness of their proposals.
Elien holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from KU Leuven (2008), where she specialized in structural biology and protein crystallography. She broadened her expertise during postdoctoral research in bioinformatics and proteomics at Ghent University and VIB, contributing to research projects and mentoring students. Beyond her institutional role, Elien actively contributes to the European research community as a member of the EU-LIFE grants working group and as a reviewer for EU projects. Her unique combination of scientific expertise and funding strategy experience makes her a trusted trainer for researchers aiming to succeed in highly competitive funding landscapes.
Lieve Ongena
Senior Science Policy and Grants Manager
Lieve Ongena is an experienced science policy manager with deep knowledge in R&D strategy for the Biotech and Life Sciences sectors. She specializes in guiding researchers through European and international funding landscapes, with a strong track record in EU programs such as MSCA and ERC. Her approach combines strategic advisory with practical training, leveraging real-world examples to enhance research competitiveness and increased success.
Holding a PhD in Molecular Biology (Ghent University, 1989), Lieve advanced her research through European postdoctoral fellowships at Kyoto and Chiba Universities in Japan. She later served as policy advisor and business development manager at Innogenetics (now Fujirebio), one of Flanders’ pioneering biotech spin-offs, before joining VIB as a science policy advisor in 2000. Her career bridges scientific research, policy development, and cross-cultural partnerships, with a unique specialization in Japan–Europe research relations.
