![]() ![]() Like most early career researchers, I’ve combed through blog posts and books, and sat in on seminars full of grant-writing tips. The angel makes a reasonable argument: “Why use it you’re just going to alienate reviewers?” The devil is a little stubborn, and a bit selfish: “Elucidate is a great word.” Both are correct, but neither are sitting on a DEB panel come fall. While I doubt that any one word will sink a given grant, people feel pretty strongly about “elucidate,” as I discovered on Twitter.Īs I type this, imagine a little angel and a little devil arguing above my shoulders. “Elucidate” is not a colloquial word, and it comes across as unnecessarily complicated or pretentious. I immediately started second-guessing that choice, because “elucidate” is definitely a twenty-dollar word when a five-cent word works approximately as well, even if it’s not really the most accurate at conveying what I mean. So, instead of discovering, I decided we were elucidating instead. In a proposal, every extra word matters when it comes down to fitting into page limits. Why not just say “shed light on?” To reasons: first, I worry it sounds too conversational. “Elucidate” makes me think of a process - to shed light on something is to contribute to its greater understanding, even if you don’t have all the answers. In revising a draft today, I found myself changing a co-author’s “discover” to “elucidate.” Some of you are probably cringing, or yelling WHY? at your screens right now. To me, “discover” implies something totally new, and set in stone. ![]() Overuse of the thesaurus in the attempt to sound more intelligent, or to avoid redundant word use, is not an effective strategy. One of the biggest challenges I found as I transitioned out of graduate school was collaborative writing, (as opposed to the grad school model where I wrote the entire paper and then had my advisor or co-authors return edits), and one thing I still find tricky is integrating multiple writing styles into one cohesive voice. I’m collaborating on a proposal right now where I’m not the lead, so I’m a bit more self-conscious of my language choices than usual. So far, 2015 has been the Year of Grants (which also makes it the Year of Grant Rejections, but that’s another post). I often joke about the fact that became a scientist in large part because of all the awesome words (sverdrup , ribozome, hysteresis…). I play Scrabble, and I collect vocabulary the way some of my colleagues collect bird sightings or rocks. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid, and I worked in bookstores throughout my late teens and early 20’s to pay for my habit. Treatments include behavior and communication therapies, skills training, and medicines to control symptoms.Ice age ecology, early career academia, and diversity in STEMĬare to elucidate? The vocabulary of grant applications Starting them early can lead to better results. There are many ways to increase your child's ability to grow and learn new skills. There is currently no one standard treatment for ASD. Research suggests that both genes and environment play important roles. It may include a team of specialists, doing various tests and evaluations to make a diagnosis. If there are signs of ASD, your child will have a comprehensive evaluation. ![]() They may often seem to be in their "own world."Īt well-child checkups, the health care provider should check your child's development. They may spend a lot of time putting things in order, or they may say the same sentence again and again. They may also have restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. People with ASD might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you talk to them. It is called a "spectrum" disorder because people with ASD can have a range of symptoms. It includes what used to be known as Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders. It affects how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates, and learns. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person's life. ![]()
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