Graduate Blog

ELWS WORKSHOP REMINDER: Writing a Thesis or Grant Proposal

Graduate students write many proposals—federal grant proposals, travel grant proposals, thesis proposals—and every proposal has a potentially significant impact on a student’s ability to carry out specific research. This workshop provides an overview of proposal writing designed to get students thinking about the demands of, and the predictable variations in, this important genre of writing. We will examine the similarities and differences between thesis and grant proposals, consider the main questions that most proposals must answer, and see examples of answers to those questions in successful proposals. We will also consider common pitfalls in proposal writing, and strategies for getting started on writing a proposal.

Instructor: Dr. Jane Freeman

Place and Time: Tuesday, October 2, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Koffler House, 569 Spadina Avenue, Room 108

This free workshop is presented by the School of Graduate Studies’ Office of English Language and Writing Support and requires no prior registration to attend.

ELWS REGISTRATION REMINDER: Registration for our next session opens on October 9^th at 10:00 a.m. Full information can be found at our website: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/courses/regschedinstruct.htm

A complete list of all of our workshops and course offerings is always posted on our website:  http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english.htm

Get weekly updates on all ELWS workshops and courses by subscribing to our listserv: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/contacts.htm#elwslist

Rachael Cayley, Senior Lecturer

Office of English Language and Writing Support

School of Graduate Studies

University of Toronto

63 St. George Street, Room 307

Toronto, ON  M5S 2Z9

416.946.0645

rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca

My blog on academic writing: http://explorationsofstyle.wordpress.com

Visit our website: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english

Sign up for our listserv: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/contacts.htm#elwslist

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ELWS

Upcoming Workshop for Graduate Students:   
Making the Most of Oral Presentations

Description: Whether you are preparing for a graduate seminar, 
an academic conference, a job talk or a thesis defense, this 
workshop is designed to help you improve your oral presentation 
skills. Topics discussed will include overcoming nervousness, 
structuring your presentation, designing effective visual support 
and handling questions.

Instructor: Dr. Peter Grav

Place and Time:  
Thursday Oct. 27,  4:30 pm - 6:00 pm, 
Koffler House, 569 Spadina Avenue, Room 108

This free workshop is presented by the School of Graduate Studies' 
Office of English Language and Writing Support and requires no 
prior registration to attend.

Complete listings for all upcoming SGS/English Language and 
Writing Support Workshops and Non-Credit Courses can be found 
on our website: 
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english.htm.

Get Weekly updates on all ELWS workshops and courses by subscribing 
to our listserv: 
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/contacts.htm#elwslist

Description: This workshop examines some of the common features of 
proposal writing and discusses strategies aimed at maximizing the 
impact of your thesis or grant proposal. In addition to looking at 
what belongs in a proposal and where it belongs, we'll also cover 
common mistakes in proposal writing that you can avoid.

Instructor: Dr. Jane Freeman

Place and Time:  Thursday Oct. 6,  4:30 pm - 6:00 pm, 
Koffler House, 569 Spadina Avenue, Room 108

This free workshop is presented by the School of Graduate Studies' 
Office of English Language and Writing Support and requires no prior 
registration to attend.

The Office of English Languate and Writing Support offers four
types of instruction designed to target the needs of both native
and non-native speakers of English: non-credit courses, single
session workshops, individual writing consultations, and website
resources.  All of the programs are free and open to graduate
students at the U of T.  While the workshops function on a
drop-in basis, consultations require an appointment, and courses
require registration.  The resource page of their website provides
links to useful online material related to academic writing and
speaking.  For further information, please visit their website at

www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english

UPCOMING COURSES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE PHYSICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
School of Graduate Studies / ELWS course offerings (non-credit)



Becoming a Better Editor of Your Own Work
(for native speakers of English working in the Physical and
Life Sciences)

This four-week course for native speakers of English is designed for graduate
students working in Divisions 3 and 4 (Physical and Life Sciences) who want to
improve their writing. The techniques covered can be applied to all types of writing
including essays, reviews, articles, job letters, grant proposals and theses.
Editing is the final stage in the writing process. It is also a vital skill for
graduate students who often have to revise a document for different audiences: the
same material may, for example, become a proposal, a thesis chapter and a journal
article. The course focuses on four aspects of editing: editing for correctness,
clarity, cohesion, and concision. Using rules derived from the standard practices of
educated writers, we will review the grammar errors most commonly made by graduate
students. In the second and third weeks, we will focus on clarity and cohesion at
the level of sentences and paragraphs. In the fourth week we will practice
strategies for shortening documents. Classes are practical and focused on student
writing, and students will receive feedback on their own work.

This free course runs from May 12 to June 2 on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 12:00.

Course registration procedures can be found on the ELWS website at
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/courses/registration.htm#regist.

Please note that enrolment is limited in order to maintain a desirable
teacher-student ratio.



Thesis Writing in the Physical Sciences

This six-week course is designed to assist students in Division 3 who encounter
common problems related to structure, style, and cohesion in their thesis writing.
The following key questions should be asked and answered as they will affect your
writing in terms of clarity and organization: What is your hypothesis? How will your
research project differ from what has already been done? What implications do your
results have for future research, and what recommendations can you make for
practice? This course can help you with common challenges in thesis writing, such as
making effective transitions between sections, using discipline-specific
documentation formats, and writing your abstract. Examples from students' writing
will be used to clarify issues related to the structure and function of each section
of a thesis, and individualized feedback will be provided. All graduate students who
are currently writing their theses in Division 3 are welcome to apply. Please note
that this course will not address the specific grammar needs of ESL students. Course

Duration: 6 weeks. Course Instructor: Alan Chong

This free course runs from May 6th  to June 10th on Thursdays from 10:00-12:00.

Course registration procedures can be found on the ELWS website at
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/courses/registration.htm#regist

Please note that enrolment is limited in order to maintain a desirable
teacher-student ratio.



Writing NSERC Proposals

The pursuit of research grants is an key (and often required) part of a graduate
student's career, and the NSERC programme is one of the most important sources for
graduate funding. This free three-week course is designed for graduate students in
Divisions 3 and 4 (Physical and Life Sciences) who are planning to apply for an
NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) Postgraduate
scholarship this fall.  Each of the three two-hour sessions in this course will
examine the specific features of good and bad research proposals and will offer
strategies to maximize your chances of success.  Students should come prepared to
work on their own proposals and to submit drafts for feedback. Valuable feedback
will be given  to course participants through written comments on their draft
proposals and through individual consultations. Please note that only students who
are eligible to apply for NSERC Scholarships (i.e. Canadian citizens and permanent
residents) are eligible to take this course.

This free three-week non-credit course runs from May 13 to May 27 on Thursdays from
5:00 to 7:00 pm;  Course registration procedures can be found on the ELWS website at
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/courses/registration.htm#regist

Please note that enrolment is limited to maintain desirable student-lecturer ratios.


--------------------------------------------------------------