Can't motivate myself to write grant application

[ejecoms]

I really need to write this grant application and I just can't be bothered. I've been putting it off for weeks and now our internal deadline is tomorrow. I don't think I even have that much to do.

Part of the issue is that I have lost faith in the project - I just don't think it is going to work. But now we have funding for the pilot work, it is employing someone and she is working hard on it, other people want to get involved, we are through to the second round of the funding process... everything else is looking promising but... I just don't believe in the project.

How can I get myself going? I need to:

• read through what has been written so far
• get letters of support from 2 groups - send emails for these
• get a quote for my costs

It is not difficult , so why is it so hard to motivate myself?

Well, I have got ChatGPT to write me a letter of support, so that is one thing done.

And sent an email asking for a letter of support. I have emailed about costs.
So now I need to read what has been written so far. I can do this.

Well, I have read what the other collaborators have written and it is actually really good. So I don't need to do much. I now need to compare what I have already written with the draft I've just read.

I'm going to do 25 more mins, starting by reading the guidelines for the application

Okay, I have done a decent amount now. Going to have a break.

Well done!

I think you've answered your own question to be honest. You've lost faith. So you need to find another angle that will motivate you as the faith in the project sounded like the source of motivation. You mentioned someone that is working hard and that seemed to be a focus. Is there any benefits other people will get out of the project of it's succesful that can drive you?

You're right, I have lost faith and I can think of all the other more exciting projects that I could be doing. I'm really trying at the moment not to get involved in the shiny new exciting projects but work at finishing off the things that I'm already involved in. A major motivator for this grant is getting more funding for our postdoc who has worked really hard so far.

It was always recognised that the project was high risk/high potential reward...

What has really helped is that the lead applicant (I am just joint lead!) has got her stuff together and started working on it as well so it's reduced my contribution.

Good luck with the grant, OP.

I suffer the same issues - I get excited about new projects but the process of writing grant applications for these new ideas just sucks all the joy out of them for me and I end up losing faith and feeling really demotivated. Coupled with the 10-25% success rate and the fact that funding bodies are closed shops unless your part of the "in crowd", I find it very hard to bother my arse with grant applications these days at all.

I haven't written a decent sized grant for years and have no immediate intentions of doing so.