Scientific Writing Resources

• For postdoc (F), mentored faculty (K) and independent faculty (R) applications, find indispensable templates and guidance for for primarily NIH F/K/R series from the University of Iowa School of Medicine's Scientific Editing and Research Communication Core
• Develop your specific aims, create a timeline for writing and assembling the parts of the NIH proposal, and review successfully funded NIH F and K proposals from DOS Residents and Faculty
• NIH examples and summary statements and sample NIH behavioral research proposals
• The DOS' online modules of its scientific writing course include one session on understanding the review process and developing your research goals, hypotheses, and specific aims (with Drs. Tammy Chang and Lucy Kornblith,  NIH-funded surgeon-scientists), and one session on developing and refining the specific aims, significance, innovation and approach sections
• An overview of grant proposals and developing your specific aims and applying for foundation and society grants
• The DOS has created a compilation of resident grant and fellowship opportunities including recent applications

• Postdocs and graduate students may be eligible to take UCSF Cancer Center's F Grant Writing Workshop
• Career Development Grant Writing Course - Open to clinical fellows working in cancer
• UCSF Career and Professional Development Office grant writing series and library of examples
• Fellows and early career faculty planning to apply for a K-series grant in patient-oriented research can take the UCSF Course on Writing an NIH K

• Clinical Chemistry (the journal) has a series of short articles that covers developing a paper, writing it, and dealing with peer review (available in Chinese and Spanish translation)
• UCSF Library Guide to Journals and Publishers helps you find the right journal and avoid publishers with deceptive or predatory practices.
• RMIT Library Guides outline the process for conducting a systematic review. The UCSF Library also offers guidance and tools.
• The UCSF Library’s Research Guide to Writing and Publishing, compiled by UCSF librarians who are content experts, includes recommended resources for writing manuscripts, grants, book chapters, peer review, the latest on scholarly publishing, use of AI in writing, and more.
• Nature (the journal) Communication for Scientists series on English Communication for Scientists aims to help you communicate more effectively as a scientist, specifically in the English language. Although it was developed with nonnative speakers of English in mind, it is useful for native speakers, too.
• PloS (the journal) Writing Center  offers a collection of practical guides and hands-on resources to help you improve your scientific publishing skills.
• MIT “Comm Kit” offers a collection of guides to successful communication in the biological sciences – oral and written, and lots about designing figures.
• MD Anderson's NIH-funded Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence (SCOARE) Program offers resources on all aspects of effective oral and written scientific communication, including online workshops for research mentors.
• AuthorAID  is an international organization that offers training, support, mentoring, and resources for researchers in low- and middle-income countries to publish and communicate their work.

• Pragmatic guidance with templates to help you build effective paragraphs
• The Academic Phrasebank (University of Manchester) is invaluable when you can’t find the words (or phrases) to say what you mean
• A Clarity Clinic for Surgical Writing, written by Pamela Derish with surgeons in mind, with many examples, but helpful for scientists of all backgrounds

Summary recommendations for AI writing use in scholarly publication (UCSF Library 2026):

• Use UCSF-approved tools (e.g., Grammarly, ChatGPT Enterprise) to protect your work
• Use AI to help you write, not to write for you
• Always review and revise AI outputs for accuracy and tone
  Take what you like and leave the rest
• Disclose AI use if it generates substantial text or restructuring (following publisher policies)
• When in doubt, disclose
• Keep a log to track use (date, tool, version, and purpose)
• Do not list AI as a co-author per the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations

Learn more by viewing the recording or slides from the UCSF Library session on Using AI as a Writer/Editor. Topics covered include the following:

• Journal guidelines for AI use in writing manuscripts
• How to disclose AI use in scholarly writing (including example disclosures and tools for creating disclosures)
• Consequences of not disclosing
• Policies for using AI in peer review of manuscripts (publishers have a wide range of policies)
• Using AI for writing or peer review of NIH and NSF grants
• Use of Grammarly and other UCSF tools

UCSF resources for using AI in writing/editing:

• Using GPT to edit email, including example prompts
• Using GPT to get feedback on manuscripts, including example prompts