Scientific editing—at both science and writing levels—is provided for faculty and postdoctoral fellows in the Public Health Sciences (PHS) Division. This free-of-charge service aims to enhance the success of high-quality manuscripts and grant proposals submitted by the PHS community. Service details are provided below.
- Grant Proposals:
- Scientific/ Copy Editing
- Summary Statement Analysis: a brief (1-2 pg) document that consolidates reviewer comments and provides an action plan for resubmission
- Manuscripts:
- Scientific/ Copy Editing
- Journal Compliance
Editing Process
Request Services
Intake Form Submission: Faculty and postdocs can fill out the brief intake form to request editing for manuscripts or grant proposals.
For minor editing:
Science documents (Specific Aims or Research Strategy)
- 2 weeks before sponsor deadline
Non-science documents (Facilities, Abstract, Project Summary, etc.)
- 3 weeks before sponsor deadline for single PI proposals
- 4 weeks before sponsor deadline for proposals involving multiple departments/institutions
- 5 weeks before sponsor deadline for large program/project proposals
For major editing:
Science documents (Specific Aims or Research Strategy)
- 3 weeks before sponsor deadline
Non-science documents (Facilities, Abstract, Project Summary, etc.)
- 4 weeks before sponsor deadline for single PI proposals
- 5 weeks before sponsor deadline for proposals involving multiple departments/institutions
- 6 weeks before sponsor deadline for large program/project proposals
Meetings: Faculty and postdocs can use this link to book a meeting time with the editor.
In-Person Postdoc Consultations: Postdocs can use this link to sign up for the next in-person consultation opportunity (updated bi-monthly). These consultations support postdocs by providing one-on-one guidance on finding grant opportunities and writing resources, navigating the grant writing process, and discussing research career interests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Editing services are provided to the PHS community free of charge.
Generally, editing suggestions are provided within a week of receiving your request—though this time can vary depending on the number of requests in the editor’s queue and depending on the editing task requested. The editor will be in contact if extra editing time is needed to ensure a timely turnaround.
You are welcome to submit an editing request at any stage of the writing process. If you are experiencing writer’s block and only have a few sentences on the page or half an outline, that is a wonderful time to send it in for editing.
There are no authorship requirements. If you believe the editor had an impact on your work, you are welcome to use the following statement for your acknowledgments section:
We would like to thank our scientific editor, Heather Siedhoff, PhD for her expertise, meticulous attention to detail, and insightful suggestions, which enhanced the clarity and quality of this work.
About the Editor
Our scientific editor, Dr. Heather Siedhoff holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Missouri (MU). During her graduate studies, she worked as a Student Scientific Editor and developed a passion for assisting faculty and trainees with grant proposals and manuscripts. Her postdoctoral training at MU NextGen Precision Health was in research development, emphasizing scientific editing, and included team science, project management, and workshop development.