Gemma Alderton

If you are interested in working with me, please see what my other clients have to say and feel free to get in touch!

biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/

My editing and writing focus on ensuring the proposal makes sense and that the aims will allow you to achieve the objectives. This is more than proofreading, it is an in-depth assessment of your proposal that enables you to make sure it is in the best shape for submission.

4/5

I have worked with many researchers to construct and refine grant proposals for funding organisations in the US, UK and Europe. I can advise on the plan and edit full drafts to ensure they are convincing and clear. I can also draft grant proposals based on your material.

3/5

Grant proposals can be tricky for many reasons, not least because you may not have time to invest in them. It can also be difficult to critically assess your own work that you know intimately. I can help with this.

2/5

Do you need help with grant proposals?

After 18 years at @natureportfolio.nature.com and
@science.org, I am now a freelance editor and writer. I can give objective and constructive feedback to improve grant proposals. I can also help you write them. 1/5

biosciedit.co.uk

I volunteer for this excellent foundation...apply for a free edit from a professional editor...

"Her editorial expertise in scientific writing is exceptional, offering deep insights that greatly enhance clarity, structure, and overall impact." - Steffen Hage, @unituebingen.bsky.social

15/end

"Gemma has a remarkable ability to distil complex topics extremely clearly, cutting out any unnecessary jargon in the process." - @gernon.bsky.social , University of Southampton

14/n

"Gemma is an exceptional scientific writer and editor—the best I’ve had the pleasure of working with." - R. Scott Powers, @stonybrookmedicine.bsky.social

13/n

"Gemma's expert editing significantly improved the clarity and impact of my manuscript, helping refine complex microbiological concepts for submission to a top-ranked journal" - Alexandre Soares Rosado, KAUST

12/n

These are all very easy to say/write down, but much harder to do. Which is why a professional editor can really help.

But don’t just take my word for it…

www.biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/

11/n

8. Some pet peeves: tell me the organism (mouse, human, fish) and how many! Do not anthropomorphise…eg/ cancer cells do not choose to avoid the immune system or resist drugs. Use simple language, not flowery words no-one else understands. Don’t forget to add page numbers!

10/n

7. Write concisely. Writing short is hard! Use active language, split up long sentences with multiple clauses, think about what the reader NEEDS to know to understand your paper/grant etc.

9/n

6. Be balanced. Make it clear when you are being opinionated and what that opinion is based on. Cite work from other labs (including competitors), avoid bias.

8/n

5. Spell it out. You are the expert, those reading your work are not, so clearly explain the rationale. Don’t make assumptions.

7/n

4. Avoid overgeneralising. It is important to be accurate and specific about interpretations without going further than the data or model. Avoid long discussions, keep focused on the results and direct interpretations.

6/n

3. Accessibility. This doesn’t mean dumbing-down. It means explaining the basics and how an interpretation is reached. It’s about educating, not oversimplifying…

…But finding the right level for general science readers vs general public can be tricky. So a second set of eyes can help.

5/n

2. Insight. Tell me why I should care. What are the wider implications? What are the limitations and future challenges? How do we overcome hurdles? Don’t just conclude that “we need an interdisciplinary approach to move forward”. What concrete ideas do you have?

4/n

These are some of the main issues my edits often address:

1. Narrative flow and storytelling are important. Building an argument in a stepwise manner so that ideas and experiments are connected helps create a clear and convincing piece.

3/n

I often edit papers and revisions to help with the narrative flow, clarity and to make the importance stand out. I also work on grants to help with narrative flow, clarity, and accessibility, as well as to highlight why your proposal is novel and important.

2/n

After 18 years as an editor at @natureportfolio.nature.com journals and @science.org, I am now a freelance editor. By being a step away from your work, I can take an objective view and give constructive feedback to improve papers, revisions, and grant proposals.

www.biosciedit.co.uk

1/n

"Working with Gemma is great because, first of all, the quality of her editing is exceptional. In addition, Gemma is a very pleasant person, who greatly communicates and always meets the deadline. In short – highly recommended *****" @jonykipnis.bsky.social

"Her scientific writing, suggestions and feedback strengthened the clarity and narrative of our research articles." @gorkaorive.bsky.social

www.biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/

"Your keen editorial eye and insightful suggestions strengthened both the clarity and impact of my work." Raquel Peixoto

7/n

"Dear Gemma, before working with you, we collaborated with different scientific editors, but none provided proofread papers of such high quality and with such deep insights into structural improvements and even suggestions for additional experiments." Valentina Boeva

6/n

Here's what some of my clients have said:

"Gemma's expertise in scientific writing is invaluable; her insightful feedback strengthened both the clarity and narrative of our research." Daniela Vallentin

5/n

Additionally, I work with people who have a paper that they are really excited about to ensure that the job of editors and reviewers is as easy as possible.

But don’t just take my word for it…

4/n

Also, I work with PIs who cross multiple fields (such as cancer and AI) because writing in a way that speaks to different disciplines equally and convincingly is challenging.

3/n

Editing is about coaching. I often work with PIs who do not have the time to thoroughly edit first drafts from students and postdocs, which can take a lot of time. To paraphrase a client, “you can do it faster and I would rather they hate you than me”!

2/n

After 18 years as an editor at Nature journals and Science, I am now a freelance editor. By being a step away from your work, I can take an objective view and give constructive feedback on papers, grants etc.

www.biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/

1/n