When I was a technical editor, I sometimes forayed into the technical writer mode.  By the third go-round on one proposal, there was little of the original verbage left (appropriately so, it was that bad).  I am a chemist by training and the proposals I worked on were in certain science and engineering  areas.  Could I do the same thing with a proposal from our faculty in condensed matter physics or psychology?  Perhaps, but nobody has given me enough time with their proposals to find out.

I think professional grant writers would be a great resource, but the institution would have to decide how much they want them to do.  Institutional grants are obvious areas and some proposals in technical areas use a minimum of vernacular.  An Institute with one focus (medicine) may work much better than a university, unless it has the resources to hire specialists.

***************************************************
Sally Eckert-Tilotta, PhD, Assistant to the Director
Office of Research and Program Development
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND  58202
email:  xxxxxx@mail.und.nodak.edu
tel:  701-777-2049
fax: 701-777-2504

>>> "Rowlands, Leigh Ann" <xxxxxx@EXCHANGE.UAMS.EDU> 04/23 12:25 PM >>>
 You wrote:

Speaking for "hired guns" everywhere, let me say that at times our services
are indeed needed.  As others have already mentioned, it is possible for
very talented researchers to be less than stellar written communicators.