3 Questions You Need to Answer in a Lay Summary

Many researchers find that writing a lay summary is challenging and time-consuming, largely because they need a different set of skills than they typically use in academic writing. They can also feel like writing this summary is a chore and a pointless exercise, especially when they want to focus on other sections of the grant application. 

But lay summaries are an important part of your grant application.

What is a lay summary?

A lay summary is a brief paragraph about a research project. It explains complex ideas and technical terms to people who do not know about the subject, or a lay audience. This audience includes everyone from non-specialists in your field to the general public.

At a basic level, a lay summary is a simplified abstract that conveys the essence of your proposal. It explains why you are proposing your research project. It describes what you hope to achieve and how your work may impact the research community and other communities.

Why are lay summaries important?

Lay summaries are a powerful way to maximize the impact of your research. For example, your lay summary can help you secure funding. Some reviewers will start by reading your lay summary to get a high-level overview of your project, setting the tone for your proposal. Some review panels also have patients, families, or donors among them who can influence the funding decision.

A lay summary also explains your research to a lay audience who is interested in your work. It can help to increase participation and raise awareness about your area of research. It can also attract support from the public, as well as potential donors and funders.

What are the key elements of a lay summary?

Your lay summary should answer the main questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how? You can answer these questions by addressing each of the three elements below in a sentence or two. In this way, you will deliver all of the details your reader needs.

1.    Put your research in context—how does it fit into the bigger picture?

Give your reader a little background on your project. You need to convince them that your work is important. What prompted you to do this study? Will your project uncover something about a certain condition? Will it test a potential new treatment?

2.    Explain your study’s relevance and impact—what do you hope to achieve?

You need to clearly state what you want to achieve with your project. Even more, you need to explain why your project is relevant to your readers. Give them a reason to care about what you do. Could your work lead to a new drug or cure? Could it uncover a new preventative measure?

While it may take years before your work would have a larger impact, you can explain why your work is important to reach the end goal. Could your project reveal a new mechanism that might contribute to developing a new treatment? Could it develop a new method that other researchers can use for their research?

3.    Describe the approach of your project—how will you do the research?

You need to give your reader a high-level view of how you will carry out your research project? Will you study cells in a dish, animals in the forest, or patients in a clinic? What will you measure, and how will you measure it? How long will it take you to complete your research project?

The Power of a Lay Summary

Lay summaries can be a powerful tool to boost and promote the impact of your research. If you can transform your proposal into something that the public can understand, you will gain a broader readership—and one who is more likely to share your work beyond the research community.