GRANT WRITING SKILLS IN THE STRUCTURE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE STEM EDUCATION SPECIALISTS

Abstract

Problem statement. The development of STEM education requires specialists who cannot only organize learning in line with interdisciplinary principles but also initiate educational and research projects, substantiate their relevance, attract resources, and responsibly present expected outcomes. In the training of master’s and doctoral students in the field of education, these skills are often regarded as additional, although they actually determine the future specialist’s ability to act in the conditions of project-based, competitive, and international academic activity. Therefore, there is a need to provide a theoretical justification for grant writing as a component of the professional competence of future STEM education specialists.

Materials and methods. The study is theoretical and analytical. The materials included scholarly works on the professional competence of STEM educators, technological pedagogical content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, professional development, academic writing, research self-efficacy, mentoring, coaching, and grant proposal preparation. The methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, source content grouping, generalization, and conceptual modeling were used.

Results. The article shows that grant writing cannot be reduced to either the technique of writing a proposal or a means of obtaining funding. It integrates research thinking, the design of educational innovation, evidence-based work, communication with diverse stakeholders, resource planning, risk assessment, digital literacy, and ethical responsibility. The expediency of considering grant writing competence as a special professional competence of a future STEM education specialist is substantiated. Its structure is proposed and includes analytical and research, project-design, communicative and argumentative, financial and organizational, digital, and ethical-reflective components.

Conclusions. Grant writing competence is in demand among master’s and doctoral students in the field of education because it ensures the transition from an educational or research idea to its project-based formulation, resource support, and practical implementation. Its development should be incorporated into the professional training of STEM education specialists through specialized modules, mentoring, analysis of real grant proposals, step-by-step project design, and reflective assessment.