Layout matter: How to craft an appealing layout

Clear paragraphs and headings

Make sure that the text is not too dense (compare the two layouts below). Write relatively short paragraphs with clear paragraph division, preferably with ”air” between paragraphs.

You also need clear and informative headings and subheadings that instantly convey an outline. Ensure that the headings are structured in a consistent way, with main headings and subheadings at the correct “level”. Inconsistently structured headings could be very confusing for the reviewer.

The value of figures

Also be sure not to use too small font. This particularly applies to figure captions, which applicants sometimes tend to reduce in size to minimize the space taken. Reviewers often express that care should be taken when constructing figures and figure captions, to ensure the readability.

In general, a figure could be very valuable, saving a lot of space. If well-designed, it can instantly inform the reader about e.g. the project outline or your preliminary results. Make sure that the figure can be understood without first reading the rest of the proposal. Reviewers may inspect the figures to get an idea about the project before they start reading. If you need professional help with designing a figure, Uppsala University has several procured contractors that can be found in the "Framework agreement database".

Highlight important sentences

It could be beneficial to highlight specific selected sentences (e.g., purpose, gaps) in the text. Use italic or bold text, but be sure to use this strategy sparsely. If too much text is highlighted, the text will look cluttered.

Consider removing text

Evidently, applicants often struggle with getting all relevant information into the page limit of the proposal. You will obviously not be able to include the same number of characters on a page using a more airy layout compared to a dense layout. However, we strongly recommend that you still keep the readability of the text in mind, and seriously consider cutting some text in favor of achieving a more easily accessible layout.