The Scientific Editing and Research Communications Core (SERCC) resource was created by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Faculty Development Program (FDP). SERCC provides scientific editing services and educational materials on academic writing to oncology faculty at Roswell Park and the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) with the goal of helping them succeed in their pursuit of funding and publication of high-impact research.

Whether you require substantive editing support as an ESL (English as a second language) author or a quick copy edit from someone with “fresh eyes,” we are available to assist. All projects are handled with the utmost professionalism and respect.

SERCC can edit projects on a wide variety of topics related to cancer research and the biomedical sciences, with a primary focus on grant proposals and manuscripts.

Services

  • Content editing – Substantive editing for grammar, spelling and punctuation (i.e., the mechanics), as well as logic flow and style consistency (i.e., style and clarity). Importantly, suggestions are given for highlighting the significance and novelty of the research (i.e., presentation). Content editing is the most common option.
  • Copy editing – Light editing for grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as formatting style consistency.
  • Multiple-round editing (MRE) – Minor editing rework following author revisions.
  • Preparation support for responses to reviewers’ comments – Language polishing and cursory responsiveness check, i.e., while the author is responsible for addressing the reviewers’ comments, we can flag responses for you if that text does not appear to be responsive to the comment given.
  • Journal formatting – Application of submission guidelines for a particular journal.
  • Cover letter preparation – Preparation of a cover letter for submission to a scientific journal.

Fees*

Assistant Professors at Roswell Park with Active Mentoring Committees** Free
Other Assistant Professors $10/hour
Associate and Full Professors, CCSG Members $25/hour
Associate and Full Professors, Non-CCSG Members $40/hour

*Note: This resource is subsidized by the Roswell Park Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). Upon request, a cap can be put on the time spent. The resource will not review theses or dissertations.

**Active mentoring committees are defined by the submission of up-to-date meeting documents.

Contact information & hours

Please send any questions or comments to Editing@RoswellPark.org.

Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Requests for editing services may be submitted by email at any time.

SERCC Shared Resource Workflow

Frequently asked questions

This service is available to Roswell Park and University at Buffalo faculty.

Please provide a minimum of 10 business days for grant proposals and research manuscripts, and three business days for short (1 – 2 page) documents.

Editing services are free for assistant professors at Roswell Park with an active mentoring committee. Please visit the Fees schedule above to view our rates for associate or full professors.

SERCC provides substantive content editing and lighter copy editing on grant proposals and manuscripts. Content editing is the most common option. Please visit the Services section above to view the additional services we offer.

Use the submission buttons on this webpage or email us. You may submit a request for editing work approximately one month prior to the projected start date for your project. Projects are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Testimonials

As a junior faculty member and non-native English speaker, I feel very fortunate to have SERCC in support of my grant writing. The editing service of SERCC was incredibly valuable to facilitate my grant application and to promote my early independent career development. Indeed, the review comments I received were not only helpful for strengthening the specific proposal, but also instructive for improving my general writing skills. Assistant Professor, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Your edits to our grant were extremely thorough and beneficial, even after I and two other colleagues had finished what we thought was our “final” draft. There is no question that the SERCC resource will strengthen other grants and manuscripts as it did ours, undoubtedly leading to increased funding and publishing successes. I will certainly be using this service for my work and will advocate for others to use it religiously. Professor, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

SERCC is a Shared Resource that is supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (grant no. P30CA016056). NCI guidelines require that authors acknowledge Shared Resource use in their publications. Hence, please acknowledge SERCC’s services in all your publications. The following text is recommended: “Editorial assistance for this publication was provided by Roswell Park’s Scientific Editing and Research Communications Core (SERCC) Resource, which is supported by a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant (grant no. NCI P30CA016056).”

If you used multiple Shared Resources, the following example may be more appropriate for your acknowledgment:

“This work was supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant P30CA016056 involving the use of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Shared Resources.”

An electronic copy of the publication acknowledging SERCC and the CCSG grant should be submitted to Editing@RoswellPark.org.

Roswell Park Scientific Editing and Research Communications Core (SERCC): This resource advises faculty on how to produce clear, concise, and compelling scientific documents with the goal of improving the success of faculty funding efforts and scholarship. SERCC is an institute-wide resource staffed by a professional scientific editor with over 10 years of professional experience in the field of science communication. Editing services include feedback on the mechanics, style and clarity, and the presentation of grant proposals and manuscripts.