How to Write a Lay Summary for Your Research
Funders increasingly require lay summaries — plain-language descriptions of your research for non-specialist audiences. Wellcome Trust caps them at 100 words. UKRI allows 200. NIH plain language summaries run to 250. Yet most researchers write their lay summary last, in five minutes, and it shows.
A good lay summary is not a dumbed-down version of your abstract. It is a reframing of your work for someone who has no scientific training but is intelligent and curious. This guide shows you how to write one that actually works.
What a lay summary must answer
1. Why does this matter?
Start with the real-world problem your research addresses — not the gap in the literature. "One in four people with diabetes develop kidney disease" is a better opener than "Current understanding of diabetic nephropathy mechanisms remains incomplete."
2. What did you do?
Describe your approach in concrete terms. Avoid jargon. "We tested 200 patient blood samples" is better than "We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional biomarker analysis."
3. What did you find?
State the key finding plainly. Numbers are fine — "We found that patients with protein X had a 40% lower risk of kidney failure" is specific and clear.
4. Why does it matter now?
End with the implication. What changes because of this research? Who benefits? When might it affect clinical practice or policy?
Funder word limits (2025)
Wellcome Trust
100 words. Strictly enforced. Written for the general public. Avoid all scientific abbreviations.
NIHR (UK)
150 words. Written for patients and the public. The NIHR specifically asks you to avoid passive voice and technical language.
UKRI / EPSRC
200 words. Written for an educated non-specialist. Some technical terms are acceptable if immediately explained.
NIH (Plain Language Summary)
250 words. Required for many NIH grant mechanisms. Should be readable at an 8th grade reading level per the NIH plain language guidelines.
Common mistakes
❌ Starting with your method — "We used RNA sequencing to analyse..." — the reader does not know what RNA sequencing is or why it matters.
❌ Passive voice throughout — "It was found that..." is weak. "We found that..." is clearer and more direct.
❌ Undefined abbreviations — Write "messenger RNA (mRNA)" on first use, then mRNA thereafter. Better still, just say "genetic instructions."
❌ Ending with "more research is needed" — This tells the reader nothing. End with what your research specifically enables or changes.
Generate your lay summary instantly
Paste your abstract and choose your audience — the AI generates a plain-language version sized to your funder's word limit. Wellcome, UKRI, NIH, and custom word counts supported.
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