Writing a Winning NIH Biosketch
RSPH Office of Research and Doctoral Programs, RSPH
February 10, 2015
Presented by Janet Gross, PhD
janet.gross@comcast.net
NIH Biographical Sketch
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Highly formatted component of the grant proposal that enables
reviewers to evaluate the qualifications of the team that will be
executing the research project.
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Place to find all the forms for the applications: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/
Instructions for completing the biosketch is found in the Application
Guide
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c.v.
Fellowship Applicant Biographical Sketch Format Page – Forms Version C
Example NIH biosketch is provided for Fellowship grants and for
fellowship sponsors
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Fellowship Applicant Biographical Sketch Instructions and Sample – Forms
Version C
Special Biosketch for NIH Fellowship Awards
K awards and other Career Development
Awards and other NIH grants
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Follow the right instructions :
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There are special instructions for Fellowship (F31, F32)
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There are special instructions for K awards
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Foundations might give you even different instructions
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Always follow the instructions for the particular grant
application you are applying for (rather than what your
status is now)
What does a reviewer look for in the
Biosketch?
1.
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Are you qualified to do the job?
Is there a good match between your track record (Training +
current activities + publications) and the proposed research aims?
Are you a good match for the type of grant you are submitting
(e.g., F31, F32 vs. K99/R00 vs. R03)?
2.
Do you have peer-reviewed publications relevant to the proposal
or those that suggest that you are likely to publish good science in
the future (or any peer reviewed publications)?
3.
Do you have appropriate time/effort devoted to the project?
(Research Support + Budget Justification)
Too much time on a grant is as important as too little time
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Review Criterion for Fellowship Grants
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Fellowship Applicant
Sponsors, Collaborators and Consultants
Research Training Plan
Training Potential
Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training
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You are evaluated based on your level of training and
productivity, your environment and your capacity to carry
out the proposed research.
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You are not your research but you are your biosketch
The NEW NIH Biosketch layout
Name
Position Title
Education/Training – in chronological order, include internship, residency, fellowship, Postdoc here
A. Personal Statement
B. Positions and Honors
Academic and Professional Honors
Memberships in Professional Societies
C. Contributions to Science (for predoctoral students and more advanced candidates only;
high school students, undergraduates, and postbaccalaureates should skip this section)
D. Scholastic Performance
eRA commons user name – obtain this through your grants management
office.
A. Personal Statement (F32 or similar)
Briefly describe why you are well-suited to receive the award
for which you are applying. The relevant factors may include
aspects of your training; your previous experimental work on this
specific topic or related topics; your technical expertise; your
collaborators or scientific environment; and your past
performance in this or related fields (you may mention specific
contributions to science that are not included in Section C). Also,
you may identify up to four peer-reviewed publications that
specifically highlight your experience and qualifications for this
project.
If you wish to explain impediments to your past productivity,
you may include a description of factors such as family care
responsibilities, illness, disability, and active duty military service.
Suggestions for writing Personal Statements for non-F
grants:
1.
Customize the personal statement for each grant proposal
2.
Mention the name of the grant proposal (e.g., R15) and speak directly to
the purpose of this funding mechanism
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E.g.: My goal for this proposed NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award
(R15) is to conduct clinical research while further developing and expanding
training with graduate students in nursing and psychology to study the
etiology of adverse health outcomes associated with stress exposure in
women, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Relatively junior PI (R01 grant)
A. Personal Statement
The goal of the proposed R03 small research grant is to determine the quality of life
(QOL) of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and uveitis by examining the
contribution of both visual and physical disability to QOL. This has been an overlooked
area of research because QOL studies in JIA focus primarily on musculoskeletal function
related to arthritis. As one of four pediatric rheumatologists in Georgia, I have access to
a large population of children with JIA. I also have formed strong collaborations with local
pediatric ophthalmologists who care for children with concomitant uveitis which will help
ensure recruitment and participation in clinical research. My preliminary finding,
supported by an Arthritis Foundation Fellowship Award, demonstrated the independent
contribution of visual function in children with JIA and uveitis. Supported by masters
training in clinical investigation at Cornell University, I am now poised to pursue the
analysis of a larger cohort with a greater age range and more complex outcomes
including vision, disability, genetic markers, and QOL. I am qualified to be PI and oversee
the multidisciplinary team of physicians and clinical coordinators required to recruit,
assess, and follow children with visual and musculoskeletal disability over 2 years.
Writing the Personal Statement
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Length
The PI needs to read all collaborator’s biosketches and
edit accordingly
Convey excitement and passion to do this work
Depending on the type of grant, emphasize your role for:
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Leadership (PI of a R grant)
Training potential for you to advance in your field (F32 or K)
Track record and experience to support the proposed aims
Tone should be confident but not arrogant
Don’t just walk us through your accomplishments but speak to the
science in this proposal
If you are the PI of the grant….
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Even if you are a pre or postdoctoral fellow, you
need to read/review the Personal Statement of all
other contributors to this proposal
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WHY?
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Because all Personal Statements must reflect that
person’s role on the project
If people are sponsoring / mentoring / collaborating
with you, that should be included in the Personal
Statement
B. Positions and Honors
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Use the grid
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Be thorough
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Clarify what specific awards/honors were for
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Sometimes you might want to add an alternative
(unique) subheader if the grant supports it
Example of creative subheader
Consultant/Reviewer
1989, 1991
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Special Review Committee
for AIDS Community Outreach Demonstration Project, ad hoc
reviewer
1991
Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, high-risk youth grants
ad hoc reviewer
1986-91
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Special Review Committee
for the Small Business Innovation Research program
1991-1995
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Abuse AIDS Research
Review Committee (Sociobehavioral Subcommittee), Member
2004
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of
Adolescent and School Health, Special Emphasis Panel
Applications Review
C. Contributions to Science
High school Research
I.
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Brief narrative (written in 1st person)
Abstracts (underline or bold your name)
Publications ( “
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Graduate Research
II.
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Brief narrative
Abstracts
Publications
Thinking about my
“Contributions to Science”
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What goes here?
How do I organize this?
What do I report?
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Some ideas
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In your previous research experiences, what did the team
do and what exactly did you do?
What did you learn from what you did?
Can you reflect on what you found and how it may have
led to the current proposal?
Be aspirational – express your professional hopes and
desires
D. Scholastic Performance
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Use the grid; Science versus Other courses
Do not tell any falsehoods
Board scores are not requested (they were in the
previous version)
Rules
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5 pages maximum (used to be 4 pages max.)
Follow the directions – use the example as a model
Do not misrepresent any facts
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List all publications as they would appear in PubMed or in any other
searchable database
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“I should have been first author on that paper but was second. I’ll just
change myself to first author for the biosketch.”
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“The first author and I contributed equally to the paper but the journal
did not accept the ‘equal contribution’ designation, so I’ll just show it
here in the biosketch.”
Recommendations
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Each new grant proposal should prompt you to revise your biosketch,
especially the Personal Statement (and possibly Contributions to
Science), so that it speaks directly to this particular grant proposal
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Pay attention to aesthetics and layout – spacing, font, page break
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Does your printed out biosketch look like the example?
Do you need to customize any subheaders to make a point – e.g., teaching
or curriculum development
Reviewers are looking for specific information in particular places –
make it easy for the reviewer by following the rules and the formatting
Biosketch gets loaded on the Senior/Key
Person Profile (Expanded) Form page
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For the F31 and F32, you are the PI and your sponsor/mentor is Key
Personnel #2
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For the K awards, you are the PI and your mentoring team are either
mentors, consultants, collaborators
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Co-PI is not a recognized role
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If you are not the PI or one of a multiple PI team, you are a Co-I
NIH grant
form pages:
PI
First co-I
Next co-I
Summary
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Along with the Specific Aims page, the Biosketch is
is arguably the most important part of the grant
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Aesthetics and layout matter
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Sell your role in the proposed research in the
Personal Statement