Grant Writing for
Success
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Grant writing is a learned skill
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Grant writing is a full time job
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You will need help and advice
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The more you learn the better
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/
strategy/Pages/default.aspx
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NIH mission: to create fundamental knowledge
about living systems and apply that knowledge to
reduce human illness and disability.
27 institutes and centers, each with its own
research focus or function
◦ Find funded projects.
NIH RePORTER
Community of Science
www.nih.gov
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See what Research Projects the NIH or
any Institute has funded
Find Potential Collaborators for your
Project
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A searchable database of federally supported
biomedical research
Access reports, data, analyses, expenditures,
results of NIH supported research activities
Identify, analyze IC research portfolios,
funding patterns, funded investigators:
• Identify areas with many or few funded projects
• Identify NIH-funded investigators and their
research
• Identify potential mentors/collaborators
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Your Institution
Most types of institutions—including universities, small and large businesses,
state and local governments, and foreign institutions—qualify for most research
grants.
Investigator qualifications
R01 Parent Program Announcement under Eligible Individuals:
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Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out
the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and
ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to
apply for NIH support.
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Special considerations for particular types of grants
Chose and Design a Project
Chose and Design a Project
Propose research about
which you are passionate
and totally committed
Now you just have to explain it ……
Chose and Design a Project
• Be ready to apply electronically
• Do a self-assessment
publications and experience
managed comparable efforts
• Find your niche
scientific opportunities, skills,
will you be competitive?
Chose and Design a Project
• Be ready to apply electronically
• Do a self-assessment
publications and experience
managed comparable efforts
• Find your niche
scientific opportunities, skills,
will you be competitive?
Chose and Design a Project
• Plan a series of research goals for 710 years that address a significant
problem
• Draft Specific Aims and hypothesis
• Outline experiments and feasibility
• Decide grant type (R01, R21, etc.),
review the requirements and target
your application
Chose and Design a Project
• Investigators-Initiated vs. Targeted
Research
Program Announcements
Requests for Applications
• Get advice from colleagues, NIH staff,
other scientists
Official publication listing NIH funding
opportunities and policy notices
◦ Request for Applications (RFA)
◦ Program Announcements (PA, PAR, PAS)
◦ Request for Proposals (RFP)
◦ Notices (NOT)
 Published weekly
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http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/
council/concepts/pages/default.aspx
Team Science
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Increased expertise and resources
brought to the project
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Being independent enough to lead a
major award
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Institutional recognition
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Peer review of multidisciplinary project
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Making a team work- communication,
communication!
Write Your Application
Write Your Application
• Follow application instructions
• When in doubt – ask!
Write Your Application
Research Plan: Know your audience
• Make it easy for reviewers to
understand the significance,
feasibility
• Understand the likely composition
of the review group and scoring
Write Specific Aims
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Grab the reader immediately with
significance and rationale
State long-term objectives AND
expected impact
Explicitly state hypotheses and research
question
List aims in a few sentences each
Write Research Strategy
• Remember page limits
• Address issues of significance and
innovation
• Show reviewers that your approach is
feasible – resources, expertise,
alternatives.
• Make it easy to read
Preliminary Studies/Progress Report
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How previous work -- by you, your team, and
others -- leads to this study
Demonstrate your experience, competence and
likelihood of continued success
Must flow logically from literature review and
major themes of the problem area
Approach
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For clinical studies be explicit and thorough
in discussing
◦ intervention or system to be studied
◦ target population
◦ inclusion and exclusion criteria
◦ independent and dependent variables
◦ all measures and instruments
◦ power analyses
Write Research Strategy
Approach is important
• Background and preliminary data to
support the context and importance
• Provide experiments to support each
specific aim
• Describe anticipated results and
implications
Provide references –
Top Ten Weaknesses
• Poorly formatted, typographical errors,
grammatical errors, lack of proofreading, or
unappealing presentation.
• Insufficient preliminary data, or preliminary
data do not support project's feasibility.
• Overly ambitious
• Lack of significance to the field or public
health.
• Lack of investigator expertise or team.
Top Ten Weaknesses
• Lack of innovation or new ideas.
• Lack of a strong, original hypothesis and
Specific Aims.
• Needed to identify potential pitfalls and
alternative approaches.
• Concern about knowledge of the field (didn’t
cite relevant papers or account for
alternative viewpoints).
• Peer Review group not a good match
Submit Your Application
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Cover Letter
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Prepare to Submit
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Passing Validations
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Assess Application After You
Submit
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Check your application assignments –
Institute and Review
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Identify Your Program Officer
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Identify your Scientific Review Officer
Scored Criteria
Application
Significance
Research Strategy
a. Significance
Investigator(s)
Biosketch - Personal Statement
Letters of Support
Innovation
Research Strategy
b. Innovation
Research Strategy
c. Approach
Approach
Environment
Facilities & Other Resources
SIGNIFICANCE
 Does this study address an important
problem?
 If the aims are achieved, how will scientific
knowledge be advanced?
 What will be the effect on concepts or
methods that drive this field?
INVESTIGATOR
 Are the investigators appropriately trained and
well suited to carry out this work?
 Is the work proposed appropriate to the
experience level of the principal investigator
and other researchers?
 Does the investigative team bring
complementary and integrated expertise to
the project (if applicable)?
INNOVATION
 Does the project employ novel concepts,
approaches or methods?
 Are the aims original and innovative?
 Does the project challenge existing
paradigms or develop new methodologies
or technologies?
APPROACH
 Are the conceptual framework, design,
methods, and analyses adequately
developed, well-integrated, and appropriate
to the aims of the project?
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Does the applicant acknowledge potential
problem areas and consider alternatives?
ENVIRONMENT
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Does the scientific environment in which
the work will be done contribute to the
probability of success?
Do the proposed experiments take
advantage of unique features of the
scientific environment or employ useful
collaborative arrangements?
Is there evidence of institutional support?
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Human subjects
Animal care and use
Select agents
Model organism sharing plan
Data sharing plan
Get to the right review group
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Title, abstract, specific aims all point to the main
goals of your project
Attach a cover letter for the Center for Scientific
Review Division of Receipt and Referral
◦ suggest IC and review group assignment*
◦ outline areas of key expertise needed for
appropriate review
◦ do not name specific reviewers
* Consult with Program Official
Understand the dynamics of peer review:
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Reviewers will review many applications
Make your application easy to read and easy to
understand
The impact and significance should be clear
throughout the application
Convince them to be your advocate
◦ Get them on your side!
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Good ideas, well presented always win
Think clearly
Write clearly
Be complete but not verbose
Never lose sight of the significance
Point to the impact
Pay attention to details
Funding
• Funding Decisions based on merit, program
considerations, available funds
• Understand Paylines and Percentiles
• How NIAID Makes Funding Decisions
• Getting and Managing Your Grant
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Your Notice of Award
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You are in good company
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Know your options
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Get advice, Regroup
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Try again
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A searchable database of federally supported
biomedical research
Access reports, data, analyses, expenditures,
results of NIH supported research activities
Identify, analyze IC research portfolios,
funding patterns, funded investigators:
• Identify areas with many or few funded projects
• Identify NIH-funded investigators and their
research
• Identify potential mentors/collaborators
http://report.nih.gov/
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Searching NIH web sites is a good start … but
follow up with personal contact
Contact NIH program staff early
Ask what information would help them advise
you about IC interest & “goodness of fit”
Are there related FOAs?
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Single PI model does not always work well for
multi-disciplinary, collaborative research
Recognizes contributions of full team
In place for most submissions to Grants.gov
Implications for “New Investigator” status
A complex issue – Talk to NIH program staff if
you are considering multiple PIs !
grants1.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi
NIH homepage: http://www.nih.gov/
NIAID (or any Institute):
http:/niaid/www.niaid .nih.gov/
CSR website: http://www.csr.nih.gov/
Sample Applications and Summary
Statements
grants1.nih.gov/grants/grant_tips.htm
grants.nih.gov/grants/glossary.htm
http://www3.cancer.gov/admin/gab/links.htm
deainfo.nci.nih.gov/consumer.htm
deainfo.nci.nih.gov/extra/extdocs/gntapp.htm
http://era.nih.gov/
https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/
http://era.nih.gov/virtualschool/
grants2.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003
grants2.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003
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http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm
Enter search
criteria or
Select
Advanced
Search
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/parent_announcements.htm
Select the FOA number to open
the announcement.
Automated Training Tutorials
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eRA Commons Registration
Completing an Application Package (Grants.gov)
Find & Download a Funding Opportunity
Check Submission Status & View Assembled
Application (PI & SO versions)
era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/training.htm
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Frequently Asked Questions
era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/faq.htm
Avoiding Common Errors
era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/avoiding_errors.htm
Presentations, Quick Reference Materials, Brochures,
Drop-in newsletter articles
era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/communication.htm
Training Videos, Videocast Archives
era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/training.htm