Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 Semesters
Faculty Scholar Academies (FSA) Announcement
NIH BUILD PODER
Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity
Promoting Opportunities for Diversity
in Education and Research
Deadline: July 31, 2015 for Fall, 2015
November 9, 2015 for Spring, 2016
BUILD PODER Faculty Scholar Academies were designed to provide customized support for biomedical
researchers at CSUN who wish to write NIH grants. With four models – beginning, intermediate, advanced,
and team, the centerpiece of the program connects less experienced faculty members with those who have
earned NIH awards through 1:1 coaching on a specific proposal that is written by the protégé.
New to this initiative is a fourth model, a team model of scientists who agree to meet and support, even
collaborate on one another’s proposals with the goal of increasing productivity and quality through
collaboration and mutual feedback. We provide $5000 in special pay, monthly coach-protégé group meetings
with exercises directed toward proposal completion, a writing coach, direct instruction for beginners, optional
writing circles, culminating in a mock study section review of your proposal. Upon your dean’s approval, faculty
can request to be reassigned from 3 units of teaching at the internal rate (without benefits) for their faculty to
participate in the FSA. The BUILD PODER FSA was designed to address common barriers to grant-writing and
to maximize the positive review of proposals. We welcome ideas for enhancing productivity and proposal
quality.
For each of the Fall and Spring semester academies, we expect to host approximately 4-6 faculty protégés and
two experienced faculty PI Coaches as well as one group of 4 or two pairs of collaborators for a team model.
Participants in the BUILD PODER FSA commit to completing a competitive proposal during the semester and
submitting that proposal within a year of the end of their academy PER PARTICIPANT. Protégés and
collaborators also agree to participate in reviewing others’ proposals for a mock study section.
Eligibility:
Full-time faculty, both tenure-line and lecturers
Biomedical research interest
Intending to write an NIH grant proposal
Individuals in beginning, intermediate, and advanced academies can have up to 2 PIs
Teams can apply in groups of 2-5 PIs
Schedule for Academies:
In addition to the time for the protégé to develop the proposal, participants (coach-protégé pairs) commit to 8
hours of 1:1 meetings (time can be redistributed, but 8 meetings minimum per proposal) and 8 additional hours
of feedback on written material from the coach. In addition, all coaches and protégés participate in an initial
and ending 3-hour meeting and two other two-hour meetings as an entire academy to gain a common
understanding of NIH structure and guidelines, budgets, post-award management, and to participate in a mock
study section refereed by protégés and coaches. Team collaborators will set a biweekly schedule.
Tentative schedule for coaches and protégés:
Fall
August 28 11 am – 2 pm Introduction
October 9 11 am – 1 pm Budgets
November 13 11 am – 1 pm Post-award
December 11 11 am – 2 pm Mock Study Section
Spring_________________________________
January 22 or 29 11 am – 2 pm Introduction
March 11 11 am – 1 pm Budgets
April 8 11 am – 1 pm Post-award
May 6 or 13 11 am – 2 pm Mock Study Section
To Apply:
Applicants must submit a complete application that includes all of the following:
 Cover Sheet (attached) - Please obtain all requisite signatures
 Project Narrative
Beginning Proposal Development Academy: Designed for those with little to no grant-writing
experience. Broad curriculum and basic grant-writing skills emphasized.
Intermediate Proposal Development Academy: Designed for those who have written unsuccessful
proposals or would like specific instruction about improving grant-writing skills. Customized curriculum.
Advanced Proposal Development Academy: Designed for those who have written successful proposals
and would like to advance to the R01 mechanism. Individualized matching and readings by R01 funded
mentors derived through our Research Partner institutions (UCLA, Claremont Graduate University, UCI,
UCSD, UCSB).
Team Collaboration: Designed for those who would like to work with (a) colleague(s) on generating one
proposal per participant in a group. The group must meet at least biweekly and will be asked to
generate a timeline backing out of the proposal due date. The group can propose its own model, but
the following components must be included: (a) reading one another’s work; commenting, (b)
participating in the mock study section at the end of the semester by reviewing and submitting work
toward a proposal.
For beginning, intermediate, and advanced academies, please submit a 3-page narrative describing
the project for which you will be submitting an extramural proposal. Your narrative should include: (a)
significance, (b) research questions or hypotheses, (c) method, (d) analysis and interpretation, and (e)
dissemination. Identify the agency and program to which you will be applying, your timeline, and
deadline. Please also describe how this award will help you establish or reinvigorate your research
program. If you would like to work with a particular coach or would like to start a small protégé group,
please do so! We are especially interested in supporting interdisciplinary collaborations.
For team collaboration proposals, in 5 pages total: (a) please describe who is on your team; each
member should sketch out proposal ideas and expertise, RFA/PA/RFP if possible, (b) describe the
group plan (meeting dates, specifics about activities) and (c) describe how a group collaboration and
BUILD PODER support will improve your productivity and the quality of your proposals.
Faculty Scholar Academy Coaches:
MariaElena DeBellard, Biology
David Bermudes, Biology
Ray Hong, Biology


Rheem Medh, Biology
Jheem Medh, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Tom Minehan, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Erica Wohldmann, Psychology
For each participant, including team participants, a curriculum vitae (CV), not to exceed two pages,
which focuses on the faculty member’s expertise to accomplish the proposed work.
The completed application, including the application page with signatures, narrative, and CV(s) should
be submitted to buildpoder@csun.edu with “2015-2016 BUILD PODER Faculty Scholar Academies” in
the subject line.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Carrie Saetermoe, carrie.saetermoe@csun.edu
2015-2016 Faculty Scholar Academies
Application Cover Sheet
Deadline: 5:00pm, July 31 for Fall 2015, November 9, 2015 for Spring 2016
Proposal Title:
Preferred Coach(es):
Applicant(s):
Department(s)/College(s):
Academy:
Beginning Proposal Academy
Intermediate Proposal Academy
Advanced Proposal Academy
Team Collaboration
Academy Preference:
Fall 2015
Spring 2016
Note: if you are applying for both semesters, please submit separate, non-duplicative applications.
If awarded, I commit to preparing a proposal for NIH support by the end of the semester for which I receive support:
Applicant(s) Signature:
Date:
Department Chair(s) Signature:
Date:
College Dean(s) Signature:
Date:
Include the following with your application:


Project Narrative (3 page maximum, 5 pages for Team Collaboration; if applying to both semesters,
please provide a separate narrative for each.)
CV (2 page maximum per collaborator)
Please submit your completed application by e-mail as one PDF attachment to buildpoder@csun.edu with
“2015 BUILD PODER Faculty Scholar Academies” in the subject line.