Title: Competing for Funding in the Biomedical Sciences from the National Institutes of Health
1Competing for Fundingin theBiomedical
Sciencesfrom the National Institutes of Health
Elsewhere
- November 12, 2008
- John Ivy
- JohnIvy_at_tamu.edu
- Office of Proposal Development
- Texas AM University
- Texas AM Health Science Center
2Texas AM UniversityOffice of Proposal
Development
- Unit of Office of Research and Graduate Studies
- Supports Texas AM faculty in the development and
writing of research and educational proposals - center-level initiatives
- multidisciplinary and multi-institutional
research teams - research affinity groups
- junior faculty research
- diversity in the research enterprise
- a suite of grant writing training programs to
help faculty develop and write more competitive
proposals
3OPD Member List
- Jean Ann Bowman, PhD jbowman_at_tamu.edu
- Physical Geography/Hydrology, earth, ecological,
environmental - Mike Cronan, PE, BS (Civil/Structures), BA, MFA
- Center-level proposals, research and educational
partnerships, new proposal and training
initiatives mikecronan_at_tamu.edu - Lucy Deckard, BS, MS (Materials) l-deckard_at_tamu.ed
u - New faculty initiative, fellowships,
engineering/physical science proposals,
equipment, and instrumentation - John Ivy, PhD (Molecular Biology) johnivy_at_tamu.edu
- NIH biomedical and biological science initiatives
- Phyllis McBride, PhD (English) p-mcbride_at_tamu.edu
- Proposal writing training, biomedical, editing
- Libby Pasciak libbyp_at_tamu.edu
- Scheduling, workshop management, project
coordination - Robyn Pearson, BA, MA (Anthropology) rlpearson_at_tam
u.edu - Social sciences and humanities proposals, editing
and rewriting
4Office of Proposal DevelopmentOPD-WEB
http//opd.tamu.edu/
- For an electronic version of this presentation
- Funding opportunities how to search for them
- Junior faculty support
- Proposal development resources
- Grant writing seminars and workshops
- PI perspectives on competitive proposals
- Craft of Grant Writing Workbook
- Agency Toolkits
5General Steps for Writing Competitive Proposals
Topics
- Finding Research Funding Opportunities
- Analyzing the RFP Its Role in Proposal
Development - Analyzing and Assessing the Agency Culture,
Mission and Research Priorities - Understanding the Review Process Writing to
Reviewers - Overview of How to Write a Competitive Project
Summary Proposal Narrative
6Topics to cover today
- Identifying Funding Opportunities
- Know the Funding Agency
- Assess the Competition
- The Review Process
- Preparing Proposals
7Your Research Interests will define funding
sources
- Your research interests should align with the
Mission of the Agency - Biology
- Biomedicine
- Health disparities
- Behavior
- Biochemistry
- Computational science
- Interdisciplinary studies
8Know the category of funding in which you are
interested
- Research
- Training
- Fellowship
- Student retention
- Student recruitment
- Diversity
- Curriculum
- Loan reimbursement
9Funding Sources for Biomedcial Research
- National Institutes of Health 29 bill.
- National Science Foundation 6 bill.
- Dept. of Health Human Services
- Department of Defense
- Foundations
- Environmental Protection Agency
- US Department of Agriculture
- National Aeronautics Space Admin.
10Where do you find the RFPs? (Who ya gonna call?)
- Network with colleagues
- Funding sources cited in literature
acknowledgements - Corporations
- Professional societies
- Google searches
- University posted listings
- Federal agency web sites
- Foundation web sites
- Discussions with Agency and Foundation
Representatives - E-mail listserves (last but not least)
11Grants.gov
- The Grants.gov web portal serves as a single
point of access for all federal agency grant
announcements. New funding announcements from
federal agency are posted to this site daily, and
a range of other features allow subscribing to
email funding alerts, linking to agency web
sites, and searching for funding among agencies.
12http//www.grants.gov/
13Search Browse Grant Opportunities
- Searchhttp//www.grants.gov/applicants/search_opp
ortunities.jsp - Browse agencieshttp//www.grants.gov/search/agenc
y.do
14Grants.gov Search
15Vaccine Keyword Results
16Receive Grants.gov Funding Email Alerts
17http//foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/
18Identify NIH Funding Opportunities
- NIH Office of Extramural Research
- http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm
- NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
- http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html
- Search by keyword
- Browse by Requests for Applications (RFAs)
- Browse by Program Announcements (PAs)
- Automatic funding alerts
- Institutes and Centers (IC) homepages
- Listed at http//www.nih.gov/icd
- Go to IC homepage
- Browse or search their Research Funding or
"Extramural Funding section
19NIH Funding Mechanisms
- Three principal types
- Training T F
- Career K
- Research Project Grant R
20NIH Training Awards
- Institutional awards
- Individual Training awards for predoctoral
(F31), postdoctoral (F32), or senior fellowships
(F33) - Limited to US citizens or legal aliens
21NIH Career DevelopmentK Awards
- Directed at retraining, professional career
development, or recognition of career success - K Kioskhttp//grants1.nih.gov/training/careerdeve
lopmentawards.htm - Career Award WizardHelps you select the right
career awardhttp//grants.nih.gov/training/kwizar
d/index.htm - Participation may be restricted to certain
Institutes and Centers
22NIH Career Awards
- K Kiosk http//grants1.nih.gov/training/careerdeve
lopmentawards.htm - Career Award Wizard - Helps you select the right
career awardhttp//grants.nih.gov/training/kwizar
d/index.htm - Some directed at retraining, professional career
development, and recognition of career success
(may be restricted to certain ICs) - K01 Mentored Research Scientist
- Provide mentored career development in a new
research area - 3-5 yr, 75 effort
- K02 Independent Scientist
- Provides support for newly independent scientists
(see IC provisions) who can demonstrate the need
for a period of intensive research focus as a
means of enhancing their research careers. - 3-5 yr, 75 effort
- K05 Senior Scientist
- Provides protected time for outstanding senior
scientists who have demonstrated a sustained high
level of productivity conducting biomedical
research - NIAAA and NIDA only
- 5 yr, 75 effort
23NIH Career Awards
- K07 Academic Career
- Supports individuals interested in introducing or
improving curricula in a particular scientific
field - 2-5 yrs, 25-75 effort
- K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist
- Provides support and protected time to
individuals with a clinical doctoral degree for
an intensive, supervised research career
development experience - Biomedical and behavior research
- 3-5 yr, 75 effort
- K12 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development
- Institutional programs to support the research
career development of clinicians only or
clinicians and Ph.D. basic research scientists - 5 yr, 75 effort
- K18 Career Enhancement Award for Stem Cell
Research - To encourage investigators to obtain the training
they need to appropriately use stem cells in
their research - K22 Career Transition
- Supports an individual postdoctoral fellow in
transition to a faculty position - 3 yr, 75 effort
- K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career
Development - Development of the independent research scientist
in the clinical area - 3-5 yr, 75 effort
24NIH Career Awards
- K24 Midcareer Investigator Awards in
Patient-Oriented Research - Development of clinical mentors conducting funded
research. - 3-5 yr, 25-50 effort
- K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Career
Development - To foster interdisciplinary collaboration in
biomedical research by supporting career
development experiences for scientists with
quantitative and engineering backgrounds - 3-5 yr, 75 effort
- K26 Midcareer Investigator Award In Mouse
Pathobiology Research - Provides support for established pathobiologists
who wish to devote up to 50 percent of their
effort to research and mentoring in the field of
mouse pathobiology - 25-50 effort
- K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Development
- Institutional award for development of a clinical
research curriculum - 5 yr, up to 200,00/yr
- K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence (PI)
- 2 years mentored postdoctoral research 3 years
independent research in tenure track position (or
equivalent)
25 Research Grants for Independent Scientists
- R01 Large Research Grant
- 4-5 years, 250,000/yr
- R03 Small Grant
- 2 year max, 50,000/yr max
- R21 Exploratory Research Grant
- High Risk High Reward
- Transformational
- 2 years, 275,000 total
- R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)
- Primarily undergrad institutions
- Institute must have received lt3mill/yr in NIH
funding
26Unsolicited vs. Solicited
- NIH makes a distinction between solicited versus
unsolicited proposals - Unsolicited (investigator-initiated) proposals
(82) - Parent Announcements (Program Announcements, PA)
- Solicited (agency-initiated) proposals (18)
- Program Announcements (PA)
- New research programs and updates to ongoing
programs (renewable) - Request for Applications/Proposals (RFA/RFP)
- One time request to fulfill specific agency
research objective or need
27(No Transcript)
28Parent Announcements
29Identifying NIH Solicitations by Topic
30Example Sequencing Technology
31Example Sequencing Technology
32Funding Opportunity Announcements
33Application Due Dates
34Identifying NIH Solicitations by IC
- Search by Agency (IC)
- Identify funding opportunities within an agency
- Steps for searching.
- Identify Agency (IC)
- Go to their homepage (http//www.nih.gov/icd)
- Go to their Research Funding or Extramural
Funding section - Perform search
35Identifying NIH Solicitations by IC
36Identifying NIH Solicitations by IC
37Elements of an NIH FOA
- A Funding Opportunity Announcement
- Part I. Overview Information
- Issuing Organization
- Participating Organizations
- Components of Participating Organization
- Title
- Announcement Type
- Program Announcement Number
- Key Dates
- Executive Summary
38Contents of an NIH PAPart II. Full Text of
Announcement
- Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
- 1. Research Objectives Section II. Award
Information 1. Mechanism(s) of Support 2.
Funds Available Section III. Eligibility
Information 1. Eligible Applicants A.
Eligible Institutions B. Eligible
Individuals 2. Cost Sharing or Matching 3.
Other - Special Eligibility Criteria Section
IV. Application and Submission Information 1.
Address to Request Application Information 2.
Content and Form of Application Submission 3.
Submission Dates and Times A. Submission,
Review and Anticipated Start Dates 1. Letter
of Intent B. Sending an Application to the NIH
C. Application Processing 4.
Intergovernmental Review 5. Funding
Restrictions 6. Other Submission Requirements
- Section V. Application Review Information 1.
Criteria 2. Review and Selection Process A.
Additional Review Criteria B. Additional
Review Considerations C. Sharing Research
Data D. Sharing Research Resources 3.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices 2. Administrative and National
Policy Requirements 3. Reporting Section VII.
Agency Contact(s) 1. Scientific/Research
Contact(s) 2. Peer Review Contact(s) 3.
Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s) Section
VIII. Other Information - Required Federal
Citations
39Program Solicitation
- From the PA or RPF
- Determine supporting ICs
- Identify mechanism (R, T, U, etc.)
- Determine eligibility
- Identify review criteria
- Learn essential information to develop and write
a competitive proposal that is fully responsive
to the agencys objectives and review criteria. - Continuously use the RPF throughout proposal
development and writing as a reference point to
ensure that an evolving proposal narrative fully
addresses and accurately reflects the goals and
objectives of the funding agency including the
review criteria.
40Staying Informed on NIH FOAs
- Subscribe to Weekly E-mail LISTSERV
41Remember, investigator-initiated grants represent
gt80 of those funded by NIH!
42Identifying funding opportunitiesSUMMARY
- Develop search protocols to fit research
interests - Know relevant agencies
- Learn grant cycles
43NSF Biological Sciences Directorate
- The mission of the Directorate for Biological
Sciences (BIO) is to enable discoveries for
understanding life. BIO-supported research
advances the frontiers of biological knowledge,
increases our understanding of complex systems,
and provides a theoretical basis for original
research in many other scientific disciplines. - NSF supports fundamental research in science and
engineering, except for the medical sciences
44NSF Biological Sciences Directorate - Divisions
- Biological Infrastructure
- Environmental Biology
- Emerging Frontiers
- Integrative Organismal Systems
- Molecular Cellular Biosciences
45Know the Funding Agency NIH Mission
- NIH is the steward of medical and behavioral
research for the Nation. Its mission is - science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about
the nature and behavior of living systems and - the application of that knowledge to extend
healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness
and disability.
46NIH 20 Institutes, 7 Centers
47National Institutes of Health
- NIH is a basic research agency
- Each Institute has its own mission
- Each Institute has its own budget
- Each Institute has its own activities
- Each Institute has its own ways of doing things
- When youre planning to submit a grant, check
with Program Officers from different institutes
to determine their specific policies and interest
in your science.
48Know your home-base IC's Mission
For Researchers
About NIDA
49Analyze the Agency NIH Culture
- Trans-NIH initiatives research that cuts across
typical agency boundaries of various ICs - http//www.nih.gov/about/transnih.htm
- Model Organisms for Biomedical Research
- Blueprint for Neuroscience Research
- Bioengineering Consortium
- Biomaterials and Medical Implants
- Bioinformatics at the NIH
- Mammalian Gene Collection
- Cognitive Emotional Health
- Translational Research
- Part of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research
- http//nihroadmap.nih.gov/
- http//nihroadmap.nih.gov/clinicalresearch/overvi
ew-translational.asp
50NIH Roadmap for Medical Research
51NIH Roadmap for Medical Research
- Theme New Pathways to Discovery
- Building Blocks, Pathways, and Networks
Implementation Group - Molecular Libraries and Imaging Implementation
Group - Structural Biology Implementation Group
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Implementation Group - Nanomedicine Implementation Group
- Theme Research Teams of the Future
- High-Risk Research Implementation Group
- Interdisciplinary Research Implementation Group
- Public Private Partnerships Implementation Group
- Theme Re-engineering the Clinical Research
Enterprise - Clinical Research Implementation Group
52NIH Funding Investments and Priorities
- NIH has investment priorities based on past
research findings and current trends in science - Targeted areas (FY 2008 proposed budget)
- HIV/AIDs
- Biodefense
- Roadmap for Biomedical Research
- Enhanced Support for New Investigators
- Physical Infrastructure
- NIH FY2007 budget is 28.8 billion (FY2008
proposed 28.85 billion) - NIH funds research projects inside their own
laboratories (intramural) and outside their
laboratories at national and international
locations (extramural) - Extramural funding 85
- Intramural Funding 10
- Research Infrastructure 5
53New Investigator Programhttp//grants.nih.gov/gra
nts/new_investigators/index.htm
54For New Investigators
- K99/R00 Pathway to Independence
- Must have fewer than 5 yr postdoc experience
- Open to US and non-US citizens
- 2 yr mentored Post-doc 75 effort required
- 3 yr independent, tenure-track or equivalent
position 75 research effort - R01 fast review for new investigators
- Check box on cover page for new investigators
- Example Oct 5 Submit Mar 1 Summary
Statement Mar 20 Resubmit (Mar 5, Jul 5, Nov 5)
55For New Investigators
- More lenient R01 payline for new investigators
(varies by IC) - In FY07, 500 R01 awards to be made to new
investigators - DP2 Directors New Innovator Award
- For exceptionally creative work of new
investigators - Requires highly innovative approaches that have
the potential to produce an unusually high impact - Must have completed doctoral degree within 10
yr - Awards up to 300,00
56A New InitiativeIdentify Early Stage
Investigators
- Designed to encourage early transition to
independence - the average age at which an investigator first
obtains R01 funding has increased by more than 5
years between 1980 to and 2001 - New Investigator An NIH research grant
Principal Investigator who has not yet competed
successfully for a substantial, competing NIH
research grant - Early Stage Investigator (ESI) An individual
who is classified as a New or First-Time
Investigator and is within 10 years of completing
his/her terminal research degree or is within 10
years of completing medical residency - NIH will collect necessary data from the eRA
Commons personal profile - NIH will eliminate the New Investigator Check Box
on the application face page - New or First-Time Investigators will continue to
be identified by determining whether the
individual has had significant, previous NIH
funding - PD/PIs who receive a substantive, competing NIH
research grant will lose their New Investigator
status and hence their status as an ESI - Applications from ESIs and New Investigators will
be identified to reviewers so that appropriate
consideration of their career stage can be
applied during review - New Investigators as well as ESIs will be
eligible for the Full Implementation to Shorten
the Review Cycle for New Investigator R01
Applications Reviewed in Center for Scientific
Review (CSR) Recurring Study Sections
57What you're competing forFY 2007 Operating
PlanNIH Discretionary Budget Authority 29.228
Billion
- gt80 awarded to gt325,000 extramural researchers
58It's competitive out there Historical NIH
Congressional Appropriations
59New Grant Applications and Success Rates During
and After the Doubling Period
60Success Rate FY 2007It's competitive out there!
- Research Project Grant application overall
success rate - 47,455 applications
- 10,100 funded
- 21.3 success rate
- New 18.2
- Continuation 38.7
- Supplements 33.7
DP1, DP2, P01, R01, R03, R15, R21, R33, R34,
R36, R37, R55, R56, RL1, RL2, RL5, RL9, U01, U19
61- Competition for funds from the NIH and other
sponsors, intensifying year by year, now stands
at an unprecedented level, and shows no sign of
abating. Never before have so many established
investigators faced so much uncertainty about
their longevity as active scientists. Never
before have so many novices faced so many
disincentives to entering or continuing a
research career.
Dr. William F. Raub, NIH Associate Director for
Research and Training, strategy paper, 1982
62Assess the CompetitionKnow what was recently
funded
- Learning about recently funded research in your
area helps you understand what an agency is
looking for in the review process - Search on-line databases of funded projects
- Review abstracts of funded proposals on agency
web sites - Talk to the principal investigators of funded
proposals in your area - Obtain copies of funded proposals
- Ask the PI
63CRISP http//report.nih.gov/crisp/
- Computer Retrieval of Informationon Scientific
Projects - A searchable database of federally funded
biomedical research - What similar projects have been funded?
- Has someone already been funded to pursue my
idea? - Who are my competitors?
- Who are potential collaborators?
64(No Transcript)
65CRISP search results
66Review of NIH Proposals
- Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
- Administers and coordinates peer review
- http//www.csr.nih.gov/default.htm
- Divisions (4)
- Integrated Review Groups (IRG) 23
- Study Sections (SS) 220
- Scientific Review Officer (SRO)
- Members (peers with expertise in SS research)
- Standing members
- Ad hoc members
- Study section rosters postedhttp//www.csr.nih.go
v/Roster_proto/sectionI.asp
67What happens when you submit an application?
Center for Scientific Review
1) Scientific Review Group or IC Review Branch
2) IC Advisory Council
Institute Director
68CSR Review Streamlining
- Proposal received at CSR
- Assigned to an IRG, then to a Study Section (SS)
- The Scientific Review Officer (SRO) assigns a
primary, secondary, and tertiary reviewer - Review is a two-step process
- 1) Peer review is merit-based
- Investigator-initiated proposals (R01, R03, R21)
are read by the 1, 2, 3 peer reviewers - Bottom 50 of proposals are identified about 1
week prior to the SS meeting (triaged or
streamlined) - All three reviewers must agree on the streamlined
proposals in order for the proposal to be triaged - Streamlined applications receive summary
statements verbatim from each reviewer, but are
not discussed nor scored - SS meets to review and discuss applications
- Primary reviewer presents your proposal to the
group (reads the abstract)
69CSR Scoring Proposals
- 1) Peer Review (cont.)
- SS members discuss your application, the primary
reviewer answers questions about the proposal - SS members assign a score to the proposal between
1-5 (1outstanding, 5forget it) - After the meeting the SRO calculates the average
score for each proposal, multiply by 100 to get a
3 digit score (100-500) - SRO calculates a priority score or percentile
ranking of the score based on the past 3 cycles
of grant scores within SS - SRO prepares a written critique of your proposal
based on reviewers comments - 2) Advisory Council or Board
- Meritorious proposals considered against mission,
needs, and budget - IC Program Officer makes recommendation to IC
Director - IC Director makes funding decision
70Your application is reviewed at study section by
- Experts
- Non-experts
- People who are reading lots of grants
- People who want to be excited by science
- People who will be irritated by a sloppy
application - So,
- Submit a high quality, reviewer-friendly
application! - Have people review your application critically
well before submission
71For what are Reviewers looking?NIH General
Review Criteria
- Significance
- Ability of the project to improve health
- Approach
- Feasibility of methods and appropriateness of
budget - Innovation
- Originality of research
- Investigator
- Education, training, relevant experience
- Environment
- Suitability of facilities and institution support
72Preparing Proposals
- All NIH proposals use either the electronic form
SF424 or the paper PHS398. - The transition to SF424 for F and K awards is
delayed - Step 1 Download the Instructions and Forms via
the NIH OER website - http//grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/
- http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs39
8.html - Step 2 READ THE INSTRUCTIONS
73Writing for Reviewers
- Reviewers often have 8 or 10 proposals to read
- Use white space, underlining, bold, bullets,
figures, flowcharts to make main points easy to
find - Put main idea of sections and paragraphs up front
- Write for the reviewers
- Make it easy for them to assess your proposal
- Make it easy for them to be your advocate
74Must Convince Reviewers
- Your proposed research should be funded
- Its important and supports the agency mission
and program goals - Its exciting
- It has a good chance of succeeding
- You are the person who should conduct the
proposed research - You are knowledgeable and well-qualified
- You have the support and resources required
75Albert Einstein on Grant Writing
- If you can't explain something simply, you don't
understand it well. - Most of the fundamental ideas of science are
essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be
expressed in language comprehensible to everyone. - Any fool can make things bigger, more complex,
and more violent. It takes a touch of genius
and a lot of courage to move in the opposite
direction.
76Before you begin . . .
- Make sure you have identified the following
- Goal
- Indicates the purpose for the project as a whole
- Should be aligned with the agencys mission
- Aims (Objectives)
- Indicate the purpose for each specific part of
your project - Should be aligned with your overall goal
- Should be specific and measurable
- Rationale
- Indicates why you want to achieve your purpose
- Should be clear and logical
- Expected outcomes
- Indicate what will change as a result of your
research(e.g., behavior, performance, process,
produce) - Should include both immediate and long-term
outcomes
77Speak with the Program Officer early and often
- Do your homework first
- Make an appointment
- Listen to the response
- Request clarification
- Follow up
78Never be timid about contacting a program officer
for clarification
- Timidity is never rewarded in the competitive
grant process.
79Common Elements of PHS398 R01
- Cover page/face sheet
- Description Project Summary (Abstract)
Relevance - Performance site, key personnel
- Table of contents
- Budget page(s)
- Budget justification
- Biosketch of PI, biosketch of all other major/key
personnel - Resources
- Research Plan (Items A-D)
- Other Information under Research Plan (Items E-J)
- References cited, human or animal research
subjects, inclusion of minorities/children in
clinical studies, data sharing plans, etc. - Appendix items
- Checklist
80Introductory writing tips
- Title, Summary (Abstract), and Introduction
(Specific Aims) are key - May be all reviewers read
- Must excite and grab the attention
- Reviewers will assume errors in language and
usage will translate into errors in the science - Dont be overly ambitious in what you propose,
but convey credibility and capacity to perform
81Introductory writing tips
- Sell your proposal to a good scientist but not an
expert - Some review panels may not have an expert in your
field, or panels may be blended for
multidisciplinary initiatives - Agencies reviewers fund compelling, exciting
research - Proposals are not journal articles proposals
must be user-friendly and offer a narrative that
tells a story that is memorable to reviewers
82Cover Sheet
- Requires that you provide basic information about
yourself, your institution, and your proposed
research project - Often offers you the opportunity to indicate if
you are a new investigator (until Feb. '09/)
83Title
- Used by agency administrators to route your
proposal to the appropriate reviewers - Should provide an accurate representation of
your proposed project - Should generate interest in and enthusiasm for
your proposed project - Should conform to agency requirements
- Program name
- Number of characters (NIH 81 incl. spaces)
84Project Summary (Abstract)
- Used by agency administrators to route your
proposal to the appropriate reviewers - Provides a concise overview of the proposed
project - Requires that you provide a great deal of
information within a very limited amount of space
(NIH 30 lines) - Becomes public record if the project is funded
85Project Summary (Abstract)
- One of the most critical sections
- May be one of only a few elements a reviewer
reads - Communicate excitement and grab the reviewer
- Consider writing the Abstract after you've
written your Research Plan - Use the same elements of the Specific Aims in the
same order - Brief introduction to the topic
- Gap in knowledge or critical need
- Broad, long-term goals
- Specific Aims
- Describe research design and methods
- Summarize the Significance of the project
- Avoid summary of past accomplishments
- Avoid use of the first person
86Project Relevance
- The second component of the Project
Summary/Abstract is Relevance - Corresponds to "Project Narrative" in SF424 forms
- Using no more than two or three sentences,
describe the relevance of this research to public
health - Be succinct and use plain language that can be
understood by a general, lay audience
87Budget Budget Justification
- Budget
- Budget categories are defined by the funding
agency - Get help (institutional grants administrator)
- Be reasonable. The reviewers also do research!
- Budget Categories
- Direct
- Personnel
- Equipment
- Travel
- Materials, Other Supplies
- Indirect
- FA (Facilities Administrative)
88Budget Budget Justification
- Budget Justification
- Personnel
- Who? What will they do? How much effort ()?
- Why is this person critical to the success of the
project? - Equipment
- What do you need? Why do you need it? Is there a
similar apparatus nearby that you can use (if
yes, why not use it)? - Travel
- Where do you need to go? How many times will you
go there? How many of the project personnel will
go? Approximately how much will it cost and why? - Materials, Other Supplies
- Equipment maintenance contracts? Fee for service
resource? - FA
- Determined by what your institution has
negotiated - Limited by funding mechanism
89Connect budget to the research narrative
- Be sure activities discussed in the narrative
(Research Plan) are reflected in the budget - In budget justification, personnel, materials,
supplies, equipment, travel should reflect that
necessary to complete Research Plan - Base budget on real costs
- Remember that reviewers know what things cost
- Factor in both direct and indirect costs
- Factor in cost escalations for multi-year projects
90NIH Biographical Sketch
- Four page maximum use NIH form
- Emphasize qualifications relevant to the proposed
project - Ability to conduct and manage project
- Section A. Positions and Honors
- Section B. Publications
- List publications reflective of the topic of the
current proposal (or maximum) - Section C. Research Support
- Current and completed support
- Begin with projects that are most relevant to the
research proposed in the application
91Biographical sketch
- Emphasize qualifications relevant to the proposed
project - Ability to conduct project
- Ability to manage project
- Adhere to agencys formatting requirements
- Use the required form
- Stay within prescribed page limits
- Place information in the required order
- If you are collaborating format your
colleagues resumes like your own
92Sample NIH Biosketch (via http//grants.nih.gov/gr
ants/OER.htm)
93Resources
- Demonstrate that it is feasible to conduct the
proposed research project at your institution - Laboratory
- Clinical
- Animal
- Computer
- Office
- Other
94Resources
- Demonstrate that it is feasible to conduct the
proposed research project at your institution - Demonstrate that you are part of an
intellectually stimulating and supportive
research environment
95Research Plan
- Introduction (Resubmissions only)
- A) Specific Aims
- Long-range goals
- Hypothesis
- B) Background Significance
- C) Preliminary Studies / Progress Report
- D) Research Design and Methods
- Structure based on Specific Aims
96Specific Aims
- Critically important
- Must provide a conceptual overview
- Must outline the project goals, objectives
(aims), and expected outcomes - Must be clearly written leave no room for
interpretation - Must grab the reviewers attentionand generate
enthusiasm for the project - Must be able to stand alone
- Often Title, Abstract, and Specific Aims may be
the only three parts that all reviewers will have
an opportunity to read
97Specific Aims
- PHS's Instructions
- "List the broad, long-term objectives and the
goal of the specific research proposed, for
example, to test a stated hypothesis, create a
novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge
an existing paradigm or clinical practice,
address a critical barrier to progress in the
field, or develop new technology. One page is
recommended." - Grants.gov Application Guide SF424 (RR)
98General organization of the Specific Aims
Introduction to the problem. Identification of
need or gap in knowledge. Long term research goal
and specific project goal Central
hypothesis Specific Aims
Project outcomes benefits
99Specific Aims
- Provide a framework
- State a long-range goal of your research program
- Tie to program/agency mission and goals
- State a specific hypothesis or critical need that
your experiments will address - Provide a rationale for your approach
- State specific, measurable Specific Aims
- Discuss expected outcomes
- Do not be overly ambitious!
100Specific Aims
- Write this section for all your audiencesprimary
reviewers and other reviewerssince they'll all
read it. - Provide a framework for your research topic
- State a long-range goal of your research program
- State a goal of the proposed research
- Identify a gap in knowledge or critical need
- State a specific hypothesis or critical need that
your experiments will address - State specific, measurable Specific Aims
- Aims are not activities, e.g., measure, study,
evaluate - Specific aims are what you plan to accomplish by
the end of the grant - Specify research methods
- Do not be overly ambitious!
- Provide a rationale for your approach how
expected outcomes will fill gap in knowledge,
satisfy critical need, advance the field, enable
future progress, etc. - Summarize Significance
- Identify Innovation
- Tie to program/agency mission and goals
- One approach organize this section into four
paragraphs.
101Specific Aims Paragraph 1
- Introduce the project.
- Relate the project to the agencys mission.
- Educate the reviewer.
- Summarize the important knowledge.
- Identify the gap in the knowledge or state the
critical need. - Identify the problem created by the gap or the
critical need. - Adapted from Morrison and RussellGrant
Application Writers Workbook
102Specific Aims Paragraph 2
- Describe your long-range research or career
goal(s). - Ensure that your long-range career goal aligns
with the agencys mission. - State your overall project goal.
- Ensure that the overall project goal addresses an
identified gap in knowledge and represents a step
toward achieving your long-range career goal. - Present your central hypothesis (or,
alternatively, a statement of need). - Be sure that you present a true hypothesis one
that can be objectively tested to determine its
validity rather than a predetermined
conclusion. - Adapted from Morrison and Russell Grant
Application Writers Workbook
103Specific Aims Paragraph 2 (cont.)
- Explain your rationale for pursuing the project.
- Indicate what it will be possible to accomplish
when your research is complete. - Describe your qualifications and research
environment. - How you are better prepared than other, equally
qualified researchers. - Identify special training, expertise, experience,
and, most importantly, relevant preliminary data. - Identify access to human and animal subject
pools to unique equipment and instrumentation
and to collaborations and partnerships. - Why you are the best resercher in the best
environment to address the research question. - Adapted from Morrison and Russell Grant
Application Writers Workbook
104Your Central Hypothesis
- The foundation of your application the
conceptual underpinning on which the entire
structure rests. - Generally applications should ask questions that
prove or disprove a hypothesis rather than use a
method to search for a problem or simply collect
information. - The goal of more applied research may be to
discover basic biology or develop or use a new
technology. - If your application is not hypothesis-based,
state this in your cover letter and give the
reasons why the work is important.
105Your Central Hypothesis
- Choose an important, testable, focused hypothesis
that increases understanding of biologic
processes, diseases, treatments, or preventions
and is based on previous research. - State your hypothesis in both the Specific Aims
section and the Abstract. - Example of a good research hypothesis
- Analogs to chemokine receptors can inhibit HIV
infection. - Examples of a poor research hypothesis
- Analogs to chemokine receptors can be
biologically useful. - A wide range of molecules can inhibit HIV
infection. - NIAID "How to Plan a Grant Application"
106Specific Aims Paragraph 3
- Delineate your specific aims in a bulleted list.
- Ensure that specific aims correlate with your
central hypothesis. - Ensure that all specific aims relate to and
support your overall project goal. - Design your specific aims and experiments so they
answer the question posed by the hypothesis. - Provide conceptual rather than descriptive
specific aims. - Adapted from Morrison and Russell Grant
Application Writers Workbook
107Specific Aims Paragraph 3 (cont.)
- Delineate your specific aims in a bulleted list
(cont.). - Delineate a reasonable number of specific aims,
presented in a logical order. - Why aims are generally stronger than what
aims. - Define a clear purpose, working hypothesis or
statement of need, and expected outcome for each
specific aim. - Make sure no specific aim is dependent on the
successful outcome of another aim. - Adapted from Morrison and Russell Grant
Application Writers Workbook
108Specific Aims Paragraph 4
- Identify the projects innovation, e.g., a unique
approach or technology - Delineate the projects expected outcomes
- Should validate central hypothesis and resolve
gap in knowledge - Summarize the projects significance
- Provides segue to Background and Significance
- Adapted from Morrison and Russell Grant
Application Writers Workbook
109Specific Aims
- Don't be overly ambitious
- 2-5 aims for an R01
- Avoid descriptive aims
- No fishing expeditions no look-and-see!
- Use brief, concise, informative, conceptual
statements (headline style)
110What vs. Why Aims
- "What" aims
- Determine amino acid sequence of protein Y of
antiviral Z-sensitive wild-type virus X. - Determine amino acid residue changes in protein Y
of 100 natural antiviral Z-resistant virus X
isolates. - In culture, select for virus X variants that
develop resistance to antiviral Z and identify
altered protein Y residues. - versus
- "Why" aim
- Identify virus X protein Y candidate amino acid
residues responsible for antiviral resistance.
111Background Significance
- Consider starting with Significance and tie into
Specific Aims - Explain explicitly why proposed research is
important - Specify how your research will extend and advance
knowledge in the field - Identify what you will be able to do following
successful research that you cannot now do. - Tie to agency and program goals
- Relate to review criteria (e.g., innovation)
- Make Significance easy to find
- Communicate your excitement!
112Background Significance
- Background should tie closely to your proposed
research - Describe state of the field
- Provide context for proposed project
- Demonstrate your familiarity with the field
- Nature of the problem and Identification of the
opportunity - Acknowledge alternative hypotheses or models
- Be thorough and concise
- Do not be dismissive of previous research
113Significance
- Consider placing up front
- Explain explicitly why proposed research is
important - Tie to agency and program goals
- Relate to review criteria (e.g., innovation)
- Make this easy to find
- Opportunity to make important points up front
- Communicate your excitement!
114Preliminary Data / Progress Report
- Discussion of preliminary data must connect
clearly to proposed project - Determine how much preliminary data to include
- Can vary with funding mechanism
- Present the results in a logical order
- Illustrate your results
115Research Design Methods
- Structure based on Specific Aims or Review
Criteria - Include approaches and detailed methods
- Be clear about how you will accomplish your
stated goals and objectives. Include details - What, specifically, will you do when you get the
money? - Schedules and milestones may be helpful
- This is especially important if you are a
relatively new researcher - Identify expected, measurable outcomes
- Identify and address anticipated pitfalls and
alternate approaches - Avoid ambiguous terminologybe specific!
116Project schedule
- Delineate the key milestones
- Incorporate the agency and program requirements
117Research Ethics
- Address all relevant ethical issues regarding
inclusion of human and animal subjects and use of
hazardous materials, select agents, or
recombinant DNA - Justify use of human and animal subjects and or
hazardous materials, select agents, or rDNA - Demonstrate that potential benefits outweigh
potential risks - Delineate training procedures
- Explain safeguards from potential risks
- Discuss reporting procedures
118Formatting Requirements
- Font
- Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia
typeface - Black font color
- Font size of 11 points or larger
- Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters
or special characters the font size requirement
still applies - Type density, including characters and spaces,
must be no more than 15 characters per inch - Type may be no more than six lines per inch
- Page Margins
- At least one-half inch margins (top, bottom,
left, and right) for all pages - Use standard paper size (8 ½" x 11)
- Figures, legends, tables, graphs, charts, etc.
may use smaller font
119The funded proposal
- The author of a funded proposal has
accomplished the basic goal of grant writing when
she has - Ensured the reviewers were intrigued and excited
about the proposed research, - Understood its significance, and
- Were confident in the researchers capacity to
perform.
120Three possible outcomes of proposal review
- Triaged
- Discussed, scored, not funded
- Discussed, scored, FUNDED!
121Receive review comments
- If your proposal is not funded
- Deal constructively with rejection
122Revisions Resubmission
X Two
- Three strikes youre out
- Read the reviewers comments
- Take a break
- Re-read the reviewers comments
- Dont take them personally
- Read the reviewers comments, AGAIN
- Call the program officer for more feedback
- Evaluate if you should resubmit
123Interpreting Reviews Planning to Resubmit
- Were certain issues mentioned consistently?
- Plan how to address those issues
- Did the reviewers misunderstand your proposal?
- Plan how to make your text more clear
- Was no clear issue mentioned?
- May not have excited reviewers enough
- May not be an area they wish to fund now
- May not fit into their research portfolio
- Begin working on the revisions. Incorporate the
revisions that you think make your proposal
better than the previous submission - Many funded proposals were funded after multiple
submissions ? intelligent perseverance is the key!
124Revise and resubmit your application
- Respect the views of reviewers
- Review the reviews
- Decide whether or not you have a viable project
- If you dont, revise the idea or come up with a
new one - If you do, revise and resubmit the application
125Receive review comments
- If your proposal is funded
- Celebrate!
126Recap Tips for Success at NIH
- Understand NIHs mission and overall goals
- Propose research topics that cross the boundaries
of various IC - Leverage tools and resources from other research
areas to approach your research topic - Create multidisciplinary research teams
- Focus on NIH priorities
- Search for funding opportunities often and using
different strategies, e.g., agency or topic
search, and submit unsolicited proposals when
possible - Look for various opportunities to acquire
funding, e.g., diversity supplements, career
awards - Partner with established NIH investigators
127Recap Tips for Success with NIH Grants
- Identify your "IC home"
- Get to know your Program Officer
- Sign up for the Weekly NIH Funding Opportunities
and Notices - Study the "how-to" NIH websites
- Look for various opportunities to acquire
funding, e.g., diversity supplements, career
awards - Partner with established NIH investigators
- Read the solicitation
- Develop a descriptive title
- Write a concise, non-ambiguous Abstract/Summary
- Write Specific Aims that are hypothesis-driven
with clear, measurable outcomes
128The Last WordThe proposal is the only reality
- A proposal is not unlike a novel or a movie. It
creates its own, self-contained reality. The
proposal contains all the funding agency and
review panel will know about your capabilities
and your capacity to perform. With few
exceptions, an agency bases its decision to fund
or not to fund entirely on the proposal and the
persuasive reality it creates.
129Life Science Funding Source Listings
- Grants.gov http//www.grants.gov
- National Institues of Health
- Office of Extramural Research http//grants.nih.go
v/grants/OER.htm - Individual Institutes and Centers
- National Science Foundation http//www.nsf.gov/
- Find Funding http//www.nsf.gov/funding/
- Funded Research http//www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
- GrantsNet sponsored by AAAS and
HHMI http//sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding - Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs http//cdmrp.army.mil/funding/default.ht
m - Philanthropy News Digest RFP listings http//found
ationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/ - American Cancer Society http//www.cancer.org/docr
oot/RES/RES_0.asp - American Heart Association http//www.americanhear
t.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier9713 - Cancer Research Institute http//www.cancerresearc
h.org/criprogs.html - Life Sciences Research Foundation http//www.lsrf.
org/geninfo.htm
130Additional Resources
- Office of Proposal Development,
TAMUhttp//opd.tamu.edu/ - Funding Opportunitieshttp//opd.tamu.edu/funding-
opportunities - Resources for Junior Facultyhttp//opd.tamu.edu/r
esources-for-junior-faculty - The Craft of Grant Writing workbookhttp//opd.tam
u.edu/the-craft-of-writing-workbook - National Science Foundationhttp//www.nsf.gov/
- Find Fundinghttp//www.nsf.gov/funding/
- Funded Researchhttp//www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
131Web Resources
- National Institutes of Health http//www.nih.gov/
- Grant Application Basicshttp//grants.nih.gov/gra
nts/grant_basics.htm - All About Grants Tutorialhttp//www.niaid.nih.gov
/ncn/grants/default.htm - New Investigator Portalhttp//www.niaid.nih.gov/n
cn/grants/new/portal.htm - Annotated R01 Research Plan and Summary
Statementhttp//www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/app/
- Mock Peer Review Videohttp//www.csr.nih.gov/Vide
o/Video.asp - CRISP funded biomedical researchhttp//crisp.cit.
nih.gov/
132Web Resources
- Grants.gov http//www.grants.gov
- GrantsNet sponsored by AAAS and
HHMI http//sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding - Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs http//cdmrp.army.mil/funding/default.ht
m - Philanthropy News Digest RFP listings http//found
ationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/ - American Cancer Society http//www.cancer.org/doc
root/RES/RES_0.asp - American Heart Association http//www.americanhear
t.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier9713 - Cancer Research Institute http//www.cancerresear
ch.org/criprogs.html - Life Sciences Research Foundation
http//www.lsrf.org/geninfo.htm - National Multiple Sclerosis Society
http//www.nationalmssociety.org/
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135Grant Writers' Seminars and Workshops http//gran
tcentral.com/
136Questions?
- Copies of this presentation will be available on
the OPD websitehttp//opd.tamu.edu/