Writing Research Proposals in the Natural and Biomedical Sciences

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Writing Research Proposals in the Natural and
Biomedical Sciences
November 13, 2007 Libby OHare eohare_at_ucla.edu P
h.D. Candidate, Neuroscience UCLA GWC Writing
Consultant
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PART 2 Outline

• 1.) Part 1 Review
• -NRSA format
• -Literature reviews
• 2.) Writing the Experimental Design Methods
  Section
• -tips and strategies for the methods section
• 3.) Bringing it all together
• -four sections that will set your proposal apart
• 4.) Common Reviewer Complaints
• -things to keep in mind

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Part 1 ReviewNRSA componentsThe Background
Significance Section (Literature Reviews)
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NRSA Grant Proposals

• Have specific and standard format
• Specific Aims and Hypotheses
• Background and Significance
• Methods and Experimental Design
• Conclusions and Interpretations
• We will add components to this format slightly
  to make your proposal even more compelling and
  hopefully more successful

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(1) Broad Summary Statement of Project

• 1-2 paragraphs
• Place the overall research question in
  perspective
• Attention grabbing
• Use lay language and avoid references when
  possible

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(2) Specific Aims and Hypotheses

• Usually 2-5 specific aims are listed
• Identify the project goals and main hypotheses to
  be tested
• Should list aims using numbers and simple,
  specific sentences
• Helpful to use different formatting tools
  (boldface, italics) to identify specific aims and
  hypotheses

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(3) Background and Significance

• Review of the current literature relevant to the
  proposed project
• Putting the research question into perspective
• Explicit explanation of the potential scientific
  impact of the project
• How does your research question address a hole in
  the literature (how is your question novel)?
• What progression of experiments that led to your
  project?
• Clear and well organized--use subheadings where
  possible

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(4) Preliminary Data

• If applicable and available
• If included, should be brief
• Use images, graphs, tables
• Main goal is to demonstrate that you can perform
  the technique/analysis/procedure you are
  proposing
• Secondary goal is to indicate that your initial
  data is coming out as expected

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(5) Methods and Experimental Design

• Description of research design
• Include information on
• -Materials
• -Subjects
• -Instruments
• -data collection procedures
• -data analysis methods
• How will you address possible experimental
  confounds in your design?
• Look at previous grant proposals from your lab to
  get a sense of the scope and details needed

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(6) Expected Results and Possible Caveats

• What are your expected results?
• Given these results, what is your interpretation?
• How does this interpretation fit with the
  concepts you have developed in the background and
  significance section?
• What are potential confounds or caveats in your
  experimental design?
• Discuss alternative approaches that may be used
  to address this confounds and caveats

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(7) Broad Conclusions and Implications

• 1-2 paragraphs
• Place the overall research question in
  perspective
• Spell out exactly how the proposed research will
  advance the field
• Use lay language and avoid references when
  possible

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(8) Timeline or Work Plan

• Chart format is helpful
• Include information on the duration of
  experiments, activities that will be conducted
• Optional for NRSA grants, but extremely helpful
  to have for yourself

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Functions of Literature Reviews

• Placing the current study within the wider
  disciplinary conversation
• Illustrates the novelty and importance of the
  project
• Explains how your research questions and/or
  research approach is different from those
  previously published
• Justifies your methodology
• Demonstrates your familiarity with the topic and
  your ability to study it successfully

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Tips and Strategies

• Categorize your sources into topic clusters
• Look for trends and themes and synthesize related
  information
• Develop the positions that are relevant for your
  project
• Build on conclusions that have led to your
  project
• Identify holes due to flawed assumptions or
  improper methods
• Include a certain amount of simple reporting of
  previous results, but remember
• You are writing discursive prose
• Your primary goal is to critique

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Tips and Strategies (Cont.)

• You cant include every single study that has
  ever been published on your topic!
• Avoid polemics, praise, and blame
• Focus on justifying your research questions and
  methodology

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Exercise Literature Review Checklist(getting
ready to write)
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Writing the Background Significance Section

• Critical Questions
• 1.) why does the proposed research need to be
  conducted?
• 2.) how is it different from other studies?
• 3.) where does the proposed research fit within
  the current knowledge?
• 4.) what will the proposed research contribute
  to the field?

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Part 2The Methods Experimental Design
Section
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Writing the Methods and Experimental Design
Section

• Definitions
• Functions
• Types/Styles
• Tips and Strategies

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(5) Methods and Experimental Design

• Description of research design
• Include information on
• Materials
• Subjects
• Instruments
• data collection procedures
• data analysis methods
• How will you address possible experimental
  confounds in your design?
• Look at previous grant proposals from your lab to
  get a sense of the scope and details needed

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Methods and Experimental Design

• What is experimental design/methodology?
• description of the specific procedures you will
  use to address your specific aims
• Organization and clarity are fundamental!

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Functions of Methods Sections

• Describe the overall methodological approach
• Illustration of how methods will answer your
  research questions
• Development of rationale or scientific strategy
• Description of specific methods of data
  collection
• Explanation of data analysis methods/strategies
• Address potential limitations and interpretations

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Suggested Format

• Specific Aim 1
• Rationale
• how does this design relate to your overall
  hypothesis?
• Methods
• data collection, data quality control, data
  management, statistical analysis
• Expected Results
• How will you interpret the expected outcome?
• What are some different possible outcomes?
• How will these be different outcomes be
  interpreted and addressed?
• (repeat for each specific aim)

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Exercise 1 (10-15 minutes)

• Methods and Experimental Design Checklist
• Are the methods I chose feasible and within my
  competence?
• Have I made sure my experiment can yield
  statistically significant results?
• Did I address difficulties I may encounter with
  the proposed approaches, show I can handle them,
  and propose solutions and alternatives?
• Did I consider how the limitations of the
  approaches may affect my results and data?
• Did I discuss methods for gathering and
  interpreting data?
• Did I describe the kinds of results I expect and
  how they support continuing my project?
• Did I show I am aware of the limits to and value
  of the kinds of results I expect?
• Have I convinced will be able to interpret my
  results?
• Did I define the criteria for evaluating the
  success or failure of each experiment?

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Part 3Setting Your Proposal Apart
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4 Sections to Set Your Proposal Apart

• (A) Opening statement
• (B) Summary and integration of background
  literature and preliminary data (if applicable)
• (C) Possible caveats and confounds
• (D) Final take-home message

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(A) Broad Summary Statement of Project

• 1-2 paragraphs
• Place the overall research question in
  perspective
• Attention grabbing
• This section sets up the reader for why your
  project is unique and deserves funding

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(B) Expected Results and Possible Caveats

• What are your expected results?
• Given these results, what is your interpretation?
• How does this interpretation fit with the
  concepts you have developed in the background and
  significance section?
• What are potential confounds or caveats in your
  experimental design?
• Discuss alternative approaches that may be used
  to address this confounds and caveats

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(C) Summary and Integration of Background
Literature and Preliminary Studies

• 1-2 paragraphs
• Place the overall research question in
  perspective
• Spell out exactly how the proposed research will
  advance the field
• You have illustrated how previous research
  remains insufficient, AND how your preliminary
  data has positioned you to make the advance that
  your field needs

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(D) Broad Conclusions and Implications

• 1-2 paragraphs
• Place the overall research question in
  perspective
• Spell out exactly how the proposed research will
  advance the field
• Final message to leave reviewer with should be
  positive and should reinforce why the project is
  unique and deserves funding

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Part 4Common Reviewer Complaints
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Common Reviewer Complaints

• Lack of original or novel ideas
• Scientific rationale not valid
• Project lacks focus, studies are not logically
  related, experiments do not follow from one
  another
• Proposed studies based on shaky hypotheses
• Alternative hypotheses are not considered
• Proposed experiments are descriptive and do not
  test specific hypotheses

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Common Reviewer Complaints(cont.)

• Lack of alternative methodological approaches in
  case the primary approach does not work out
• Insufficient methodological detail to suggesting
  applicant doesnt know what she/he are doing
• No recognition of potential problems and pitfalls
• Proposal lacks critical literature references,
  reviewers think that applicant does not know the
  literature

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Session 2 Summary
1.) Reviewed and discussed experimental methods
and design section 2.) Discussed 4 sections that
will set your proposal apart 3.) Reviewed common
reviewer complaints and how to avoid them 4.)
Reviewed the background and significance section
(from Part 1)
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UCLA Grant Writing Resources

• Graduate Writing Center (GWC)
• Individual Writing Consultation Appointments
• http//gsa.asucla.ucla.edu/gsrc/gwc/index.htm
• Grad Divisions Extramural Fellowship Proposal
  Consultants
• Dr. Chuck Olmstead (physical and life sciences)
• 310-835-5094
• brainone_at_ucla.edu

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Acknowledgements
UCLA Graduate Writing Center Marilyn
Gray Christine Wilson
UCLA Academic Technology Services Christine Wells