Developing a Funded Research Program

YSM Seminar– October 3, 2014

Why do I want to land a grant?

 Proposal writing is key to:  Funding your own research  Creating and controlling your work environment   Independence Getting a job   Getting a better job Higher Salary  Being promoted

What proposal writing is like?

       No sleep Poor diet Chaotic Stressful Annoy people with your needs People annoy you Temporary family disaster

Strategies to Secure Funding        Develop a goal oriented lifestyle Write Publications Partnering Networking Submit proposals Develop a national reputation Recognize an opportunity

Proposal Writing     Is one SMALL aspect of landing a grant.

Most workshops focus on the of proposal writing. Most are lead by non grant active administrators.

mechanics

Whether or not your proposal is funded depends on a well written proposal PLUS other aspects we will talk about today.

A poorly written proposal will disqualify you no matter how good the idea.

Funding Strategies Employment Strategies Promotion Strategies

Goal Oriented Lifestyle      Develop THE PLAN.

What specifically is your area of expertise and interest?

Where do you want to be in five years?

Where do you want to be in ten years?

The biggest predictor of achieving your goals is being able to articulate them.

Determine Overarching Career Goals    Develop a timeline with goals and objectives.

Developing new goals = GOOD.

Giving up = BAD.

Proposal Writing Philosophy    EMBRACE REJECTION!

Successful PIs learn to navigate barriers.

Everybody encounters barriers, successful PIs learn to get beyond them.

PUBLICATIONS    Can NOT get a federal grant without them.

Set a minimum of two per year.

Hierarchy 1.

2.

3.

4.

Peer reviewed journals – shoot for tier 1 in your area Chapters Books Briefs and Reports

Partnering      Who is interested in what you are interested in?

State and Federal Government Community Other departments/schools at Yale Other Universities (ride on somebody else ’ s coat tails when you are junior)

Networking         Present at national conferences every year and eat dinner Get involved in organizational administration Review papers Scientific panels Sit on advisory councils Attend coalition interest groups Contact federal, state and local government Contact national/international figures in areas of interest

Proposals      The biggest predictor of getting funding is applying Write lots of proposals (3 per year) Take the reviewer comments Improve Try again

Developing a National Reputation       Publications, Publications, Publications Conference presentations Review papers and proposals National advisory committees National Academy of Sciences Make contact with others with national reputations

Recognize an Opportunity     Say “ YES ” collaborate when people ask you to Don ’ t get bogged down with dead weight Don ’ t invest your time in somebody else ’ s career Its usually as much work to get a big grant as a little one

Strategies to Land Funding     APPLY!

Talk to program officers Look at who and how somebody whose work is similar to yours secured funding Collaborate with others who have funding

Money Attracts Money       Begin with low hanging fruit Special federal grants for new PIs Training grants Seed Funding Funding for administrators returning to research State and community funding

Hang out with the popular crowd   Offer to be a CO-PI and write proposals with big named national reputations with funding Collaborate on publications with leaders in your field

Improving your odds    Follow directions explicitly Get letters of commitment NOT support Add on areas of expertise even if you can do those things

What funding agencies & panels are looking for          Demonstrate a void you can fill Show you can hit the ground running Support and collaboration Multidisciplinary applications Somebody else invested in you Sexy idea Innovation Topic is interesting AND important You will make your funding agency look good

Identify Funding Sources    State Federal   More than one avenue The TOP funded researchers at US universities are not applying for RO1s Foundation

Federal Funding – The Golden Standard      Must have an upward research trajectory Imperative to show you are research active Must show expertise through publications Must demonstrate experience on managing smaller awards before chasing big dollars R21 precedes an R01

Mechanics of Proposal Writing

problem goals method stats staff appendix budget title evaluate

Outside the Scope of this presentation 

EXERCISE: P & B

HINT # 1 Make Life Easier     Borrow, copy, remodel, recycle No need to reinvent the wheel All your work should be leading to the same place so a proposal is not new work You will learn to develop proposal language

HINT # 2 Don ’ t Be Lazy!

   NEVER EVER PLAGIARIZE! Software will tell The application MUST match the RFA – don ’ t shove a square peg in a round hole Same group of reviewers and they have good memories

HINT # 3 Develop Yourself First   Writing an excellent research proposal is just one aspect of successfully funding a project Developing a successful research PROGRAM is essential

HINT # 4 Others Have Grants     Don ’ t bank on everything I say There is more than one way to skin a cat This presentation is a reflection of my experience with the grant process Observe and mentor with other successfully grant funded researchers

HINT # 5 You Cannot Fool a Panel!

     Reviewers are experts in your area That is why they are reviewers They easily feel offended if you overlook their work Cite their work Be on top of the literature

HINT # 6 Snap Judgments   It takes 30 seconds to judge you!

First impressions taint and frame the entire review.

1.

2.

Publications better be commensurate with experience, funding, and years out of training  References – 90-95% of the literature should be in the last five years except for seminal citations. Be on top of the literature.

PET PEEVE is grant apps with references that stop when investigator graduated school

HINT # 7 Sell Yourself     Promote! Promote! Promote!

You must show you are amazing, going to solve an important issue, are brilliant, have the means to do it, know what you are doing.

You must do this even if it makes you uncomfortable Cultural Issues

HINT # 8 Be Responsive    Respond to Program Officer Respond to RFA/RFP Respond to foundation or center goals. They are usually on websites

HINT # 9 Funding Faux Pas    There is no relationship between how much you ask for and being funded as long as you are below the cap Asking for too little makes you seem naïve and a novice which makes your reviewer think negatively of you A grant award results in a contract. You MUST deliver what you promise even if the funding is insufficient

HINT # 10 Strategies for Career Stage   New Faculty Research Active but not Grant Active

Time to Write a Grant       300 Hours R01 400-600 for a Multi Investigator Program Grant Get as much stuff done ahead. Bio Sketch Descriptions of facilities, resources, etc.

Borrow the “ non-science ” other proposals aspects from Look at successful proposals

ASK FOR HELP, BOUNCE OFF IDEAS, SEARCH FOR FUNDING, HOW TO GET STARTED, GRANTS THERAPY

Questions???