Transcript Slide 1

Grantspersonship
---International grant application
Lin Lu
Workshop outline
• Introduction to grant writing
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
The process of obtaining a grant
Key component of grant applications
Types of grants
Objective
Form
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Training/career
Research
Conference
Equipment
infrastructure
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Investigator-initiated
---individual----groups
“set-aside” grants
contracts
Sources of grants
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Government
-NNSF
-NIH
-NSF
 Non-government
organization
-WHO
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Private foundation
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Health Voluntaries
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--Chinese Medical
Association
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Corporations
--Pfizer Inc.
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Why people don’t get funded
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Because it is too hard?
Inadequate concept
Poor presentation
Poor understanding of process
Lack of persistence
Part 1:
The process of getting a grant
The process
Preparing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Establish frame of mind
Develop concept (>3 m)
Identify funding source
Inform your institute
Refine concept
Submitting
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Writing
6.
7.
8.
Think like a reviewer
Outline, write, edit
Get feedback & revise
Get approvals (2-60 d)
Request assignment
Submit application (0 d)
Provide add’l materials
Ensure receipt
Responding
14.
15.
16.
Await review
Study report
Respond to report
Think ahead and plan backwards
Phase1: Preparing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Establish frame of mind
Develop concept
Identify funding source
Inform your institute
Refine concept
1. Establish frame of mind
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Often: little enthusiasm
Better: a wonderful opportunity
2. Develop a concept that
FITS
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Fills a gap in knowledge
Important to
-the field
-funding agency
-you
Tests a hypothesis
-(if possible)
-provides measurable results
Short-term investment in long-term goals
Getting information on
agencies that fund research
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Internet
 Colleagues
 Acknowledgements on paper
 Administration at your institution
3. Identify funding source
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Improve odds: match objectives
-research interests
-your personal characteristics
. Career phase
. Gender, ethnicity
Communicative with program staff !!!
Information to collect
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Is concept relevant
Current instructions
Who reviews
What are criteria
Funding
-percentage
-level (amount, year)
-experience
4. Inform those involved
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Funding agency: letter of intent
- required
. Screening mechanism
- optional
. Administrative planning
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Individuals at your institution
- administration
- assistants
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People to give feedback
5. Refine your concept
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Review current literature
Talk with colleagues
Think hard
6. Outline, Write, and Edit
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Begin with a full outline
Write initial draft without editing
Edit thoroughly
1-2 d
2-3 wk
2-3 wk
4-6 wk
7. Think Like a Reviewer
Time spent reading proposal
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Primary reviewer
 Secondary reviewer
 Discussion at study section
7-8 hr
1 hrs
20 min
Survey by Janet Rasey of
NIH R01 proposals reviews
Implications
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Anticipate question, provide answers
Know and use the review criteria
Significance
Innovation
Approach
Investigate
Environment
also: ethical conduct of research
Sample review criteria
NIH
Significance
Approach
Innovation
Investigator
Environment
NSF
Intellectual merit
“Broader impacts”
American Cancer Society
Scientific merit
Investigator
Environment
Control cancer, benefit pts.
Pew Charitable Trusts
Fits their mission
Quality
Accountability
Sound design
General organization
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Use headings frequently
 Write in paragraphs
-1 major idea per paragraph
- topic sentences
- initial paragraphs of section
most important
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Have a table of contents
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Make it easy to find
key points
- bold face
• headings
• terms
- cross reference
- some redundancy
Appearance
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Select good type face
Conform to
good
Times Roman
Century Schoolbook
- size > 11 pt
- occasionally use special fonts
- type size
- margins
- # pages
- sections
let your text
- indent paragraphs
- skip line between paragraphs
instructions!
A.
A. Background and Significance
B.
The importance of training in “survival skills.” Success in science requires a solid
background in a specific scientific discipline as well as extensive laboratory experience.
However, for individuals to develop into accomplished professional, they must acquire
survival skills, that is , they must be able to communicate effectively, both orally and in
writing, obtain employment and funding, manage stress and time, teach, and behave
responsibly (Bloom 1992; Bird 1994; national Academy of Sciences 1995).This has
always been the case and is becoming even more true as our doctoral and postdoctoral
trainees need to be prepared for a variety of vocations (National Academy of Science 1995;
Varmus 1995)
In addition to traditional jobs in academia, many of our trainees will ultimately find
themselves doing research in industry, teaching in 4-year colleges, or serving in some
administrative capacity. Others will combine their PhDs with professional degree in
medicine or law and become clinical researchers, patent layers, or become involved in the
formulation of public
A. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE
The importance of training in “survival skills.” Success in science
requires a solid background in a specific scientific discipline as well as
extensive laboratory experience. However, for individuals to develop into
accomplished professional, they must acquire survival skills, that is , they
must be able to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, obtain
employment and funding, manage stress and time, teach, and behave
responsibly (Bloom 1992; Bird 1994; national Academy of Sciences
1995).This has always been the case and is becoming even more true as our
doctoral and postdoctoral trainees need to be prepared for a variety of
vocations (National Academy of Science 1995; Varmus 1995)
In addition to traditional jobs in academia, many of our trainees will
ultimately find themselves doing research in industry, teaching in 4-year
colleges, or serving in some administrative capacity. Others will combine
their PhDs with professional degree in medicine or law and become clinical
researchers, patent layers, or become involved in the formulation of public
8. Get feedback and revise:
Asking for help
Yes
−
Program staff
− Former reviewer
− Colleague
NO!
- Current reviewer
9. Get approvals
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Use of subjects
- humans
- animals
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Safety
Agreements
- collaborators
- consultants
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Your institute
-office of research
-department chair
Clues for assignment officer
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Title
Abstract
Specific aims
Cover letter
Input from program staff
10. Submit application
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Know the deadline
Anticipate problems
Give yourself extra time
What if you are late?
- call and ask
- there often is a grace period
- sometimes there isn’t
11. Await review
What will be happening
1.
2.
Assignment
Evaluation
- staff
- peers
• sitting panel
• external reviewers
3.
Preparation of report, which may
- not be available
- need to request
- take 2-3 mo
- be incomplete
- contain contradictions
12. Study the report
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Possible outcomes
- scored
• high
• “gray area”
• low
- rejected
Reasons for rejection:
Research proposals
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not innovative, important
 inadequate rationale
 uncritical approach
 not well reasoned
lacks expt’l detail
 overambitious
 diffuse or uncertain future
directions
 ethical concerns
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Reasons for rejection:
Fellowships
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weak candidate
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- quality of research
- relevance to training
- productivity
- letters
- training
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Poor mentor
- research
- funding
- experience
inadequate proposal
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Weak institution
- colleagues
- support
13. Respond to Critique
If funded,
but with reduced budget
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Estimate what can be accomplished
 Renegotiate
- objective
- experiments
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save rest for future application
If scores is in “gray zone”
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talk to program officer
 Consider providing additional material
- rebuttal
- evidence of feasibility
If not funded
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Revised application
- some changes
- some polite rebuttal
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Request new reviewers
Part II: Components of an application
Sections of an application
Title
Abstract
Budget
& justification
Biographical sketches
Research
Subject
of key participants
plan
welfare
Supplementary
materials
Title
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Mini-abstract
Accurate statement of long-term goals
Conform to guidelines
Include key words
Abstract
Contents
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background
method
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specific aims
 unique features
 methodology
 expected results
of evaluation
 generalizability
 relation to field
 broad impact
Abstract
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Accurate
Simple
Interesting
Not provocative
Key words
Research plan
A.
B.
C.
D.
Specific Aims
Background & Significance
Preliminary Data
Research Design & Methods
A. Specific Aims
Goals
 long-term
 broad
 diffuse
“Specific Aims”
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short-term
 specific
 measurable
 hypothesis-driven
A. Specific Aims
Goal (long-term objective)
Develop interventions that reduce the cognitive deficits associated with
Alzheimer’s disease.
Specific Aims (short-term)
1)
Identify the behavioral consequences of the loss of cholinergic
neurons in forebrain, and
2)
Determine the extent to which these effects can be reversed by
increased activation of specific subtypes of Ach receptors.
A. Specific Aims
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Small number (~3-5)
Specific
Single sentence
Lead to hypothesis-driven experiments
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Example 2
Examine effect of GDNF on cell death caused by stroke
Hypothesize that GDNF attenuates cell death induced by
stroke via the activation of MAP kinase
B. Background & Significance
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literature review
- rationale for project
- state of the end
your
proposal
- innovation
- contribution to field
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be selective
 deal with contradictions
 include own work
 include reviewer’s work
 cite sources
C. Preliminary Data
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feasibility of methods
 support for hypothesis
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summarize critical findings
 include reprints in appendix
 interpret results critically
D. Research Design & Methods
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Parallel to Specific Aims
Match to funds, time
Be specific: methods/data analysis
Be Hypothesis-driven
Discuss contingencies
Experiments
Specific Aim 1
- Identify the behavioral consequences of the loss of cholinergic
neurons in forebrain
Experiment 1
- Use the local administration of inhibitors of Ach synthesis to
selectively reduce the availability of ACh in specific brain
regions; then examine impairments in performance in the Morris
water maze.
Methods
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Why your method is best
Provide details
- methodology
- controls
- instruments to be used
- information to be collected: value & limitations
- precision of data
- procedures for data analysis
- interpretation
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Potential problems & how you will overcome them
Alternative method, if yours fails
Methods
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List sources of unique materials
- reagents
- materials
- populations
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Consider input from statistician
- experimental design
- analysis procedures
Presentation of
an individual experiment
Expt 1: Studies of ..
title
 parallel to
specific aim
Presentation of
an individual experiment
Expt1: Studies of ..
hypoth.: A will
correlate with B
hypothesis
 What you will
test (not prove)
Presentation of
an individual experiment
Expt 1: Studies of..
hypoth.: A will
correlate with B
1. Rationale
rational
 why you propose to do this
experiment
Presentation of
an individual experiment
Expt 1: Studies of..
hypoth.: A will
correlate with B
1. Rationale
2. Experimental
design
design
 what you will do
assay method
- availability
- sensitivity
- specificity
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# of replicates
 data analysis
Presentation of
an individual experiment
Expt 1: Studies of..
hypoth.: A will
correlate with B
1.Rationale
2.Experimental
design
3. comments
comments
 expectations
 problems?
- measurement
- interpretation
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contingencies
Timeline
Approximate Timeline (in years)
Experiment
Impact of GDNF on
cell death
Signaling underlying
effects of GDNF
Molecular basis of
neuroprotection
1
2
3
4
5
Collaborators & consultants
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Add skills, expertise
Add credibility
Biographical sketches
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Include for critical personnel
Highlight relevant accomplishments
Ensure accuracy
- training, experience
- publications
- grant support
Budget
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Reasonable for the project
- funding agency
- your level of experience
Full budget
- itemize, justify each cost
“modular” budget
- request in $25,000 increments
- limited justification
Justification
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Personnel
- % effort on project
- responsibilities
Ben Aster, Ph.D., 20% effort. Dr. aster is responsible for
program evaluation. He develops evaluation instruments,
interviews subjects, administers surveys, codes and
analyzes the data, initiates follow-up inquires, and writes
evaluation reports.
Justification
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Animals
- quantity
- cost at age
- days housed
- cost of housing
Special concerns
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Salary
Travel
Equipment
- purchase
- service maintenance
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New costs in subsequent years
Inflationary increases
Construction of budget
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Fringe benefits
- this example=20%
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Direct costs (DC)
Salaries
Fringe benefits(20%)
Supplies
Equipment
50,000
10,000
25,000
15,000
Direct Costs
100,000
Construction of budget

fringe benefits
- this example=20%
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Direct Costs (DC)
 Facilities &
Administrative
Costs (F&A)*
- example=50%
- not on equipment
Salaries
50,000
Fringe benefits(20%) 10,000
Supplies
25,000
Equipment
15,000
Direct Costs
100,000
Facilities & Admin* 42,500
Total Award
*Also referred to as “indirect costs” (IDC)
$142,500
Resources and environment
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Document resources available
- equipment
- space
- facilities
- support staff
Subject welfare
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Know, adhere to guidelines
Get appropriate approvals
Human subjects
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Characteristics of subjects, population
Recruiting methods
Criteria for selection
Consent procedures
Potential risks
How risks will be minimized
Benefits to subjects and community
Inclusion of women and minorities
Vertebrate animals
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Detail proposed use
Justify species and number
Veterinary care
Minimizing stress, discomfort
Justification for method of euthanasia
Letters
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Agreement, collaboration
Recommendation
Letters of agreement
- obtain from collaborators, consultants
- to document
• type, level of involvement
• access to unique materials
- improve by providing sample
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Letters of recommendation
- may be required
- could be optional
- could be inconspicuous
Appendix
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Some example of materials
- color or enlarged figures
- reprints of your work
- updated information
• results
• other accomplishments
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Find out if,when,where
Never use to circumvent page limits!!
Advice to new investigators
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Get funded as soon as possible
- funding track record helps get more $
- proposals often not funded first time
Advice to new investigators
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Starting small is fine
- amount
- time
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Make sure previous work published
Every proposal should be excellent
Letters from others can help
Don’t stop’till you have more than enough’