NHLBI & AHA Funding and Grant Writing

Study Section Reviewer’s Top 10 TipsStudy Section Reviewer’s Top 10 Tips

American Heart AssociationAmerican Heart AssociationNovember 12, 2010November 12, 2010Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM

The NHLBI’s Framingham Heart StudyThe NHLBI’s Framingham Heart StudyBoston University School of MedicineBoston University School of Medicine

No industry relationships to discloseNo industry relationships to disclose

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• Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM• NHLBI and AHA Funding and Grant Writing

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1. How do Reviewers Work?

• Hard

• For virtually all grant reviewers, the study section work takes place after their day job

• Your job is to make their job easy

2. What type of grant should you apply for?• Bookmark funding websites

NHLBI» http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm» listserv@list.nih.gov

AHA» http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?

identifier=9713» Applicant guide

• Check sponsored programs for other opportunities e.g. Robert Wood Johnson Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Local foundations

2. What type of grant should I apply for?

• Review eligibility & match the funding mechanism with Your idea Training Publication record

• Myth AHA doesn’t fund clinical work

3. How do you Pick a Topic?

• What excites you?• Will it help you build an identity distinct from your

mentor?• Will it build to an RO1

3. How do I Get Started?

• Ask to see colleague’s successful grants• Ask to see colleague’s critiques• Look at NIH Reporter to see what is funded by

your institute, on your topic, via your mechanism http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm

4. How important are the Specific Aims?• The reviewer should know in one page

Why the question is important Why your approach is innovative Your aims

» What hypothesis you seek to test

Why your team/environment is well-suited to the conduct the study

For a training grant»How the study fits into the rest of your career

5. What do Reviews want to Read?• Novel science that answers an important question

Novel»Will the study shed new insights»Look in an unstudied/understudied population»Use an innovative technique

Clinical relevance»Does it address a question of public health significance»Could you explain to a lay person ‘so what’ »Think family reunion & elevator speech

6. What dew Raveiwrs KNOT want to sea?• A sloppy grant

NO typos / grammar problems Correct references Clear subject headingsLogical flow• Leads to concerns about ability to conduct careful research, publish high impact

papers • A well-laid out manuscript makes it easier for the Reviewer to see the science• Slick presentation cannoT RESCUE HO HUM contentA sloppy grant

NO typos / grammar problems Correct referencesClear subject headings Logical flowLeads to concerns about ability to conduct careful research, publish high impact papers

• A well-laid out manuscript makes it easier for • the Reviewer to see the scienceSlick presentation cannot rescue ho hum content A sloppy grant NO typos / grammar

problems Correct references Clear subject headingsLogical flow Leads to concerns about ability to conduct careful research, publish high impact papers A well-laid out manuscript makes it easier for the Reviewer to see the science Slick presentation cannot rescue ho hum contentA sloppy grant

NO typos / grammar problems Correct references Clear subject headings Logical flow• Leads to concerns about ability to conduct careful

research, publish high impact papers A well-laid out manuscript makes it easier for the Reviewer to see the scienceSlick presentation cannot rescue ho hum content

6. What do Reviewers NOT want to see?• Slick presentation cannot rescue ho hum content but• A sloppy grant Instead aim

No typos No grammar problems Avoid long paragraphs Correct references Subject headings Avoid tiny font Logical flow Avoid TNTC abbreviations

• Sloppiness encourages concerns about ability to conduct careful research, publish high impact papers

• Lucid writing, organized, well-laid out manuscript makes it easier for the Reviewer to see the science

• Can scientist not in the field understand the grant?

7. What Are Common Pitfalls?• Success of aims 2-4 dependent on aim 1• Over-ambitious• Unrealistic or absent timeline• Unclear next steps Does the project build your career

RO1• Lack of limitations section• Lack of essential personnel• Complicated, long background

7. What Are Common Pitfalls?• Approach not worked out

Quality control for measurements Statistical methods reviewed by a statistician Power calculations

»Several scenarios with assumptions laid out»Easy to understand

8. Features that Wow the Reviewer

Picture that elegantly and simply captures •Your conceptual model•Illustrates your data•Outlines your study design•Added bonus of breaking up the text and allowing the grant to breath

9. When should an early career investigator start working on a grant?

1. You cannot start too early2. With the 2 submission rule you need the first

submission to be strong Grants not discussed have a higher chance of ‘double

jeopardy’3. Specific aims formulated at least 3 months in

advance4. First draft 8 weeks5. Mentors and colleagues have time to review

draft at least 1 month in advance

6.6.You cannot start too earlyYou cannot start too early

Budget• Do not over or under budget

10. What if it doesn’t get a good score?• Regroup with your mentors• Address all major issues raised by the Reviewer

Quote the Reviewer directly Have multiple colleagues read your introduction

• If you disagree, do so with utmost respect• Setback are opportunities

To reassess, realign, reinvigorate Reviewers may have saved you from wasting 4 years on a project to

nowhere

• The key to success in research is resiliency

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