Grant writing: what’s it about?. Who does grant writing? Typically a person must have advanced to...
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Transcript of Grant writing: what’s it about?. Who does grant writing? Typically a person must have advanced to...
Grant writing:what’s it about?
Who does grant writing? Typically a person must have advanced to the level
of independent investigator before being eligible. This includes:
University faculty Federal agency scientist (USDA-ARS, NIH, Department
of Defense, Department of Energy, etc.) Exception: training grants may allow postdoctoral
trainees or PhD students to apply.
Why do grant writing? Grant writing allows you to obtain funding
for your independent research program. Research cycle:
Submit grant application and obtain funding Conduct research Publish results in peer-reviewed journals
Grant writing is not an endpoint; it is the beginning of the cycle.
But… To establish an “independent” research
program, we all have to do it. It’s an important criteria for promotion and
tenure.
And…
…It’s not that bad What are some benefits?
It forces you to think through experiments and make sure they’re designed properly before you start
Grant reviews can actually help you refine your experiments so they have a better chance for success
Even the literature review can be good…it forces you to make sure the work you’re planning hasn’t already been done.
What are the granting agencies?
What do the agencies fund? Biomedical research
Agricultural research
Life science research that is not biomedical or agricultural
Clinical research
Despite the different funding agencies, grant applications are much the same...Component NIH USDA NSFDescriptive title x x xAbstract/Summary x x xBudget x x xApplicant credentials x x xBackground/
Significancex x x
Preliminary data x x xNarrative description x x xCompletion schedule x x
What are the traits of a good grant application? 1. A good, original idea
2. Research that fits the mission of the agency/program
3. Research that is well designed to address the idea
4. Well written (grantsmanship)
What are the traits of a good grant application? 1. A good, original idea
2. Research that fits the mission of the agency/program
3. Research that is well designed to address the idea
4. Well written (grantsmanship = salesmanship)
Where do good ideas come from? 1. An extension of your previous research
2. Reading the literature (sometimes in unrelated fields) and applying new ideas to your area of research
3. Talking with other researchers in your field or in unrelated fields
Find the agency that fits your idea Find the appropriate program within the agency and
obtain the program’s request for applications (RFA) Read the RFA carefully to make sure your idea fits
the scope of the program you want to apply for Contact the appropriate program officer at the
agency if there are any questions Find the deadline for proposals for the program and
plan accordingly!
Design your research well Make sure the research addresses the hypothesis you
are testing Include proper controls and appropriate repetitions Use acceptable methods that address the problem Include appropriate statistical methods Anticipate problems and provide alternative
approaches
Grantsmanship Maximally convey your enthusiasm Write with maximal clarity and compelling
logic Tell your reviewers what to expect for the
agency’s investment Make your application “reviewer friendly” Avoid avoidable mistakes
Before you get started… Read the directions!
Before you get started… Read the directions! Read the directions!
Before you get started… Read the directions! Read the directions!
Read the directions!
Before you get started… Read the directions! Read the directions!
Read the directions! …and then read the directions really well.
What are the parts of a grant proposal? 1. Specific aims section (usually 1-1 ½ pages) 2. Background/significance (literature review) 3. Preliminary data (4. Sometimes results from prior support or
response to previous reviews) 5. Narrative (description of the proposed
research)
1. Specific aims section Usually 1-1 ½ pages
Briefly describe knowns and unknowns in the field, then frame the problem to be solved
Tell the long-range goal of your research program and the overall objective of this proposal.
State the central hypothesis and how it was formulated State the rationale Tell the payoff of the proposed research.
Most grant applications must be hypothesis-driven Definition:
A tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences
Based on your idea, develop a clear hypothesis for testing
Make sure it is testable State your hypothesis!
The difference between a hypothesis and a predetermined conclusion The central hypothesis is that components of
automobile exhaust accelerate degradation of statuary in Washington, DC
The central hypothesis is to show that components of automobile exhaust accelerate degradation of statuary in Washington, DC
Narrative Tell reviewers precisely:
What you propose to do How you propose to do it What results you expect and what they will mean
in terms of the overall project What might go wrong What alternative approaches will be used to cope
with potential problems
Background/significance Significance
Make it easy for the reviewers to identify the importance and impact the research will have
Include a clear, direct sentence stating the significance
Significance projected must be pertinent to the interests of the reviewers and the mission of the agency
Background/significance Background
This is not a comprehensive literature review! The purpose is to present a solid foundation for
your proposal. Be selective. Describe what is known Describe what is not known Describe what needs to be done Emphasize how your results will solve the problem
you have highlighted
Preliminary data It is not a good idea to submit without some
preliminary studies The more the better! You must be able to convince the reviewer
that you are not relying exclusively on the work of others.
Describe published studies first and also describe recent unpublished experiments.
Results from prior support/ response to reviews Results from prior support
Especially applies to a renewal application Demonstrate productivity (publications!)
Response to reviews Only applies to resubmissions Be polite; never write a response to reviews in
anger! Back up your response with experimental data
Other parts Resources Budget Letters of collaboration/support Biosketches Lists of conflict of interest, other current and
pending support
How are they reviewed? Peer review is the heart of the process NIH, NSF, and USDA all operate with review
panels composed of approximately 20 experts in the field. A program officer (paid professional working for
the agency) oversees panel operation and ensures it operates fairly
Panel members usually are university professors or federal researchers
Who are reviewers? The common conceptions:
Accomplished Dedicated Knowledgeable Conscientious Fair
Who are reviewers—really? They are actually:
Overly committed and overworked Underpaid for their efforts Tired Inherently skeptical Overly critical Looking for the easiest way to get the job done
well
Review panels Each member of the panel is assigned about 15
proposals to review prior to the panel meeting. Each member writes reviews for all the proposals
assigned prior to the meeting. Each proposal has a primary, secondary, and
probably a tertiary reviewer At the panel meeting, each proposal is discussed
(except NIH triage). Primary reviewer leads the discussion, followed by secondary and tertiary.
Review panels After discussion, proposals are assigned into
different categories (Outstanding/excellent, Very good/highly meritorious, Good/meritorious, Fair/low merit, Poor/do not fund
Based on panel rankings/scores, the funding agency decides which proposals to fund
Depending on the agency, program officers may have power to overturn reviewers’ rankings based on agency mission or goals (USDA most strict, then NIH, then NSF)
What does the grant submitter get? A phone call notifying of funding! ($$)
Then the real work begins… A polite letter of rejection
The panel ranking (or score) will be given Individual written reviews and a written summary
of the panel discussion (written by the primary reviewer) will be included
Persistence pays! Most grant proposals are not funded until the 2nd or 3rd try.
In summary…. Grant writing is rewarding
And yes, challenging, but also can be fun
Specific Aims format Introductory paragraph
Opening sentence—immediately establish relevance to the agency
Current knowledge—few sentences, what is currently known about your topic
Gap in the knowledge base (unmet need)—one sentence, clearly identify the need that drives the application. Should link back to current knowledge as the next
logical step to advance the field.
Specific Aims format Hypothesis / rationale paragraph
Long-term goal—tell the “big picture” of your research program Objective of this application—define the purpose of your
application Must meet the need delineated in first paragraph
Central hypothesis—link to objective, should be directional for your research
How hypothesis was formulated—based on preliminary data and literature
Rationale—why you want to do the research. Tell researchers what will become possible after the research is
completed that is not possible now
Specific aims format Specific Aims paragraph
List the specific aims of your research (typically 2-4)
Brief, informative, attention-getting “headlines” that will get reviewers’ interest
Must grow out of central hypothesis and objectively test its parts
Each aim should have a working hypothesis No aim should depend on outcome of another aim
Specific Aims format Payoff paragraph
Expected outcomes—describe the payoff that reviewers can expect if research is funded. Should link to specific aims (at least one expected
outcome for each aim)
Positive impact summary—summarize the general impact of the expected outcomes.