Goals

1. Why and When to Write a Grant?Karen E. Lasser, MD, MPHAssociate Professor of MedicineAssociate Director, Education and Training Division BU CTSIAssociate Section Chief, Faculty DevelopmentSection of General Internal MedicineBoston University Medical Center

2. Goals • Why write a grant? • When should you write your first grant? • Types of grants

4. Starry Night – Vincent Van Gogh’s Painting of Hope & Despair

5. Why write a grant? To work on something that feels important and that excites you

6. Why Write a grant? • Without funding project is not do-able • Smoking/patient navigation example • Learn about: • Finances/budgets • Team science • Develop independence • Prestige (promotion, tenure) • Contribute to science • Improve patient outcomes

7. When to write a grant When you have • some (high-impact) publications • mastered (some) research methods • A burning research idea

8. My first grants • After GIM fellowship • Small internal medical school foundations, small R to AHRQ • Career development award (American Cancer Society)

9. Types of Grants • Research • Career development • Program development • Granting agencies -Federal (NIH, PCORI, AHRQ, CDC) R, P, U, K, T -Foundations -Industry

10. What is the NIH looking for? • Grant proposals of high scientific caliber • Relevant to public health needs within NIH Institute and Center (IC) priorities. • ICs highlight research priorities on their individual websites. • Need to contact Institute or Center staff to discuss relevancy and/or focus of proposed research before submitting an application

11. NIH-Requested Research: RFAs, PAs, PARs • RFA: a more narrowly defined area for which one or more NIH institutes have set aside funds for awarding grants • Usually has a single receipt date, reviewed by a Scientific Review Group • PA: Areas of increased priority, can match unsolicited research ideas • Standard dates on an on-going basis • PAR: A PA with special receipt, referral and/or review considerations • Weekly NIH e-mail

12. NIH, continued • Review successfully funded applications, especially K awards • New Investigator and Early-Stage Investigator Status • Co-PI, multi-PI

13. Foundations- pros and cons, internal grants • Good “first grant” • Low indirect rates • Often no feedback if proposal rejected • Examples: RWJ, Commonwealth, AHA, ACS • Work with project officers • BU: DOM pilot grants, CTSI • Other Joslin, CHERISH

14. Before you start writing • Literature search, NIH reporter search • Talk to program officers • One-page summary of proposed work, send it to colleagues for review • Ask for brief 5 minute review for big-picture comments • Present ideas at RIP

15. Before you start writing • Put together research team, meet with potential collaborators • Mentoring team-for career development awards • Budget-draft it early • Months before due date: work out whole study

16. When you start writing • Draft specific aims first • Review study section roster

17. Common pitfalls • Too ambitious • Lack of sufficient detail in the methods • Topic not of interest • Mentor not enough experience

18. Issues of Style • Avoid the passive voice whenever and wherever possible • Avoid “acronym soup”

19. Miscellaneous • Support letters • Other pages

20. A career-long learning process • Once you have a good proposal, submit it to multiple funding sources (with caveats) • You need a “thick skin” • Grant writing training sessions-at BU, national societies, and elsewhere • This is just the beginning!

21. Questions? Karen.lasser@bmc.org