NIH Research Grant Proposal Preparation slides & suggestions collected over the years

1. NIH Research Grant Proposal Preparation slides & suggestions collected over the years • Examples dated (old screen shots) • Basic messages still relevant • Please read slide notes for guidance • Originally targeted junior faculty seeking first R01

2. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/OER.htm

3. Types of Awards • Research Project (R01) • Small Research Project (R03) • Exploratory Study (R21) • Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) • Career Development (K Award) • Diversity Supplements Funding Mechanisms Explained: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm

4. Types of Awards

5. Types of Awards

6. Types of Awards

7. Types of Awards http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm

8. Types of Awards

9. Types of Awards

10. Types of Awards • Pathway to Independence (PI) • 150-200 awards in FY2006-2007 • Open to US citizens & non-citizens • Years 1-2: mentored post-doc phase • Years 3-5: independent research • Must obtain assistant professor position to move on to second phasegrants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/pathway_independence.htm

11. Types of Awards

12. Types of Awards • Diversity Supplements • Applicants from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups • Applicants with disabilities • Applicants from a family below established low-income thresholds • Applicants from a disadvantaged social, cultural, or educational environment (rural, inner city) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-015.html

13. Types of Awards • Request for Application (RFA) • Program Announcement (PA) • Cleared Concepts • Research Priorities • Program Areas

14. http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html

15. Types of Awards

17. Types of Awards • NIH Guide Table of Contents Weekly Notification Service listserv@list.nih.gov subscribe NIHTOC-L your name

18. http://www.nia.nih.gov/GrantsAndTraining/

21. grants.gov/search/subscribeAdvanced.do

22. Types of Awards

23. Types of Awards

24. http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/

25. Types of Awards • New • Non-competing Renewal • Competing Renewal • Revised (original submission plus up to 2 revisions allowed)

26. NIH Review Process • NIH publicizes its research priorities to help investigators plan projects • NIH staff members welcome contact from investigators • NIH wants to fund solid research that advances public health

27. NIH Review Process • 43,069 applications in FY2005 (vs 27,798 in FY2000) • Referral officer assigns applications to review group • Referral officer assigns to Institute for funding Make this task as easy as possible!

28. Your application is here.

29. NIH Review Process • Review assignments based on: • Cover letter • Grant title • Abstract • Specific Aims • Cover letter includes grant mechanism, prior contact with NIH program officers, and referral suggestions for institute/center, IRG (integrated review group), & study section • Referral takes up to 6 weeks

30. NIH Review Process • Electronic submission involves PI & OSP • Grants.gov can take up to 2 business days to acknowledge receipt of files • eRA Commons can take up to 2 business days to acknowledge receipt • PI & OSP have up to 2 days to verify uploaded application (both must verify) • Cover letter optional-but still important!

31. NIH Review Process • Scientific Review Administrator • Reviews all applications • Assigns 2+ reviewers • Assigns 2+ discussants • Determines policy for submission of supplementalmaterial by PI • Determines if special reviewexpertise is needed

32. http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/comparison_evaluation.doc http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-002.html

33. NIH Review Process • Streamlined (unscored) applications • All members designate half of all applications received as streamlined • Applications streamlined by 2 or more members are not discussed or scored • Streamlined applications returned to PI with comments only from assigned reviewers

34. NIH Review Process • Reviewers & discussants evaluate non-streamlined applications • Institute program officers can attend • Summary statement prepared • Members mark priority scores(1.0-1.5 = outstanding) • Percentile based on ranking compared with applications reviewed at last 3 meetings

35. NIH Review Process • 120 hours to prepare R01 application • 7-8 hours to critique (reviewers) • <1 hour to read (discussants) • 15 minutes to discuss & score (entire group) Do EVERYTHING Possible To Facilitate Review Process!

36. NIH Review Process • Institute Advisory Council: • Reviews summary statements • Evaluates application for program relevance • Approves funding • Awards funding based on priority scores

37. NIH Review Process • 43,069 grants submitted (new, cont, suppl) – 9,599 funded (22.3%) in FY2005 • 740 Roadmap submissions – 127 funded (17.2%) • 221 NCRR submissions – 31 funded (14.0%) • 666 NIAAA submissions – 203 funded (30.5%) • 3,166 NINDS submissions – 700 funded (22.1%) • 6,325 NCI submissions – 1,292 funded (20.4%) Success rates: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/award/success.htm Trends: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/award/awardtr.htm

38. Improving Your Odds • Read PAs & RFAs • Monitor institute research priorities • Contact program officers in target institute • Discuss your ideas, their needs

39. Improving Your Odds http://nccam.nih.gov/research/

41. Improving Your Odds

43. Improving Your Odds

44. Improving Your Odds

45. Improving Your Odds

47. Improving Your Odds • Search CRISP for current & past research in same or similar areas • NIH likes to see their tools put to use • Helps you avoid areas already well funded http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/