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Components of a Successful AREA (R15) Grant

Components of a Successful AREA (R15) Grant. Rebecca J. Sommer Bates College. Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Program (R15), NIH. Funds small-scale, health-related research projects at institutions that are not major recipients of NIH funding

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Components of a Successful AREA (R15) Grant

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  1. Components of a Successful AREA (R15) Grant Rebecca J. Sommer Bates College

  2. Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Program (R15), NIH • Funds small-scale, health-related research projects at institutions that are not major recipients of NIH funding • Major goal is to expose undergraduate students to meritorious biomedical and behavioral research • 25 - 31% of proposals funded in 2004-2007

  3. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm

  4. Recovery Act-Funded AREA Request for Applications (RFA-OD-09-007) • Single submission, due September 24, 2009 • Increases total funding to $300,000 direct costs • Extends eligibility to Institutions receiving less than 6 million dollars annual NIH funds • NIH plans to make the increases permanent by the next standard due date (October 25, 2009)

  5. Factors Key to Success • Important research question • Focused and organized proposal • Demonstration of expertise • Positive impact on research activity of undergraduates and PI

  6. Important Research Question • Meritorious research project • Collaboration not competition • Can be a new area of research

  7. Focused and Organized Proposal • Focused and organized at the level of both the writing style and research approach • Two-four closely related Specific Aims are appropriate

  8. Demonstration of Expertise • More flexibility in judging potential for success (more than publication record and preliminary data) • Include letters of support • Provide convincing Methods and “Alternative Approaches” • Perhaps include a collaborator

  9. Positive Impact – AREA Grant Statement • PI experience in supervising undergraduate student research • Suitability and enhancement of research environment • Availability of well-qualified students • Evidence of Institutional support • Supports release/leave time

  10. A Few “Nuts and Bolts” • On-line submission • register in grants.gov and eRA Commons • Signing Official needs to submit the application • be prepared to meet other in-house requirements • Modular vs. detailed budget • modular budgets are more flexible but limited to total of $250,000 direct costs

  11. Get to Know AREA Program Contact Person and Institute Program Officer • Don’t hesitate to email/call your AREA Contact Person for guidance • find most appropriate Institute, Scientific Review Group (SRG) and particular study section • NIH Institute or Center (IC) • get a measure of the IC’s commitment/enthusiasm for AREA proposals and your project in particular • after review, the IC Program Officer becomes your main point of contact

  12. Peer Review is a Two-Step Process • Center for Scientific Review • Integrated Review Groups, each is made up of several different study sections • provides comments and funding priority score • NIH Institute or Center (IC) • Advisory Council or Board, makes funding decisions based on the review and the goals of the IC • IC Program Officer can “pull a proposal up”

  13. Writing for Step One of Peer Review Process • Find and request the best Integrated Review Group and study section for your proposal http://cms.csr.nih.gov/peerreviewmeetings/csrirgdescriptionnew/ • Write to your audience • know the members of your probable study section • read the Guidelines for Reviewers http://cms.csr.nih.gov/PeerReviewMeetings/ReviewerGuidelines/

  14. CSR Review Criteria • Significance • Investigator(s) • Innovation • Approach • Environment • Additional Review Criteria (Protections for Human Subjects, Resubmission, Renewal...)

  15. Outcome of Step One of Peer Review Process • Five individual core criteria scores and overall impact/priority score • Summary Statements • reviewer critiques and summary of discussion • Streamlining • less competitive applications are not discussed or given a priority score at study section meetings, still receive the written critiques and criteria scores submitted by assigned reviewers

  16. Don’t Get Discouraged • It usually takes more than one submission! • Use comments to revise and resubmit • Standard AREA submission deadlines are February 25, June 25 and October 25.

  17. AREA (R15) Program Website • http:/grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section • Lists eligible institutions • Provides email addresses for AREA Program Contact Persons • Describes NIH Institutes and Center objectives • Links to Peer Review Information

  18. Thank you! • You can contact me at rsommer@bates.edu

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