Pearls to get your grants funded

1. Pearls to get your grants funded Steven Kornblau

2. NCI Grant Allocations 2011 Research Awards $1.63 Billion Career Awards $74 million $414 to new grants

3. 2012 Data • Funding applications up, # funded way down • Success rate • P01 21 of 96 awarded 22% 43 mil • R01 661 of 4583 14% 256 mil • R21 228 of 2322 10% 46 mil • U01 29 of 243 16% 29 mil • RO1 7% or better all funded. Virtually none >18% • R21 8% all -12% down to 50% get funded • What is currently funded • 1711 RO1 • 52 P01 • 41 U01 • U54 24

4. How does the NCI Score ? • 9 point scale 1= outstanding….9 Abysmal • 5 factors, all not weighted equally • 2012 range for funded • Significance 1.4-3.6 • Investigator 1.4-2.5 • Approach 2-3.3 • Innovation 2.4-4.8 • Environment 1.4-2.1

5. What score do I need to get funded? • RO1 • 7% or lower all got funded. • 8% or higher, 60, 40, 20% virtually none >18% • R21 • 8% or lower all got funded • Down to 12%, 50% get funded, nil >12%

6. Significance • Must be relevant to Human cancers • Will it advance the field ?

7. Investigator • Not much variation among the funded grants, so it can’t help but can hurt you • Use the personal statement in the Biosketch to really sell yourself • Why you are the right person for this research • That you have enough (unique!) expertise

8. Approach • They like hypothesis driven • They hate Fishing expeditions • Must have supporting preliminary data • How will you verify? • Include “enough” methodology details • The goldilocks point is hard to define • Just because a method is standard they need to see that • YOU can do it • It works in your setting • Address pitfalls • Don’t assume it will work • What will you do if it doesn’t work? • Maintain FOCUS • Include a timeline

9. Innovation • Novel technology? • Novel application of existing technology? • Conceptually novel? • Novel reagents? • Check the literature to make sure that what you are proposing wasn’t already published • If it was, then you better have a really convincing argument of why your study is needed • Check the NCI website to make sure that they have not already funded something similar

10. Environment • There is not a lot of variation in the environment score among funded grants • It can’t help you but it can sure hurt you! • Make sure you have letters of support from your : • Institution – document that you have resources • Collaborators, Consultants

11. Write for your reviewers • Assume they know very little about your area • Think about when they will read your grant • After hours, weekends, on the plane to a conference, distracted by family, TV etc, • They are tired, possibly ignorant & maybe had a drink or two • Guess what will happen if you try to make them read something scientifically obtuse! • Therefore • Use simple sentence structure • GRAMMAR COUNTS in exceedingly large amounts • Make ideas clear and easy to absorb • Tell then clearly what you want them to learn form each sentence or figure, don’t make (let) them draw the conclusions for themselves • Figures must be SIMPLE, CLEAR, READABLE don’t use tiny fonts • afa

12. Some strategies • Only 1 resubmit- so don’t submit prematurely • Local review • Bounce the ideas off others in your dept or area. • Show them prelim data and Specific aims before you write. • Take their advice • If they see holes, so will the reviewer • If they say an aim is weak, believe them • Follow all rules • Page limits: Write as much as you need first. Make sure you get all the ideas down, then trim to fit. Otherwise you will omit key details. • Dates: Make sure you leave enough time for your institution to process it. Don’t wait until the last • Grammar and style review • Does your institution provide it? If not pay for one. • Local peer review- preferably someone unfamiliar with your area. • If they can’t understand it you are in trouble • Don’t fall in love with what you wrote, be willing to accept criticism m i n u t e

13. Pre-Contact with the NCI/NIH • Pick a study section that you think is right for your grant • DO NOT GO IN BLIND • Look at what they are funding, does yours fit? • Look at the SS roster. Do you know people on it? • looking for experts in your arena • Not looking for friends, they will have to leave anyway. • NIH/NCI will usually honor your request • Call the program officer or science officer when you have the idea • Is this the right SS for you? • Do they have suggestions?

14. Cover letter • Suggest the center/institute • Identify • Any conflicts in the study section roster • Areas of expertise needed by the reviewer for a fair review of your grant • Special situations • DO NOT suggest who should review your grant