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Career Development Applications: Perspectives from a Reviewer Christine Grella, Ph.D. UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs CALDAR Summer Institute – Career Development Workshop August 14, 2012.
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Career Development Applications: Perspectives from a Reviewer Christine Grella, Ph.D. UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs CALDAR Summer Institute – Career Development Workshop August 14, 2012
The K01 provides support for a sustained period of “protected time” for intensive research career development under the guidance of an experienced mentor, or sponsor, leading to research independence. The expectation is that through this sustained period of research career development and training, awardees will launch independent research careers and become competitive for new research project grant (R01) funding. K01: Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
The award requires the candidate to devote a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort to conducting the research career development plan described in the application; the remainder may be devoted to clinical, teaching, or other research pursuits consistent with the objectives of the award. K01: Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
K01 Applications to NIDA: Success Rates for 2002 - 11 37.5% 56.8% 31.3% 37.1% 30.8% 36.2% 44.4% 46.9% 51.2% 32.4% Overall Average Success Rate: 40.5%!
Candidate Career Development Plan/Career Goals and Objectives Research Plan Mentor[s], Consultants, Collaborators Environment and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate Review Criteria for “K” Applications
Candidates should have promise to develop into independent researchers who have the potential to make significant contributions to research within their area of expertise Most applicants are meritorious – although timing is essential Publications really matter (number, outlet, first authorship) Demonstrate your commitment to your chosen area of research (e.g., publications, conference attendance) Candidate
Keep in mind what is realistic to accomplish within 5 years – don’t be overly ambitious by proposing more than you can feasibly undertake! Take advantage of Summer Institutes and other opportunities for training that you would not be able to access without this award The career development and research plans should work together seamlessly Career Development Plan
Although reviewers are cautioned not to apply the same standards as applicable in reviewing an R01 application, flaws in research design typically lead to “dampened enthusiasm” for the application and call into question the candidate’s ability to undertake their proposed research plan The end goal of your research plan should be to develop a next-stage application (e.g., R21, R01) Research Plan
Include preliminary studies that are relevant to your proposed research Highlight your publications and how your prior work/training has lead you to develop this project State specific study hypotheses Stage your research, moving from exploratory pilot and feasibility studies to more rigorous designs Research Plan
Your training plan must be mapped to the skills you need to undertake the research plan. For example: Intervention development Qualitative methods (e.g., focus groups, interviews) and analyses (e.g., coding, qualitative software) Advanced statistical/longitudinal analyses (e.g., coursework, Summer Institutes) Clinical trials research Collection and analysis of biomarkers Research Plan
Make sure your mentoring team is matched to the areas of training and research you plan to undertake Your primary mentor will be closely scrutinized: Is he/she a leader in the field of research that you plan to undertake? Does he/she have time to commit to working with you? How frequently will you meet/interact? Mentors / Sponsors / Consultants
Seek out co-mentors or advisors who are outside of your department/institution, but who have expertise related to your identified areas of training Too many off-site mentors/sponsors may be infeasible (as well as expensive) Be creative about working with off-site mentors/sponsors Plan to meet at conferences Spend a summer working with in their lab or with their research team Mentors / Sponsors / Consultants
Specify how your mentoring team will review your progress in achieving the proposed career development plan Teleconference if some mentors/sponsors are off-site How often will the team review your progress? Mentors / Sponsors / Consultants
Letters of reference that are boilerplate or have an impersonal tone will not help your application Your mentors should have an excellent track record as mentors and will need to communicate that history to the reviewers Letters of Reference
Describe how the institutional research environment is particularly suited for the development of your research career and the pursuit of your proposed research plan. Don’t rely upon boilerplate descriptions of your institutional environment! Take advantage of ongoing training activities and resources at your institution for early career investigators (e.g., T32 seminars, speakers series, methodology/stat labs) Environment & Institutional Commitment to the Candidate
Include individualized instruction or independent scholarly activities related to your specific research activities and the societal impact of that research Must be ongoing and address the following: Format Subject matter Faculty participation Duration of instruction Frequency of instruction The role of the sponsor/mentor in responsible conduct of research instruction must be described. Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
Seek out reviewers who will be your critics – not just people who share your assumptions Give your readers sufficient time to comment and get the draft back to you in time to make revisions based on their feedback Look at examples of successful applications for the mechanism you are applying for – and summary sheets, if possible Solicit Pre-Reviewers for Your Application
A detailed timeline that links your career development and research activities A strong letter of support from your primary mentor, demonstrating his/her personal knowledge of and commitment to you A clear statement from your department that your institutional appointment in not dependent upon receipt of this award A clear vision of what type of independent researcher you aim to be that guides all aspects of your application and is clearly communicated to the reviewer Must Haves!
Reviewers must discriminate between “outstanding” and “excellent” – nearly impossible! Highlight important points and make direct statements – don’t assume that reviewers will draw the same interpretation of your points Tell the reviewers exactly how this research is significant and innovative Your job is to convince the reviewers that you are the perfect candidate to undertake this research, with the perfect team of mentors, in the prefect environment, which will culminate in you becoming an independent researcher in this important area of research! Tips for Writing your Application
Be prepared to revise & resubmit Don’t take critical feedback personally Do talk with the program official [who is likely to be assigned to your application] – and after you get your summary sheets Successful grant writing is all about endurance Don’t Give Up! Last Words!
