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Survival Guide for Current Grant Funding Divaker Choubey, Ph. D. Ph.: 558-1014 Divaker.choubey@uc.edu. Why “Survival Guide”? Reduced success rate for grant applications - Post-stimulus number of applications - Projected flat annual budget of funding agencies
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Survival Guide for Current Grant Funding Divaker Choubey, Ph. D. Ph.: 558-1014 Divaker.choubey@uc.edu
Why “Survival Guide”? • Reduced success rate for grant applications • - Post-stimulus number of applications • - Projected flat annual budget of funding agencies • Reduced budget for private foundations • - Emphasis on Innovation (NIH)
New Investigators: - Independence - Relocation - Publication as a corresponding/senior author - Designated laboratory/office space - Institutional support - Current environment Mentors/Collaborators Established Investigators: - Research productivity - Impact of research
Better strategies are needed to increase our chances of success 1. Is my grant application innovative? or Are proposed studies significant? (who decides?) 2. Why my application should be funded?
How to select a project? • Find gaps in knowledge in the field of expertise • Assess your strengths and weaknesses to • perform proposed studies (track record) • Find out potential collaborators in the • Department/Institution • Start collaborations and document it through • publications before (or during) grant review
How to select a funding agency? NIH (Biomedical research) DOD (Biomedical and other) NSF (Non-biomedical/basic research) Foundations (Disease-specific) Other agencies
Selecting a funding mechanism: R03 (SMALL GRANT PROGRAM) Project period of up to two years, $50,000 per year. R21 (EXPOLATORY/DEVELOPMENTAL) Project period of up to two years, Total $275 K per year. R01 (RESEARCH PROGRAM GRANT PROGRAM) Project period of up to five years, Total $250 K per year. Other mechanisms Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) Protected period for 3-5 years; 75% Effort
Do I need a collaborator? Who should be a collaborator? Time Period Effort
Pre-submission plan of action/preparation and interactions with the agency staff: IRB IACUC Identify an Institute (NIH) Pre-submission discussion with Program Directors
Identification of a Study Section/Review Group SRO Potential Reviewers Research interests of reviewers Citations
Preparation of an application: Agency deadline Institutional deadline Prepare application
Preparation of grant application: -NIH Biographical Sketch (Personal Statement/ Publications) -Abstract (your advertisement) -Specific aim page (advertisement-longer version) -Research Strategy (6 or 12 pages) -Background -Preliminary data/Progress Report -Hypothesis (testable) -Specific aims (2, 3, or 4) -Research design/plan
Internal evaluation of the application Internal reviewers Feedback from the internal reviewers Modifications Final draft of the application Cover letter
Submission of the application and tracking: Warnings/Errors Assignment to a study section Reviewers (about a month before the meeting) Summary statement Score (fundable/ non-fundable) Reading and analyses (collaborators) Discussion with Program Director Notes from the study section meeting
Border line score (may be fundable) Discussion with the program director Research needs (mice colonies) Is funding through the R56 mechanism likely? Demonstrate urgency to maintain research program/laboratory Persistence
Revision/New submission: - Introduction (1-page) Summary of the changes - Addition of a new collaborator - New publication - Change in research strategy - Advancements in the field
Resources: • Workshops for grant writing at UC • The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook* • (by Stephen W. Russell & David C. Morrison • NIAID Website • *No financial interest