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RGC Grant Applications in Biology & Medicine. Formulating and Writing winning proposals Kathy Cheah, 200 3. RGC Grant Applications in Biology & Medicine. The application: Project gestation/incubation period Project design Writing the application. The Application.
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RGC Grant Applications in Biology & Medicine Formulating and Writing winning proposals Kathy Cheah, 2003
RGC Grant Applications in Biology & Medicine • The application: • Project gestation/incubation period • Project design • Writing the application
The Application Gestation/incubation period - Before you put pen to paper • Discuss the ideas/approach with others. • Answer the following questions: • Am I addressing important issues/problems in the proposed project? • Would the results of the project have significant impact? • If the answer is yes – go on…..
Common mistakes in project choice • I like this topic. Should be based on significance, not your interest • Although this is not new, I have been doing this for years Innovation is critical • It was not funded last time because the reviewer was biased/ignorant But maybe not? • Although it is controversial, I can resolve it Avoid too much controversy • This issue has not been studied But can it pass the “so what” test?
Common Mistakes in Selecting a Project • Because it doesn’t need new methodology • Because it uses the latest (fashionable) technology Nature of question is always more important than the method Technology is the means NOT the end • Purely descriptive Aim to provide functional insight or mechanism • This issue has been resolved in other cell types/species, but this is new to my cell type/species Innovation will be questioned
The Application - Project formulation Do consider the following.. • Is there a clear hypothesis or question? Or is this a “fishing exercise”? Fishing has to be strongly justified. • Projects solely aimed at creating a database not supported. • Is the project aimed at studying a local problem (e.g. diseases of particular prevalence or presenting a problem regionally?
The Application - Project formulation Do consider the following.. • Is the project built on preliminary findings, past findings, your own or of others? • Are there other groups doing the same thing? • What is your competitive edge?
Developing a Hypothesis • Should increase understanding of normal biologic processes, diseases, or treatment and prevention • Testable by current methods
Common Mistakes • Selecting project • Establishing Hypothesis • Scientific flaws • Setting goals (specific aims) • Showing preliminary data • Developing research plan • Choosing methods
Common Mistakes in Developing Research Plan • Descriptive • Too ambitious • No hypothesis • No anticipated results • No alternative plan • Scientific flaws
Flaws Hypothesis is wrong Planned studies cannot demonstrate the hypothesis Methods are wrong or obsolete
Project formulation and design • Do not be too ambitious with what you aim to do, i.e. can you achieve everything proposed in the time? • Two or three year funding required? If you really need 3 years, apply for 3 years, not 2.
Project design • Think of the loopholes, controls required etc. • Think of contingencies to cope with unexpected results or failure. • Are all the necessary expertise, reagents available? • Line up collaborators, co-investigators if possible.
“Too ambitious” • Huge goals • Establish realistic goal(s) • Vague hypothesis • Develop a testable hypothesis • Unfocused aims • Set reasonable specific aims • Too much work planned • More is not necessarily better • Plan feasible experiments
No alternative plan If you anticipate to have some difficulties, you need show an alternative plan • Only for critical issues • Clearly explain your alternative studies • Don’t use too much space
The Ideal Project • Hypothesis-driven • Asks important questions • Innovative • To study mechanisms • Realistic and focused • Not too controversial • You have track record • Feasible in the time frame • You have preliminary data
Writing the application Abstract • Short, simple explanation of what the project is about. Understandable by non-specialist • Simple and concise. Clear statement of the hypothesis, objectives and importance of the project
Writing the application Objectives & Significance • Summarise • the objective(s) of the project. • approaches to achieve main objective(s) • These should be clear, logically formulated. • State if: • the project is addressed at clinical or environmental problems of particular local relevance, • the project may lead to downstream application. • Use these points to justify why you should be PI
Writing the application Background: • Are you up to date with the literature? • Make clear your preliminary results or your previous published findings. • Summary of preliminary data may be attached as appendix, 1-2 pages. • The background should lead clearly to the question(s) to be asked. • State question(s) you wish to ask or hypothesis you wish to test
Common Mistakes • Presentation: • Poorly organized • Language errors • Show muddled thinking
Common Mistakes in Objectives, Background and Significance • Purpose • To demonstrate the significance of the project, • To articulate critical issues to be addressed • Provide the rationale for your hypothesis. • Problems: • Not focused, too long • only review the related materials • Too many references • cite only critical papers • Ignored the critical or new reports • Cite recent important references relevant to the hypothesis
Writing the application Research plan and methodology • Have a clear plan of action, logical sequence of experiments to achieve aim. • Avoid ambiguity • For some projects e.g. in Molecular Biology, Clinical studies, some diagram attached may be helpful for the reviewer to understand vector/experimental design if these are not straightforward.
Writing the application Research plan and methodology • Not usually necessary to describe methods in detail, unless they are very new approaches. • Clear explanation of rationale of approach is usually sufficient. • Are all controls included? If human samples are involved, have these been collected or will be available? • Describe contingency plans against failure or action if results dictate a different direction? • Show awareness of such possibilities and can cope.
Write the proposal in two weeks? Never do it! • Plan your grant-writing as early as possible (at least one month before deadline) • Have it read by a peer • Leave enough time for modification
Summary • Application should be focused, addressing important questions. • Avoid convoluted arguments/justifications of approach. Do not try to address too many questions. • Show that you (or your co-investigator /collaborators) have the track-record/ expertise to do the work. • If the project is a resubmission, clearly state improvements and how you have addressed points raised by reviewers.
Some common problems.. • Microarray projects • Strong justification of fishing required • Clear description of how the data will be analysed – not just the software – bioinformatics expertise • Reproducibility and statistics • Family / human genetic / clinical studies • Families, patients & controls available? • Statistical genetics expertise available? • Ethics • Transgenic studies • Phenotype analysis – how this will yield functional insight
Filling in the ERG form Collaboration Provide copies of letters of collaboration
Filling in the ERG form Presentation • Don’t strain the reviewer’s eyes! Font size, at least 11.5 preferably 12pt • Use sub-headings • Margins. Avoid cramming everything in by shrinking the margins.
Remember simple and clear is beautiful and.. GOOD LUCK!