Institutional Training Grants Best Practices for Developing & Managing T32’s

Institutional Training Grants Best Practices for Developing & Managing T32’s October 22, 2013 Series 3, Session 8 of AAPLS – Applicants & Administrators Preaward Luncheon Series

First Steps Come from Faculty • Develop a clear program identity and assemble strong faculty • Build on a program with a strong track record • Develop a clear rationale and clear goals • Match the goals of funder (including grant support of participants) • Admin support must be part of the team

What You Get • Student stipends (up to $22,032) • Postdoc stipends (NIH-mandated levels) • Tuition (60% of institutional charge up to $16,000) • Trainee expenses ($4,200 per trainee, includes health insurance and fees) • Trainee travel (typically $1,000 per trainee) • ICR – 8%

Typical Number of Slots • T32’s are not expected to fund all students • Proportioned in relation to existing program • For a new application, typically 2 or 3; very rarely more than 4 • Rare to have slots expand in years 2 through 5 • For a renewal, strong justification is required for expanding slots

What You Do Not Get • Support for faculty • Support for seminars (other than from trainee expenses – which does help) • Support for evaluation • Support for staff • Anything else related to training not listed on the previous slide

Why are T32’s Important? • Flexible funding for students & postdocs • NIH “Stamp of Approval” as a high quality program • Serves as a catalyst for program improvement • Helps maintain program identity • Instills best practices in programs

How to Begin - Administrators • Work closely with the PI • Review the checklist developed by Tufts • Review the NIH instructions • Ask questions early in the process • Establish a timeline for the work • Establish each person’s responsibilities • Develop a list of data sources if data is not already at hand

Typical Administrative Roles • Application Package • Budget & Budget Justification • Biosketches for Key Personnel • Biosketches for Mentors • Data Tables & Animal & Human Subject Protocol Numbers • Appendices • Grant Assembly? • Lead Role with OVPR staff?

Budget Preparation • Understand the number of positions • Prepare the budget and budget justification early in the process • Ask for preliminary review of these components – do not wait until everything (text and tables) is complete • Adjust budget and other application components as needed and finalize

Biosketches • Obtain a list of faculty as soon as possible • Determine which are key personnel and which are mentors • Collect, format and update biosketches – useful to highlight trainee papers • Be sure personal statements for key personnel discuss training • Some T32 PI’s decide to use personal statements for mentors (not required)

Data Tables • New applications –at least 10 tables • Renewals - at least 12 tables • Review the list of tables and information needed • Develop a plan for collecting needed information • Contact administrators as opposed to faculty when possible • Do the easiest tables first

Table 2 – Participating Faculty • Table 2 is easy and the info is needed for other tables • Do Table 2 first PI should provide Tufts White Pages

Table 3 – Training Grants • Need faculty list before doing this table • Sackler has a list of training awards and faculty • Send Sackler your info and Table 3 will be done

Table 4 – Faculty Grant Support • Need faculty list before doing this table • Contacts - Department Managers or Sackler • Information should match Biosketch info

Table 5 – Trainees • Labor-intensive table, especially for postdocs who are not in school databases • Use school databases as much as possible • Faculty can often help with information about alums • Use LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and Facebook • Sackler can provide information for its trainees and many TUSM postdocs

Table 5 – Trainees Online resources for past trainees; Department Manager for current trainee support – match Table 4 School databases

Table 6 – Trainee Pubs • Be sure Table 6 lists the people in Table 5 associated with the program PubMed & PubMed Central

Table 7 - Admissions & Completions • Rely on Admissions databases & iSIS • Contacts – School Offices • iSIS does not track NIH minority categories • Completing this table for postdocs is harder • Multiple record sources may be needed

Table 8 - Applicant Qualifications • Rely on Admissions databases – School offices • Be sure numbers match those in Tables 7, 9, 11, 12 • Prepare a version with names first Record keeping key for interviews Conversions likely needed • Completing this for postdocs may be harder

Table 9 – Current Trainee Stats • Rely on school databases as much as possible • Prepare a version with the students’ names • If necessary, convert GPA and GRE scores to standard scale • Must be consistent with Tables 7, 8 and 12

Table 10 – Minorities • Rely on school databases as much as possible • iSIS does not report NIH categories A, B & C • Must be consistent with Tables 1, 5, 7 and 9 Info from the PI if trainee has left

Table 11 – Slots Used (Renewals) • Information from Department Managers or those appointing and terminating trainees • All slots should be used • Must be consistent with Table 12 • Use footnotes for special situations

Table 12 – Appointees (Renewals) • Must be consistent with Tables 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11

Table 1 – Participating Units • Do Table 1 near the end • Numbers in Table 1 should match those in Tables 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 • Determine the units that are going to be used (departments vs programs) Columns used for renewals

Final Thoughts • Plan ahead • Consider how your unit acquires, maintains and updates information needed • Work with other units that have T32 experience • Work as closely as possible with the PI • Develop a strategy to obtain needed information • Rely on administrators where possible

Institutional Training Grants Best Practices for Developing & Managing T32’s