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dickson memorial grant lecture series a talk at the 02

Overview of slides . - Sample application(s) - Emphatic words at end - Style manuals, etc. - Commas and em dashes - Outlining research plan - Address review criteria - Building paragraphs - Avoid short cuts - Active voice - Develop an eye for layout - Needless words - Revise and polish -

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dickson memorial grant lecture series a talk at the 02

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    1. A BAKERS DOZEN GRANT-WRITING TIPS

    3. Tip 1. Study sample grant applications. Ask a colleague Download from NIAID Website - Go to www.nih.gov/icd (side door) - Click on NIAID* (along the left) - Click on Grants and Contracts under Research Funding - Click on third bullet: Research Grants - Go to Annotated R01 Research Plan ______________ *National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

    4. Tip 2. Select a style manual that suits you-- and a good dictionary. The prescribed style manual at Georgetown is Chicago. The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, is published by The University of Chicago Press. A user friendly companion is Gregg. The Gregg Reference Manual, 8th Edition, is published by McGraw-Hill. Even more user friendly is The Elements of Style, 4th Edition by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. It is published by Allyn & Bacon, a Simon & Schuster Company. Websters Eleventh New Collegiate Dictionary (www.m-w.com) is popular. Having an unabridged dictionary available can be very helpful; e.g., American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition.

    5. Tip 3. Outline the research plan. For Section a (Specific Aims). State the problem, say why it is important, give your hypothesis (if applicable), etc. Keep to 1 page. For Section b (Background and Significance). Demonstrate what others have done in the field; address significance by explaining how your project will help prevent, diagnose, and/or treat disease. Keep to 2-3 pages. For Section c (Preliminary Studies). Establish your experience and capabilities. Buttress this section with papers in first-rate journals. Keep to 6-8 pages. For Section d. (Research Design and Methods). Explain procedures you will follow to accomplish your aims; address potential difficulties; include milestones and plans for publishing and/or disseminating results. Keep total to 25 pages (for R01s).

    6. Tip 4. Use paragraphs as building blocks. Sample introductory paragraph* for Specific Aims: Macular degeneration is the most common cause of lost reading vision in the elderly. The pathogenesis of this disease is poorly understood, but it involves the development of subretinal neovascularization and changes in the choroidal circulation. My long-term goal is to develop methods for the prevention and treatment of macular degeneration based on a clearer understanding of its pathogenesis. In this proposed research on pathogenesis, I plan to use a primate model of macular degeneration to investigate . ___________ *From Research Proposals: A Guide to Success by T.E. Ogden

    7. Tip 5. Use active voiceand strong verbs. Before (passive voice). A study protocol will become available by Month 12 of the study based on information from semi-structural interviews. (19 words)

    8. Tip 6. Omit needless words (redundancies). Before. The project will consist of a research complex comprised of modular, flexible research modules designed for maximum adaptability to changing investigator needs which includes, specialized research areas, common equipment rooms, and offices. After. The project will consist of a research complex comprised of modules designed for maximum adaptability to changing investigator needs; these include specialized research areas, common equipment rooms, and offices. Better alternative: Recast.

    9. Tip 7. Use that and which with precision. Defining. The project embodies a module that is designed for adaptability to changing needs.

    10. Before. . The physician then inserts a flexible fiber optic bronchoscope into the respiratory track and blindly carries out the biopsy. After. . The physician then inserts a flexible fiber optic bronchoscope into the respiratory track and carries out the biopsy blindly.

    11. Tip 9. Make commas and em dashes work for you. Use commas to separate nonessential clauses. Example from Tip 7: The module, which uses state-of-the-art materials, is designed for adaptability to changing needs. Example of misused comma: These are considered soft tissue injuries, because no spinal cord injury can be identified on MRI. For more information, see Gregg regarding the use of commas. Use em dashes to amplify an important point. Example: An investigator should underscore--with focus on improved public health--the significance of the research he/she is proposing. For more information, see handout A Dash of Comma Sense.

    12. Tip 10. Address review criteria. Significance. Address in Background and Significance (b); allude to in Specific Aims (a). Innovation. Address in Methods (d) mainly; also, consider posing important questions that remain unanswered in b. Approach. Address in Methods (d) mainly.

    13. Tip 11. Do not take short cutsespecially with abbreviations/acronyms. A good rule is to start your research plan by writing abbreviations and acronyms in full; when the reader has got his/her bearings, shorten them. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases (NIAID) If an abbreviation or acronym is the first word of a sentence, spell it out. Alternatively, recast the sentence.

    14. Tip 12. Develop an eye for layout.

    15. Tip 13. Edit, rewrite, polish. Few of us are so expert that we can produce what we are after on the first try. Check all components for consistency.

    16. Other Tips and NIAID Link Use definitive, concrete language. Do not overstate. Avoid use of qualifiers. Adhere to parallel construction. Make sure the reviewer knows who is speaking. In summaries, keep to one tense. Put statements in positive form. Use orthodox spelling. - - - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/app/default.htm

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