Significance Why is Your Research Important?

1. SignificanceWhy is Your Research Important? AATS Grant Writing Workshop March 8, 2013 Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D. Professor of Surgery Cardiothoracic Surgery Washington University School of Medicine

2. Outline Page limits Research Strategy components Significance section is FIRST IMPRESSION Never give up

3. What was Background and Significance… Is now Significance Significance now part of Research Strategy (12 pages)

4. Recommended Page Limits • Specific Aims1 page limit • Research Strategytotal 12 pages including: • Significance • Innovation • Approach • 1.5 – 4 pages for Significance depending upon the familiarity of the reviewer with your problem

5. Format Research Strategy May address Significance, Innovation, and Approach for each specific aim individually, OR May address Significance, Innovation, and Approach for all of the Specific Aims collectively

6. Research Strategy – Additional Information Required Before, there was a Preliminary Studies section Now Preliminary Studies and Progress Report for Renewal or Revision must be addressed “keeping within the three sections” = Significance, Innovation, and Approach

7. Research Strategy – Additional Information Required • More emphasis placed for established investigators than for Early Stage investigators • Preliminary Studies for New Applications • Experience pertinent to this application • Establish the likelihood of success of the work proposed • Incorporate preliminary data in Significance, Innovation, or Approach to support proposed work

8. Research Strategy – Additional Information Required • Progress Report for Renewal or Revision Applications • Beginning and end dates since last review • Summarize specific aims and importance of findings • Progress made toward achievement of aims • Significant changes to aims/ direction • Helpful to have yearly progress reports to summarize

9. Significance Instructions (NIH) The importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that your project addresses How your proposal will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields How your successful project will change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services or preventive interventions that drive this field.

10. Significance = First Impression Significance will be read by most reviewers Give them a reason to be interested in your work and to hope it succeeds You must get the attention of the reader !

11. Significance = First Impression • There is plenty of other good science • Will you be solving a problem that your reviewer cares about? • Why does your project deserve scarce funding $?

12. Suggested Format 4 Paragraphs • 1st Paragraph: Introduce the problem (may require more background for the reader not in your field), we have published • Publications demonstrate the ability of the applicant to progress from hypothesis to manuscript • Publications are important indicator of merit of the science (peer reviewed)

13. Highlight Significance Early and Often Give brief background first Study section members may not be familiar with your field – need to stress significance more Use the word SIGNIFICANCE Very important (may be second only to Specific Aims section)

14. Suggested Format 4 Paragraphs 2nd Paragraph: Additional background as needed – others have published, additional points that support the 1st paragraph

15. Does it Fill a Gap of Knowledge? How we got here and where we need to be Reference and discuss of work of others

16. Suggested Format 4 Paragraphs 3rd Paragraph: Hit significance hard by describing the approach that will overcome any difficult challenges 4th Paragraph: Emphasize the significance in a broader context (this study will be significant because…)

17. Why would anyone be interested in KATP Channels ?

18. Translation to Clinical Problem As physicians, we have an advantage of observing clinical issues / problems Stress this unique strength Must convince reviewers that your research is going to solve this problem

20. Unique Problem Novel, innovativeproblem Stress why it is new, never been done before Stress why only YOU can do it – your team is poised and ready right now Have you proposed the best approach? Is it really translatable? Importance of your work to a public health problem

21. Confirm Feasibility in YOUR Laboratory • Reference your work that is published • Document difficulties that have been overcome

24. Significance • How will your work advance the field/ frontier of knowledge? • How does your work meet the NIH mission to improve health through science, by leading to cures, treatments, or preventions for human disease? • Is the work feasible? • Preliminary data demonstrate investigator capable and hypotheses have merit

25. Will Anyone Care? Convince the reader why he/she should care about your work Tell them an interesting story – We observed this → then tremendously excited to do the next experiments… Give them the ammunition they need to advocate for your grant in the study section

26. Benefits of Grant Writing ! Opportunity to think about what you have done, summarize all the work you have accomplished Summarize the literature in an organized way that applies to your work

27. Benefits of Grant Writing ! You may not have thoroughly considered expected results, alternative approaches, potential pitfalls, or future plans Think of the peer review process as one of continuous improvement (of your grant) based on constructive review rather that a failure

28. General Tips Have a colleague or mentor read and critique Succinct writing with well-formulated hypotheses (“hypothesis driven”) Spell check, sloppiness kills! Extreme care if “cut and paste”

29. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time” Thomas Edison, Inventor

30. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence” President Calvin Coolidge Winston Churchill Never, Never, Never Quit

31. Questions

32. “The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success” David Sarnoff, Radio and television executive and founder of NBC

33. “You are the definition of persistence”

34. “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try” Beverly Sills, Opera Singer