PREPARING FOR A NIH SPONSOR SITE VISIT

1. PREPARING FOR A NIH SPONSOR SITE VISIT Don W. Powell, M.D. Associate Dean for Research Program Director General Clinical Research Center

2. SITE VISIT IS NOT AN AUDIT • It’s a time to show what may be accomplished or to show progress of what has been done. • It is part of the evaluation for new or continued funding. • Depending on what kind of site visit you are conducting, the visitors may make the final decision regarding funding or only recommend the level of enthusiasm to a Study Section.

3. GET ORGANIZED • Get support/ backing of Principle Investigator. • Budget money for expenses and keep track of totals. • Have all records in order: - Copy of grant - Log books - Budget - Minutes • Keep track of everything. • Read Guidelines (and reread them).

4. GET ORGANIZED (continued) • Set deadlines and stick to them. • Worry about the small stuff. • Delegate and prioritize. • Calendar monthly/ weekly planning meetings.

5. SITE VISIT ISSUES • Hotel and local transportation. • Reserve conference room. • Timetable. • Venue issues – seating (local participants and site visitors), catering, handouts, audiovisuals, presentations. • Content – uniform slides, material to be presented, well-thought-out slides and presentations well critiqued and well rehearsed.

6. 12 – 24 MONTHS BEFORE SITE VISIT • Secure funding for site visit ($2,500 +/-). • Network with recent site-visited scientists in your area. • Become a site visitor for other grant applications, if possible. • Select date and do not change it. • Recommend hotel (government rates) • Set up a time table.

7. 6-12 MONTHS BEFORE SITE VISIT • Assemble presentation team and assign responsibilities. • If scientific presentations must be selected, establish a method to do this and be sure all understand it so there are no hard feelings. Avoid controversial areas of science. • Internal and external advisors are invaluable to help select and validate scientific presentations. • Update your website.

8. 3-6 MONTHS BEFORE SITE VISIT • Meet weekly to review material to be presented. • Decide on uniform slide format and share it or make slides centrally.

9. 3-6 MONTHS BEFORE SITE VISIT(continued) • Begin to practice presentations. • Initially, do presentations before an internal advisory group and/or executive committee to critique content, quality of slides and effectiveness of presentation. • Initial presentations can be given one or two at a time.

10. 1-3 MONTHS BEFORE SITE VISIT • Rehearsals – first one in front of internal and external advisors, critique thoroughly. • Allow time to correct content, slides and presentations based on feedback. • Second rehearsal (penultimate) – perfect content, slides, presentations and timing. Be sure to allow time for questions. • Third rehearsal (dress rehearsal) – should be strictly timed; should take place at site where the actual presentation will take place.

11. HOTEL AND LOCAL TRANSPORTATION • Must find hotel that gives government rate. • Hotels may not refund deposit made by the NIH, so do not change date of site visit. • If only a few site visitors, possibly get hotel to guarantee transportation. If a large number, rent a bus of appropriate size (e.g., Island Transit). Have one of your people go to hotel that morning to guarantee timetable. Arrange with campus police the drop-off/ pick-up place.

12. VENUE ISSUES • Reserved seating with labeled seats: a board table for site visitors; in rows beside table for participants. • Notebook containing contact list (all site visitors, local participants, including investigators and UTMB officials); agenda and color prints of presentations in order; pertinent tables or figures from grant application; names, location and menus of best restaurants. • Presentations should be loaded on desktop of computer – audiovisual expert should be present at all times. Have area for next presenter to sit.

13. SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

14. VENUE ISSUES (continued) • Site visitors must pay for lunch ($5 limit). Have UTMB catering plan to push this limit; e.g., salad and pasta rather than sandwiches. Serve buffet style and encourage mingling with site visitors. • Plan breakfast and snacks, coffee, tea, sodas, cookies. • Can have souvenir of UTMB (cups, pens, etc.) at each site visitor seat (supplied by OUA).

15. VENUE ISSUES (continued) • Have back-up computer and back-up presentation on CD or memory stick. • Have computer plugs and web access if possible (at least one). • Have ASA, cough drops, Kleenex, extra sweater, H2 blockers available. • If you plan a tour of facilities, plan for route to and from and guide to direct them.

16. KNOW YOUR SITE VISITOR • When you receive roster, Google and MedPub your site visitors. • Cite them in your presentation, if appropriate.

17. CONTENT ISSUES • Content – if possible, Program Director should present first to preview upcoming presentations and then last to summarize them. • Slides must be uniform and readable: Titles Pitch, font (Arial 32-40 Bold) Material No more than 5-10 lines, pitch, font (Arial 24-28 Bold) Color Avoid red on blue • Material must be presented according to guidelines – read them repeatedly. If there are “Instructions to Site Visitors,” read them as well.

18. PRESENTATION ISSUES • Be confident, cordial, relaxed. Initial presenter gives direction to facilities. Presenter introduces the next presenter, or else the PI introduces each one. • “Dress code” – be uniform. • Be sure that there is ample time for questions. • Presenters must stay on schedule or, if one goes over time, the following presenters may need to make up lost time. • Listen to questions and think before you answer. You can rescue a presentation or lose the game in the Q & A period.

19. RESOURCE PEOPLE • Lori Wiseman 2-1953 • Liz Ruiz 2-1950 • Don Powell Karl Anderson Arny Ferrando