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Strategic Planning for Grant Funding - NRSA (F32)

insert a web page. Strategic Planning for Grant Funding - NRSA (F32). Janet Gross, Ph.D. Grants Tutorial Director Office of Postdoctoral Education. What is the Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA F32)?. NRSA F32 Mission.

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Strategic Planning for Grant Funding - NRSA (F32)

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  1. insert a web page Strategic Planning for Grant Funding - NRSA (F32) Janet Gross, Ph.D. Grants Tutorial Director Office of Postdoctoral Education

  2. What is the Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA F32)?

  3. NRSA F32 Mission The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards individual postdoctoral research training fellowships to promising applicants with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in research fields relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers. The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to help ensure that diverse pools of highly trained scientists will be available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas to carry out the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research agendas.

  4. Why Should I Apply for This Grant? • Stepping stone for an academic career • Build a track record of fundable research • NRSA v. other grant opportunities • $$ v. prestige • Small, competitive awards v. no award

  5. NIH Awards the NRSA There are other vehicles for • Training Awards • Career Development Awards • Fellowship grants

  6. Application, Guidelines and Funding Information for the NRSA

  7. NRSA Program Announcement: PA-07-107 416-1 Fillable Forms and Instructions • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/416/phs416.htm • Last paper submission Dec 8, 2008 • Online submission April 8, 2009

  8. Important Grant Application Considerations

  9. Eligibility Issues for the NRSA • Program Announcement PA-07-107 • Citizenship • at least permanent resident • # years of previous postdoctoral training • Previous and current funding situation • combined postdoctoral T32 + F32 cannot exceed 3 years

  10. Basics • DUNS number • Funding dates • Award cycles • Stipend levels and payback requirements • Payback = any academic, scientific, teaching work

  11. How Do I Learn About Matching My Interests and the Funder’s? NIH websites offer excellent guidance for early career funding • Is there a match between your interests and the agency’s mission? • Find I/C Contact List - get pre-application advice

  12. Useful Training Websites • NIDA Training Information Site • http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchTraining/Traininghome.html • NINDS Training Information Site • http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/training_and_career_development/index.htm • NIH Grant Review Process - Video • http://www.drg.nih.gov/Video/Video.asp

  13. Grant Writing Strategies • Review a successful proposal - do not be naïve • Make contact with the funder - is your science fundable? • Find a coach or coach yourself • Collect tips and hints • Develop a strategic plan for your proposal • Use a timeline to write - time management & priorities • Have confidence in your research and writing plan • “Arm’s Length” approach to reading your own work • Get others to read and critique your work

  14. Contact with the NIH? http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-107.html Section VII. Agency Contacts Each NIH Institute and Center has a unique scientific purview and different program goals and initiatives that evolve over time. Prior to preparing an application, it is critical that all applicants consult the appropriate Institute website (listed with each Institute's name at the beginning of this announcement) for details of research areas supported by that Institute. Applicants should also contact the appropriate Institute representative to obtain current information about specific program priorities and policies. This action is of utmost importance because applications with marginal or no relevance to the participating Institutes will not be accepted for review or possible funding. .....

  15. Contact with the NIH? Scientific/Research Contacts Applicants should refer to the (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/contacts/pa-07-107_contacts.htm) for information for each I/C scientific/research contact for this NRSA F32 program. Pay special attention to “Institute/Center Specific Information” if the I/C has this noted.

  16. NRSA Application Nuts and Bolts

  17. The NRSA PHS 416-1 Application Section 1 - Applicant(numbered items indicate Form Pages) Cover Letter • Face Page • Contact Information and Description • Goals, Activities Planned, Training Sites • Table of Contents Biographical Sketch - Applicant/Fellow • Previous Research Experience Research Training Plan Checklist A, C, and D Personal Data Page

  18. The Application Section 2 - Sponsor’s/Co-Sponsor’s Information Biographical Sketch-Sponsor, Co-sponsor Sponsor and Co-Sponsor’s Information • Research Support Available • Previous Trainees • Training Plan, Environment, Research Facilities • Number of Fellows/Trainees to be Supervised • Applicant’s Qualifications and Potential

  19. The Application Section 3 - References Appendix 5 copies of CD

  20. Use Effective Grant Writing Strategies

  21. Research Career Trajectory • In the proposal, you must remind the reader that you are on track to become an independent scientist • NRSA = funding for training & development not just funding research

  22. “This is a person on the path to becoming an independent researcher” • Biographical Sketch(follow format - 4 pg max.) • Form Page 5, item27. Doctoral Dissertation and Other Research Experience (2 pages max.) • Can you create linkages in the reader’s mind? Tell your story. Use of 1st person is ok.

  23. Organization is Essential! • Choose an outlining style • CAPS, bold, italic, underlining, etc. • Be consistent throughout - parallel formatting for each Specific Aim and for each Experiment • Refer to your Specific Aims in your Preliminary Studies • Refer to your Preliminary Studies in your Research Design and Methods • Refer to your training potential throughout

  24. Timeline

  25. You will be rewarded if youDO • Read all directions • Follow all guidelines • Make yourself a personal “to do” list & check list • Pace yourself - Cramming is a killer! • Get feedback

  26. Important, Unforgivable DON’TS • Don’t exceed the page limit • Don’t use the wrong font, pagination, spacing • Don’t skip any sections • Don’t think “This section couldn’t possibly be important/necessary/essential...” • Don’t do this solo

  27. COMMON MISTAKES • Scope • Overly ambitious • Too unfocused or too broad • Resources not adequately explained • Lab does not have established techniques, models related to your training and research goals • Insufficient collaborative support or supervision • Sponsor’s experience is insufficient

  28. COMMON MISTAKES • Experimental Design • Hypothesis is ill-defined, lacking, faulty, diffuse • Methodology is questionable, unsuited or flawed • Data collection procedures are not clear • Time line is unclear or overly ambitious • Data management plan is unclear or absent • Will the analytic techniques yield the anticipated outcomes?

  29. COMMON MISTAKES • Training Plan • Lacks cohesiveness • Is too brief; generic; not personalized • Doesn’t include future research or mentored career

  30. What if I don’t get funded? Reapply if your training potential is still good or Work on your publications and apply for another type of grant where you will be more competitive

  31. What if I’m not eligible/competitive for the NRSA • Seek other funding opportunities • Many private foundations do not have citizenship restrictions • Disease-specific organizations • MDA, AHA, ACS, Colitis and Crohn’s • Department of Defense - ALS research • NSF

  32. How do I look for other opportunities? • Community of Science - Woodruff Library • Foundation Directory - online database • Science • Searchable database GrantsNet • http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding • http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/tools_resources/how_to_guides/how_to_get_funding

  33. What Should I Be Doing Now?With 2 months to go • Find copy of a successful proposal • Start NRSA notebook -obtain all necessary forms and information; start on forms; Print out forms • Proofread from paper not the computer screen • Participate in regular, ACTIVE discussions with mentor • Formulate RESEARCH TRAINING PLAN - draft an outline with all required sections • Identify individuals who can provide REFERENCES • Learn your department’s procedure for OSP processing, etc. There are many levels of bureaucracy.

  34. What Should I Be Doing Now?With 1 month to go • Write/Revise full-length drafts of your proposal • Complete information on Form Pages • Check on your REFERENCES - be clear on due date • Circulate your proposal for critique and review • Review Sponsor section with your Sponsor • Start ordering the final pages of the proposal in a folder • Create final pages of Appendix; produce CD

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