Making Your Own Luck Proactive Grant Proposal Development

2. Making Your Own LuckProactive Grant Proposal Development Spectrum Health 2012 Research Conference May 17, 2012 Michael Gouin-Hart Chris West

3. Objectives • After this presentation, attendees will: • UNDERSTAND the current environment for research grant proposals. • Know how to PREPARE for future grant opportunities. • Be able to quickly RESPONDto open grant opportunities.

4. UNDERSTAND the Grant Environment • Before you even think about applying for a grant, make sure you understand the federal grant environment and your own institution’s grant environment

5. Understand the Federal Grant Environment

6. Grant funds for medical research are scarce and highly competitive • Despite the Obama administration’s prioritization of healthcare R&D, federal funding is flat (and declining in real dollars) • Example: National Institutes of Health (NIH) • After modest budget increases in nominal dollars from 2007-2010 (not including Recovery Act funding): • Funding cut ~$310 million (1.3%) in 2011 • 2012: minor increase of ~$230 million (<1%) • President’s 2013 budget request for NIH is the same overall level as 2012

7. Flat budget for NIH • “The President’s FY 2013 budget proposal…would hold the NIH budget at the current level of $30.86 billion, making 2013 the 10th year in a row that the NIH budget has not kept pace with biomedical research inflation. Indeed, accounting for inflation, the NIH is being funded at a level 20% below the budget set a decade ago.” Source: NIH Almanac—Appropriations: (http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/appropriations/index.htm)

8. What are Your Chances? • NIH Success Rates: • In recent years, overall success rates for NIH Research Project Grants (RPG) have hovered around 20% • In FY2011NIH received ~50,000 RPG applications—of these, only 18% were funded • Rate fell 3% compared to 2010 (down from 21%) • Number of RPG submissions increased by 8% • Summary of FY2011 success-rate drivers available at http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2012/01/20/what%e2%80%99s-behind-the-2011-success-rates/

9. Research Project Grants Applications, awards, and success rates NIH Research Project Grants: Applications, Awards, and Success Rates Source: NIH Office of Extramural Research Data Book (http://report.nih.gov/ndb/index.aspx)

10. What are Your Chances? • NIH Paylines: • Apply only to unsolicited (investigator-initiated) applications • Conservative cutoff points for funding applications • Pegged to overall impact score or percentile rank • Calculated based on expectations re: availability of funds, application loads, and average cost of RPGs in current FY • Vary considerably among NIH institutes • More about NIH paylines: • http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/strategy/pages/7payline.aspx • http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2011/02/15/paylines-percentiles-success-rates/

11. Example: FY2012 NIAID Paylines • http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/paybud/pages/paylines.aspx

12. Example: FY2012 NCI Paylines • http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/grantspolicies/FinalFundLtr.pdf

13. Understand your Institution’s Grant Environment • Does your institution qualify for grant funding? • Do you have all the required registrations? • Is your institution eligible for specific grant opportunities? • Will your institution allow you to apply for a grant? • Some institutions only allow certain individuals to apply for grant funding (e.g. Professors at an academic institution) • What are your institution’s policies and procedures for submitting grant applications? • Internal deadlines • Administrative approvals needed to submit

14. Understand your Institution’s Grant Environment • What services are available to assist you with developing your application? • Finance • Office of Sponsored Programs • What resources are available for you to use in your grant-funded project? • Equipment • Facilities • Do you have flexibility to commit your time and effort to a grant-funded project?

15. PREPARE for Future Grant Opportunities • To be in a position to successfully apply for grant funding, it is necessary to prepare yourself and your projects long before funding opportunities are announced

16. Are you ready to apply for a research grant? • Most agencies do not have minimum PI eligibility requirements • However, you must convince the peer reviewers you are capable of heading a major research project. • Conduct a self evaluation to determine if you are ready: • Do you have a track record of successful grant projects? • Have you published/presented the results of your previous research? • Have you participated as a co-investigator on your colleagues’ grant projects? • Do you have committed time to conduct research?

17. Create a plan for your research career • Find a mentor that has previously been funded • Your mentor does not need to be from within your institution • Use your mentor as a resource when developing future proposals • Conduct research as part of a colleague’s grant project • Act as a co-Investigator, sub-site PI, or consultant • Learn how to conduct a major research project • Apply for small, private grants • Private funding from foundations, societies, and associations • Funding sources within your institution

18. Create a plan for your research career (cont.) • Conduct pilot studies within your research area • Generate preliminary data • Use your preliminary data in future grant applications • Publish the results of your previous research • Reviewers like to see first authorship • Applications from unpublished PIs are unlikely to be funded

19. Set the strategic vision for your research • Set realistic goals for the next 5-10 years • Identify your research niche • What is a research need within your area of expertise? • What skills and expertise to do you have? • Have you conducted a thorough literature review? • Identity funding sources that fit your research niche • Which federal agencies fund research in your niche? • Your research should drive which funding opportunities you pursue. Do not let funding opportunities drive your research!

20. Outline potential research projects • Outlining your projects will allow you to quickly respond to grants when they are announced • Think of a few questions within your niche that you would investigate if you had the funding • Draft testable hypotheses for your potential projects • Draft two to four specific aims for your projects • Include the high-level outcomes your project would produce • Your aims must be achievable within a 3-5 year period

21. Outline potential research projects (cont.) • Draft an outline of your project • How will you achieve your specific aims? • How long will it take to conduct your research? • What resources will you need? • Always consider the following when you are outlining your project: • Is your project significant? • Is your project innovative? • Is your project feasible?

22. RESPOND to Open Grant Opportunities • When you understand the grant environment and have prepared for future funding opportunities, you are ready to plan your proposal and write your grant application

23. Read the Funding Opportunity Announcement • Key Information in the FOA: • Participating Organizations • Components of Participating Organizations • Application Due Date(s) • Expiration Date • Research Objectives • Funds Available • Eligible Applicants

24. Know the Upcoming Deadlines Potential Timeline for an Upcoming Due Date Opportunity Announced April 5 Internal Deadline May 29 Due June 5 Prepare Your Application Institutional Review

25. Assemble Your Teams • Proposal Development Team • Research Team • Co-Is • Research Coordinator • Co-I • Research Coordinator • Consultants • Grantwriter(s) • Finance & Sponsored Programs Staff • Contactors • Other Key Personnel • Assign tasks and set • deadlines for your teams

26. Expand Your Outline • Hypothesis • What assumptions will you test with your project? • Does your preliminary evidence support your hypothesis? • Specific Aims • Refine your previously developed specific aims • Create narrowly focused, concrete objectives that can be achieved during your grant period • Do not include “cascading aims”

27. Expand Your Outline (Cont’d) • Significance • Explain the current state of your field (i.e., gaps in knowledge) • Present your preliminary data and/or pilot project(s) • Innovation • What does your project bring to the field? • Examples: new model, new approach, innovative ideas • Approach (Research Plan) • How will you operationalize the project? • Use your expanded outline to write your application with your team

28. Finalize and Submit • Make sure you have all necessary components complete • Abstract • Specific Aims • Narrative • Budget & Budget Justification • Biosketches/CVs • Resources & Facilities • Human Subjects Protection • Application Forms • Submit your proposal through your office of grants and contracts or sponsored-programs office according • to their internal deadlines

29. Questions and Answers • Michael Gouin-Hart • 616-486-2023 • Robby.Gouin-Hart@spectrumhealth.org • Chris West • 616-486-2023 • Christopher.West@spectrumhealth.org