AHRQ Master Slide Template

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Preparing a Grant Application Steps to Success
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Shelley Benjamin Karen Rudzinski
Division of Research Education, OEREP

training_at_ahrq.gov
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Overview

• Getting Started
• Application processes
• Application strategies

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Getting Started

• Internet is funding gateway
• AHRQ and NIH use essentially same application
  process
  
• Keep abreast of research priorities and open
  solicitations
  

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AHRQs Website www.ahrq.gov
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NIH AND AHRQ GrantApplication Similarities

• Announcement publication NIH Guide for Grants
  (http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html)
  and www.http//grants.gov
  
• Mechanisms e.g., RO3, R36, K08, K02, R01
• Application forms PHS 398, 416-1
• Receipt dates
• Application submission and referral NIH Center
  for Scientific Review
  
• Application review procedures
• For AHRQ assignment, line 2 of the application
  (PHS form 398) should indicate the name of an
  AHRQ PA/RFA

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AHRQ/NIH Solicitations -- Request for
Applications (RFA)

• Formal statement inviting applications (grant or
  coop. agree.) on a well-defined area with
  specific objectives
  
• Specific, one-time application receipt date
• Specific and of awards
• Special review panels or study section review

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AHRQ/NIH Solicitations -- Program Announcements
(PA)

• Describes AHRQs broad research interests.
• Individual project designs reflect the ideas and
  creativity of the investigators.
  
• Set receipt dates funding dependent upon
  availability of money
  
• Reviewed by standing study sections HCRT for
  training grants
  
• All active individual training grants are in form
  of PA

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Examples of Program Announcements research
topics of interest to AHRQ

• PAR-04-039 AHRQ Grants for Health Services
  Research Dissertation
  
• PAR-04-016 AHRQ Minority Research Infrastructure
  Support Program (M-RISP)
  
• PA-03-117 AHRQ Grant Program for Large Conference
  Support
  
• PAR-01-040 AHRQ Small Research Grant Program
• PAR-00-141 Small Grant Program for Conference
  Support
  
• PA-00-111 AHRQ Health Services ResearchProgram
  Announcement
  
• PA-00-069 Predoctoral Fellowship Awards For
  Minority Students
  
• PA-00-010 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development
  Awards
  
• PAR-99-164 Independent Scientist Awards
• PA-99-005 Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship
  Awards

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Application Processes

• Most AHRQ research grant applications must use
  PHS form 398 --http//grants.nih.gov/grants/fundin
  g/phs398/phs398.html
  
• Fellowship applications use form PHS
  416-1http//grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/416/phs
  416.htm
  
• All forms can be found under Tools and
  Resources at http//www.ahrq.gov/fund/training/tr
  ainix.htm
  
• All applications sent to the NIH Center for
  Scientific Review will be changing to
  electronic submission in near future
  
• Investigators may request (in cover letter with
  application) assignment of an application to a
  specific study section and/or agency/institute
  (request assignment is not guaranteed)

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Application Receipt Dates

• Health Services Research Dissertation Awards --
  Receipt Deadline Date February 15, June 15,
  October 15
  
• Independent Scientist Awards -- Receipt Deadline
  Date February 17, June 15, October 15
  
• Mentored Clinical Scientist Award -- Receipt
  Deadline Date February 1, June 1, October 1
  
• Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards --
  Receipt Deadline Date April 5, August 5,
  December 5 -- these may be changing soon
  
• Predoctoral Fellowship Awards for Minority
  Students -- Receipt Deadline Date May 1,
  November 15-- these may be changing soon

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Application Process

• Application must be received by due date or bear
  a proof-of-mailing date by deadline (read the
  announcement to find which pertains)
  
• Applications sent from NIH to AHRQ, where they
  are assigned to a study section and to a specific
  PO at a Center/Office within AHRQ
  
• Review typically occurs 4 months after
  applications received
  
• Funding decisions occur 1-3 months later
• Resubmission generally two allowed,
  dissertations one

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AHRQ Staff Involved in Grants Process

• Referral Officer
• Review Staff Scientific Review Administrator
  and Grants Management Specialist Team
  
• Program Staff Project Officer (PO)
• Grants Management

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Phases of an Application/Project Agency Staff
Contacts

• Preapplication
• P.O.s, Review/Referral, Grants Management
• Application
• Review/Referral, Grants Management
• Grant award
• P.O.s, Grants Management
• Post closeout
• P.O.s, Grants Management

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Scientific Review Group (Study Section)

• Scientific Review Administrator
• Recruits and selects reviewers
• Assigns applications to specific reviewers
• Sees that each application gets review that is
  competent, thorough and fair
  
• Assures that proper review criteria used
• Prepares summary statements of review
• Reviewers are Members or temporary members of
  Study Section or SEP
  
• Scientists with appropriate expertise
• Dependable, reasonable, open minded

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Review Procedures

• Applications assigned to 2-3 reviewers for
  written comments, but reviewed and discussed by
  all reviewers
  
• If all reviewers agree in advance that an
  application is non-competitive, the study section
  may choose not to discuss the application (triage
  process). At present all training/career
  development grants are discussed may change
• A summary statement conveying the comments and
  assessment of the reviewers is sent to the
  principal investigator

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Ingredients of a Successful Grant Application

• GOOD IDEA
• GOOD SCIENCE
• GOOD APPLICATION
• Adapted from Gordon, Stephen L.
  Ingredients of a Successful Grant Application to
  the National Institutes of Health. J.
  Orthopaed. Rsch. 7138-141 (1989) (as reprinted
  in Preparing a Research Grant Application to the
  National Institutes of Health)

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What Determines Which Awards Are Made?

• Scientific merit
• Significance and originality
• Methods
• Program considerations
• What is uniquely AHRQ
• Existing portfolio balance
• Anticipated IMPACT of research
• Availability of funds

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Application Preparation Suggestions

• Follow Instructions
• Be clear
• Be organized
• Watch your language
• Cover all bases
• Adapted from Federal Grants Contracts,
  Project Opportunities in Research, Training, and
  Services Grant Workshop by Pam Moore

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Basic Elements of the
Research Plan

• Specific aims
• What does the investigator intend to do?
• Background and significance
• Why is the work important?
• Preliminary studies
• What has the applicant already done?
• Research design and methods
• How is the applicant going to do the proposed
  work?
  

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Common Problems in Applications

• Lack of original idea and/or scientific
  rationale
  
• Diffuse, superficial, or unfocused research plan
• Questionable methodology
• Lack of important details
• Lack of experience in methodology
• Lack of generalizability of findings or methods
• No attention to human subjects and/or population
  representation issues
  
• Unrealistically large amount of work

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New Common Problem Applications of Application

• No apparent translatability of research into
  practice or policy
  
• Not unique to AHRQ

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Practical Tips

• Make a rough draft of your application then let
  it sit so you can distance yourself and review it
  a bit more dispassionately
  
• Does the draft seem coherent? Are transitions
  logical?
  
• Have you checked for grammar, spelling and
  typographical errors? Is the draft readable?
  
• Have an objective person review the draft and
  final copy involvement of mentors is critical
  
• All of this requires hard work, study, and mental
  discipline
  

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Specific Issues with Dissertation Applications

• Letters
• Involvement of Mentors
• Adequacy of committee membership
• Relevance to HSR and AHRQ
• Balance between specificity, originality, and
  career potential
  
• Doability

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Specific Issues with Career Development
Applications

• Balance between career development plan and
  research
  
• Mentors (K08)
• Doability
• Why need the funds
• Adequacy of career development plans given where
  are at in career and what are proposing to do

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What Steps to Successful Career Development Looks
Like
Save Lives and Dollars
Change Practices
Visibility Dissemination
Publication
Graduation