Before we begin

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Before we beginPick up a blank card from the
front of the room.Write down 3 keywords that
generally describe your (or your labs) research
interests.Fold your card in half and put in box
at front of room.
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Identifying Funding Sources( and tips for
getting your own pre-doctoral funding)
Jennifer S. Fang 4th year Doctoral Candidate,
Physiological Sciences GIDP jfang_at_email.arizona.ed
u
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Why should you apply?

• Money
• CV
• Experience
• Organize / Focus research
• Supplies
• Travel (meetings, training)

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Where to look?

• Grants.gov (www.grants.gov)

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Where to look?

• Community of Science (www.cos.com)

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Major Funding Sources

• National Institute Health
• American Heart Association
• National Science Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• Harriet Jenkins Fellowships

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Funding Opportunities

• (NIH) NRSA Predoctoral Fellowships (F30/F31)
• http//grants.nih.gov/training/F_files_nrsa.htm
• NIH promotes research with the aim of addressing
  major health concerns
• Description
• 3-5 year fellowship that can be extended up to
  max. 6 years
• Designed for a MD/PhD student
• Requirements
• Citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent
  resident
• Bachelor in sciences
• American Heart Association Predoctoral
  Fellowships
• http//www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?ident
  ifier9713
• AHA focuses on cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• Description
• 2 year fellowship that can be extended to max. 3
  years
• Requirements
• Citizen, permanent resident, student visa

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NIH Grants

• Research Grants (R series)
• Career Development Awards (K series)
• Training Grants (T series)
• Fellowships (F series)

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NIH Research Project Grant Program (R01)

• - Support a discrete, specified research project
• - NIH's most commonly used grant program
• No specific dollar limit (unless specified)
• Generally awarded for 3 -5 years

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NIH Small Grant Program (R03)

• Support a variety of types of projects
• Pilot or feasibility studies
• Collection of preliminary data
• Secondary analysis of existing data
• Small, self-contained research projects
• Development of new research technology
• Maximum two years of funding
• Generally up to 50,000 per year
• Not renewable

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NIH Grants

• Research Grants (R series)
• Career Development Awards (K series)
• Training Grants (T series)
• Fellowships (F series)

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Main differences R series vs T/F series

• Amount of money
• Duration
• Advisor-dependent
• Preliminary data
• Where you are in your career

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NRSA Fellowship and Training Grants (F T
awards)
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Training grants vs Fellowships
Awarded to institutions that then select
individual students for support
Awarded to students for supervised research
(hands on) training
Specific research topic (dissertation project)
Broad, multidisciplinary training in biomedical,
health and behavioral sciences
Develop research skills
Develop research skills
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Major Funding Sources

• National Institute Health
• American Heart Association
• National Science Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• Harriet Jenkins Fellowships

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Funding Opportunities

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research
  Fellowships
• http//www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id62
  01
• Promotes the pursuit of science, less stringent
  need to establish relevance to public health
• Description
• Three years of support
• 1,100 awards available nationally
• Requirements
• Citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Undergraduate senior, or in 1st year of graduate
  program
• Proposed project in science, technology,
  engineering or math

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Funding Opportunities

• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowship
• http//www7.nationalacademies.org/FORDfellowships/
  fordpredoc.html
• Aims to increase racial and ethnic diversity in
  nations college and university-level faculty
• Description
• 60 awards available
• Three years of support
• Requirements
• Citizens or nationals
• Committed to teaching and research at the
  university level
• High academic achievement

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Funding Opportunities

• Harriet G. Jenkins Predoctoral Diversity
  Fellowship
• http//www.uncfsp.org/spknowledge/default.aspx?pag
  eprogram.viewareaid1contentid177typeidjpfp
• Aims to increase diversity in science,
  technology, engineering and math
• Description
• 20 awards available
• Three years of support
• Requirements
• Within first three years of graduate program
• Member of an underrepresented minority including
  being a woman, ethnic minority or a person with a
  disability
• GPA gt3.0
• Study in science, technology, engineering or math.

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Dont Limit Yourself

• Look outside of the box when trying to find
  funding sources
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• Scientific societies
• Local philanthropic organizations

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Choosing your Funding Opportunity

• Am I eligible?
• Education level
• Citizenship
• Matches your research interests
• Is it worth it?
• Time commitment to apply
• How much / what kind of support
• Success rate for grant

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Who is Your Audience?

• Granting institution
• Proposal fit mission of granting institution?
• Success rate
• Restrictions on money usage
• Reviewer
• May not be an expert in your field
• May not be reading very closely
• Type of Grant
• What you will be judged on

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NRSA F30/F31

• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
  Awards for Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellows
  (F30)
• Intended for individuals in combined M.D./Ph.D.
  fellowship training. Applicants must show
  potential to become productive, independent,
  highly trained physician-scientists, including
  patient-oriented physician-scientists, in
  scientific mission areas of one or more of the
  sponsoring NIH entities.
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
  Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows (F31)
• The programs objective is to provide support for
  promising doctoral candidates (Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D.,
  or equivalent) who will be performing
  dissertation research and training in scientific
  health-related fields relevant to the missions of
  the participating NIH entities.

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Required Information I (you)

• Cover letter
• Goals for NRSA fellowship training and career.
• Previous Education and Employment
• Research Description
• Table of Contents
• Scholastic Performance
• Academic Honors
• Research Experience

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Required Information II (sponsor/institution)

• Respective Contributions
• Selection of Sponsor and Institution
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Breakdown of Total Amount Requested
• 3 letters of reference
• Sponsors and co-sponsors information

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Required Information III(Research Proposal)

• Long-term objectives and specific aims, making
  reference to the health relatedness of the
  project (i.e., relevance to the mission of the
  agency).
• Describe concisely the research design and
  methods for achieving these goals.
• Describe the rationale and techniques you will
  use to pursue these goals.
• Relevance of this research to public health.

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AHA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

• 2 year fellowship
• Optional 3rd-year extension
• Studies broadly applicable to cardiovascular
  disease or stroke
• Bonus Open to International Students!!!

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AHA Review Criteria

• Divided equally into three components
• Investigator (you)
• Grades, references
• Environment
• Sponsor (your mentor) and Institution (the
  University)
• Research Proposal

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AHA Applicant

• Investigator
• Are you qualified academically?
• Do you have previous research experience?
• Present your CV, your educational background,
  your grades
• Take Home Message
• Update your CV regularly so this is copy-and-paste

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AHA Reference Reports

• 3 Reference Reports
• Give references a lot of time
• Gently remind them of their deadlines as it gets
  closer to the date.
• Tip When giving them the forms to be filled out,
  include a pre-addressed, pre-paid manila envelope
  (registered mail) so they can just seal it and
  send it and you can still track its progress!

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AHA Your Sponsor

• Sponsor
• Is the sponsor actively involved in the project?
• Will the sponsor be able to financially support
  the equipment necessary for the project?
• Is the research environment conducive to the
  research necessary to carry out the project?
• Does the mentor/institution have a comprehensive
  plan of study for the applicant that encompasses
  a wide breadth of graduate training?

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AHA Your Sponsor (contd)

• Take Home Message Keep your sponsor involved in
  the grant-writing process this should be a
  collaboration between you and your mentor!

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AHA Research Proposal

• Proposal
• Are your experiments relevant to the goals of the
  American Heart Association?
• Are your experiments reasonable and logically
  presented?
• Have you thought everything through?
• Do you have the resources to do your experiment?
  (I.e. preliminary data)

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AHA Research Proposal

• Specific Aims
• Background Significance
• Brief literature review
• Preliminary data
• Significance to the granting agency
• Experimental Design
• Background
• Overview of Experiments (and Controls)
• Expected Results
• Alternative Strategies
• Projected Timeline, Selected Methods, Ethical
  Concerns

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AHA Research Proposal

• Re-iterate the relevance of your research to
  practical applications (e.g. public health,
  disease) frequently
• Reviewers are not experts in your field start
  at the very beginning!
• Lead them down the garden path

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Signatures Sponsored Projects

• Sponsored Projects at the UofA must approve every
  grant application out of the university
• Your deadline is at least two weeks before the
  granting agencys deadline.
• Tip Contact Sponsored Projects gt1 month before
  you give them the proposal

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Sample Timeline
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
RL
Specific Aims
Specific Aim 3
RL
Specific Aims
Revise Specific Aims
Review Edit
Specific Aim I
Paperwork, Collate
Background
Specific Aim 2
Sponsored Projects
Review Edit
!
Last Minute Panic
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Tips Tricks (references)

• Give your referrers
• Clear instructions
• A deadline (and lots of time)
• Description of grant
• Mission of funding agency
• Your updated CV
• An addressed envelope (postage)
• Reminders!

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Tips Tricks (writing)

• Read the instructions (many times)
• Start early (gt3 months)
• Write Specific Aims first
• Keep figures big and legible!
• Include descriptive figure legends
• Collaborate with your mentor!

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Tips Tricks (revising)

• Leave at least 3 weeks to review and revise!
• Take time away from the proposal and then come
  back to re-read for logical inconsistencies and
  typos.
• Collaborate closely with your mentor!
• Let a fresh pair of eyes (preferably someone who
  doesnt know your field) read your grant for
  typos and grammar!

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Tips Tricks (submitting)

• Leave 1-2 weeks to fill out paperwork, collate
  your .pdf form, and submit online
• Submit online 1 day prior to deadline
• Review your .pdf version before submitting.
• Keep a photocopy for yourself and give one to
  your mentor

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Tips Tricks (hard copy)

• Many grants require an online submission,
  followed by hard copy submissions (with
  signatures)
• Keep photocopies of everything!

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Travel Awards

• Fund costs associated with specific travel
• Judged on
• Importance of travel to professional development
• Are you presenting?
• Close to graduating?
• Audience?

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Travel Awards

• Sample Requirements
• Copy of abstract
• Presenters information
• What is the conference you are going to?
• Are you presenting?
• Budget
• Personal Statement
• Why is this conference important to your career?
• RECEIPTS!!!

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Travel Awards

• Available through
• Scientific societies / conference organizers
• E.g. http//www.eb2009.org
• On-campus departments / organizations
• Herbert E. Carter Travel Award (500)
• http//gidp.arizona.edu/carter-award.php
• WISE Travel Award (200-600)
• http//ws.web.arizona.edu/wise/
• GPSC Travel Award (500)
• http//www.gpsc.arizona.edu/travel-grants

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Overall Tips Tricks

• Start early
• Set a timeline
• Read instructions carefully
• Revise multiple times
• Submit early

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Questions?
Jennifer Fang, jfang_at_email.arizona.edu