Strategic Planning for Fellowship Grant Funding

1
Strategic Planning for Fellowship Grant Funding
focus on the NRSA (F32)

• Janet Gross, Ph.D.
• Grants Tutorial Director
• Office of Postdoctoral Education

2
Overview

• Grant Writing the challenge
• What is the NRSA grant proposal?
• Nuts and Bolts of NIH applications and guidelines
  in general
• Writing a competitive proposal
• Common mistakes lessons from summary sheets

3
Grant writing takes practice skill

• Learn about grant writing and other kinds of
  writing
• Practice letting others review and comment on
  your ideas
• Practice having your proposals and writing be
  rejected
• find someone with a 100 funding record (if you
  can)
• Practice rewriting your own work
• Work collaboratively to make your proposal
  outstanding
• Take advantage of the expertise around you
• There is no stupid question --- risk it!

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Best grant writers are collaborators
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Working with your mentor

• Communication
• Learning experience
• Collaborative writing process
• Time management

Plausible Research Ideas Specific Aims
6
Everyone is very smart

• Most proposals are very good, even have excellent
  research plans
• Only outstanding gets funded
• Invest in your career not just in this research
  project
• Work collaboratively to make your proposal
  outstanding
• Take advantage of the expertise around you
• There is no stupid question --- risk it!
• Remove all obvious flaws from your proposal

7
You are not your proposal (however,
you are your biosketch)

• Scientific writing must be vetted by others
• Write something every day
• Practice rewriting your own work

8
Grant Writing Strategies

• Review a successful proposal - do not be naïve
• Make contact with the funder - is your science
  fundable?

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Contact with the NIH?

• 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.
  .....

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Grant Writing Strategies

• Review a successful proposal - do not be naïve
• Make contact with the funder - is your science
  fundable?

1. Coaching grant writing group, NRSA tutorial
   class
2. Collect tips and hints about grant writing that
   have worked for others
3. Develop a strategic plan for your proposal
   careful planning with guidance from mentors
4. Use a timeline to write - time management
   priorities
5. Convey confidence in your research and writing
   style
6. Arms Length approach to reading your own work
7. Get others to read and critique your work

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

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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 Nations biomedical, behavioral and
  clinical research agendas.

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F Kiosk http//grants.nih.gov/training/f_files_nrs
a.htm

• Identify the correct grant
• Title  Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research
  Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral
  Fellows (Parent F32)
• Download the Program Announcement
• Program Announcement (PA) Number PA-10-110

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• Locate the applications instructions link
• General Information. For general information on
  SF424 (RR) Application and Electronic
  Submission, see these Web sites
• SF424 (RR) Application and Electronic
  Submission Information http//grants.nih.gov/gran
  ts/funding/424/index.htm
• Locate the application package
• General information on Electronic Submission of
  Grant Applications   http//era.nih.gov/Electr
  onicReceipt/

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Why Should I Apply for This Grant?

• Stepping stone for an academic career
• Build a track record of fundable research
• NRSA vs. other grant opportunities
• , prestige
• Small, competitive awards vs. no award
• Are you permitted to be a PI?

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The Sponsor/Mentor

• How well do you know the sponsor?
• How well does the sponsor know you?
• Has your sponsor ever had NRSA postdocs before?
• Can you in person, face-to-face, ask these
  questions and discuss the answers with your
  Sponsor?
• Should you have a co-sponsor/mentor?

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Other options for awards

• There are many non-NIH funding opportunities
• Training or Fellowship Grants
• Career Development Awards (CDAs)
• For non-citizens
• For specific disease-focused research
• Travel, equipment, tuition

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Kirschstein-NRSA post-doctoral fellowships (F32s)
Applications, awards, and success rates

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After proposal leaves University

• NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
• Assigned to review committee (study section)
• Primary reviewer, Secondary reviewer, Reader

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Who Reviews the NRSA?

• Center for Scientific Review
• http//cms.csr.nih.gov/AboutCSR/OverviewofPeerRevi
  ewProcess.htm
• http//cms.csr.nih.gov/ResourcesforApplicants/Quic
  kLinks-AnswersforApplicants.htm
• http//cms.csr.nih.gov/PeerReviewMeetings/Fellowsh
  ip/
• Scoring system considers the impact of the
  research
• range 10 (high impact, exceptional) 90 (low
  impact, poor)
• Funding level (payline) is not determined nor
  discussed by reviewers
• Funding decisions are made by the NIH I/C

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Review Process

• Top 50
• Discussed at committee
• Impact Score Criteria scores
• Summary Statement
• Funded Not funded

• Bottom 50
• Not discussed
• Not scored (streamlined)
• Summary Statement with criteria scores
• (very valuable)

Anyone can resubmit 1 time
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Useful Training Websites

• NIDA Training Information Site
• http//www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchTraining/Trainingh
  ome.html
• NINDS Training Information Site
• http//www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/training_an
  d_career_development/index.htm
• NIH Grant Review Process - Video
• http//www.drg.nih.gov/Video/Video.asp

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• NRSA
• Application Package
• Guidelines

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NRSA (F32) Program Announcement PA-10-110

• ? General Information http//grants.nih.go
  v/grants/funding/424/index.htm
• You build, save, upload pdfs and fill in online
  form pages
• follow OSP guidelines for NIH grants www.
  osp.emory.edu
• Application Package
• Individual Fellowship Application Guide SF424
  (RR) - Adobe Forms Version B writing
  instructions
• Additional Form Pages biosketch form, etc.

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Which NIH I/C is the best match for your research?

• Study the website of the NIH Institute or Center
  (I/C) to which you are directing your proposal
• Is there a match between your interests and the
  agencys mission?
• Agency Contact List - pre-application advice?
• Section I. I.
• Each NIH Institute and Center (IC) has a unique
  scientific purview and different program goals
  and initiatives that evolve over time.
  Prospective Fellowship Applicants are encouraged
  to contact the relevant NIH staff for IC-specific
  programmatic information Table of Institute and
  Center Contacts.

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Who supports the F32?

• Components of Participating Organizations Nationa
  l Cancer Institute (NCI), (http//www.nci.nih.gov/
  ) National Eye Institute (NEI),
  (http//www.nei.nih.gov/) National Heart, Lung,
  and Blood Institute (NHLBI), (http//www.nhlbi.nih
  .gov/) National Human Genome Research Institute
  (NHGRI), (http//www.nhgri.nih.gov/) National
  Institute of Aging (NIA), (http//www.nia.nih.gov/
  ) National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and
  Alcoholism (NIAAA), (http//www.niaaa.nih.gov) Na
  tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious
  Diseases (NIAID), (http//www.niaid.nih.gov/) Nat
  ional Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
  and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), (http//www.niams.nih.g
  ov/) National Institute of Biomedical
  Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB),
  (http//www.nibib.nih.gov/) Eunice Kennedy
  Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
  Human Development (NICHD), (http//www.nichd.nih.g
  ov/) National Institute on Deafness and Other
  Communication Disorders (NIDCD),
  (http//www.nidcd.nih.gov/) National
  Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
  (NIDCR), (http//www.nidcr.nih.gov/) National
  Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
  Diseases (NIDDK), (http//www.niddk.nih.gov/) Nat
  ional Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA),
  (http//www.nida.nih.gov/) National Institute of
  Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS),
  (http//www.niehs.nih.gov/) National Institute
  of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS),
  (http//www.nigms.nih.gov/) National Institute
  of Mental Health (NIMH), (http//www.nimh.nih.gov/
  ) National Institute of Neurological
  Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), (http//www.ninds.ni
  h.gov/) National Institute of Nursing Research
  (NINR), (http//www.ninr.nih.gov/) National Cente
  r for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  (NCCAM), (http//www.nccam.nih.gov/) National Cen
  ter for Research Resources (NCRR),
  (http//www.ncrr.nih.gov/) 

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Eligibility Issues for the NRSA

• Program Announcement rules are NOT OPTIONAL
• U.S. citizenship, non-citizen national, or
  permanent resident
• at time of award (not submission)
• Previous and current funding situation
• The combined postdoctoral T32 F32 cannot exceed
  3 years

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Basics

• You need an eRA commons account
• Funding dates Aug, Dec, April
• Award cycles 3x/yr
• Stipend levels and payback requirements
• Incur a service obligation of 1 month for each
  month of support during the first 12 months.
• Health-related research training, research and/or
  teaching qualifies

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• What sections
• are in
• the application package?

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SF424 (RR) Application

• 4.2 SF424 (RR) Cover Component
• 4.3 R R Project /Performance Site Locations
• 4.4 R R Other Project Information Component
• Project Summary/Abstract
• Project Narrative
• Bibliography References Cited
• Facilities Other Resources
• Equipment
• Other Attachments (mentors stuff)
• 4.5 Key Person Profile
• Biosketches go here (yours you are
  the PI- and the mentors)
• 5.2 PHS398 Cover Letter File
• 5.3 PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form

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4.4 R R Other Project Information Component
12. Other Attachments

• Required Attachment
• 1. List of Referees
• 2. Sponsor and Co-Sponsor Information (6 pages
  max.)
• Research support available
• Sponsor and co-sponsors previous fellows
• Training Plan, Environment, Research Facilities
• Number of Fellow/Trainees to be supervised
• Applicants Qualifications and Potential
• B. Additional Attachments (when applicable)
• Collaborators and Dissertation Advisor, if
  applicable
• Certification Letter for Predoctoral Fellowships
  (F31) to Promote Diversity

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• 4.5 Senior/Key Person Profile
• PI you, the Fellowship Applicant or Candidate
• Senior Key Person 1 primary sponsor (mentor)
• Senior Key Person 2 co-sponsor
• 40 max.
• Upload biosketches here

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5.3 PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form B.
Research Training plan

• Introduction to Application (resubmissions only
  1 page)
• Specific Aims 1 page max.
• Research Strategy 6 pages max.
• Significance
• Approach (includes preliminary data)
• Human Subjects
• 6. 12.

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PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form

• Other Research Training Plan Sections
• 13-14. Vertebrate Animals
• Select Agents Research
• Resource Sharing model organisms, GWAS
• Respective Contributions
• Selection of Sponsor and Institution
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• 1 page maximum

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PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form C.
Additional Information

• Human Embryonic Stem Cells
• Fellowship Applicant
• Goals for Fellowship Training and Career
• Activities Planned Under this Award (100
  effort)
• Doctoral Dissertation and Other Research
  Experience
• Citizenship
• D. Budget
• E. Appendix
• 2 pages max.

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Dos

• READ ALL DIRECTIONS
• FOLLOW ALL GUIDELINES
• MAKE YOURSELF A PERSONAL TO DO LIST AND CHECK
  LIST
• PACE YOURSELF
• GET FEEDBACK

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If you dont follow the guidelines.......
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Donts

• Dont exceed the page limit
• Dont use the wrong font, pagination, spacing,
  etc.
• Dont skip any sections
• Dont do this solo
• Dont think This couldnt possibly be
  important/necessary/essential...

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• How can strategic
• grant writing
• contribute to a competitive proposal?

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How to convey your research career aspirations?

• In the proposal, remind the reader that you are
  on track to become an independent scientist
• WHY?
• ? NRSA is funding for training career
  development not just for funding your PIs
  research

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This is a person on the path to becoming an
independent researcher

• Biographical Sketch (follow format for Fellowship
  biosket)
• Doctoral Dissertation and Other Research
  Experience (2 pages max.)
• Can you create linkages in the readers mind?
• Tell your story.
• Use of 1st person is ok.

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Good Organization is Essential.....or messy
grant messy lab

• 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
  Approach (methods)
• Refer to your training potential throughout
• Name names of mentor(s)

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You will be rewarded if you DO

• Set aside time to write a grant can take weeks
  or months
• Read all directions
• Follow all guidelines
• Make yourself a personal to do list check it
  off
• Use the SF424 Assembly Line pdf
• Pace yourself - cramming is a killer ? errors!
• Get quality feedback

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Important, unforgivable DONTS

• Dont exceed the page limit
• Dont use an unapproved font, pagination, spacing
• Dont skip any sections
• Dont think This section couldnt possibly be
  important/necessary/essential...
• Dont do this solo

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• Common
• Mistakes
• In
• Scientific Grant Writing

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1. The messy proposal

• The committee commented on the less than
  stellar grantsmanship throughout the proposal
  (misspellings and typos).

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2. The overly ambitious research plan

• There are some concerns as to the likelihood of
  completing aims 2 and 3 within the allotted time
  given the pilot nature of the work and the number
  of techniques that need to be mastered.

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The overly ambitious research plan
The training potential of the planned work is
high. However, there are concerns that the
research plan is overambitious, not hypothesis
driven and lacks clear rationale and detailed
description of the studies proposed. Taken
together, these concerns diminish enthusiasm for
the application. While interesting, the
proposal is extremely ambitious. Overall, the
research plan is too broad and too large to have
any hope of being successful.
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Timeline
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• 3. ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• A formal course in the responsible conduct of
  research, taken within the past three years, is
  required individual lectures/seminars and
  on-line tutorials are not acceptable for
  fulfilling this requirement. To ensure that the
  course is appropriate for fulfilling the
  requirements for training in the responsible
  conduct of research, the candidate must provide
  specific information on the course content to
  allow reviewers and/or staff to determine whether
  or not the course fulfills the NIH requirements.
  In this application, the course content and the
  date the course has been taken or will be taken
  are not specified, which is unacceptable.

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4. The flawed methodology

• It is clear that the applicant is not completely
  familiar with the drug interactions that follow
  the combined administration of substance x and
  substance y in patients with diabetic neuropathy.

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5. The rush job

• The applicant has not considered the recently
  published research on psychosocial determinant of
  behaviors predicting HIV/AIDs infection in
  minority youth while much older literature has
  been discussed.

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More Common Mistakes

• Mastery of the literature
• Controversial terms vs. well-accepted terms
• Are you considering all sides of the issue
  fairly?
• Is your familiarity with the literature up to
  date?
• Have you made a compelling case for Significance?
• Resources not adequately explained
• Lab does not have established techniques, models
  related to your training and research goals
• Insufficient collaborative support or supervision
• Sponsors experience is insufficient or not
  well-described

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More Common Mistakes

• Design, Experiments, Data Analysis
• Hypothesis is ill-defined, lacking, faulty,
  diffuse
• Methodology is questionable, unsuited or flawed
• Inconsistency in level of detail from one
  experiment to the next
• Agents, clinical interventions, high tech
  procedures are not adequately described
• Are there alternatives worth mentioning?
• Data collection procedures are not clear
• Power calculation consideration
• Data management plan is unclear or absent
• It is unclear that the analytic techniques will
  yield the anticipated outcomes.

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Even more mistakes

• Training Plan
• Lacks cohesiveness can the reviewer easily
  summarize in what and how you will be trained?
• Is too brief generic not personalized must
  mention you by name!
• Doesnt include future research plans or career
  goals

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What if I dont get funded?

1. Reapply (you have 1 chance to reapply) if your
   training potential is still good (i.e., you are
   not too far along as a postdoc), or
2. Work on your publication record and apply for
   another type of grant where you will be more
   competitive

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What if Im not eligible and/or competitive for
the NRSA

• Seek other funding opportunities
• Many private foundations do not have citizenship
  restrictions
• Disease-specific organizations
• MDA, AHA, ACS, Crohns and Colitis Fdn America
• Department of Defense ALS research, orthopedics
  basic science fellowship
• NSF

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How do I look for other funding opportunities?

• http//www.osp.emory.edu/links/funding/index.cfm
• Community of Science IRIS
• Foundation Directory Online - Woodruff Library
  databases
• Science
• Searchable database GrantsNet
• http//sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding
• http//sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_develo
  pment/tools_resources/how_to_guides/how_to_get_fun
  ding

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What Should I Be Doing Now?...... 2 months to go

1. Find copy of a successful proposal
2. Contact the funder
3. Start NRSA notebook - obtain all necessary forms
   and information start on forms Print out forms.
4. Learn about Departmental and OSP procedures YOU
   DO NOT HIT SEND
5. Proofread from paper not the computer screen
6. Participate in REGULAR, ACTIVE discussions with
   mentor
7. Formulate RESEARCH TRAINING PLAN - draft an
   outline with all required sections
8. Identify individuals who can provide REFERENCES
9. Take my 3 session NRSA Grants Tutorial

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What Should I Be Doing Now?..... 1 month to go

• Write/revise full-length drafts of your proposal
• Complete information on form pages work with
  departmental grants specialist
• Check on your Letters of Recommendation
• be clear on due date
• how to use eRA Commons to submit references
• Circulate your proposal for quality critique and
  review
• Review Sponsor section with your Sponsor (gt1
  time)
• Build pdf and review hard copies