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Why Write a Grant?
Grants provide you with resources needed to complete a major project that interests you
Grants allow you to set your own career goals and increase your autonomy
Grants help you achieve recognition and enhance your professional reputation
Grants generate resources for graduate students
Why Write a Grant? Grants offer salary support and
potentially release time
Grants fund personnel, equipment and travel
Grants can be used to support conferences
Grants may be required for tenure
Grants provide prestige to you and your school
What Type of Grants?
Project grants– Research– Conferences– Books
Career development grants– Fellowships– K awards– Institutional Training Grants
Need an Idea that FITS
Fills a gap in knowledge Important
– To you and long-term career path– To your institution– To the field– To the funding agency– To the reviewers
Tests a hypothesis Short-term investment leads to long-
term gain– Impact– Sustainability
Ideas May Come From
Clinical experience Literature Presentations at professional meetings Discussions with colleagues Funded investigators Emerging health-related issues Solicited reports (e.g. IOM) Current agency priorities NIH-sponsored conferences
Current Hot ‘Topics’
Community-based participatory research Interdisciplinary initiatives Underserved populations Technology Translational research Biobehavioral science Genomics Patient safety
NINR Program Areas
Health promotion and disease prevention
Managing symptoms in acute and chronic illness
Self-management in health and illness Caregiving Health disparities End of life/palliative care
CRISP
Information on grants and programs funded by HHS
Search database to see what has been funded that relates to your topic
Can obtain copy of the proposal– Contact PI– Contact NIH Freedom of Information
Office Coordinator
Communicate Intent
To mentor/advisor/department chair
To Research Administration
To program staff from the funding agency– Do homework first!
Before You Start Writing Conduct comprehensive literature review
– Your question should be based on gaps in the literature
– Why is your research compelling, necessary, timely, significant?
– What are your goals and outcomes?– Brainstorm with colleagues
Identify Co-investigators and a statistician
Consider theoretical frameworks
Before You Start Writing
Draft your Specific Aims
All proposals require a narrative– Read funded proposals– Develop an outline– Consider developing a presentation of
your proposal– Consider publishing your narrative
(after your grant is submitted!)
Do you need pilot data?
Develop study design and methods– Identify study population– Determine
• How your project will be conducted• Recruitment needs• Data to be collected to address your
question• Resources will be required• If your environment is appropriate• Do you need community support?
– Develop timeline– Talk with a statistician
Before You Start Writing
Before You Start Writing
Carefully read grant guidelines and review criteria
Determine whether you are eligible to apply – NIH says:– “Any individual with the skills, knowledge
and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with their institution to develop an application for support.”
Additional qualifications depend on the funding agency and mechanism
Before You Start Writing
Talk with your colleagues and mentors – You will want them to review your
proposal – Include people who do and do not know
the area
Visit your University’s Office of Research Website
Make an appointment with your school’s research administrators
Before You Start Writing Do you have institutional support? Do you have the needed infrastructure? When are applications due? Can you apply later? When are they reviewed? Are there budgetary restrictions? When do you need the money? How much money do you anticipate
needing?
Key Question: GO/NO GO?
Rules to Follow If It’s a Go
Get Started Early!
Rule 1
Rule 1 Establish benchmarks and deadlines
– Start ~3 months before it’s due
Are internal reviews are needed?
Is the submission electronic?– Register with agency weeks in
advance– Need 10 extra days
Allow time for feedback– Don’t be defensive
Rule 2
Read the Instructions!
Rule 2
Follow instructions exactly!– If not, application may be returned
Use Appendices wisely– Don’t put anything in an Appendix
that the reviewer needs to read
Check key websites frequently
Make contact with agency as needed
Make It EasyFor the Reviewers
Rule 3
Rule 3
Write from the reviewer’s perspective– Assume that they are NOT experts
Make it EASY for the reviewers– Let there be white!
Clarity is key – avoid detours– Use subheadings, tables, figures
Rule 3
Keep it simple, focused and interesting to reviewers and funding agency
Identify potential problems /limitations– Address them in the proposal
Talk up strengths
Say it’s significant because …
Rule 4
Play It Straight!
Rule 4 Don’t pad biosketches
– Do not list conference presentations or book chapters if you’re applying to NIH
Don’t over- or under-estimate the budget– NIH has 2 tier review
Toot your horn – but don’t deafen the reviewers!
Grants are awarded to your institution, not you!
Rule 5
Don’t Work inA Vacuum!
Rule 5
Lot’s of resources on the web
Meet with collaborators early and often
Update internal and external staff frequently
Get feedback from colleagues– Senior investigators, non-experts
Additional Things to Consider Take additional grant writing courses
Read books– Gerin W. Writing the NIH Grant Proposal,
Sage Publications, 2006– Ogden TE and Goldberg IA. Research
Proposals: A Guide to Success. Academic Press. 2002.
– Reif-Lehrer L. Grant Application Writer’s Handbook. Jones and Bartlett, 2005.
Take a course in accounting
Write (or help write) lots of grants!
Rule 6
Don’t Give Up!
