Fellowship GrantsFellowship GrantsNRSA F32NRSA F32

Domenick “Tony” Prosdocimo, Ph.D.Domenick “Tony” Prosdocimo, Ph.D.Post-Doctoral FellowPost-Doctoral Fellow

Laboratory of Mukesh Jain, MDLaboratory of Mukesh Jain, MDPSP, Thursday 3/14/13PSP, Thursday 3/14/13

Mentor’s advice

Peer advice

Where to lookFor fellowships Why a fellowship

Write aCompelling storyPilot data

Letters of recommendation

What budget can be used for

Experimental design

Goal setting

Fellowship Toolbox:

The first steps toward a fellowship?

1. Pre-doc: identify mentor with track record of training in your field of interest

2. Post-doc: - Preliminary data.- Identify local and national collaborators- need 6-8 week block of time to write- appointment status – “post-doctoral scholar”- application deadlines

3. A successful fellowship application focuses not only on the science, but also the training involved

4. Acquire previously funded applications as a roadmap- email me, dap17@case.edu

• National Research Service Awards (NRSA)– F30 Predoctoral Awards for MD/PhD Fellowships– F31 Predoctoral Fellowships– F32 Postdoctoral Fellowships

• K Awards– K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Awd– K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award– K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research

Career Development Award– K99/00 Pathway to Independence Award

Grantwriting Resources

ScienceCareers.orgCareer Development Articles

NIMH Grant Application Processhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/researchFunding/grantprocess.cfmhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/researchFunding/training.cfm

FASEB Grantsmanship Training Programhttps://ns2.faseb.org/careerutilities/grantprg.htm

Grant Application Writer’s Handbook, Reif-Lehrer

See also http://casemed.case.edu/gradprog/

The NIH NRSA Ruth L KirschsteinF KIOSKhttp://grants1.nih.gov/training/F_files_nrsa.htm

Stipend FY 2012Predoctoral $22,032Postdoctoral Years of Experience:

0 $39,2641 $41,3642 $44,3403 $46,092

Training Related ExpensesPredoctoral Trainees: $4,200Postdoctoral Trainees: $7,850

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (Parent F32) (PA-10-110)National Institutes of HealthNational Center for Complementary and Alternative MedicineNational Cancer InstituteNational Center for Research ResourcesNational Eye InstituteNational Human Genome Research InstituteNational Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteNational Institute on AgingNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin DiseasesNational Institute of Biomedical Imaging and BioengineeringEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute on Drug AbuseNational Institute on Deafness and Other Communication DisordersNational Institute of Dental and Craniofacial ResearchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNational Institute of General Medical SciencesNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeNational Institute of Nursing Research

The NRSA (F31, F32) success rate

http://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/index.aspx?catid=17

NRSA Application Preparation follow the instructions:“Individual Fellowship SF424 (R&R) Application Guide”

1. Submission is three times per year(Apr 8, Aug 8, Dec 8)

2. Grant needs routed internally first, application should becomplete in full at least 1 week prior to submission dates

3. Allow yourself 6-8 weeks to prepare

4. This is a 3 year grant: proposal should fit accordingly

5. It’s about the training as much as the science

Take a look at potential reviewers: Center for Scientific Review (CSR)http://www.csr.nih.gov/committees/rosterindex.asp

Roster Index for Fellowship Study Sectionhttp://public.csr.nih.gov/StudySections/Fellowship/Pages/default.aspx

Physiology and Pathobiology of Cardiovascular andRespiratory Systems [ F10A ]

Write for the Reviewers• Reviewers are:

– Busy– Overworked– May not be as

knowledgeable about the details

Typically, you’ll receive three reviewers:-each reviewer scores your grant on a 1-9 scale prior to study section.-the average gives an impact score

The day your study section meets:-all reviewers of the study section will have access to the impact scores as well as the grant-typically, best scored grants will be discussed first-on average, each grant gets discussed for only 10 minutes-impact scores could change following discussion-final impact scores are translated into a percentile

Reviewer 1

Reviewer 2

Reviewer 3

The Application:

Online: grants.gov - SF 424 (R&R)All subsequent sections are submitted as .pdf into this online

submission form

1. Project Summary / Abstract2. Project Narrative: 2-3 sentence paragraph summarizing

your application in layman terms3. References Cited4. Facilities & Other Resources5. Equipment6. List of Referees: (identify 3 referees early)

- 3 letters of reference submitted by the referee through eRA commons, you simply list the individuals name and affiliation.

The Application cont:

7. Letters of Support: (identify potential collaborators early)- What techniques are outside the scope of your lab’s

expertise- Be explicit in stating you will learn these techniques

first-hand in your collaborators’ lab- remember, it’s more about the training than the

science- be prepared to write these letters yourself and simply

have your collaborator sign them

The Application cont:

8. Statement by the mentor: (Critical)- A good letter should include:- Applicant accomplishments

- Brief statement about applicant, undergrad and post-grad studies

- how mentor came to know applicant- genesis of current application- current collaborations applicant has with other lab members

- Mentor Training Record- brief background of mentor- list of past and present mentees (where are they now)

- Research Training Plan for the Applicant- how often will mentor meet with applicant- present at local and national meetings

- Relationship of training to career goals- how will the current application aid in developing an

independent line of investigation

The Application cont:

9. Biosketch:- Applicant

- Personal statement, position and honors, Publications

- Undergrad and post-graduate grades- Mentor

A strong research idea should pass the “so what” test. What is the benefit of answering your question? Who will it help and how?

If you cannot make a definitive statement about the purpose of your research, it is unlikely to be funded.

Get Started: The Research Idea

The Application cont:

10. Specific Aims Page (1 page):- Brief overview/background- Hypothesis- Aims- helpful to include cartoon of hypothesis and aims

Specific Aims Goal - make the reviewer want to read more

Make sure you:

Provide a rationale—where did hypothesis come from? why is this a strong idea? is it novel?

Have objectives that are measurable and highly focused

Have aims that are feasible in technique, time and money-remember, this is a three year grant

http://www.theresearchassistant.com/tutorial/2-1.asp

The Application cont:

11. Research Strategy (6 pages):- Background and Significance- Approach / Preliminary Results- Aims

- Rationale for subaims and proposed studies- Interpretation, Limitations, and Future Directions

- Methods- Statistics

Questions thus far?

The Application cont:

12. Use of Vertebrate animals:

13. Select Agent Research:- are there hazardous or biological agents to be used to carry out

proposed studies?

14. Resource Sharing Plan- will the application result in the development of a new agent /

mouse strain – NIH wants us to share

15. Respective Contributions

16. Selection of sponsor and institution- Why did you join the lab- how will the current application allow you to develop and

independent line of investigation

17. Responsible Conduct of Research

The Application cont:

18. Goals for Fellowship Training and Career- short and long term goals- state how the current application will position you for K-

grant, R01 / independent line of investigation

19. Activities Planned under this award- dedicated percent effort- what weekly research seminars will you attend- national meetings

20. Doctoral Dissertation- 2 page summary of dissertation if applicable

Reviewer 1

Reviewer 2

Reviewer 3

Questions?