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Tips on NIH grant writing

David Nemazee

TSRI

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General points

Be interesting

Be clear- even to the non-specialist Be explicit- say the words

Be succinct as possible- feel for the reader 

Be plausible- preliminary data/ citations Manage the relationship between the

solid/boring and the exciting/speculative

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 NIH format Abstract (fixed)

Hypothesis and Specific Aims (1-2 pages)

Background and Significance (3-4 pages)

Preliminary Results (3-8 pages)

Research Design and Methods (10-15 pages)

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A bstract

Write last

Why is the topic important?

What are the Aims and long term goal?

This should be the most carefully written

 part of the grant.

Examples can be accessed in the CRISP

database

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Background/Introduction

This section must be very carefully tailored

to the project being introduced. Accentuate

what is important to know and understand,and why, as part of an argument for why

your proposal is important. It is also helpful

to point out where appropriate which of the

upcoming Aims addresses certain gaps in

our understanding.

Include Figure of your working hypothesis.

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Preliminary data

Establish your expertise

Establish your strengths

Establish the plausibility for the hypothesis

Establish the feasibility of an unusual

 proposed method/approach

The data must be clear, but can beincomplete or open to interpretation

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Hypothesis Should be clear 

If complex, use pictures to illustrate

Two competing hypotheses are better than one!

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TheA

ims How many?

Put each Aim in a single short sentence.

Reuse sentence in body of grant and abstract.

What order? Go from most developed to

least developed.

Aims should complement each other, should

 NOT be contingent on each other.

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Structure of an individualA

im Brief rationale- no more than a paragraph

The main purpose is to remind the reader of 

the wider rationale, but then to explain the

choice of approach.

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IndividualA

im A pproach- avoid gory technical detail (if 

necessary provide a Methods section).

What is the key point? what are the key

controls? What back-up approaches will be

used? What complementary approaches

will be used? (Often these are taken up inthe other Aims.)

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Individual Aim

Expected outcomes, caveats, problems-

grapple directly with potential problems, do

not minimize them, but also state

affirmatively why you think a approach is

likely to work, e.g. because the method is

routine, because you have special expertise..Tables of expected outcomes are effective

here.

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Style points

Use simple declarative sentences. Clarity is

more important than style.

Break up the text with effective headers,data pictures.

Tailor the introduction to fit the project, do

not roam far afield.

Underscore important points.

If you can fit in the page limit with 12pt

font, you must cut stuff out!

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Style points (continued) Say the words.

For example: ³This Aim is important

 because«..´ ³This experimental approach islikely to work because«´ ³This caveat is not

a grave concern because«´

Let a smart friend in a different field read thegrant--you¶ll be surprised at what was unclear,

and what needs to be further stressed.

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Common mistakes No explicit hypothesis

Not making the case for why the question is

interesting

Not separating the Aims into natural units

Not explaining what experimental outcomes

are expected and what will be done if 

certain key experiments don¶t work 

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Common mistakes (continued) Correlative research- establishing

correlations may be important for 

establishing the plausibility of a hypothesis,

 but can never prove the hypothesis.

Descriptive research- ultimately an

experimental system must be manipulatedto test a hypothesis.

Paranoia- get feedback from colleagues.

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Common mistakes (continued) Special comment on DNA array

experiments. What are the numbers of 

candidates you expect? How will they be

 prioritized? How many will be worked up

and how? What criteria will be used?

Excessive length/ technical detail (standardmethods can be cited)