nih grants: strategies to get funded silvia da costa, ph.d. director of faculty research relations...

NIH Grants: Strategies to Get Funded

Silvia da Costa, Ph.D.Director of Faculty Research Relations

Office of Research

Research Grants Competing Applications and Awards

Research to address the needs of the funding institute

CRISP RePORTER

Choosing the right study section

Grant Sections

Early Stage Investigator

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

Research to address the needs of the funding institute

The NIH Peer Review Process

Application received Assignments made

Initial peer review Funding considerations

Scientific Review Group Institutes or Centers (ICs) (Study section) (Duals possible) Scientific Review Officer Program Officer

Second level of reviewCouncil

Funding decision IC Director

Award!Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

The NIH is interested in funding good science that meets the needs of the of the funding institute

“Small business” mentality

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

The NIH is not interested in funding good science

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

To which Institute should you submit your grant?

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Awards by Institutesorted by average number

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

2010 Funding Success Rate per NIH IC

 FIC

 NLM

 NINR

 NHGRI

 NIDCD

 NIAAA

 NIBIB

 NEI

 NIDA

 NIMH

 NIDDK

 NHLBI

 NCI

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Chart Title

 FIC

 NLM

 NINR

 NHGRI

 NIDCD

 NIAAA

 NIBIB

 NEI

 NIDA

 NIMH

 NIDDK

 NHLBI

 NCI

$- $200,000 $400,000 $600,000

Award Amount (‘000s)

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

NIH RePORT

http://report.nih.gov/reports.aspx

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Institute Strategic Plan

http://report.nih.gov/reports.aspx

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

http://report.nih.gov/strategicplans/index.aspx

Institute Strategic Plan

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Institute Strategic Plan

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Institute Strategic Plan

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

IC Area of Interest

http://www.nih.gov/icd/index.html

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

Any Questions

Research to address the needs of the funding

institute

The NIH Peer Review Process

Application received Assignments made

Initial peer review Funding considerations

Scientific Review Group Institutes or Centers (ICs) (Study section) (Duals possible) Scientific Review Officer Program Officer

Second level of reviewCouncil

Funding decision IC Director

Award!

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

CRISP RePORTER

CRISP RePORTER

CRISP RePORTER http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm

CRISP RePORTER

CRISP RePORTER http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm

Keyword “Cancer”, first few pages of search…

NCI National Cancer InstituteNIBIB National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and BioengineeringNIA National Institute on Aging NIGMS National Institute of General Medical Sciences NIMHD National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities NINR National Institute of Nursing Research NHGRI National Human Genome Research Institute NIAMS National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases NCCAM National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NIEHS National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNIAID National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases NCATS National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences OD Office of the Director

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

Choosing the right study section

Who will be reviewing your grant?

Identifying potential members of your

Scientific Review Group

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

Choosing the right study section

http://public.csr.nih.gov/Pages/default.aspx/

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

Choosing the right study section

http://public.csr.nih.gov/StudySections/Pages/default.aspx

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

Choosing the right study section

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

Choosing the right study section

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

Choosing the right study section

Any Questions

Choosing the right study section

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

Early Stage Investigator

NIH Priority: Continued Focuson New Investigators

• New Investigator is an NIH research grant applicant who has not yet competed successfully for a substantial, NIH research grant.

• Example: a PI who has previously received a competing

NIH R01 research grant is no longer considered a New Investigator. However, a PD/PI who has received a small grant (R03) or an Exploratory, Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) retains his or her status as a New Investigator.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/investigator_policies_faqs.htm#2649

Early Stage Investigator

NIH Priority: Continued Focuson New Investigators

• Early Stage Investigators: ESIs are New Investigators who are within 10 years of completing their terminal research degree or within 10 years of completing their medical residency at the time they apply for R01 grants.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/investigator_policies_faqs.htm#2649

Early Stage Investigator

Funding Policy for NIs & ESIs

• Applications from ESIs, like those from all New Investigators, are given special consideration during peer review and at the time of funding.

• Peer reviewers are instructed to focus more on the proposed approach than on the track record, and to expect less preliminary information than might be provided by an established investigator.

• Applications will be clustered during initial peer review to the extent possible.

Early Stage Investigator

Special Programs for NIs & ESIs

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/investigator_policies_faqs.htm#2649

• Pathway to Independence Award (K99-R00)

provides support as a postdoctoral scholar transitions from a

training position to a faculty position

• Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2) provides

support to highly innovative research approaches

Early Stage Investigator

How does the NIH Recognize NIs & ESIs?

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/investigator_policies_faqs.htm#2649

NI and ESI status is determined automatically by the functionality built into eRA Commons, based on the investigator’s record of receiving NIH grants and the

date of their terminal degree and/or completion of medical residency.

Make sure you are correctly designated as an ESIVerify your degree completion date in your

NIH Commons Profile (eRA Commons)

Early Stage Investigator

Loss of ESI Status

Status applies only to R01s

If you are applying for an R01 with another non-ESI, the proposal will not be reviewed as an ESI application. If awarded, you will lose your ESI

status.

Need to balance use of experienced collaborator with loss of ESI status.

Early Stage Investigator

Strategies to Improve Your Competitiveness

Grant sections

Good Grantsmanship

Grant writing is a learned skill!

Grant sections

Approach: Restructured Research Plan

Previous Application New Application

Background and Significance

a. Significanceb. Innovationc. Approach

• Preliminary Studies for New Applications

• Progress Report for Renewal/Revision

Research Design and Methods

Preliminary Studies/Progress Report

Grant sections

Significance (1/2 page)

• Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field?

• If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved?

• How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Innovation (1/2 page)

• Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions?

• Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense?

• Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Grant sections

Important to differentiate between the two!

Biographical Sketch

• Personal Statement –what experience and qualifications make the applicant particularly well-suited for the project.

• Limited to 4 pages (per person)

• Publications limited to 15–5 most recent–5 best–5 most relevant to the application

Grant sections

Biosketch: Include the PMCID

Example

Varmus H, Klausner R, Zerhouni E, Acharya T, Daar A, Singer P. 2003. PUBLIC HEALTH: Grand Challenges in Global Health. Science 302(5644): 398–399. PMCID: PMC243493

http://publicaccess.nih.gov/citation_methods.htm

Grant sections

Specific Aims Page - Outline

Background informationRelevance (medical/clinical)Gap in knowledge/Current

knowledgeLong-term goal (of your lab)Objective of the proposalHypothesis - Basis for hypothesisRational for studySpecific Aims

HypothesisHow it will be testedExpected Results

Why proposal is innovative SignificancePI / EnvironmentPositive Impact“Payoff” for the

Institute/Foundation

Grant sections

Specific Aims Page – Target Audience

Grant sections

Specific Aims – Diagrams

Diabetic conditions

TGF

XXX YYY

WWabc

Diabetic Neuropathy

CVCV WSWS

Hypothesis: text text text text text text text text texttext text text text text text text text text text text texttext text text text text text text text text text text text

Aim 1 Aim 2

Aim 3

Grant sections

Specific Aims Page

Background informationRelevance (medical/clinical)Gap in knowledge/Current knowledgeLong-term goal (of your lab)Objective of the proposalHypothesis - Basis for hypothesisRational for studySpecific Aims

HypothesisHow it will be testedExpected Results

Why proposal is innovative SignificancePI / EnvironmentPositive Impact“Payoff” for the Institute/Foundation

What is not known is …

It is relevant because…

The objective of the proposal is..

The rational is based on the need to…

This proposal is innovative because…

The research is significant because..

It will have a positive impact due to…

Our unique research environment specializing in XYZ will assure the success of the proposed project…

It helps the XX institute fulfill it’s mission towards… or is in line with the goals of the institute in that…

Your job is to make the reviewer’s work easier!

Grant sections

Specific Aims Page Abstract

Grant sections

Experimental Design

HypothesisRationalePreliminary DataExperimental approachMethodsInterpretation of resultsPotential pitfalls Alternatives

Old format:

HypothesisRationaleExperimental approachMethodsInterpretation of resultsPotential pitfalls Alternatives

InnovationSignificance

TimelineGo/No-Go & Milestones

& Preliminary DataSignificantly reduced

New format:

Grant sections

Preliminary

data

Hypothesis

Assay 1 Expected Results Go/No-Go

Go

Quantitatable dataMilestone (M1);

Hypothesis Strengthened

No-Go

Alternatives&

Pitfalls

AlternativeAssays

Assay 2

Assay 3

Associated to M1,not necessarily to

individual assays.

Milestone (M1)

Assay 4No need for extensive detail

Grant sections

Alternatives & Pitfalls

Grant sections

Alternatives & Pitfalls

Alternatives&

Pitfalls

AlternativeAssays

Anticipated Results and Alternative Approaches: “There are no perceived obstacles to completing this aim with results as predicted.”

Demonstrate to the reviewer that you have thought of, and planned for, all possibilities.

Aim Timeline Yr.1 Yr.2 Yr.3 Yr.4 Yr.5

1 Assay 1 & 2 x

Assay 3 x x

2 x x

Milestones M1 M2 M3

Go/No-Go Gi Gii

Summarize with the Timeline

Go/No-Go identified in Alternatives & Pitfalls

M1: text, text, text; M2, text, text text

Milestones identified either in the main

text or with the Table

Your entire proposal summarized in one Table and

one FigureGrant sections

Grant Proposal Cover Letter

Application title FOA # and title Request:

• Place SRG & IC review requests on separate lines• Place positive & negative requests on separate lines• Include name of IC or SRG, followed by a dash and acronym• Provide explanations for each request in a separate paragraph• You can ask for a specific study section but it is not necessarily

guaranteed…• Check eRA Commons regularly to see confirm to where it was

assigned.• Contact the PO immediately if it was not assigned to the section

you wanted - they usually will try to accommodate your request

Choosing the right study section

Response to Reviewers

Choosing the right study sectionGrant sections

Q: What if you know that you are “Right” and the reviewers are “Wrong”, is it appropriate to argue your position in your resubmission?A: NO!

Never be Argumentative ! Never be Abrasive !Do not do long term damage to

yourself

Always address all comments and critiques

Thank the reviewer for their effort

Remind them of the good comments

Response to Reviewers

Choosing the right study sectionGrant sections

The reviewer’s comments regarding the proposed mode of action of XXX are frankly astonishing and somewhat disturbing as they suggest a view biased in favor of the more conventional mode of action for antibody. Clearly this reviewer is not familiar with the anti-inflammatory properties of XXX and apparently did not read the background sections on ‘Antibody prophylaxis and therapy’ (section 3.3) and ‘Anti-inflammatory Activity of XXX’ (section 3.4) in which XXX mechanisms of action were discussed.

How to shoot yourself in the foot…

Any Questions

Grant sections

Word Reduction & Editing Suggestions

Early Stage Investigator

Methods – Keep it Brief

A total of 1 x 107 cells in 0.4 ml of serum-free RPMI 1640 medium was transfected with 2 g of the reporter plasmid, 0.5 g of the Renilla luciferase control vector (pRL-TK; Promega), and 30 g of the expression vector by electroporation (250V and 950 F). Following electroporation, cells were incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature and then transferred into growth 10 ml of medium and cultured at 37 C and 5% CO2 for 40–48 hours.

Cells (1 x 107 in 0.4 ml of serum-free RPMI 1640 medium) were transfected with the reporter plasmid (2 g), Renilla luciferase control (0.5 g, pRL-TK; Promega), and expression vectors (30 g), by electroporation (250 V, 950 F), incubated (10 min, room temperature), transferred into growth medium (10 ml) and cultured (37 C, 5% CO2, 40 - 48 h).

A total of 1 x 107 cells in 0.4 ml of serum-free RPMI 1640 medium was transfected with 2 g of the reporter plasmid, 0.5 g of the Renilla luciferase control vector (pRL-TK; Promega), and 30 g of the expression vector by electroporation (250V and 950 F). Following electroporation, cells were incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature and then transferred into growth 10 ml of medium and cultured at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 40–48 hours.

The power of parenthesis…

78 to 58 words…

Methods – Keep it Brief

Cells (1 x 107 in 0.4 ml of serum-free RPMI 1640 medium) will be transfected with the reporter plasmid (2 g), Renilla luciferase control (0.5 g, pRL-TK; Promega), and expression vectors (30 g), by electroporation (250 V, 950 F), incubated (10 min, room temperature), transferred into growth medium (10 ml) and cultured (37 C, 5% CO2, 40 - 48 h).

Cells will be transfected by electroporation with the reporter plasmid, Renilla luciferase control and expression vector, then transferred into growth medium and cultured (40 - 48 h).

Cells (1 x 107 in 0.4 ml of serum-free RPMI 1640 medium) will be transfected with the reporter plasmid (2 g), Renilla luciferase control (0.5 g, pRL-TK; Promega), and expression vectors (30 g), by electroporation (250 V, 950 F), incubated (10 min, room temperature), transferred into growth medium (10 ml) and cultured (37 C, 5% CO2, 40 - 48 h).

58 to 23 words…

Figure Legends… Keep it brief

Figure 2. Protein spots in 2-D gels for (A) DR0099, DR2340 and DRA0346: SsB, RecA and PprA, respectively; (B) DR0307 and DR1082: elongation factor G and light-repressed protein A, respectively and (C) DR1473 and DR2128: phage shock protein A and DNA-directed RNA polymerase alpha subunit, respectively.

Figure 2. (A) The spots of proteins in the 2-D gels: DR0099, DR2340 and DRA0346: SsB, RecA and PprA, respectively. (B) The spots of proteins in the 2-D gels: DR0307 and DR1082: elongation factor G and light-repressed protein A, respectively. (C) The spots of proteins in the 2-D gels: DR1473 and DR2128: phage shock protein A and DNA-directed RNA polymerase alpha subunit, respectively. (D) Relative protein expression levels of proteins. Protein expression was calculated as described in experimental procedures.

The values are the mean ± standard deviation

(D) Relative protein expression levels

(mean ± SD)

(see Experimental Procedures)

of four independent experiments repeated twice each.

(n=4, in duplicate)

94 to 58 words…

Spell-check

First: Go to EDIT on the Word tool bar, choose SELECT ALL

Then: Go to TOOLS, LANGUAGE, SET LANGUAGEChoose English

Uncheck “Do not check spelling or grammar”Then click OK

“What is written without effort is, in general, read without pleasure.”

Samuel Johnson

Question marks from Stock images