Essential components of a grant application

(Grant Writing Part 1)

Sufi Thomas, PhDAssociate Professor,Department of OtolaryngologyUniversity of Kansas Medical Center

Grant Application Roadmap

• Science• Funding sources• NIH grant review process• Elements of a good grant application

Tips on getting started

• Identify a gap in knowledge (review literature)• Build a hypothesis• Brainstorm ideas/get feedback

Observe

Develop a Hypothesis

DrawConclusions

The Scientific Method

Pursue science that matters!• Preliminary data

– Well powered– Basis for the hypothesis– Demonstrates feasibility

• NIH RePORTERhttps://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm• Publish, publish, publish

– Aim for 1 paper a year

– Solidify collaborators

Journal Impact Factor

Frequency with which an article is cited in 2 y

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THE NEXT FRONTIERWriting grants

Identify funding sources• KUMC SPA portalhttp://www.kumc.edu/kumcri/sponsored-programs-administration.html

• NIH Grants & funding– https://grants.nih.gov/funding/searchguide/index.html#/

• Foundations, Societies, Angel funding

Types of NIH grants• Research grants (R series) (clinical and basic science)• Career Development Awards (K series)• Research Training and Fellowships (T & F series)• Program Projects/Center Grants (P series)• Resource Grants • Trans-NIH programs (GWAS, Diversity supplements,

etc)• Request for applications (RFAs)/Funding Opportunity

Announcements (FOA)

Know your audience

NIH grant review process

• Institutes and Centers (ICs) that award grants

• Funding rate around 20%• NIH Center for Scientific

Review– https://art.csr.nih.gov/ART/selection.jsp

• Contact Program Officer (PO)• Study section

Piecing together an NIH grant• Contact the Research Institute • Set up eRA Commons access https://era.nih.gov/• Title page and routing sheet• Consortium agreements• Define your team• Seek advice

– NIH Program Officer– Peers– Mentors (established investigators)

Overview of an NIH Grant• Project Summary/Abstract• Project Narrative• Facilities• Biosketches• Budget• Personnel Justification• Research Plan• Human subjects • Vertebrate animals• Letters of Support • Resource sharing plan• Authentication plan

Make it declarative!

< 200 characters

Staging of cervical lymph nodes in squamous cell carcinoma: adding PET/CT in clinically lymph node negative patients may improve the diagnostic work-up

• PET/CT for diagnostic staging of cervical lymph nodes in squamous cell carcinoma

The Critical Core

• Specific Aims• Research Strategy

– Significance– Innovation– Approach

• References

Pay attention to margins (0.5’’)

Specific Aims

• Rationale and relevance to the NIH mission (why?)• Published and preliminary data (why you?)• Gap in knowledge• Hypothesis• Propose 2-3 hypothesis-driven Aims • Overall impact/significance (so what?)

Limit to a single page

Significance

• Define the gap in knowledge• Why is the problem important?• Define the critical barriers• How will the proposed work impact the field?

Highlight the impact of the proposed work

Investigator• Publications• NIH biosketch

– Personal statement: Outline expertise

• Collaborative team – Experts in the proposed area of research– Biostatistician

• Multi-PI leadership plan – Rationale and justification– Governance, conflict resolution– Decision making and resource allocation

Innovation

• Novel concepts• New technologies• Innovative application of existing ideas

Shift the current paradigm

Approach• Preliminary data: high rigor, shows feasibility• Outline the rationale• Craft logical Subaims

– Propose multiple angles, include controls– Biohazard handling

• Statistical analysis is critical• Potential Pitfalls• Alternative approachesAims should stand alone-be related but not dependent on each others' outcomes

Choose the optimal environment

Environment

• Facilities and resources– Lab space– Equipment– Access to specialized instruments – Core facilities – Mentoring/collaborative support– Include plans for teleconferences or meetings for

MPI applications– Check letters of support for accuracy

Human subjects

• Exemption 4• Data and Safety monitoring• Inclusion of women, minorities and children

https://grants.nih.gov/policy/humansubjects/research.htm

Vertebrate Animals

• Description of Procedures• Justifications• Minimization of Pain and Distress• Euthanasia

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-16-006.html

Resource sharing plan• MTA for cells and animals• Data repositories

Authentication of reagents• Antibodies• Cell lines

Budget

• Modular vs non-modular• RO1: min 15% effort for PI and 10% for MPI

– Personnel, consortium agreements– Supplies– Travel– Publications– Core facilities– Services– Equipment

Home-run

• Contact RI a month before submission• Inform RI about LOI submissions• Cayuse: KUMC grant portal• Get a draft of the Research plan 10 business

days prior to the deadline• Submit a few days before the deadline• Track grant on eRA Commons

Avoid

• Staying depressed for too long• Obsessing about the stupidity of reviewers• Inflexibility about your data/proposal• Desire to give up• Speak to the Program Officer

Introduction to Grant Reviews

• Fit it all in one page• Address issues raised• Publish preliminary data if possible• Point-by-point responses to the most

pertinent critiques• Stay respectful

You’ve Got The Power