A tactical approach to writing your grant proposal

Karol Watson, MD, PhD UCLA CTSI K to R Workshop

October 29, 2015

4-6 month time-line: 1st month • Pick a topic you love and get excited to be

creative – should be natural extension of your K work

• Draft specific aims • Start to put together scientific team • Map out calendar

– meet with your admin team to determine key dates

– vacations, ward attending? – set target dates to get drafts to Co-Is

3-4 months out: Meet with your Program Official

• Remember that most PO’s love seeing K awardees get R01s – relationship evolves during your K

• Phone vs. email? • Will he/she will read your specific aims? • Suggestions re study section? • Cover letter can mention your PO • Send thank you email and copy of grant

Putting Together your Team: think both as a reviewer and as PI

• Interdisciplinary teams increasingly attractive • Each team member needs to be making

unique/complimentary contribution • Consider linking with strengths of your

institution – Will be attractive to reviewers – Good opportunity to expand your network

Putting Your Team Together (Continued)

• Think carefully about subcontracts (allow extra time)

• Balance of seniority levels • Choose people you want to work with

Don’t under-budget: • Project Director salary • Ground transportation for staff • Cell phones and service • Translations • Data storage (consider scanning)

Writing the Grant

• Approach (Methods) is VERY important – Begin writing early. Do not wait.

• Remember your audience – Few MDs – May know nothing about your area of research – Make it easy on the reviewer

Telling your Story: Preliminary Studies

• Purpose: – (Findings that support your hypotheses) – Most important: to show the reviewer your team

has experience to do the project

Keys to Success

• Innovation and Creativity is important – Looking for new solutions to old problems – How do you create creativity?

• Calling the Program Officer is a critical

element – It is estimated that up to 85% of all successful

grant seekers have had contact with the program officer

Grant Writing

• Start early

• Seek advice from colleagues

• Start with a good idea

• Talk to your NIH Program Official(s)

• Use the NIH webpage (www.nih.gov)

• Remember review criteria

• Follow instructions carefully

MOST IMPORTANT SLIDE! Most common reasons for not receiving

funds: • Lack of new or original ideas • Diffuse, superficial or unfocused research plan • Lack of knowledge of published relevant work • Lack of experience in the essential methodology • Uncertainty concerning the future directions • Questionable reasoning in experimental approach • Absence of acceptable scientific rationale • Unrealistically large amount of work • Lack of sufficient experimental detail • Uncritical approach