Response to Prior Review Response to Prior Review and Resubmission and Resubmission StrategiesStrategies

Yuqing Li, Ph.DYuqing Li, Ph.DDivision of Movement DisordersDivision of Movement DisordersDepartment of NeurologyDepartment of NeurologyCenter for Movement Disorders and Center for Movement Disorders and NeurorestorationNeurorestorationThe Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain The Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute Institute University of FloridaUniversity of Florida

OutlineOutline Summary statementSummary statement Decision to resubmit or switch to Decision to resubmit or switch to

another project/ideaanother project/idea How to Prepare for ResubmissionHow to Prepare for Resubmission Specific issuesSpecific issues

Summary StatementSummary Statement Sample Summary statementSample Summary statement Choosing Study Sections: Choosing Study Sections:

based funded projects in your field and based funded projects in your field and member composition.member composition.

Talk to program officerTalk to program officer Specify it clearly in cover letterSpecify it clearly in cover letter Exclude conflict of interests reviewersExclude conflict of interests reviewers

Contact program office for Contact program office for insightinsight

Summary StatementSummary Statement Overall impact score and percentileOverall impact score and percentile Five components: Five components:

SignificanceSignificance Investigator(s)Investigator(s) InnovationInnovation ApproachApproach EnvironmentEnvironment

Strengths and weaknessesStrengths and weaknesses Protection for Human SubjectsProtection for Human Subjects Vertebrate SectionsVertebrate Sections

Whether to resubmit or not Whether to resubmit or not Scored application: consult with Scored application: consult with

collaborators and mentorscollaborators and mentors Triaged or unscored application: Triaged or unscored application:

Resubmission will be very difficultResubmission will be very difficult Additional problems not mentioned in the Additional problems not mentioned in the

summary statement present further impedance summary statement present further impedance for successfor success

It is doable as long as you fix all the problems It is doable as long as you fix all the problems Triaged or unscored application: Triaged or unscored application:

Change to another mechanism or another Change to another mechanism or another funding agencyfunding agency

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit SignificanceSignificance

How to pick an important topicHow to pick an important topic You can always change what you do You can always change what you do

after you are fundedafter you are funded Rare disease: to associate it to impact Rare disease: to associate it to impact

beyond your field to major diseasebeyond your field to major disease Disease-focused research but try to Disease-focused research but try to

have impact on basic biological have impact on basic biological processes as wellprocesses as well

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit InvestigatorsInvestigators

Lack of independenceLack of independence Obtain a private foundation grant firstObtain a private foundation grant first Publish or perish Publish or perish Turn any data from postdoc period into your Turn any data from postdoc period into your

own publication, even with your previous own publication, even with your previous mentor as a collaborator. mentor as a collaborator.

Collaborators to cover areas you as a PI Collaborators to cover areas you as a PI lackslacks

Publications with collaborators will Publications with collaborators will strengthen the applicationstrengthen the application

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit InnovationsInnovations

Conceptually, new ideas will advance Conceptually, new ideas will advance fieldfield

Technical innovation, a new tool, a new Technical innovation, a new tool, a new methodmethod

A new approach to a fieldA new approach to a field Cutting edge approaches, effective use Cutting edge approaches, effective use

of the university core facilitiesof the university core facilities

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit ApproachApproach

Logical design of aimsLogical design of aims Central hypothesis tested by 2 to 4 Central hypothesis tested by 2 to 4

complementary aimscomplementary aims Cutting edge approaches, effective use of the Cutting edge approaches, effective use of the

university core facilitiesuniversity core facilities Collaborations to expand the scope of the Collaborations to expand the scope of the

project, you will not penalized for enlisting project, you will not penalized for enlisting more collaborators, with an eye toward more collaborators, with an eye toward promotion and tenure evaluation laterpromotion and tenure evaluation later

Collaborations, publications, preliminary data Collaborations, publications, preliminary data to establish feasibility. to establish feasibility.

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit EnvironmentEnvironment

As one of the 108 Carnegie High Research As one of the 108 Carnegie High Research Activity University, overall university Activity University, overall university environment is excellentenvironment is excellent

Florida State UniversityFlorida State University TallahasseeTallahassee FLFL

University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central Florida OrlandoOrlando FLFL University of FloridaUniversity of Florida GainesvilleGainesville FLFL University of MiamiUniversity of Miami Coral GablesCoral Gables FLFL University of South Florida-TampaUniversity of South Florida-Tampa TampaTampa

FLFL

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit EnvironmentEnvironment

Department Chairman Chair/Division Department Chairman Chair/Division Chief support: seed money; time protect Chief support: seed money; time protect for research; space right now or for research; space right now or promised space if funded.promised space if funded.

Seek out local collaborators: win-win Seek out local collaborators: win-win situationsituation

Get membership in centers and insitutes Get membership in centers and insitutes to package it very differentlyto package it very differently

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit Things will help for the Things will help for the

resubmission:resubmission: More papers published, possibly high More papers published, possibly high

impact papersimpact papers Preliminary data to demonstrate the Preliminary data to demonstrate the

feasibilityfeasibility Preliminary data to support your hypothesisPreliminary data to support your hypothesis Access to new reagent (antibodies, cell Access to new reagent (antibodies, cell

lines, animal models)lines, animal models) Access to new equipment and facilityAccess to new equipment and facility

However to resubmitHowever to resubmit Introduction:Introduction:

Limited to one pageLimited to one page Thank the panel members Thank the panel members Fully address the issues in the Resume Fully address the issues in the Resume

and Summary of Discussionand Summary of Discussion Address most, if not all, of the concerns Address most, if not all, of the concerns

raised by all three reviewersraised by all three reviewers Remember to thank them again near Remember to thank them again near

the endthe end 3 Example:3 Example:

Specific IssuesSpecific Issues Biased reviewer:Biased reviewer:

Try to exclude the reviewerTry to exclude the reviewer Try to switch to another study sectionTry to switch to another study section Address the question head on and follow the Address the question head on and follow the

suggestion of the bias reviewersuggestion of the bias reviewer Proposal went to the wrong reviewer:Proposal went to the wrong reviewer:

Try to write for people outside of the field and Try to write for people outside of the field and get them excited about your workget them excited about your work

Point out the error in a diplomatic way and Point out the error in a diplomatic way and turn the reviewer into an advocate for your turn the reviewer into an advocate for your proposalproposal