YOUR SUCCESSFUL GRANT APPLICATION

Why writing a grant is like being a professional athlete……

**thank you B. Lerner, Medical College of Wisconsin

Two parts:

Muscle

Fine Motor and Precision

Objectives:

Describe ways to improve the “muscle” or science in your grant

Describe ways to improve your “fine motor skills” and precision of your application

How/Where to look for funding sources

Grant Muscles = Science

Two keys ways to build your science muscle

Get a personal trainer - Find a mentor

Do lots of repetitions – Do preliminary work

Find a Mentor

Everyone needs one (or more…) Where/ when to apply and what to include keep you on schedule avoid obstacles/time-wasters/pitfalls introductions to people who can help

(local/national) publication help

Who? one person=ideal, but often not possible multiple people helping in different parts often both in and out of your division and institution

Preliminary work

know the literature!

what’s been done who’s done it and where what’s missing

This will need to be knowledgably summarized in your grant, so you can clearly show how your proposed work is needed and how it addresses what’s missing

Preliminary work

The more money you propose to spend, the more you need to ‘prove’ you can be successful

prior completed projects, through to publication/ ?similar populations or methods experience

prior successful use of seed funds

history of working with your collaborators

preliminary data

prior work that lead to proposal/ prior preparation

Grant Fine Motor Skills

What is a grant application?Your case for why the agency should give you money: persuade them!

How do they select a proposal to fund? 1st cut: Followed directions? (administrator) 2nd cut: Peer review / study section (**how

they evaluate/ score will be in the application instructions)

3rd cut: Fund from top of list until money runs out

(list order may be influenced by mission alignment; make sure you know your funder’s mission statement and tell them how you and your project fit)

What is a grant application? Your persuasive essay!

Your great idea (innovation) Your idea fills a critical gap You are the person to do the work

Right credentials/experience Right place (institutional support) Right resources (all the right stuff available)

You have proposed the best way to do the work and have considered all the angles!

You and your project matches their mission statement to a “T”

What do reviewers want?

Easy

Clear

Respectful!

What do reviewers want?

Easy:

Provide the information the reviewers are asked to consider for scoring

Make it easy to find; easy to score you well!

Consider bolding or making a subheading for the scoring criteria.

If a reviewer can’t find it, can’t understand it, or can’t remember it, your score will suffer!

What do reviewers want?

Easy: Use only common abbreviations

Don’t lose clarity or add confusion to save space!

Avoid jargon (specialized and regional)Peer reviewers may be in your area but not know your specific topic

Explain it!....if there is any doubt about being understood by your readers!

What do reviewers want?

Clear: Write simply

No unnecessary wordsNo unnecessary sentencesNo long multiple clause sentences

Limit parenthesis use Don’t be indirect – “say it” Write it like you would speak it! Use bolding to make key points Don’t be afraid to repeat important points Strunk and White were right: be Specific,

Definite, and Concrete

What do reviewers want?

Respectful: Follow the directions Spelling!! Grammar!! sloppy application = sloppy or

uncommitted researcher Always proof your submission (many

times!)Many different readers it before you submit itSomeone not in your field (grant group)Someone who isn’t a scientist (family or administrator)Read it out loud! (easier to catch typos/omissions/etc)

Grant Precision = Fine Motor

They’re small, but critically important:

Specific Aims Section Abstract

Don’t overlook the importance of these little guys!!

Specific Aims Page(s) 

Most important part of your proposal!! Specific Aims pages are an art! Spend the

time! First part of the application you should draft.

Four basic sections or paragraphsProgress through all four in a thoughtful and concise manner. This version can later be condensed; this outline provides a basic structure for writing your successful specific aims section.

Adapted from Helfgott Research Institute http://www.ncnm.edu/images/Helfgott/IRB-Documents/specific-aims-help-sheet.doc

Specific Aims Page(s)  

1. Introductory Paragraph Opening sentence states a general serious

situation. Grab the attention of your reader! This is the big picture around the smaller, but vital, issue you are investigating. “50,000 children die from poisoning every year.”

State what is known about this issue. State what is unknown about this issue. State why the lack of knowledge (which is exactly what

you will fill-in in your project!) is important, i.e., how it prevents the vertical propulsion of this field of medicine.

(After the knowns and unknowns, you should have led your reader to thinking that your work obviously needs to be done and they are wondering why they didn’t think of it themselves, it’s so clearly indicated!)

Specific Aims Page(s) 

2. What, Why Whom Paragraph State the overall, long-term goal of your work, the

future projections or the continuum of your line of research.

State the overall objective of this application as a step to achieving your long term goal.

Show that this project is a necessary step along the continuum for this research that must be investigated, regardless of how hypothesis tests.

Clearly state your central hypothesis (not a prediction).

State your rationale for your hypothesis, or how did you come up with the central hypothesis.

Briefly explain why your research design and team investigators are the best possible solution for the topic at hand.

Specific Aims Page(s)3. Specifics Paragraph

List each aim (numeric listing of 2-3 aims)

Each aim tests some aspect of your hypothesis or overall study question

Each is measurable in some way

Some detail but not too much

Aims should not introduce new characters

Aims should not be dependent, too descriptive, or too ambitious

Specific Aims Page(s)

4. Payoff paragraph Briefly explain why this application is

innovative

State your expected outcomes, or what you expect to find at the conclusion of the study.

Important concluding: state plainly and simply the general positive impact that your study will have on the populace at large, and on future research. In other words, why is it important to do, why should we care, why should you get funding, and what is the payback for your work?

Abstract

With specific aims, only part read by some reviewers!

only a few reviewers read entire grant, but full group votes

Read directions for the abstract carefully

A plain language ‘sales pitch’

Summary of full proposal

Write it last, but leave time for revisions!

Really, spend time on it!

Final Thoughts…

Ways to improve your grantsmanship: Review grants: your friends, JH review

committees, Clinical Scholars Program, National organizations, IRB

Borrow and read successfully scored applications

Remember, everyone gets rejected Less than 19% new RO1 grants are funded

Be persistent, be committed, have back-up plan for each submission

…your great grant proposal Read all the instructions Start early Logical and sound idea Clearly define problem and significance Write clearly and simply Describe methods sequentially with visuals Include evaluation measures Be realistic Get multiple reviews from others Follow the directions

*borrowed from B. Lerner, Clay Mann, University of Utah