Grant Writing Essentials Deborah Ann McClellan Ph D Research Associate Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and Division of Biomedical Information Sciences Welch Medical Library Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine LONG TERM STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING 1 Take the long view look ahead 2 Find someone who will share copies of successful grants 3 Investigate appropriate sources of funding governmental agencies foundations Hopkins 4 Stay informed about the grants scene through grant administrators colleagues Internet 5 Find an appropriate study section 6 Ask for feedback 7 Keep a grants notebook 8 Don t be afraid to ask for help 9 Start early Expect delays EXPECTATIONS OF GRANTING AGENCIES AND REVIEWERS What the Granting Agency Will Ask About Your Grant Does it match the agency s mission and priorities Is it interesting innovative Is the design well conceived and described Is it based on previous work Is it feasible Are the applicants qualified to carry out the research Is the institution supportive Questions You Need to Answer in Your Grant What problem have you identified How does it match the funding agency s interests What is the current status of the field and what gap s are you proposing to fill What will you do to fill those gaps What have you already done to demonstrate the feasibility of your approach Where will the work be done and by whom 2 USEFUL WEB PAGES At Johns Hopkins www welch jhu edu Welch Library homepage www welch jhu edu publish grant html Useful grant resources jhuresearch jhu edu JHU Research Projects Administration www hopkinsmedicine org research ora Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Research Administration www jhsph edu ora SPH Research Administration www son jhmi edu research cnr SON Center for Nursing Research At the NIH grants nih gov grants oer htm Office of Extramural Research homepage grants nih gov grants guide index html Funding opportunities general cms csr nih gov ResourcesforApplicants Policy ProcedureReview The peer review process Guidelines OverviewofPeerReviewProcess htm includes mock study section video csr nih gov Roster proto sectionI asp CSR Study Section Descriptions csr nih gov Committees rosterindex asp CSR Study Section Roster Index era nih gov ElectronicReceipt applying htm Electronic submission of applications niaid nih gov ncn grants default htm NIAID All About Grants page niaid nih gov ncn grants app default htm NIAID sample R01 grant 3 PARTS OF THE RESEARCH PLAN for NIH R01 Grants Page limit 25 pages for sections a d a SPECIFIC AIMS What do you intend to do 1 page recommended 1 State your broad long term objective s 1 2 to develop safe and effective vaccines against schistosomiasis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which retroviruses exert an immunosuppressive effect on their hosts to design effective home based intervention programs for elderly Korean Americans 2 Briefly identify health relatedness rationale for proposed study overall approach hypothesis es to be tested 2 3 sentences 3 State each specific aim to do list what you will do to test hypothesis optimal number is 3 5 aims must be measurable use active verbs to compare to measure to recruit SPECIFIC AIM 1 To design and synthesize 1 N oxide iminosugar inhibitors of glycosidases SPECIFIC AIM 2 To evaluate in vitro the inhibitory potential of the glycosidase inhibitor candidates SPECIFIC AIM 3 To examine the effect of selected inhibitors on metastasis in a mouse model of lung carcinoma 4 For each specific aim briefly outline the approach to be used to achieve that aim 5 Conclude with a statement of potential usefulness importance of findings optional 4 b BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE Why is the work important 2 3 pages recommended Background 1 Critically evaluate existing knowledge 2 Identify gaps in knowledge be objective state the questions that remain to be answered 3 Show how your proposed studies will fill the gaps relate your proposed experiments to specific aims establish theoretical framework for your proposed studies Significance 1 Summarize potential importance implications of your study How will your research increase our ability to diagnose manage prevent disease Increase our understanding of a disease or disease related biologic process 2 Avoid citing well known statistics on incidence economic impact of common disorders 3 Consider a separate heading for this sub section c PRELIMINARY STUDIES PROGRESS REPORT What have you already done 6 8 pages recommended 1 Show pertinent preliminary findings can be unpublished provide data to support hypothesis establish experience and competence of PI show studies are feasible relate findings to specific aims 2 Use tables and figures to showcase data 3 If new applicant discuss relevant training include work from other fields that indicates experience with proposed techniques differentiate yourself from your mentor 4 List your relevant publications required for progress report papers submitted or accepted for publication not abstracts talks optimum 1 paper with PI as first author for progress report not counted toward page limit 5 d RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS How will you do the work remainder of 25 pages allowed 1 Discuss overall design and specific methods to accomplish aims 2 Consider introductory paragraph to summarize research goal gaps to be filled underlying hypotheses overall approach 3 Use specific aims as outline for section restate each specific aim same wording as Specific Aims summarize approach to carry out aim provide rationale for approach 4 For each aim describe specific experiments interventions protocols include setting subjects variables interventions measures analytic methods be explicit in describing controls inclusion exclusion criteria safeguards be sure statistical analysis is impeccable use statistician justify tests used identify possible pitfalls and give alternative approaches 5 Describe specific methods to be used can be subsection at end of each aim or General Methods section at end reference familiar methods reference and briefly describe if not common method avoid cookbook style show hands on knowledge of technique use collaborators when needed indicate who will do what 6 Provide a tentative timetable timeline for research One Possible Outline for RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Introductory paragraph goal overall approach rationale Specific Aim 1 To repeat aim word for word from Specific Aims page Rationale 1 paragraph restate hypothesis specific to this aim