Workshop How to Write a [Successful Training] Grant

Workshop: How to Write a [Successful Training] Grant American College of Cardiology December 9th-10th, 2007 Washington, DC C. William Balke, MD Writing a [Successful Training] Grant What is a Grant & Why Bother? Overview of the Peer Review Process Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant (NIH) “Currency” for Advancement $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $$$ $$ Research productivity publications & authorship Topics What is a Grant & Why Bother? Overview of the Peer Review Process Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant (NIH) Overview of the Peer Review Process Institute specific! Not all institutes offer the same menu of training grants Check web sites & call institute program representative! 1st Level of Review – Peer Review Training Grant Study Section Primary, secondary & tertiary reviewers “Regular members” with diverse areas of scientific expertise Ad hoc members, mail-in reviewers & teleconference reviewers Roster of the members is in the public domain and can be found on the internet Overview of the Peer Review Process Triage (depending on the mechanism) applications in the lower 50% are not discussed Summary statement (“pink” sheet) of the reviews and discussion (if any) generated and mailed within 6-12 weeks after review Score 0.1-1.5 1.51-2.0 2.1-2.5 2.6-3.5 3.6-5.0 Outstanding Excellent Very Good Good Average Overview of the Peer Review Process 2nd Level of Review: Program Considerations Resubmission - total of 3 versions of the same proposal Resubmission dates one month later than the submission dates for new applications Topics What is a Grant & Why Bother? Overview of the Peer Review Process Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant (NIH) Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant Criteria by which most applications for training awards are organized & scored: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Candidate Career Development Plan Research Plan Mentor & Mentor’s Statement Environment & Institutional Support Letters of Reference Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant K08 Model Application: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/k08 model.htm K23 Model Application: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/k23 models.htm Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 1. Candidate: The Candidate’s Statement Commitment to a career in research Potential to develop into an independent investigator Commitment of a certain percentage of effort (generally ~75%) to his/her career development activities Letters of Recommendation (depending on the award type): addressing the candidate’s potential for a research career, sealed, from individuals who are not the candidate’s current mentor(s) Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 2. Career Development Plan Clear statement of candidate’s goals and prior experience Specifically tailored to the specific goals of the individual candidate Systematic plan to reach independence: Didactic component: theoretical & conceptual background • Coursework & degree programs (e.g. M.P.H., Ph.D., etc.) Experiential Component: research experience & skills “Survival Skills” Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 2. Career Development Plan Training in the responsible conduct of research Proposed subject matter Format Frequency Duration of instruction Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 3. Mentor & Mentor’s Statement Qualifications in the area of research proposed by the applicant Peer-reviewed funding (e.g., NIH RO1, VA MERIT, AHA National Award, etc.) Record of research productivity Qualifications as a mentor Past experiences in training Accomplishments of prior trainees (e.g., faculty positions, awards, peer-reviewed funding, etc.) Mentoring Awards Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 3. Mentor & Mentor’s Statement Quality and depth of the mentor-trainee interactions Type of interactions • Formal such as individual meetings, lab meetings, seminars, journal clubs, national meetings, etc. Informal/social such as retreats, graduate student support groups, etc. • Frequency & duration Purpose and content Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 3. Mentor & Mentor’s Statement Quality and depth of the mentor-trainee interactions Guarantee of protection of the requisite amount of the candidate’s time for the career development activities outlined in the career development plan Metrics by which the mentor will monitor the candidate’s progression through the career plan • • • Grades in didactic work Abstracts & manuscripts Applications for peer-reviewed support Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 3. Mentor & Mentor’s Statement Quality and depth of the mentor-trainee interactions Resources provided - space, equipment, access to laboratory technicians, nurses, data bases, core facilities, other institutional resources such as a NIH K30 award, etc. Clear statement of the expectations of the mentor for the candidate Plans for the candidate after the completion of the award Instruction in the “survival skills” necessary for a successful career including grant writing, oral presentations, teaching skills, mentoring skills, etc. Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 3. Mentor & Mentor’s Statement Oversight of the mentor-trainee relationship Advisory Committee External/Internal Roster and the relationship of the members to the candidate and the mentor Frequency of meetings Metrics by which the candidate and the mentor will be evaluated Form of feedback (e.g., written reports) Contingency plans for handling problems with components of the career development plan or the mentor-trainee relationship Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 4. Research Plan Hypothesis driven with specific aims that are predictions of the overall hypothesis. Schematic representation or “cartoon” of overall hypothesis useful, if possible. Background & Significance Supporting the reasonableness of the hypothesis Significance to a clinically relevant problem Preliminary Data from the applicant and/or the mentor’s research program Supporting the reasonableness of the hypothesis The feasibility of the experimental approach & methodology Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 4. Research Plan Research Methods & Design Research Design • • • • • • Organized by specific aims Rationale for each experiment Description of each experiment (experimental conditions) Anticipated results Potential problems and/or confounding issues Contingency plans should any or all of these issues be encountered Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 4. Research Plan Research Methods & Design Research Methods • • Description of experimental methods, procedures, statistical analysis, etc. Explicit description of limitations and how those may or may not alter the results Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 5. Environment & Institutional Commitment Evidence of a strong, well-established research training program related to the candidate’s area of interest Existing institutes, centers of excellence, departments, divisions, training programs (e.g., NIH T32, K30 programs, etc.) Faculty & staff capable of productive collaboration with the candidate Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 5. Environment & Institutional Commitment Clear statement of commitment to the candidate’s development into a productive independent investigator Guarantee that the requisite amount of the candidate’s time will be devoted to the activities outlined in the career development plan Release of the candidate from normal clinical, teaching and administrative duties for this commitment Commitment of a faculty position to the candidate that is NOT contingent on the receipt of this award Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 5. Environment & Institutional Commitment Commitment to protect the candidate’s mentor for the time required for adequate training and supervision of the candidate Structural Anatomy of a Typical Training Grant 6. Letters of Reference Forms & narrative Pick potential referees who can and will speak to your abilities and credentials Acquaint your potential referee with the details of the specific NIH training mechanism & level of competitiveness General “Rules” for Most NIH Grant Applications (Including Training Grants) Write clearly – avoid passive voice “It was determined that a cardiac stress test would be performed on 50% of the participants.” “We will conduct cardiac stress tests on half the participants.” Readable “It was determined that a cardiac stress test would be performed on 50% of the participants.” “We will conduct cardiac stress tests on half the participants.” General “Rules” for Most NIH Grant Applications (Including Training Grants) Follow the NIH guidelines EXACTLY for SF 424/PHS 398 Font type and size (true type) Recommended: Helvetica, Tahoma or Arial 12 point, 15 characters per inch, 6 lines per vertical inch Not Recommended: New Times Roman Margins: minimum ½ inch in all directions Page length for Research Plan: 25 pages including text, figures, charts, tables & diagrams. Does not include human subjects, animal subjects or literature cited. General “Rules” for Most NIH Grant Applications (Including Training Grants) Deadlines - Variable February 12th June 12th Eligibility October 12th Citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States Permanent Residents (Alien Registration Receipt Card I551) Individuals on temporary or student visas are NOT eligible. Doctoral level degree (some awards limited to clinical doctoral level degree): Ph.D.s, M.D., D.O., some Ph.D.s (e.g. nursing, rehabilitation, audiology, clinical psychology, etc. Completion of clinical training (both specialty & subspecialty) at time of award activation General “Rules” for Most NIH Training Grant Applications Eligibility Ineligible: current & former PIs on NIH R01, FIRST awards (R29), comparable career development awards (K01, K07, K08, etc.), subprojects of PPG or SCOR grants Importance of Picking the Right Mentor The quality of postgraduate training is the single most important predictor of success and longevity in a scientific career. The mentor-trainee relationship is the single most important component of this training experience. Choose Wisely!