AATS Grant Writing WorkshopAATS Grant Writing WorkshopBethesda, MDBethesda, MDMarch 4, 2011March 4, 2011

John S. Ikonomidis MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FACS, FAHA, FACC

The Career Goal: Independent Investigator (R01)The Career Goal: Independent Investigator (R01)

Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina,

Charleston, South Carolina

Presenter Disclosure InformationPresenter Disclosure Information

The Career Goal: Independent Investigator (R01)The Career Goal: Independent Investigator (R01)

Disclosure Information:The following relationship(s) exist related to this presentation:

John S. Ikonomidis – Grant recipient: NIHConsultant: W.L. Gore and Associates

On-X Life Technologies, Inc.

Mission Accomplished:Mission Accomplished:Federal Grant Application Funded!!Federal Grant Application Funded!!

• Congratulations!!• The time has come to “make good” on your

promises • There is a lot of research to do• Not a lot of time to do it (!)• Non-competing renewal is less than a year

away!!!

Outline:Outline:

• Time Management• Recruiting and hiring a PhD Scientist• Strategies for completing research • Important activities• How to avoid being a “one hit wonder”

Time ManagementTime Management

• Must balance your research time with clinical, administrative, professional and teaching responsibilities

• Must understand your limitations and learn to say no to non critical opportunities

• Must learn to “minimize and streamline”

Time ManagementTime Management

• 2007: Federal Demonstration Partnership study on research and related activities

• 73 Institutions, 6081 respondents• 90% PIs on at least one grant• Assist/Assoc/Full Prof: 22/24/54%• PI Support: 49% NIH, 32% NSF, 11% DoD• 35% Bio/Life Sciences, 16% Health Sciences

Time ManagementTime Management

• 58% overall time spent doing research (44% active research, 14% mentoring students and postdocs)

Research Management Review 2009;16(2):1-13

Time ManagementTime Management

• 42% of research time spent on administrative activities rather than actual research activity

Research Management Review 2009;16(2):1-13

Time ManagementTime ManagementAdministrative Burdens (In Order of Importance)

1. IRB protocols and training2. IACUC protocols and training3. Training personnel and students4. Grant report submissions5. IRB compliance issues6. IACUC compliance issues7. Personnel hiring8. Project revenue management9. HIPAA compliance10. Subcontracting and collaborations11. Safety planning and monitoring12. Equipment and supply purchases

Time Management:Time Management:Infrastructure is Critical!Infrastructure is Critical!

• Need a good business administrator to handle and be proactive about grants accounting issues.

• A second person to centralize ordering of supplies, protocol submissions, revisions, amendments and renewals, and project audits is extremely helpful

Time Management:Time Management:Infrastructure is Critical!Infrastructure is Critical!

• Cannot fund these salaries from direct costs• Indirect costs: ~ 40% of direct costs, but

usually very little comes back to the PI• Strategies:

• Negotiate indirect cost return upfront• Negotiate coverage with Division or

Department expenses• Discretionary fund from Industry

collaboration• Need $15,000 - $20,000 per $100,000 directs

for this

Consider Hiring a PhD ScientistConsider Hiring a PhD Scientist

• Individual who is genuinely interested in “bench to bedside” research

• Experience with small and large animal models would be great

• Ability to train to do animal surgery would be ideal

• Broad cellular and molecular biology experience optimal – but in particular must be aligned with your intended areas of study

Consider Hiring a PhD ScientistConsider Hiring a PhD Scientist• Negotiate with Division or Department Chair

• Helpful if you indicated you would be doing this should your application hit

• You can pay for half if the Chair can pay for half

• You will take this salary off the Chair’s books by getting independent funding for the PhD

• Roughly, a 4 year proposition.• Also means that you must renew your grant

to maintain the PhDs salary

Consider Hiring a PhD Scientist?Consider Hiring a PhD Scientist?

• Complimentary set of skills – usually synergistic rather than additive

• PhD handles the lab full time while you are busy being a doctor most of the time

• Together, you brainstorm new projects, write papers, split up the writing of new grants

• This is potentially a very powerful mechanism, with many precedents in our field, but may not work well if you do not remain engaged

Strategies For Performing The Strategies For Performing The ResearchResearch

• In theory, this is easy• You have already laid out the plan in your

grant, so just need to follow it and your timeline

• In practice, running a lab is challenging

• Set and adhere as much as possible to timelines – abstract and non-competing renewal deadlines useful!

• Have regular lab meetings and do not cancel them

• Don’t be a stranger in your own lab• Research fellows very helpful but require

time to mentor• Spend directs early, monitor your budget

carefully

Strategies For Performing The Strategies For Performing The ResearchResearch

Important Activities Important Activities

• “Positioning yourself” for continued success is important

Important ActivitiesImportant ActivitiesInstitutional Institutional

• Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate• Institutional teaching opportunities• Faculty committees, thesis committees• Attend institutional town hall meetings and

be a supporting voice

Important ActivitiesImportant ActivitiesExternalExternal

• Find out who is on your intended study section and invite them to your institution as visiting professor

• Hunt down study section members at meetings, attend their talks, discuss their research with them and solicit their ideas about yours

• “Volunteer” as ad hoc journal reviewer• Serve as ad hoc reviewer or member of a

study section (!)

• Serving on a study section:• Allows you to see first hand whether your

new ideas are timely and you are on right track with your future studies.

• Time consuming!!• Sometimes “backfires” on you

How to Avoid Being a “One Hit How to Avoid Being a “One Hit Wonder”Wonder”

How to Avoid Being a “One Hit How to Avoid Being a “One Hit Wonder” Wonder”

• At about the halfway point, need to start thinking about your competitive renewal

• What about the discoveries that you have made so far are so compelling that further study of them would form the basis for a new R01?

• Need to plan to have (at least one) publication describing your prelim data for your next grant submission.

SummarySummary

• Executing the administrative and scientific requirements of federal grant-funded research is complex

• Administrative infrastructure is critical, additional scientific expertise very helpful

• Must adhere to established timelines• Must stay current and relevant, while

keeping an eye on the future