Developing a Funded Research Developing a Funded Research ProgramProgram

Lori Post, PhD Dept of Emergency MedicineLori Post, PhD Dept of Emergency Medicine

Developing a Funded Research Developing a Funded Research ProgramProgram

Lori Post, PhD Dept of Emergency MedicineLori Post, PhD Dept of Emergency Medicine

October 28, 2010October 28, 2010

Why do I want to land a grant?

Why do I want to land a grant?

Proposal writing is key to:Funding your own researchCreating and controlling your work

environmentIndependenceGetting a jobGetting a better jobHigher SalaryBeing promoted

Proposal writing is key to:Funding your own researchCreating and controlling your work

environmentIndependenceGetting a jobGetting a better jobHigher SalaryBeing promoted

DISCLAIMERSDISCLAIMERSDISCLAIMERSDISCLAIMERS

•Don’t bank on everything I say•There is more than one way to skin a cat•This presentation is a reflection of my experience with the grant process•Observe and mentor with other successfully grant funded researchers

DEVELOPING A GOAL DEVELOPING A GOAL ORIENTED LIFESTYLEORIENTED LIFESTYLEDEVELOPING A GOAL DEVELOPING A GOAL ORIENTED LIFESTYLEORIENTED LIFESTYLE

Goal Oriented LifestyleGoal Oriented Lifestyle

Develop THE PLAN.What specifically is your area of

expertise and interest?Where do you want to be in five

years?Where do you want to be in ten

years?The biggest predictor of achieving

your goals is being able to articulate them.

Develop THE PLAN.What specifically is your area of

expertise and interest?Where do you want to be in five

years?Where do you want to be in ten

years?The biggest predictor of achieving

your goals is being able to articulate them.

Determine Overarching Career Goals

Determine Overarching Career Goals

Develop a timeline with goals and objectives.

Developing new goals = GOOD.Giving up = BAD.

Develop a timeline with goals and objectives.

Developing new goals = GOOD.Giving up = BAD.

StrategiesStrategies

1. Publications2. Partnering3. Networking4. Proposals5. Develop a national reputation6. Recognize an opportunity

1. Publications2. Partnering3. Networking4. Proposals5. Develop a national reputation6. Recognize an opportunity

PUBLICATIONSPUBLICATIONS

Can NOT get a federal grant without them.

Set a minimum of two per year.Hierarchy

1. Peer reviewed journals – shoot for tier 1 in your area

2. Chapters3. Books4. Abstracts and Briefs and Reports

Can NOT get a federal grant without them.

Set a minimum of two per year.Hierarchy

1. Peer reviewed journals – shoot for tier 1 in your area

2. Chapters3. Books4. Abstracts and Briefs and Reports

PartneringPartnering

Who is interested in what you are interested in?

State and Federal GovernmentCommunityOther departments/schools at YaleOther Universities (ride on

somebody else’s coat tails when you are junior)

Who is interested in what you are interested in?

State and Federal GovernmentCommunityOther departments/schools at YaleOther Universities (ride on

somebody else’s coat tails when you are junior)

NetworkingNetworking

Present at national conferences every year and eat dinner

Get involved in organizational administration

Review papers Scientific panels Sit on advisory councils Attend coalition interest groups Contact federal, state and local government Contact national/international figures in

areas of interest

Present at national conferences every year and eat dinner

Get involved in organizational administration

Review papers Scientific panels Sit on advisory councils Attend coalition interest groups Contact federal, state and local government Contact national/international figures in

areas of interest

ProposalsProposals

The biggest predictor of getting funding is applying

Write lots of proposals (3 per year)Take the reviewer comments ImproveTry again

The biggest predictor of getting funding is applying

Write lots of proposals (3 per year)Take the reviewer comments ImproveTry again

Developing a National Reputation

Developing a National Reputation

Publications, Publications, Publications

Conference presentationsReview papers and proposalsNational advisory committeesNational Academy of SciencesMake contact with others with

national reputations

Publications, Publications, Publications

Conference presentationsReview papers and proposalsNational advisory committeesNational Academy of SciencesMake contact with others with

national reputations

Recognize an OpportunityRecognize an Opportunity

Say “YES” when people ask you to collaborate

Don’t get bogged down with dead weight

Don’t invest your time in somebody else’s career

Its usually as much work to get a big grant as a little one

Say “YES” when people ask you to collaborate

Don’t get bogged down with dead weight

Don’t invest your time in somebody else’s career

Its usually as much work to get a big grant as a little one

Funding Mechanisms, Funding Mechanisms, cycles, where to findcycles, where to findFunding Mechanisms, Funding Mechanisms, cycles, where to findcycles, where to find

PHS AgenciesCommunity of ScienceCreate a portfolio of funding

agencies like you would your own retirement

PHS AgenciesCommunity of ScienceCreate a portfolio of funding

agencies like you would your own retirement

Opportunities to obtain support / funding from YCCI?

•Scholar Awards

•Pilot Grants

•Office of Research Services

YCCI Junior Faculty Scholars

YCCI Junior Faculty Scholars

The YCCI Junior Faculty Scholars program is focused on furthering the training of junior faculty members or postdoctoral fellows who are ready to transition to faculty and are strongly committed to careers in clinical or translational research. The program, which includes KL2 career development award recipients, awards funding for salary support and research.

Annual competition for any faculty member in first 5 years of appointment

Up to 75% salary support and up to $30K for supplies

2 year award

The YCCI Junior Faculty Scholars program is focused on furthering the training of junior faculty members or postdoctoral fellows who are ready to transition to faculty and are strongly committed to careers in clinical or translational research. The program, which includes KL2 career development award recipients, awards funding for salary support and research.

Annual competition for any faculty member in first 5 years of appointment

Up to 75% salary support and up to $30K for supplies

2 year award

Yale ResourcesYale ResourcesYale ResourcesYale Resources

Research Associates and budget officers within your own department or section

Grants budget pre and post awards

Grants Seminar SeriesYCCI & YCAS

Research Associates and budget officers within your own department or section

Grants budget pre and post awards

Grants Seminar SeriesYCCI & YCAS

Proposal WritingProposal Writing

Is one SMALL aspect of landing a grant. Most workshops focus on the

mechanics of proposal writing. Most are lead by non grant active administrators.

Whether or not your proposal is funded depends on a well written proposal PLUS other aspects we will talk about today.

A poorly written proposal will disqualify you no matter how good the idea.

Is one SMALL aspect of landing a grant. Most workshops focus on the

mechanics of proposal writing. Most are lead by non grant active administrators.

Whether or not your proposal is funded depends on a well written proposal PLUS other aspects we will talk about today.

A poorly written proposal will disqualify you no matter how good the idea.

Mechanics of Proposal Writing

Mechanics of Proposal Writing

appendix

evaluatetitle

staffstats

budget

goalsmethod

problem

Proposal DetailProposal Detail

EXERCISE: P & BEXERCISE: P & B

HINT # 1Make Life Easier

HINT # 1Make Life Easier

Borrow, copy, remodel, recycleNo need to reinvent the wheelAll your work should be leading to

the same place so a proposal is not new work

You will learn to develop proposal language

Borrow, copy, remodel, recycleNo need to reinvent the wheelAll your work should be leading to

the same place so a proposal is not new work

You will learn to develop proposal language

HINT # 2Don’t Be Lazy!

HINT # 2Don’t Be Lazy!

NEVER EVER PLAGIARIZE! Software will tell

The application MUST match the announcement – don’t shove a square peg in a round hole

Same group of reviewers and they have good memories

NEVER EVER PLAGIARIZE! Software will tell

The application MUST match the announcement – don’t shove a square peg in a round hole

Same group of reviewers and they have good memories

HINT # 3Develop Yourself First

HINT # 3Develop Yourself First

Writing an excellent research proposal is just one aspect of successfully funding a project

Developing a successful research PROGRAM is essential

Writing an excellent research proposal is just one aspect of successfully funding a project

Developing a successful research PROGRAM is essential

HINT # 5You Cannot Fool a Panel!

HINT # 5You Cannot Fool a Panel!

Reviewers are experts in your areaThat is why they are reviewersThey easily feel offended if you

overlook their workCite their workBe on top of the literature

Reviewers are experts in your areaThat is why they are reviewersThey easily feel offended if you

overlook their workCite their workBe on top of the literature

HINT # 6Snap Judgments

HINT # 6Snap Judgments

It takes 30 seconds to judge you!First impressions taint and frame the

entire review.1. Publications better be commensurate

with experience, funding, and years out of training

2. References – 90-95% of the literature should be in the last five years except for seminal citations. Be on top of the literature.

PET PEEVE is grant apps with references that stop when investigator graduated school

It takes 30 seconds to judge you!First impressions taint and frame the

entire review.1. Publications better be commensurate

with experience, funding, and years out of training

2. References – 90-95% of the literature should be in the last five years except for seminal citations. Be on top of the literature.

PET PEEVE is grant apps with references that stop when investigator graduated school

HINT # 9Sell Yourself

HINT # 9Sell Yourself

Promote! Promote! Promote!You must show you are amazing,

going to solve an important issue, are brilliant, have the means to do it, know what you are doing.

You must do this even if it makes you uncomfortable

Cultural Issues

Promote! Promote! Promote!You must show you are amazing,

going to solve an important issue, are brilliant, have the means to do it, know what you are doing.

You must do this even if it makes you uncomfortable

Cultural Issues

HINT # 10Be Responsive

HINT # 10Be Responsive

Respond to Program OfficerRespond to RFA/RFPRespond to foundation or center

goals. They are usually on websites

Respond to Program OfficerRespond to RFA/RFPRespond to foundation or center

goals. They are usually on websites

HINT # 11Funding Faux Pas

HINT # 11Funding Faux Pas

There is no relationship between how much you ask for and being funded as long as you are below the cap

Asking for too little makes you seem naïve and a novice which makes your reviewer think negatively of you

A grant award results in a contract. You MUST deliver what you promise even if the funding is insufficient

There is no relationship between how much you ask for and being funded as long as you are below the cap

Asking for too little makes you seem naïve and a novice which makes your reviewer think negatively of you

A grant award results in a contract. You MUST deliver what you promise even if the funding is insufficient

HINT # 12Strategies for Career

Stage

HINT # 12Strategies for Career

StageNew Faculty

TrainingPublicationsMentoring

Research Active but not Grant ActiveApply for smaller grants to get research

management experienceNo Research

Publications (need 3 years of activity)

New FacultyTrainingPublicationsMentoring

Research Active but not Grant ActiveApply for smaller grants to get research

management experienceNo Research

Publications (need 3 years of activity)

Common Mistakes in Writing GrantsCommon Mistakes in Writing Grants

1. Ideas not original or significant.2. Unrealistic amount of work proposed

(overambitious).3. Project too diffuse, lacks focus.4. Rationale to do project not clear or valid. 5. Project is fishing expedition and/or lacks hypothesis

driven research.6. Studies are based on a shaky hypothesis or shaky

data.7. Proposed experiments are descriptive and do not

test a hypothesis.8. The proposal is technology driven not hypothesis

driven.

1. Ideas not original or significant.2. Unrealistic amount of work proposed

(overambitious).3. Project too diffuse, lacks focus.4. Rationale to do project not clear or valid. 5. Project is fishing expedition and/or lacks hypothesis

driven research.6. Studies are based on a shaky hypothesis or shaky

data.7. Proposed experiments are descriptive and do not

test a hypothesis.8. The proposal is technology driven not hypothesis

driven.

Time to Write a GrantTime to Write a Grant

300 Hours R01400-600 for a Multi Investigator

Program GrantGet as much stuff done ahead. Bio-

SketchDescriptions of facilities, resources,

etc.Borrow the “non-science” aspects from

other proposals Look at successful proposals

300 Hours R01400-600 for a Multi Investigator

Program GrantGet as much stuff done ahead. Bio-

SketchDescriptions of facilities, resources,

etc.Borrow the “non-science” aspects from

other proposals Look at successful proposals

Questions???Questions???