Primetime with Program: Research Project Grants (RPGs)

Primetime with Program:Research Project Grants (RPGs)

Ron Margolis, NIDDK

Laurie Tompkins, NIGMS

Harold Perl, NIDA

Regular Research Grants – the RPG

• What is a grant?• Grant-in-Aid = funding mechanism that allows you to carry out independent research on a

problem of importance to public health• Defined in law by Congressional authorization

• What kinds of RPGs are there?• Many grant mechanisms at the NIH

• Fellowship training (F, T)• Career Development (K)• Regular Research (R series)• Team Science (P, U)• Shared instrumentation (S)

• Who is eligible to apply?• Grants are made to institutions in the name of a principal investigator

• Some have citizenship requirements (F, T, K)• If not, then there must be appropriate work visa in place• The institution defines who is eligible to apply for an R01

• Which institutes at the NIH award grants? • Of the 27 Institutes and Centers, 24 are authorized to award grants• Most mechanisms are offered

Grantsmanship 101: “Molecular and Functional Anatomy of a Grant”

Translating ideas into a research plan

Life Cycle of a GrantLife Cycle of a Grant

F u n d in g

S econ d ary R eviewN ation a l A d visory C ou n c il

In teg ra ted R eview G rou pS tu d y S ec tion

C en te r fo r S c ien tific R eview(C S R )

In ves tig a to r

Grants.GovGrants.Govhttp://www.grants.gov

• New, consolidated approach to the New, consolidated approach to the submission of grant applications to the submission of grant applications to the Federal GovernmentFederal Government– Submission to a Central site: Submission to a Central site:

www.Grants.gov •All electronic submissionAll electronic submission

• eCommons: your account and window to the eCommons: your account and window to the NIHNIH– https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons

http://www.grants.gov/

http://www.grants.gov/

https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons

Regular Research-RelatedR01 Research Project Grant

To support a discrete, specified, circumscribed project on health-related research and development based on the stated program interests of one or more of the NIH Institutes and Centers.

PA-10-067; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-067.html• Budget: costs appropriate for the project, modular and non-modular formats• Project Period: up to 5 years• May be Renewed

R03 Small Research GrantTo provide research support specifically limited in time and amount for

studies in categorical program areas such as pilot/feasibility studies, secondary analyses, method/technology development. Small grants provide flexibility for initiating studies which are generally for preliminary short-term projects and are non-renewable.

PA-10-064; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-064.html• Budget: up to $100,000 direct costs over 2 years with no more than $50,000 direct costs in any

year, modular budget unless foreign entity• Project Period: up to 2 years• May NOT be Renewed• Not all NIH Institutes and Centers participate

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-067.html


Regular Research-RelatedR15 Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA)

To support individual research projects in the biomedical and behavioral sciences conducted by faculty, and involving their undergraduate students, who are located in health professional schools and other academic components that have not been major recipients of NIH research grant funds.

PA-10-070; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-070.html• Budget: up to $300,000 direct costs over 3 years, modular and non-modular budget • Project Period: up to 3 years• May be Renewed

R21 Exploratory/Developmental GrantTo encourage new, exploratory and developmental research activities in their

early stages of development. Such projects may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models or applications that could have major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.

PA-10-069; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-069.html• Budget: up to $275,000 direct costs over 2 years with no more than $200,000 direct costs in

any year, modular budget unless foreign entity• Project Period: up to 3 years• May NOT be Renewed• Not all NIH Institutes and Centers participate



Resource-RelatedR13 Conference Grant

To support recipient sponsored and directed international, national or regional scientific meetings, conferences and workshops.

PA-10-071; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-071.html• Budget and Project Period : appropriate for the conference• May be Renewed

R24 Resource-Related Research ProjectTo support research projects that will enhance the capability of

resources to serve biomedical research.• See IC for availability

R25 Education Project– To support the development and/or implementation of a program as

it relates to a category in one or more of the areas of education, information, training, technical assistance, coordination, or evaluation.

• See IC for availability


Small Business ProgramsR41/R42 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grants

To support cooperative research and development (R&D) projects between small business concerns and research institutions, limited in time and amount. – Phase I (R41) projects establish the technical merit and feasibility of ideas that have

potential for commercialization. – Phase II (R42) awards support development of projects whose feasibility has been

established in Phase I.PA-10-051; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-051.html

– Budget and Project Period. Phase I awards normally up to $100,000 total for up to 1 year. Phase II awards normally up to $750,000 total for up to 2 years. Only Phase II is renewable.

R43/R44 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) GrantsTo support small businesses in developing products or services that may ultimately lead to commercialization. – Phase I (R43) projects establish the technical merit and feasibility of R&D ideas. – Phase II (R44) awards support the development of projects whose feasibility has

been established in Phase I and which are likely to result in commercial products or services.

PA-10-050; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-050.html– Budget and Project Period. Phase I awards normally up to $100,000 total for up to 6 months. Phase II

awards normally up to $750,000 total for up to 2 years. Only Phase II is renewable.



Team Science: Program Project Grant

P01 Research Program ProjectTo support a broadly based, multidisciplinary, multi-investigator, multi-

project research program which has a specific major objective or basic theme. A program project application should have a central research focus, in contrast to the usually narrower thrust of the traditional research project. Each project supported through this mechanism should contribute or be directly related to the

common theme of the total research effort, and should demonstrate an essential element of unity and interdependence. The grant can also provide support for certain basic resources used by these groups in the program, including clinical components, the sharing of which facilitates the total research effort.

• See IC for availability and specific conditions

Center GrantsP20 Exploratory Grant

To support planning for new programs, expansion or modification of existing resources, and feasibility studies to explore various approaches to the development of interdisciplinary programs that offer potential solutions to problems of special significance to the mission of the NIH. These exploratory studies may lead to specialized or comprehensive centers.


P30 Center Core GrantTo support shared resources and facilities by a number of investigators

from different disciplines who provide a multidisciplinary approach to a joint research effort, or from the same discipline who focus on

a common research problem. The center core grant is integrated for shared use by multiple research projects, but funded

independently from them. The center core grant provides more accessible resources than obtainable from individual research or program projects.


Center Grants – cont’P50 Specialized Center

To support any part of the full range of health-related research and development from very basic to clinical. These centers may also involve ancillary supportive activities such as protracted patient care necessary to the primary research or R&D effort. The spectrum of activities provided within the Center will comprise a multidisciplinary attack on a specific disease entity or biomedical problem area. Centers may also serve as regional or national resources for special research purposes.

– See IC for availability

P60 Comprehensive CenterTo support a multipurpose unit designed to bring together into a common focus divergent but related facilities within a given community. The comprehensive center may be based in a university or may involve other locally available resources, such as hospitals, computer facilities, regional centers, and primate colonies. It may include specialized centers, program projects and projects as integral components. Regardless of the facilities available to a program, it usually includes the following objectives: to foster biomedical research and development at both the fundamental and clinical levels; to initiate and expand community education, screening, and counseling programs; and to educate medical and allied health professionals concerning the problems of diagnosis and treatment of a specific disease.

– See IC for availability

Institutional Training GrantsT32 Institutional National Research Service Award

To enable institutions to make National Research Service Awards to individuals selected by them for predoctoral and postdoctoral research training in specified shortage areas. This grant enables the director of the program to select the trainees and to develop a curriculum of study and research experiences necessary to provide high quality research training.

PA-10-036; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-036.html• Project Period: up to 5 years• May be Renewed

T35 NRSA Short-Term Research TrainingTo provide students in health professional schools with intensive, short-term (such as off-quarters or summer periods) research training experiences to encourage research careers and/or research in areas of national need.

PA-10-037; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-037.html• Project Period: up to 5 years• May be Renewed



NRSA Fellowship AwardsF30 Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships

To provide support for predoctoral training which leads to the combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees. Addresses the need for training physicians to become physician-scientists including those conducting translational and patient-oriented research.

PA-10-107; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-107.html

F31 Predoctoral Individual National Research Service AwardTo provide predoctoral individuals (doctoral candidates) with supervised research training in specified health and health-related areas leading toward the research degree (e.g., Ph.D.).

PA-10-108; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-108.htmlDiversity: PA-10-109; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-109.html

F32 Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service AwardTo provide postdoctoral research training within the broad scope of biomedical, behavioral or clinical research to individuals to broaden their scientific background and enhance their potential for research in specified health-related areas.






Career Transition Awards

K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence (PI) Award

To facilitate a timely transition from a mentored postdoctoral research position to a stable independent research position with

independent NIH or other independent research support at an earlier stage than is currently the norm. Two Phases: initial phase of mentored support to allow the candidate time to obtain additional training, complete research, publish results, and bridge to an independent research position. Second phase provides support to conduct research toward establishing his/her own independent research program and to prepare an application for regular research grant support (R01).

PA-10-063; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-063.html– Project Period: K99, up to 2 years; R00, up to 3 years– Budget: see specific NIH Institute and Center


Mentored Career Development Awards

K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award To provide support for supervised research and training in biomedical,

behavioral or clinical sciences that will lead to independence. The career development experience must be in a research area new

to the applicant and/or one in which an additional supervised research experience will substantially add to the research capabilities of the applicant.


K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development AwardTo provide for the development of outstanding clinician research scientists to independence. The supervised research experience may integrate didactic studies with laboratory or clinically-based research, or focus solely on research.


Mentored Career Development Awards

K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development AwardTo provide support for the supervised career development of clinically

trained professionals who have made a commitment of focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented (human subjects) research, and who have the potential to develop into productive, clinical investigators.


K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Development AwardTo support the supervised career development of usually junior faculty

with quantitative scientific and engineering backgrounds outside of biology or medicine who have made a commitment to focus their

research endeavors on behavioral and biomedical research (basic or clinical).


Non-Mentored Career Development Awards

K02 Independent Scientist Award To support newly independent scientists who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus as a means of developing and enhancing the potential of their research careers.


K05 Senior Scientist Research and Mentorship AwardTo support outstanding scientists who have demonstrated a sustained, high level of productivity and whose expertise, research accomplishments, and contributions to the field have been and will continue to be critical to the mission of a particular NIH institute or center. The candidate will usually also serve as a mentor to others. See IC for availability; [NIAAA, NIDA, NCI]

K24 Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented ResearchTo provide support for the clinicians to allow them protected time to devote to patient-oriented (human subjects) research and to act as research mentors for clinical residents, clinical fellows and junior clinical faculty.


Initial Peer Review Criteria

• Overall Impact: the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved.

• Core Review Criteria: – Significance: Does the project address an important problem or a critical

barrier to progress in the field? will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved?

– Investigator(s): Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project?

– Innovation: Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions?

– Approach: Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?

– Environment: Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed?

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Scoring DescriptionsScoring Descriptions

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Common reasons cited for a weak Common reasons cited for a weak first submissionfirst submission

•Lack of or weak impact Lack of or weak impact •Significance not obvious or weakSignificance not obvious or weak

–Too ambitious, lacking focusToo ambitious, lacking focus–Unclear or flawed hypothesisUnclear or flawed hypothesis–Feasibility unsupportedFeasibility unsupported

•Poor writingPoor writing•Applicant track record weak or lacks Applicant track record weak or lacks appropriate expertise appropriate expertise•Approach flawedApproach flawed

What do I do if I don’t make it on the What do I do if I don’t make it on the first attempt?first attempt?

•Carefully read the summary statementCarefully read the summary statement•Talk with your Institute PDTalk with your Institute PD•Seek help from experienced Seek help from experienced colleagues/mentorscolleagues/mentors•Submit a carefully considered revised Submit a carefully considered revised applicationapplication

–Carefully address the critiquesCarefully address the critiques–Don’t use your response to rebut reviewers-Don’t use your response to rebut reviewers-show them where you agree or disagree and show them where you agree or disagree and where you’ve made changeswhere you’ve made changes

•Don’t rush back with an incompletely or Don’t rush back with an incompletely or hastily revised applicationhastily revised application

Summary: Specific hallmarks of an Summary: Specific hallmarks of an outstanding grant applicationoutstanding grant application

•Strong significance to an important Strong significance to an important problem in public health: IMPACT is highproblem in public health: IMPACT is high

–High degree of novelty and innovationHigh degree of novelty and innovation•Strong track record by a well qualified Strong track record by a well qualified applicantapplicant•Clear rationaleClear rationale•Relevant and supportive preliminary dataRelevant and supportive preliminary data•Clear and focused approach that provides Clear and focused approach that provides unambiguous resultsunambiguous results•Careful attention to detailsCareful attention to details

–Fonts, clarity of data, error bars, Fonts, clarity of data, error bars, spelling, etcspelling, etc

Where do I get more information?Where do I get more information?

• NIH homepage:NIH homepage: http://www.nih.gov http://www.nih.gov

• CSR website: CSR website: http://www.csr.nih.govhttp://www.csr.nih.gov

• Grants at NIH: Grants at NIH: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

Primetime with Program: Research Project Grants (RPGs)

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