nicheprogram.org • 2016 Annual NICHE Conference • Care Across the Continuum 1

Elements of a

Successful ProposalAb Brody, RN, PhD, GNP-BC

Assistant Professor and Associate DirectorHartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing

NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

Allison Squires, PhD, RN, FAAN

Assistant Professor and Deputy Director

International Education and Visiting ScholarsNYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

• What does the funder fund?

• Developing a relationship

• Population needs

• Credibility and fit of evidence

• Research plan must be complete, achievable and

match the specific aims.

The Basics

• Giving yourself enough time• Revise, Revise, Revise

• Multiple formal and informal peer reviews prior to

submission

• Proof reading, clarity and readability• White Space

• Not too many abbreviations

• Logical Flow

• Be aware of all necessary components/sections

• Budget

The Basics

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The Metta Foundation

http://www.mettafund.org

Cambia Health Foundation

http://www.cambiahealthfoundation.org

Examples

4/26/2016 4

Specific Aims:

Expressing the problem

and grant goals

Developed with Dr. Casey R. Shillam, PhD, RN-BC

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse FellowAssociate Professor

Associate Dean

University of Portland School of Nursing

Typically limited to one page

Heart of the matter – why reviewers

should care

Serve as a roadmap through the

proposal to include:• Research goal / purpose

• Specific aims statements

• Impact statement

Specific Aims

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• Never “done”

• Requires ongoing refinement

• As the proposal evolves, so will the aims

• Allow for modification as you write the

application

Specific Aims

Start with a Good Idea

Unique

Start with a Good Idea

Creative

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Start with a Good Idea

Exciting

Start with a Good Idea

Who will use the program or evidence?

Do you want to change practice in: • Your own clinical setting

• A community agency

• All primary care practices

• All senior centers

• Hospitals

• The world

Begin with the End in Mind

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Who are the stakeholders and decision makers that

will decide whether to use the program?

What is the context in which the intervention or

evidence will be delivered?

What are potential barriers and facilitators for

implementation

Who can deliver the program?

Begin with the End in Mind

The cornerstone of the entire

proposal

and

the most important page

of the proposal.

Specific Aims are:

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

•A clear purpose statement arises

out of a significant clinical problem

•Specific Aims address the stated

purpose

•Research questions and/or

hypotheses logically flow out of

purpose and aims

Specific Aims are:

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

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Short, meticulously devised statement

that:

1) establishes the overall area of

concern;

2) arouses interest;

3) communicates information essential

to the reader's comprehension of what

follows.

The Problem Statement

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Ensure the Problem Statement:

• demonstrates a precise

understanding of the problem

• clearly shows the focus

• positions the project within a wider

body of knowledge

• conveys the importance and

significance of the problem

• states the problem in terms of human

needs and societal benefits

The Problem Statement

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

As the population ages over the next 35 years, the number of persons with

dementia (PWD) is expected to almost triple from 5.2 million to 13.8 million with

each PWD having an average of 2.9 caregivers (both formal and informal). As

this population ages, more PWD will need to be treated by care teams in the

community, both due to patient and family preference, and to relative lack of

growth in long term care facility capacity compared to population growth.

Therefore, it is necessary to prepare community-based care teams to provide

care to this vulnerable population and improve outcomes.

The Problem Statement

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•A clear purpose statement arises out of

a significant clinical problem

•Specific Aims address the stated

purpose

•Research questions and/or hypotheses

logically flow out of purpose and aims

The Purpose Statement

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Research

Questions/

Hypotheses

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

•Explicit statement

“The purpose of the research is....”

•Simple and brief (clarity)

•Two broad types of purposes - to

improve something or to understand

something

The Purpose Statement

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Research

Questions/

Hypotheses

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Aim for precision and simplicity

• What are you planning to do?

• Fit with aims of proposal

• "The purpose of this project is to

.....”

The Purpose Statement

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Research

Questions/

Hypotheses

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the

Interprofessional Dementia Symptom Management at Home Program

(DSM-H) on improving interprofessional care in home healthcare (HHC)

agencies for PWD to significantly improve care quality, health

outcomes, and QOL for PWD and caregivers.

The Purpose Statement

•A clear purpose statement arises

out of a significant clinical problem

•Specific Aims address the stated

purpose

•Research questions and/or

hypotheses logically flow out of

purpose and aims

Specific Aims

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Research

Questions/

Hypotheses

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

•Limit to 2-4 aims

•Use declarative statements

•Explain why the research matters

•Not be inter-dependent but

supportive of each other

Specific Aims

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

Research

Questions/

Hypotheses

Problem

Purpose

Specific Aims

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The specific aims of this blinded cluster randomized controlled clinical trial

to:

Aim 1: Measure the effects of the Dementia Symptom Management at

Home Program on pain, neuropsychological symptoms of dementia,

and caregiver rated quality of life in the person with dementia

receiving home healthcare.

Specific Aims

Significance

“The [positive] impact something

is likely to have on some other

thing”

This section highlights the need

that your project will address

What is Significance?

Russell and Morrison (2014)

SIGNIFICANCE

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• Part of Significance Section

• Details problem

• Information in the literature

• Subsections - specific details

Background

Funnel approach

• Start with broad overview /

epidemiological evidence / global

statistics

• Narrow it down to more specific

statistics and information

• Emphasize the gap you are

filling

After opening paragraph, create

subsections

Background Organization

B. SIGNIFICANCE

B.1. Background (general 1 or 2 paragraphs)

B.2. Importance

B.2.1. [Sub-topic 1]

B.2.2. [Sub-topic2]

Etc.

Example

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Expands on Specific Aims

section

Detail the gaps in the literature• Explain why it’s so important to fill

these gaps / how detrimental leaving

them will be

• Discuss the primary literature and

highlight how important the problem is• Describe how the project will improve

scientific knowledge and clinical practice

Should hint at innovation

Critical Analysis of the

Literature

Russell and Morrison (2014)

Start with a comprehensive literature search

• Current, salient literature (OK to include

historical seminal articles if very relevant)

• Be comprehensive

• Be critical, but diplomatic

• Create tables to analyze (for yourself/team

only)

• Clearly synthesize, don’t just repeat study

by study

Critical Analysis of the

Literature

•Conclude this area clearly describing the contribution your study

will make

•Make sure this links back to your objectives stated on the Aims

page• “The contribution of the proposed research is expected to…..”

Critical Analysis of the

Literature

Russell and Morrison (2014)

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Sample First Paragraph

Do’s and Don’ts

ROS

Don’t make

me do math!!!

11A. Significance and Background: An estimated 5.3 million Americans currently suffer from dementia

and over 450,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease occur annually, a figure expected to increase 35% by

203014. The Institute of Medicine 2008 report sounds the alarm regarding the lack of properly trained

clinicians in geriatrics, which directly effects our ability to provide patient-centered care to persons with

dementia15. The increase in this population is expected to overwhelm the healthcare system; the supply of hospital and long term care beds is not expected to be able to keep pace with the demand16. Thus, these

complex patients, many with dementia, will be forced to return to the community in sicker condition than

currently seen, after shorter lengths of stay in the hospital. This will place a great strain on HHC agencies

as they will be expected to take on care for many of these patients. However, while an estimated 36% (1.7

million) HHC patients currently have dementia18,19, many HHC providers lack even basic training in care

of persons with dementia due to a dearth of validated training programs. Clinicians often have a negative

view of this patient subset, and do not recognize that substantial evidence exists showing differences in

their care needs20-32.

Fixed Introduction Paragraph

Italicize

•Discuss big benefits and support with evidence (if exists)• Decreasing morbidity and mortality

• Improving QOL

• Etc.

Positive Impact / Outcome

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•Start early! (3-6 months)

•Refer to the Aims page

•Create a bullet-point outline →

turn bullet points into

sentences

•Create a GANTT (timeline)

chart early

•Know the study section

members/foundation program

officers and their interests

Logistics

1. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to

care in the field?

2. If the aims of the project are achieved, how will clinical practice be

improved?

3. How will the program be sustained after the funding has ended?

Questions to Answer