Chapter 12

Getting Accepted: Funding, Presentation, Publication

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish between different forums for data dissemination

• Draft a research proposal• Draft posters and oral presentations for a

professional meeting• Explain the steps for publishing a manuscript

Obtaining Research Funding• From a specific agency– CDC– NIH– State, county, city

• Program announcement (PA)– General description of types of studies the agency

would like to fund• Request for and application (RFA) or proposal (RFP)– RFA for a grant– RFP for a contract– Funder has a specific research question in mind

Background for the Research Proposal• Study the RFA or RFP to be clear about what the

funder wants studied– E-mail or phone the project officer listed on the RFA

or RFP with questions• Go to the literature– What is known, what needs to be known, what

practical lessons have been learned about similar studies, what is the ideal design, and so on

• If feasible, pilot test an aspect of the study that may not be successful (i.e., recruiting the parents of young injection drug users for research)

Preparing the Proposal

• Be very clear about the due date and the specific requirements for the proposal (e.g., page limits, font size, number of copies, etc.)

• Structure the entire proposal around the specific aims– Research questions– Areas of focus– Hypothesis

• As usual, concise and to the point

Proposal Title Page

• One page• Usually includes– Proposed study title – brief and descriptive (e.g.,

defining characteristics of the sample, study design, general research question)

– Keywords – these will be used by individuals searching to see what types of studies are funded

– Contact information for the investigator(s)

Abstract or Summary

• Summary of the purpose and design of the study• Includes the specific aims• Often required to fit the text into a printed box

indicated by the funder• Some reviewers only read the abstract (unless

they’re the primary reviewer for your proposal), so make it concise, descriptive, and interesting

• Usually written after the study is designed and the rest of the proposal prepared

Problem Statement

• Arguable the most important component of the proposal

• Justifies the need for the funder to give money for this study

• Align with both the specific aims of the proposal and the goals of the funder

Specific Aims

• Briefly outline the main research questions and/or hypotheses of the proposed study

• Best to limit to about 3 or 4• In some cases, an aim can have 2 or so parts• Should provide the organization structure for

the rest of the proposal

Specific Aims (cont.)

• The specific aims of the study are to:1. Determine the prevalence and five-year incidence of

malignant meningioma tumors in upstate NY, using a representative sample of adults with a diagnosed tumor.

2. Identify behavioral risk factors for malignant meningioma tumors in upstate NY in a case-control study of adults with a diagnosed tumor and those with head injuries but no tumors.

3. Examine potential environmental co-factors in the incidence and prevalence of malignant meningioma tumors in upstate NY.

Significance and Review of the Literature

• Emphasize the importance and implications of each of the specific aims

• Review and evaluate the results of previous studies relevant to each of the specific aims

• Stress how the proposed study will improve upon and/or add to the current knowledge

• Citations and references must be included

Methodology• Include all the steps for generating the data– IRB protection plans, sample design, selection,

recruitment, measures, procedures, retention, data processing, analysis, statistical power, potential topics for publication

• Must be justifiably appropriate given each of the aims

• Can really make or break a significant study idea• A great deal of attention should be paid to the

feasibility– If possible present pilot results or previous experience to

assure reviewers that this design is possible

Methodology (cont.)

• May be helpful to have subsections within each design component indicating how the requirements for each specific aim will be addressed

• For example, present an analysis plan for each of the aims

Timeline

• Focus on the feasibility of completing the study within the specified time period

• Present in the context of the budget• If 4 years of funding are requested, indicate

what will be done in each year and provide some evidence or justification that everything will be done by the end of the fourth year

Timeline (cont.)

Sample Timeline

Proposed Plan DatesIRB approvals August 2007

Baseline data collection (pretests, plate September 2007waste/production records, heights and weights)

Intervention period (gardening, providing September 25, 2007–June 15, 2009cafeteria food, nutrition/mindfulnesslessons)

Post-data collection June 15–30, 2009

Data analysis July–August 2009

Budget and Budget Justification• Include amounts and line items for each task of

the study– Staff salaries and percent effort– Subject incentives– Materials– Institution fees (indirect costs)

• Wise to get some advice from financial staff at your institution

• Justify how each item contributes to the specific aims of the study– Sometimes explain why this is an appropriate amount

Budget (cont.)

Sample Budget and Budget Justification

Cost AmountPersonnel $XXX.XXSubject Compensation (50 participants ´ $25.00 = $1,250) $1,250.00Travel for conducting interviews $2,500.00Student assistance for transcription ($ 7.50/hour for 5 weeksat 10 hours per week for 1 student) $375.00Total $4,125.00

Compensation: The interviews will last 1–2 hours. Thus, $25.00 will be given to compensate subjects for their time and willingness to participate in the study.

50 participants ´ $25.00 = $1,250

Personnel

• Who will do what and how long will it take them to do it– Name, title, qualifications

• Justification for the time commitment is included in the budget justification

• Personnel costs are typically the largest portion of the study budget

Before Submitting the Proposal• Ask every willing and qualified person to review and

critique the proposal – Seriously consider and incorporate their critiques!!

• If possible, ask an editor to go through the text and make sure the text requirements are met

• If possible, ask appropriate institutional staff to check that the proposal is complete and includes all required components

• Get all necessary signatures and IRB pre-approval• Try to allow an extra day for delivery before the due date

and verify that the funder received the documents on time

Presenting Results

• Abstracts• Posters• Oral presentations

Abstracts• A little like a movie trailer or preview• Short summary of study results to be

considered by professional organizations, funders, and so on for publication or inclusion in professional meetings– Journal article– Poster or oral presentation

• Main challenge is to communicate all the important information in about 250 words

Posters• Visual graphic presentation of study results that can be

examined by an audience with or without interaction with the investigator

• At professional conferences posters are grouped together by topic and set up during a specified time in large meeting rooms

• Typically, the investigators stands next to their posters to answer questions or discuss their findings with poster attendees

• Sometimes investigators have hand-outs of their results or other material to give to interested attendees

Posters (cont.)

• Title, authors, affiliations – across the top of the poster• Abstract – sometimes included, sometimes not• Introduction – significance of the study, brief review of

literature, study questions• Methods – enough detail to understand and evaluate

the study design• Results – use graphs or other visual presentations as

much as possible• Conclusion – take away message for the viewer

Example Layout of a PosterTitle

Authors

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose

Study Design

Methods

Results

Tables/Graphs

Tables/Graphs

Conclusions

Posters (cont.)

• Visually appealing– Use color– Use graphics– Uncluttered

• Legible from a distance of 3-5 feet• Laminate layout if possible

Oral Presentations

• Know the types of audience and time limit• Usually with the use of slides (e.g., powerpoint)• Components– Title, authors, affiliations– Background – avoid a lot of detail about prior studies– Methods– Results – use graphics as much as possible– Conclusions

Oral Presentations (cont.)

• Usually 10-12 slides• Large enough font to read from the back of a

medium sized meeting room• High contrast – dark blue background with light

(white or light yellow) font• Uncluttered• Carefully proofread• Rehearse and get feedback• Consider bringing hard copies of slides to

distribute to interested attendees

Publishing Results

• Choosing a journal• Conform to guidelines and goals of the journal• Write a convincing cover letter

Choosing a Journal• Note the journal that published some or most

of the reviewed studies• Consider

1. Impact Factor2. Scope3. Citation and Impact Factors4. Review Process5. Publishing and Distribution6. Costs

Journal Guidelines

• Very important to conform to the guidelines– Scope and type of publication (e.g., original article,

online, etc.)– Font size, spacing, number of pages– Citation and reference style– Number of submission copies or on-line

submission requirements– Author names on title page or not?

The Cover Letter• Convince the editor why the study should be published

in this journal– Align with the mission of the journal– Emphasize what’s new and different– How can the results be used and by whom?

• Often able to suggest reviewers– Names and contact information for those desired– Names for those not desired

• Usually include boiler plate text about the relative contribution of authors and any conflicts of interest

• Mention the IRB review

Final Words

• Be ethical• Be rigorous• Be practical• Be receptive and responsive to constructive

criticisms• Be patient• Be willing to revise, revise, and revise again