Find a call

www.researchresearch.com

Read everythingeverything you can about the funder

Aims and objectives of funder

Aims and objectives of the grant call/ programme

Ask yourself if this is really the right funder for you

Be willing to change your idea to fit with the grant programme

“He who pays the piper calls the tune”

“Getting into the mindset of the funder”

Integrating ethics into EU Animal Research: A guide for applicants under FP7

European Commission

Research DG Unit L 3, Governance and Ethics

Three training packages have been produced: two cover the Three Rs and the third covers genetically modified and cloned animals.

General introduction to the Three Rs

This set of power-point slides introduces the concept of the Three Rs in animal based research as broadly interpreted today. It is an ethical framework that was first described in 1959 by Professor William Russell and Dr Rex Burch in their book “The Principles of Humane Experimental Techniques”. As animal research has advanced, so has the interpretation of the Three Rs. SLIDE 1: This work package was commissioned by DG Research to help those applying for grants that involved the use of animals under the FP7 programme to provide sufficient detail and evidence that the Three Rs have been considered

ETHICAL ASPECTS OF THE PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN IN RESEARCH Three training modules to assist and advise researchers preparing FP7 research proposals on what is required to demonstrate understanding and implementation of ethics in relation to research involving children. Research projects, which include the participation of children in the research protocol, always have an ethical dimension which can often be sensitive and/or complex. The three modules that make up this package are: Module 1: Providing an overview of the particular ethical sensitivities that relate to research involving children; Module 2: Guidance for researchers as to the information they should aim to present to an FP7 ethical review committee in order to demonstrate their awareness, understanding and ability to address any ethical issues that arise from the participation of children in their research protocols. Module 3: Identifying particular ethical issues that need to be taken into account when children participate in specific types of research. The areas covered are clinical trials, research in emergencies, social science research, behavioural and psychological research and food and allergy research.

The application Why do applications fail?

Major review “issues” in NIH grant proposals (n=66)

%

Specific aims/hypotheses 45

Background/ significance of proposed study

36

Preliminary/ pilot studies 50

General presentation problems 36

Methodology 100 Study sample 70 Data analysis 66 Outcome measure 66 Sample size/ power 42

Inouye SK & Fiellin DA. An evidence-based guide to writing grant proposals for clinical research. Ann Intern Med 2005; 142: 274-282

•Unrealistic goals

•Poorly focused

•Unclear hypotheses•Need for study not justified

•More pilot work needed

Poor layout, grammar, difficult to read, inconsistenciesInclusion criteria; potential bias•Insufficient description of analysis

•Inadequate control for confounders

•Concerns about validity and blinding of outcome assessment

•Inadequate descriptionInadequate description (or no calculation at all)

Time management

Inouye SK & Fiellin DA. An evidence-based guide to writing grant proposals for clinical research. Ann Intern Med 2005; 142: 274-282

“it is essential to allow adequate time.....” Falk (2006)

“Four to six months is not unreasonable” Bordage & Dawson (2003)

“time spent preparing the application should be well-organised” Goldblatt (1998)

The application

Objectives:

To meet the criteria for funding

To follow the application instructions

To express your idea clearly

To demonstrate the concept is scientifically sound

To demonstrate that your team has the skills and capacities to deliver

To show that you are in control!

What research they support

Financial limits

What they will pay for

The application

Objectives:

To meet the criteria for funding

To follow the application instructions

To express your idea clearly

To demonstrate the concept is scientifically sound

To demonstrate that your team has the skills and capacities to deliver

To show that you are in control!

Page layout Font size

Word limits

Section content

The application

Objectives:

To meet the criteria for funding

To follow the application instructions

To express your idea clearly

To demonstrate the concept is scientifically sound

To demonstrate that your team has the skills and capacities to deliver

To show that you are in control!

The best idea wins the grantThe best defended idea wins the grant

CLARITY

FOCUS

The application

Objectives:

To meet the criteria for funding

To follow the application instructions

To express your idea clearly

To demonstrate the concept is scientifically sound

To demonstrate that your team has the skills and capacities to deliver

To show that you are in control!

Adapted from:

Bordage, G & Dawson B. Experimental study design and grant writing in eight steps and 28 questions. Med Educ 2003; 37: 376-385

•Research question

•Instrumentation

•Research design

•Statistics

•Sample

•Data collection and quality

The application

Objectives:

To meet the criteria for funding

To follow the application instructions

To express your idea clearly

To demonstrate the concept is scientifically sound

To demonstrate that your team has the skills and capacities to deliver

To show that you are in control!

The team MultidisciplinaryMultidisciplinary

Principal InvestigatorExperts in their fieldExperts in their field

Does the team have sufficient breadth of clinical Does the team have sufficient breadth of clinical and methodological expertise to impress the funder and methodological expertise to impress the funder

and ensure success?and ensure success?

Health Economist

Statistician

Clinical Trials Unit

Patient/ public representative

EpidemiologistHealth psychologistMedical sociologistMedical ethicistHealth informatics expertMathematical health modellerService delivery and organisation (SDO) expert

The applicationObjectives:

To meet the criteria for funding

To follow the application instructions

To express your idea clearly

To demonstrate the concept is scientifically sound

To demonstrate that your team has the skills and capacities to deliver

To show that you are in control!

Time management

Visual project guide of interdependencies:

PERTPERT chart (PProgramme EEvaluation and RReview TTechnique)

SEDENTEX CT Project PERT chart

WP3Participant

Responsible:NKUA

Startdate Month 1

Enddate

Month36

WP4Participant

Responsible:KULeuven

Startdate Month 1

Enddate

Month36

WP 2Participant

Responsible:KULeuven

Startdate Month 1

Enddate

Month36

WP1Participant

Responsible:UNIMAN

Startdate

Month1

Enddate

Month40

WP5Participant

ResponsibleMAHOD

Startdate

Month1

Enddate

Month36

WP6Participant

Responsible:UNIMAN

Startdate

Month1

Enddate

Month42

Stakeholder input

to WP1 at: M38-M41to WP6 at: M3-M8,

M24-M36

36M

36M

36M

36M

12M40M

23T

26T

•Gantt charts

•Milestone dates and Deliverables

And some time later.......

or

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again”

Effective project execution

Good project planning assures good project execution

Effective management

Effective reporting, communication and dissemination

ADMINISTRATIVE AND SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION 1. K Horner (Manchester) 2. Administrator to be appointed

PHYSICS GROUP M Loubele (Leuven) A Walker (Manchester) R Bogaerts (Leuven) M Nilsson (Malmo) H Stamatakis (Athens) J Ziliukas (Vilnius)

MANAGEMENT TEAM K Horner (Co-ordinator, Manchester) K Tsiklakis (Athens) M Hedesiu (Cluj) M Bannard (Leeds Test Objects) R Jacobs (Leuven) C Lindh (Malmö) D Ivanauskaite (Vilnius)

GUIDELINE AND TRAINING GROUP K Tsiklakis (Athens) A-M Glenny (Manchester) V Rushton (Manchester) H Devlin (Manchester) J Petch (Manchester) K Karayianni (Athens)

DIAGNOSTICS GROUP R Jacobs (Leuven) M Hedesiu (Cluj) D Ivanauskaite (Vilnius) C Lindh (Malmö) M Rohlin (Malmö)

Ethical Monitoring Group

Clear responsibilities

Publication strategy

High impact factor journals

Success in grant applications and research projects: what the individual can do....

Strong idea focused on a real “need”

Match your idea to the grant funder

Time planning/management

Assemble a qualified team

Attention to detail

Learn from criticism

Success in grant applications and research projects: what the University can do....

A “research friendly” environment

Adequate administrative support

Adequate peer group support

Protect research time

Reward research achievement

Research Business Manager

Financial expert support

Peer review of applications

Research Discussion Group

Invest in key skill areas

"Research...is the register of a profession’s achievement and standing" Gies WJ (1918). The Journal of Dental Research. J Allied Dent Societies 13:496

Tack så mycket!

Thank you!