Why Write A Grant?

Elaine M. Hylek, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine

Associate Director, Education and Training Division BU CTSI

Section of General Internal Medicine

Boston University Medical Center

Types of grants

Research Career development Program development Granting agencies

Federal (NIH, PCORI, AHRQ, CDC)• R, P, U, K, T• Success rate 10-30%

• Industry• Foundations

What is the NIH looking for?

Projects of High Scientific Caliber

NIH looks for grant proposals of high scientific caliber that are relevant to public health needs and are within NIH Institute and Center (IC) priorities. ICs highlight their research priorities on their individual websites. Applicants are urged to contact the appropriate Institute or Center staff to discuss the relevancy and/or focus of their proposed research before submitting an application.

NIH-Requested ResearchNIH Institutes and Centers regularly identify specific

research areas and program priorities. To encourage submission of research applications in these areas, many ICs will issue funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) in the form of program announcements (PAs) and requests for applications (RFAs). These FOAs may be issued to support research in an understudied area, to take advantage of current scientific opportunities, to address a high priority, or to meet additional needs in research training and infrastructure. To find an FOA in your scientific field, search the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts or Grants.gov to search across all Federal agencies.

Unsolicited Research NIH supports “unsolicited” research and training

applications that do not fall within the scope of NIH-requested targeted announcements. These applications originate from your research idea or training need, yet also address the scientific mission of the NIH and one or more of its ICs. These “unsolicited” applications should be submitted through “parent announcements (PAs)”, which are funding opportunity announcements that span the breadth of the NIH mission.

The Mission of the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS)

• Advancing Translational Science through:

• Accelerate Discovery Through Technology• Genome sequencing• Cancer genome Atlas

Resources from Intramural NCATS• Discovery of Drugs, Diagnostics, Devices • There are known molecular causes of 4600 diseases; most since the

sequencing of the genome• There are therapies available for 250• Productivity of NIH derived drug development is down 30% since 1950• To address this:

• NIH Chemical Genomics Center: Small molecule therapeutics

• Interventional Drug Development Gaps• Special attention to treatments for rare diseases• iPS cell program to test toxicity and provide

pharmacogenomics• High Throughput screening including development of organ

specific biochips for screening

IOM ReportEducation and Training

The health needs of the nation call for a generation of scientiststrained in “interdisciplinary, transformative translational research”(Meyers et al., 2012; Van Hartesveldt et al., 2008) and in theleadership and team skills to engage in effective collaborative partnerships.A major challenge in rapidly translating research findings intohealth care practice is the concomitant need for support of clinician scientists in order to overcome the growing divide between clinical (M.D.)and research (Ph.D.) careers (Roberts et al., 2012). Further, emerging andgrowing areas of research (including comparative effectiveness andcommunity engaged research) are emphasizing skills and collaborationsintegral to both clinical and translational research.

2011 Online Survey

• CTSA-supported scholars, trainees, and mentors from CTSAs funded between 2006 and 2010 (Miyaoka et al., 2011).

• A total of 665 mentors (56 percent response rate) and 553 scholars and trainees (43 percent response rate) completed the surveys.

• Overall, the results were positive.

Highlights of Survey

CTSAs trainees : 21% basic biomedical research; 52% clinical research; 26% postclinical research)

92% of trainees responded that building relationships with mentors wasuseful; 96% were positive about working as a member of a research team.

Evidence of success was found in obtaining R01 funding:

47% of R01 applications were funded.

The rate of submission was low: (16% reported submitting an R01 application).

• Most scholars and trainees reported serving as the PI on their first (79% and second (72%) grant/award applications.

SOURCE: Miyaoka et al., 2011.

2011 Survey-Areas for Improvement

1. Greater diversity among mentors, scholars, and trainees

2. Increased emphasis on team science 3. Added focus on the development of skills

related to technology transfer, commercialization, and communicating with policy makers.

Why Write A Grant?

10. Improve word processing skills

9. Better understand finances8. Face a challenge7. Become an expert6. Learn who is helpful

Why Write A Grant?

5. Develop independence4. Financial rewards3. Prestige (promotion,

tenure)2. Contribute to science1. Improve patient outcomes

Career Development

Unique Skills – eg Methods

Disease

Specific

Grant Structure

Specific Aims (1 page)

Research Strategy (12 pages):

A.Significance (2 pages)B.Innovations (3 pages)C.Approach (5 pages)D.Data Management (2 pages)

Writing Grants

Plan ahead Get some good

help It’s a challenge Make it fun