Outline Grant writing made easy A personal account Sohail Z Husain, - PDF document

4/2/2012 Outline Grant writing made easy • A personal account Sohail Z Husain, M.D. • Importance of grant writing Chair, NASPGHAN Research Committee • Nuts and bolts of grant writing Associate Professor of Pediatrics Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC & the University of Pittsburgh My training and research Know thyself: Things I learned about myself • I always feel like I want more formal training • But I am always learning on the job and constantly reading Pitt • I learn in an environment in I learn in an environment in Yale Fac Yale Fac. which I can interact with Yale Fe. people who have similar or NYU intersecting research interests Tufts • But, as much as possible, I SUNY ‐ B need to be organized and deliberate about what I do My story about grant funding My career goals R01 ‐ Cn • Long term R01 ‐ RyR CHRC – Develop novel, therapeutic AGA NASPGHAN R03 Pitt strategies for pancreatitis K08 Other grants ideas – Elucidate critical mechanisms ‐ DOD DOD T32 T32 that mediate the disease Yale Fac. ‐ R01 Renewal ‐ Pancreatitis recovery Yale Fe. • Short term ‐ In vivo imaging of the pancreas – Establish credibility (papers) ‐ Program project on the genetic of pancreatitis ‐ Pancreatitis consortium – Sustain research space, time, team( grants ) 1

4/2/2012 Why should you love to write grants? Grants: Lessons learned along the way • Allows you to carry out • More than half of my grant applications were not meaningful work funded – Helps you build your ‘Empire of Intellect’ • One certainty: You will not get funded if you don’t • Necessary for promotions apply • Your Chair expects you to get Your Chair expects you to get • Constantly strategizing grants – Indirect costs – Phase sheets of projects • Helps organize your thoughts – Bigger picture development plots and plans – Lab structure • Fosters collaboration and – Publication and grant plans sharing – Lab meetings are often strategy sessions Another reason to write grants Is grant writing easy? • Yes! • It’s simply a standardized communication piece. • PB&J exercise (modified from Lori Post, PhD; Yale lecture 2010) PB&J learning points Write what you mean • Be simple and • Writing is simply a transcribed straightforward conversation • Write fancy ideas, not fancy • All you have to do is start describing to words someone (or yourself) the idea in mind ( y ) (from Anees Sardar, Chairman • Helps break writer’s block MSQ) – Like good music • End the writeup by asking: • Transcends; simple yet elegant – Why is the world better off with you being • Practice and edit given the chance to make a PB&J • The slithery statement sandwich? 2

4/2/2012 The slithery statement Trim the fat • period of time final outcome • There is a large body of experimental evidence that clearly shows that members of the genus Crotalus at the present time already existing congregate simultaneously in cases of prolonged • It is well know that there are three subtypes decreased temperature conditions in the latter part of of the KL 2 virus… of the KL ‐ 2 virus… the year. the year • Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out • Rattlesnakes come together when its gets cold in the fall. the wrong words. –Mark Twain (From Angelika Hofmann, PhD, Yale U. lecture from 2010 ‐ 08) (From Angelika Hofmann, PhD, Yale U. lecture from 2010 ‐ 08) General writing tips Write about what is being asked • Use the active voice rather • Pay close attention to than the passive – Instructions – Formats • Write short sentences – Page limits • Use strong verbs • They keep changing They keep changing • Avoid redundancies • New NIH format (for R01 grants) – But do remind the reader – Abstract (1 page) about the key points – Specific Aims (1 page) • Provide a logical progression – Research Strategy (12 pages) – Like telling a good story during • Significance • Innovation dinner • Approach Know the review criteria and the process Develop a personal style NIH ‐ enhanced review criteria • Scoring and the peer ‐ review process • • That conforms to the requirements and – 3 reviewers reviewer expectations – But everyone provides an equal score towards the overall impact score – Thus, make your reviewers your advocates – Take advantage of mock study sections or pre ‐ submission reviews of T k d t f k t d ti b i i i f your grant • Makes it easier to write grants frequently 1 3 2 Modified from John Constable, PhD, Yale U. lecture, 2010 ‐ 09 3

4/2/2012 Game plan and timeline Resources Look out for grant opportunities • • Strunk and White, The – NIH weekly TOC, NIH website, other websites – Email/call a program officer Elements of Style – Annual or semi ‐ annual assessment Timeline (Be realistic. Focus on deadlines for cycles. e.g. case scenario for • NIH web; weekly TOC • an R01) – (1 ‐ 3 mo ) Conceive hypothesis/idea/literature review/specific aims – (1 ‐ 3 mo.) Conceive hypothesis/idea/literature review/specific aims • Hofmann A, Scientific Writing H f A S i tifi W iti – (1 ‐ 3 mo.) Generate preliminary data and identify collaborators and Communication , 2009 – (1 ‐ 2 mo.) Write first draft – (1 mo.) Edit draft within the team • University Office of Research – (1 mo.) Edit subsequent drafts – 5 ‐ 10 mo. total (or equivalent) One month rule • – Polished first draft of science 1 mo. before submission to the local grants office Always keep your ultimate goals in view Summary • Grants are essential for building a research Positive impact on science, health, disease Positive impact in the world and at home career or program Nobel Parents • Grant writing NAS Kids – Can be helpful to organizing your ideas HHM Community service y – Is learned and can be perfected over time Grants Marriage Papers • Spend time Grants – Understanding the review process Papers – Putting together a game plan • Write frequently! 4