1. Developing a Funded Research Program Yale School of Medicine – February 20, 2013

2. Why do I want to land a grant? Proposal writing is key to: Funding your own research Creating and controlling your work environment Independence Getting a job Getting a better job Higher Salary Being promoted Proposal writing is key to: Funding your own research Creating and controlling your work environment Independence Getting a job Getting a better job Higher Salary Being promoted

3. What proposal writing is like? No sleep Poor diet Chaotic Stressful Annoy people with your needs People annoy you Clashes in the office Temporary family disaster No sleep Poor diet Chaotic Stressful Annoy people with your needs People annoy you Clashes in the office Temporary family disaster

4. Strategies to Secure Funding Develop a goal oriented lifestyle Write Publications Partnering Networking Submit proposals Develop a national reputation Recognize an opportunity Develop a goal oriented lifestyle Write Publications Partnering Networking Submit proposals Develop a national reputation Recognize an opportunity

5. Proposal Writing Is one SMALL aspect of landing a grant. Most workshops focus on the mechanics of proposal writing. Most are lead by non grant active administrators. Whether or not your proposal is funded depends on a well written proposal PLUS other aspects we will talk about today. A poorly written proposal will disqualify you no matter how good the idea. Is one SMALL aspect of landing a grant. Most workshops focus on the mechanics of proposal writing. Most are lead by non grant active administrators. Whether or not your proposal is funded depends on a well written proposal PLUS other aspects we will talk about today. A poorly written proposal will disqualify you no matter how good the idea.

6. Funding Strategies Employment Strategies Promotion Strategies

7. Goal Oriented Lifestyle Develop THE PLAN. What specifically is your area of expertise and interest? Where do you want to be in five years? Where do you want to be in ten years? The biggest predictor of achieving your goals is being able to articulate them. Develop THE PLAN. What specifically is your area of expertise and interest? Where do you want to be in five years? Where do you want to be in ten years? The biggest predictor of achieving your goals is being able to articulate them.

8. Determine Overarching Career Goals Develop a timeline with goals and objectives. Developing new goals = GOOD. Giving up = BAD. Develop a timeline with goals and objectives. Developing new goals = GOOD. Giving up = BAD.

9. Proposal Writing Philosophy EMBRACE REJECTION! Successful PIs learn to navigate barriers. Everybody encounters barriers, successful PIs learn to get beyond them. EMBRACE REJECTION! Successful PIs learn to navigate barriers. Everybody encounters barriers, successful PIs learn to get beyond them.

10. PUBLICATIONS Can NOT get a federal grant without them. Set a minimum of two per year. Hierarchy 1. Peer reviewed journals – shoot for tier 1 in your area 2. Chapters 3. Books 4. Briefs and Reports Can NOT get a federal grant without them. Set a minimum of two per year. Hierarchy 1. Peer reviewed journals – shoot for tier 1 in your area 2. Chapters 3. Books 4. Briefs and Reports

11. Partnering Who is interested in what you are interested in? State and Federal Government Community Other departments/schools at Yale Other Universities (ride on somebody else’s coat tails when you are junior) Who is interested in what you are interested in? State and Federal Government Community Other departments/schools at Yale Other Universities (ride on somebody else’s coat tails when you are junior)

12. Networking Present at national conferences every year and eat dinner Get involved in organizational administration Review papers Scientific panels Sit on advisory councils Attend coalition interest groups Contact federal, state and local government Contact national/international figures in areas of interest Present at national conferences every year and eat dinner Get involved in organizational administration Review papers Scientific panels Sit on advisory councils Attend coalition interest groups Contact federal, state and local government Contact national/international figures in areas of interest

13. Proposals The biggest predictor of getting funding is applying Write lots of proposals (3 per year) Take the reviewer comments Improve Try again The biggest predictor of getting funding is applying Write lots of proposals (3 per year) Take the reviewer comments Improve Try again

14. Developing a National Reputation Publications, Publications, Publications Conference presentations Review papers and proposals National advisory committees National Academy of Sciences Make contact with others with national reputations Publications, Publications, Publications Conference presentations Review papers and proposals National advisory committees National Academy of Sciences Make contact with others with national reputations

15. Recognize an Opportunity Say “YES” when people ask you to collaborate Don’t get bogged down with dead weight Don’t invest your time in somebody else’s career Its usually as much work to get a big grant as a little one Say “YES” when people ask you to collaborate Don’t get bogged down with dead weight Don’t invest your time in somebody else’s career Its usually as much work to get a big grant as a little one

16. Strategies to Land Funding APPLY! Talk to program officers Look at who and how somebody whose work is similar to yours secured funding Collaborate with others who have funding APPLY! Talk to program officers Look at who and how somebody whose work is similar to yours secured funding Collaborate with others who have funding

17. Money Attracts Money Begin with low hanging fruit Special federal grants for new PIs Training grants Seed Funding Funding for administrators returning to research State and community funding Begin with low hanging fruit Special federal grants for new PIs Training grants Seed Funding Funding for administrators returning to research State and community funding

18. Hang out with the popular crowd Offer to be a CO-I and write proposals with big named national reputations with funding Collaborate on publications with leaders in your field Offer to be a CO-I and write proposals with big named national reputations with funding Collaborate on publications with leaders in your field

19. Improving your odds Follow directions explicitly Get letters of commitment NOT support Add on areas of expertise even if you can do those things Follow directions explicitly Get letters of commitment NOT support Add on areas of expertise even if you can do those things

20. What funding agencies & panels are looking for Demonstrate a void you can fill Show you can hit the ground running Support and collaboration Multidisciplinary applications Somebody else invested in you Sexy idea Innovation Topic is interesting AND important You will make your funding agency look good Demonstrate a void you can fill Show you can hit the ground running Support and collaboration Multidisciplinary applications Somebody else invested in you Sexy idea Innovation Topic is interesting AND important You will make your funding agency look good

21. Identify Funding Sources State Federal More than one avenue The TOP funded researchers at US universities are not applying for RO1s Foundation State Federal More than one avenue The TOP funded researchers at US universities are not applying for RO1s Foundation

22. Federal Funding – The Golden Standard Must have an upward research trajectory Imperative to show you are research active Must show expertise through publications Must demonstrate experience on managing smaller awards before chasing big dollars R21 precedes an R01 Must have an upward research trajectory Imperative to show you are research active Must show expertise through publications Must demonstrate experience on managing smaller awards before chasing big dollars R21 precedes an R01

23. Mechanics of Proposal Writing appendix evaluate title staff stats budget goals method problem

24. Outside the Scope of this presentation EXERCISE: P & B

25. HINT # 1 Make Life Easier Borrow, copy, remodel, recycle No need to reinvent the wheel All your work should be leading to the same place so a proposal is not new work You will learn to develop proposal language Borrow, copy, remodel, recycle No need to reinvent the wheel All your work should be leading to the same place so a proposal is not new work You will learn to develop proposal language

26. HINT # 2 Don’t Be Lazy! NEVER EVER PLAGIARIZE! Software will tell The application MUST match the PA, RFA – don’t shove a square peg in a round hole Same group of reviewers with good memories NEVER EVER PLAGIARIZE! Software will tell The application MUST match the PA, RFA – don’t shove a square peg in a round hole Same group of reviewers with good memories

27. HINT # 3 Develop Yourself First Writing an excellent research proposal is just one aspect of successfully funding a project Developing a successful research PROGRAM is essential Writing an excellent research proposal is just one aspect of successfully funding a project Developing a successful research PROGRAM is essential

28. HINT # 4 Others Have Grants Don’t bank on everything I say There is more than one way to skin a cat This presentation is a reflection of my experience with the grant process Observe and mentor with other successfully grant funded researchers Don’t bank on everything I say There is more than one way to skin a cat This presentation is a reflection of my experience with the grant process Observe and mentor with other successfully grant funded researchers

29. HINT # 5 You Cannot Fool a Panel! Reviewers are experts in your area That is why they are reviewers They easily feel offended if you overlook their work Cite their work Be on top of the literature Reviewers are experts in your area That is why they are reviewers They easily feel offended if you overlook their work Cite their work Be on top of the literature

30. HINT # 6 Snap Judgments It takes 30 seconds to judge you! First impressions taint and frame the entire review. 1. Publications better be commensurate with experience, funding, and years out of training 2. References – 90-95% of the literature should be in the last five years except for seminal citations. Be on top of the literature. PET PEEVE is grant apps with references that stop when investigator graduated school It takes 30 seconds to judge you! First impressions taint and frame the entire review. 1. Publications better be commensurate with experience, funding, and years out of training 2. References – 90-95% of the literature should be in the last five years except for seminal citations. Be on top of the literature. PET PEEVE is grant apps with references that stop when investigator graduated school

31. HINT # 7 Sell Yourself Promote! Promote! Promote! You must show you are amazing, going to solve an important issue, are brilliant, have the means to do it, know what you are doing. You must do this even if it makes you uncomfortable Cultural Issues Promote! Promote! Promote! You must show you are amazing, going to solve an important issue, are brilliant, have the means to do it, know what you are doing. You must do this even if it makes you uncomfortable Cultural Issues

32. HINT # 8 Be Responsive Respond to Program Officer Respond to RFA/RFP Respond to foundation or center goals. They are usually on websites Respond to Program Officer Respond to RFA/RFP Respond to foundation or center goals. They are usually on websites

33. HINT # 9 Funding Faux Pas There is no relationship between how much you ask for and being funded as long as you are below the cap Asking for too little makes you seem naïve and a novice which makes your reviewer think negatively of you A grant award results in a contract. You MUST deliver what you promise even if the funding is insufficient There is no relationship between how much you ask for and being funded as long as you are below the cap Asking for too little makes you seem naïve and a novice which makes your reviewer think negatively of you A grant award results in a contract. You MUST deliver what you promise even if the funding is insufficient

34. HINT # 10 Strategies for Career Stage New Faculty Research Active but not Grant Active New Faculty Research Active but not Grant Active

35. Time to Write a Grant 300 Hours R01 400-600 for a Multi Investigator Program Grant Get as much stuff done ahead. Bio- Sketch Descriptions of facilities, resources, etc. Borrow the “non-science” aspects from other proposals Look at successful proposals 300 Hours R01 400-600 for a Multi Investigator Program Grant Get as much stuff done ahead. Bio- Sketch Descriptions of facilities, resources, etc. Borrow the “non-science” aspects from other proposals Look at successful proposals

36. ASK FOR HELP, BOUNCE OFF IDEAS, SEARCH FOR FUNDING, HOW TO GET STARTED, GRANTS THERAPY

37. Questions???