1. Writing Successful Research Grant Proposals
Dipali Sharma PhD
Associate Professor Breast Cancer Program, Department of Oncology Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

2. Overview Understanding the process Key Resources Mechanisms
Key Elements
The Grantsmanship
Help the reviewers

3. Time line
three cycles
regular R01 deadlines- June 5, Oct 5, Feb 5
revised submission deadlines-a month later
some RFAs may have different deadlines
typically 9 months between 1st and 2nd submission
assignment of the study section
possibility to submit additional information
grants submitted June 5th will be typically reviewed in October

4. Understanding the Process
Start Early
Your strengths and interests
Find your niche
Do an NIH RePORTER search
Build the idea / hypothesis
The research plan- look wide and dig deeper
Don’t fly alone
Look for funding mechanisms
RFA’s (requests for applications) or
PA’s (program announcements)

5. Important pointers Understand the Funding mechanisms Strategize
Read the funding opportunity announcement carefully
Decipher the key points
Evaluate the fit
Call the project officer-discuss
Strategize
Follow the format directions
Look for special instructions (if any)
Incorporate key review criteria

6. Key Resources NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices (The
NIH Guide TOC)
• Weekly with new FOAs
– To Subscribe to the NIH Guide LISTSERV, send an to
with the following text in the message body
(not the "Subject" line):
• subscribe NIHTOC-L your name
– (Example: subscribe NIHTOC-L Bill Jones)
• Your address will be automatically obtained from the
message and add you to the LISTSERV.

7. Key Resources NIH RePORTER SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for NIH and
Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools
Provides access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH supported research
Some details on funded projects
SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for NIH and
Other PHS Agencies
_General_Adobe_VerB.pdf

8. Selected NIH Grant Mechanisms
• K-awards – Research career development
• R03 – NIH Small Grant Program
• R21– NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award
• R01– NIH Research Project Grant Program

9. R01 mechanism-basic description
• The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH. R01s can be investigator-initiated or can be in response to a program announcement or request for application
• The Research Project (R01) grant is an award made to support a discrete, specified project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing the investigator's specific interest and competencies, based on the mission of the NIH

10. Basic elements of an R01 Research Strategy (12 pages)- the science
Specific Aims
Approach
Significance
Innovation
Research plan
Human Subjects
Gender and minority inclusion
Inclusion of children
Vertebrate Animals
Literature Cited

11. Basic elements of an R01 Key personnel / Biosketch Letters of support
Personal Statement
Positions and Honors
Publications (limited to 15)
Relevant to the application
Other publications important to the field
Research support – any overlaps
Letters of support
Resource Sharing Plan
Summary
Limited to 30 lines
Public health relevance
Narrative
3 sentences

12. Basic elements of an R01 Facilities and other resources
Environment-contribution to success
Institutional commitment to PI
Laboratory
Facilities-Animal-Cores and any specific cores
Equipment
All equipment needs are covered
Any specific equipment is required
Budget
modular/detailed
Personnel Justification
Show off the team
No page limit
Cover Letter
Requesting a specific study section

13. Specific Aim Page • Brief introduction Statement of problem
Significance
Rationale for study
Hypothesis
• Stating the Specific aims
• Over viewing methods
• ONE PAGE MAX

14. Research Strategy • Significance • Innovation
Importance of the problem
Addressing critical barrier
Improve scientific knowledge or technical capability
discuss the deliverables.
Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies,
treatments, services, or preventative interventions that
drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are
achieved.
• Innovation
How the application challenges or shifts the current state
Discuss novel concepts, approaches, methodology etc
Any refinements, improvements

15. Research Approach
• Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project.
• Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and
interpreted
• Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.
Include preliminary studies-demonstrate productivity and feasibility

16. Research Approach • Summarize what we know from existing literature
• Clearly point out the gaps
• Highlight how this proposal will fill those gaps in knowledge
• Write a narrative that is easy for the reader to follow
• Remember the reviewer may not have the same depth of knowledge you do
While at the same time don’t assume they can not find relevant literature
Don’t overlook key papers/findings

17. The Grantsmanship • Writing Style • Pointers/Signposting The Team
Clear
Easy to Follow “Tell a story”
Use spell check, grammar check
Read, review, read
Get it reviewed internally
Incorporate all figures
Define acronyms the first time you use them
Let it breathe
• Pointers/Signposting
What you are going to tell
Tell what you want to tell
Summarize what you told
The Team
Incorporate the players, discuss their role in the proposal
PI, Co-PI, any facility, core etc

18. Help The Reviewers • Review criterion Significance Innovation
Investigators
Approach
Environment
Overall Impact- what is the likelihood of the research to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field

19. Help The Reviewers
Write brief summary statements at the end of each section
Highlight sentences that spell out the Significance, and Innovation
“This research is significant because…”
“These aims are innovative as they show…”
“Our work is important because…”
Write statements that justify your approach (rule in or rule out)
Why using this approach is better
Use Preliminary Data to demonstrate your Expertise and Environment
Include experts
write about their expertise in personnel section
take a look at their biosketch

20. Common mistakes Waiting until the last minute
Funding mechanism does not match the project
Weak statistical plan or low power
No back-up plans
Lack of expertise in a key area
Poor organization
Weak or missing hypotheses
Lack of significance
No innovation
Too ambitious