Proposal Development, Peer Review and Communication created January, 20091

RCR – Proposal Development RCR – Proposal Development Presentation Objectives NIH Comment Personal Observation Potential Funding Sources Institutional Approvals Institutional Processes Proposal Items – Narrative / Specific Aims Proposal Items – Budget Proposal Items – Budget Justification Ethical Considerations Peer Review Professional Communication Institutional Support Available Resources created January, 20092

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation “Research training is a complex process….[but] ultimately it is up to each trainee to tailor his or her own education to meet career goals.” National Institutes of Health – Office of Research Integrity, “A Guide to Training and Mentoring in the Intramural Research Program at NIH” created January, 20093

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Being a scientist is a tough career. You go to school for a long time, you graduate….. several times….. and then, if you remain in academia, you serve an apprenticeship through a post-doctoral appointment. Those are the formal elements. Somewhere along the way you also have to learn to write successful journal articles, teach, identify a research focus that can get funded, get along with your mentor and lab mates, scope out who can help you in the department and develop a charismatic presentation persona. These are often the items that make or break your career but are often never a formal part of your training.

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Non-Federal Funding Opportunities for New and Young Faculty Many non-federal organizations – this is a particularly rich source of opportunity and lists programs from approximately 50 different non- federal sponsors. Many of these programs are open to both tenure-track and post-doctoral fellows alike

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Office of Naval Research “Young Investigator Program” Deadline in January Tenure-track or permanent faculty position Support academic scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees within 5 years Must submit a research proposal and a supporting letter through the appropriate university officials Proposals may request up to $170,000 per year for three (3) years Competition is intense – approximately 13% funding rate

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, National Science Foundation “CAREER Program” Deadline in July Support academic scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D., be untenured but in a tenure-track Must submit a research proposal and a supporting letter through the appropriate university officials Proposals are $400,000 minimum for 5 years – except biological sciences which are $500,000 for 5 years Competition is intense

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Defense Advance Research Projects Agency “Young Faculty Award” Deadline in February Fundamental research - results of which are published & shared broadly within scientific community Support untenured Asst. or Assoc Professors within 6 years of appointment Must submit a research proposal and a supporting letter through the appropriate university officials Proposals are $300,000 minimum for 2 years Must be able to obtain a U.S. security clearance Competition is intense

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Air Force Office of Scientific Res. “Young Investigator Program ” Deadline in July Applicant within 5 years of Ph.D., a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident An accompanying letter from institution must be submitted to indicate applicant will be considered for a regular position if awarded Must submit a research proposal and a supporting letter through the appropriate university officials Proposals are $360,000 for 3 years Competition is intense

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Post-Doctoral Fellows: If eligible by program definition to submit as a PI, the Stevens Proposal Routing Sheet must be accompanied by a letter from the Chair and/or Dean that confirms office, laboratory space and other appropriate infrastructure support will be available if an award is forthcoming.

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, All proposals are processed through the Faculty Support CenterFaculty Support Center All proposals must be accompanied by a Proposal Routing Sheet All proposals should be submitted to the Faculty Support Center 5 days prior to the stated deadline All awards are made to the university

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, NARRATIVE - SPECIFIC AIMS Follow the instructions !! Do not exceed page limitation Use specified margins and fonts Put the material together in the order and presentation style specified Ensure all acronyms are defined Use basic English and avoid jargon Do NOT include proprietary data unless it is critical for explanation or understanding Clearly mark any proprietary data used

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, BUDGET “The budget plan is the financial expression of the project or program as approved during the award process….it shall be related to performance for program evaluation purposes whenever appropriate.” Circular A-110 C25 (a) – “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education”

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, BUDGET JUSTIFICATION Most sponsors require budget justifications PIs can use to their advantage:  justify and explain inclusion of normally unallowable computers  explain presence of unpaid consultants  explain presence of large number of graduate students  explain smaller percentage of PI presence by inclusion of post-doc/other research scientists

RCR –Proposal Preparation RCR –Proposal Preparation Be aware of the need for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee review and approval -- required for use of all living, vertebrate animals. ‘Exempt’ is a category, it does not imply an investigator is ‘exempt’ from the application process Be certain you know what animals are included in the categories of “…living vertebrates.” -- Fish….Amphibians….Rodents (typical animal models used at SIT). Vertebrates also include reptiles, birds, mammals, primates, marsupials, whales and dolphins and seals Be aware of the need for Institutional Review Board review and approval for the use of human subjects -- ‘exempt’ is a category, it does not imply an investigator is ‘exempt’ from the application process created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Also known as ‘refereeing’ Subject scholarly work, research or ideas to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the field It can be brutal Generally considered to be essential to academic quality Peer reviewed proposals submitted to large federal agencies rarely get funded on the first submission A few more get funded on the second submission

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation What’s the Purpose? Focused content and investigative design:  Difficult for PIs to spot every mistake  Difficult to anticipate every relevant piece of data  PIs often need the input provided by peer review to refine the methodologies  New investigators sometimes need help to shape realistic research designs  Peer review brings together diverse community of experts to help refine the research design created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation The Real Deal For an insightful look at what is really involved in peer review at a large federal agency, the Office of Extramural Research, ( an office within the National Institutes of Health) publishes a huge amount of material specific to the Peer Review Process at NIH. Peer Review Process It’s not all about the science. Among the initial items that are reviewed are: Applications checked for completeness Identification and management of conflicts of interest Prepare summary statements for next panel of reviewers created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation Communication skills essential to successful research scientist  Results have to be reported Written – publications and proposals Oral – presentations and interviews  Successful personal interactions are critical created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation Written  Definitive step in bringing research to wider audience  Authorship is critical to developing careers  Journal differ in target audience – learn how to tailor presentation formats  Read articles in your field written by successful authors  Learn group ground-rules as they pertain to publications Oral – presentations and interviews  Rehearse in front of small group  Volunteer for presentations – may be painful at first but the experience is invaluable  Practice – succinct and clear statements  Talk to your audience – not the screen created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation Successful personal interactions  Negotiation, persuasion and diplomatic skills are important  Sometimes you need to convince people of the importance of your ideas  Identify and observe someone you consider persuasive or skilled at generating cooperation  Learn to network  Learn the hierarchy and “food chain” within your lab, department and organization  Understand that department staff can often help you and ‘make things happen’ for you created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, New Faculty/First Award Recipients When a faculty who is new to Stevens, or a research award recipient who is new to the processes involved in sponsored research, receives an award, the Grant and Contract Specialist will make an appointment to talk to the recipient. This is done to familiarize the award recipient with their Specialist and to help the awardee understand the processes at Stevens

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation Faculty Support Center Assistance to faculty for proposal preparation and submission – Chrissa Papaioannou, x8051, Manager of Pre-award Office of Sponsored Research Award management and oversight – Barbara DeHaven, x8762, Executive Director created January,

RCR – Proposal Preparation RCR – Proposal Preparation created January, Stevens offers a professional development certificate course that offers a variety of classes, including one on Proposal Writing. programs/certificates/professional-communications/?0 Stevens employees may take up to six courses free of tuition and fees

created January,