Demystifying fellowship applications: An introductory overview

1.Makes research, training, and career goals explicit 2.Career progression benefits associated with fellowships 3.Learning experience 4.Stipend bonus 5.Desirable for postdocs and R1 positions Why write a fellowship application?

NIH and NSF fellowship mechanisms NIH National Research Service Awards (NRSA) –F31Predoctoral Fellowships (parent and diversity) –F32Postdoctoral Fellowships Focus on training, health-related science (broadly defined), sponsor fit Very long application 3 submission cycles mid (2 nd or later) graduate career, support dissertation project Up to 5 years funding ($22,476 + Tuition + allowance per year) NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP; –GRFP (Early Predoctoral Fellowships) –Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants Focus on applicant Intellectual Merit & Broader Impacts– no sponsor expected Not clinical Relatively short application– 2 pages each past work, proposed work 1 submission cycle in October, November Early (1 st or 2 nd year only) graduate career (superstar undergrads) Up to 3 years funding ($32,000 + $12,000 expenses per year)

DoD, Ford, Others DoD National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) –Early predoctoral fellowship ( –Focus on applicant’s likelihood to excel as a scientist (including grades, scores, statement, research accomplishments); not clinical Relatively short app (academic forms, 3000 character statement; Field of study must be supported 1 submission cycle in December Early (1 st or 2 nd year only) graduate career 3 years funding ($30,500 + Tuition + allowance per year) Ford Foundation (Diversity fellowships; –Predoctoral Fellowships –Dissertation Fellowships, Postdoctoral Fellowships Focus on increasing diversity in teaching and research; not applied Relatively short app– 2 pp each past work, proposed work, personal statement 1 submission cycle in October, November Early (at least 3 yrs remaining) graduate career $24,000 per year Foundation or other specialty funding (heart, cancer, SREB, AAUW); APA; post-doc (HHMI, Burroughs etc.)

National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (DoD) For 1 st and 2 nd years, DUE DEC Forms, academic/accomplishment info, 3000 character statement, 3 letters of reference Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Biosciences Chemical Engineering Chemistry Civil Engineering Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences Computer and Computational Sciences Electrical Engineering Geosciences Materials Science and Engineering Mathematics … * Awardees do not incur service obligation

Today’s focus on NIH Will host another NSF and DoD session later in the spring or summer, depending on interest In the meantime, great slideshow developed by NSF and U Cinncinati. Marika will distribute.

NIH Fellowships NIH ‘F’ellowship Kiosk NIH Standard Due Dates * 5pm; not in, not accepted

NIH pre-doctoral fellowships NIH ‘F’ellowship Kiosk NIH Standard Due Dates Program announcement (PAs) and request for application (RFAs) numbers and content vary by cycle. Make sure you have the most up-to-date PA or RFA. NIH Individual predoctoral fellowships

NIH pre-doctoral fellowships NIH Parent F31 (2014) PA NIH Fellowship Instructions (2014) From the PA:

NIH pre-doctoral fellowships: getting started NIH Parent F31 (2014) PA Check your Institute’s potential unique requirements (not all institutes participate). Psychology can fall under a variety of institutes!

NIH pre-doctoral fellowships: basic components NIH Parent F31 (2014) PA NIH Fellowship Instructions (2014) Major components (all need to be excellent): Candidate Sponsor(s) Research Training Plan Institutional Environment and Commitment Training Potential

NIH F31: major sections Not a mystery… On pg I28 of instructions

NIH F31: major sections Not a mystery… On pg I29 of instructions

NIH F31: other sections Plus other sections (see instructions for full list!): Forms Biosketches for all mentoring team members Cover letter Summary Narrative Equipment Facilities & Resources Bibliography cited Women & minorities Children etc.… ***3 Letters of Reference: people who know you well (not including your sponsor(s)) and can speak to your training potential and likelihood of research success. Include your updated CV etc. in requests. Must be submitted directly to NIH, on time.

Research Training Plan –1 Aims page 2 or 3 Specific Aims with working hypotheses that can be quantified Avoid ‘look and see’, dependency –6 Research Strategy pages Significance Approach Pass the ‘so what’ test State aims and hypotheses concisely and clearly Clear methods and analytic strategy to test the hypotheses (include power analysis or rationale for N) Be realistic Identify potential challenges and strategies for addressing Emphasize training potential Write clearly, short sentences, summarize Indicate research will generate knowledge and launch your career NIH F31: tips for major sections

Sponsor and Institution (Sponsor Info 6 pages) –If your sponsor is a junior faculty member and/or not currently funded, a co-sponsor can help –Highlight the track record of your sponsor/co-sponsor in training and career development –Be clear about what will be learned from the sponsor(s) and why the fit is strong –Specify the resources to support the research and training –Make sure the sponsor prepares a detailed training plan tailored for you. Plan to draft this (and all the other pieces. –Consider a mentoring ‘team’ –Make sure for all your proposed training components there is an expert on paper NIH F31: tips for major sections

You and your training potential– sell yourself! –Make a clear statement about your professional goals –Highlight your track record with data (pubs, presentations, scores etc.) –Research is primary but not the only thing, clearly articulate other cohesive activities (e.g., seminars, specialized training, collaborators) –Show institutional commitment (quality of facilities, resources, training) –Specify why additional training will increase likelihood for research career success –Provide a clear description of the research skills and knowledge you want to acquire, and your plan's potential for meeting these objectives. –State why your sponsor and institution are the perfect fit –Activities should have depth, breadth, ethics NIH F31: tips for major sections

At least a month ahead, notify your dept grants manager VT uses a system called ‘Cayuse’, a web-based front end for submission. You will need to request access (through the dept grants manager). Use NIH reporter database to find other funded projects by study section, institute, topic, institution, etc. Decide on your Institute(s) and ideal study sections, indicate in the cover letter. Check formatting (0.5 inch margins), use bolds and bullets judiciously Proofread, proofread, get others to proofread, and proofread again. All the applications will look impeccable. All pieces will need to be uploaded into Cayuse and submitted by OSP by 5pm due date or application will not be accepted. Reference letters must also be submitted by the due date. NIH F31: preparing to submit

Assigned to institute and study section (Scientific Review Group in Center for Scientific Review), usually as you request in cover letter Assigned (usually) three reviewers. All panel members have access to the proposal. Most members will read the abstract and skim the rest. All assigned reviewers will read the entire proposal and prepare a written critique prior to the review group meeting. At scientific review, each reviewer gives initial impact score. Reviewer 1 summarizes his/her review and presents strengths, weaknesses. Reviewers 2 & 3 present any extra information that informed their score. Chair opens for discussion from entire group Reviewer scores are revisited, each panel member submits a score Each application discussed ~15 minutes. Scores and summaries presented at ‘Council’, funding decisions are made based on scores and funding priorities NIH F31: after submission

Reviewers are: –Smart –Accomplished –Dedicated –Fair NIH F31: Reviewers Slide from: Phyllis McBride, Ph.D.

Reviewers are also: –Busy –Overworked –Skeptical –Likely NOT to be as knowledgeable about the details of the proposed topic as you are Slide from: Phyllis McBride, Ph.D. NIH F31: Reviewers Write for the reviewers

NIH F31: review criteria

NIH F31: scoring system

NIH F31: Is this right for my career, right now? Talk to your PI, other funded investigators Are you ready? This includes time to focus and meet deadlines, pilot data. Do you qualify? Fellowships in NIH priority areas; US citizenship or permanent resident often required

Expect rejection All incentives are aligned, good for you, good for your mentor, good for VT Start NOW for April submission Pay attention to the summary statement Help each other proofread, share materials Resubmit Pay it forward! Developing sample & materials database (if time, show Cayuse, eRA Commons, NIH Reporter) NIH F31

Questions?