1. How to Succeed with NIH: September 28, 2018
Tips for Targeting, Writing, and Packaging a Successful Proposal
September 28, 2018
Presenter: Deborah Hernandez, Sr. Director, Research Development
Division of Research and Innovation

2. Workshop Objectives
Review NIH’s Research Focus & Programmatic Structure
Explore Funding Opportunities, Mechanisms, & Strategies
Explain Proposal Evaluation/Review Criteria & Process
Discuss How to Assemble a Competitive Proposal

3. Research Focus & Programmatic Structure
About the National Institutes of Health
NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.
Awards $37 billion/yr. for research; 80% goes to competitive grants
Part of DHHS. Organized into 27 quasi-independent Institutes and Centers with disease and/or target population focus – each receives a direct appropriation and manages its own budget

4. Funding Opportunities & Strategies
How do I find and evaluate NIH funding opportunities?
Search Engines like: GrantForward; Grants.gov; etc.
Can also sign up for weekly announcements:
What types of proposal mechanisms does NIH offer?
(watch video)
NIH uses grants, contracts, and cooperative agreement mechanisms
Funding Opportunity Announcements may be a RFP, PA or PAR
Grant programs are grouped into series: R, P, K, T & F
Cooperative Agreements are coded U

5. NIH Proposal Evaluation Criteria
Five Criteria, plus Overall Impact
Significance – Are you addressing an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? How will the result improve knowledge, technical capability, or clinical practice and/or change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive the field?
Investigator(s) – Does the research team have appropriate experience and training and demonstrated record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)?
Innovation - How will the work shift current research via novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions or through refinement, improvement, or new application of existing knowledge?
Approach – Are strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks presented? If applicable, are plans in place for the protection of human subjects and justification of study design (method and criteria)?
Environment – Are necessary resources, support, and collaboration in place?
Overall Impact: Likelihood the project will exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved

6. NIH Proposal Review Process
Multi-step Peer Review
Center for Scientific Review – completeness and assignment to IC and Study Section
Study Sections (Scientific Review Groups) TOPICAL
Led by a Scientific Review Officer – NIH staff who assigns proposals for review and prepares summary statements.
Primary peer review for scientific evaluation and proposal scoring
Scoring
Proposals are scored from 1-9, with 1 BEST
Assigned reviewers (3) provide preliminary scores; top scoring proposals on a panel are discussed in full meeting
If discussed ALL panel members will provide overall impact scores
Percentile Rankings
Advisory Council or Board for the IC reviews and recommends projects
IC Director makes funding decision

7. Assembling a Competitive Proposal
Required documents
Project Abstract
Project Narrative
Introduction for resubmissions/revisions
Specific Aims
Research Strategy (6-12 pages)
Significance
Innovation
Approach
References
Budget and Budget Narrative
Biosketch (5 pages)
Facilities and Resources
Equipment
If applicable - Human Subjects, Animal Subjects, Letters of Support/Consortium Letters, Resource Sharing Plan, & Appendix

8. NIH – Abstract, Narrative & Specific Aims
Project Summary/Abstract - 30 line maximum self‐contained description of the project which includes a statement of objectives and methods to be employed.
Project Narrative (Public Relevance Statement) - 2 – 3 sentences for lay audience explaining “Relevance to Public Health”.
Specific Aims – 1 page
This is your scientific summary. Include broad, long-term goals; the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested; and specific time-phased research objectives (aims).
Your goal should be to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop a product or new technology.
Your specific aims should delineate what you will accomplish by the end of the grant—critical steps/deliverables.
Briefly address all five review criteria: Significance, Investigators, Innovation, Approach, and Environment

9. NIH – Research Strategy
The Research Strategy is framed around 3 of the review criteria and is typically pages
Significance: Are you addressing an important problem? How will scientific knowledge, technical capability, or clinical practice be improved? How will concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field be changed?
Innovation: To what degree are you using novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions or proposing a refinement, improvement, or new application to something already established?
Approach: What strategies, methodologies, and analyses will you employ, and are these well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Do you address potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success?
*Must present preliminary results/findings, even if unpublished.

10. NIH – Data Sharing Plan
Required for all Proposals requesting $500 or more
- Model Organisms
- Genomic Data
- Data

11. NIH Proposals – Biosketch
NIH guidance for preparing biosketches
Visit for forms and narrative guidance
Feel free to use help tools, such as SciENcv
5 pages, 5 sections:
Basic data on name, title, and education/training
Personal Statement (can include up to 4 pubs)
Positions and Honors
Contribution to Science (up to 5 w/ up to 4 pubs)
Research Support (ongoing and completed for prior 3 years)
When constructing the biosketch – think like a reviewer

12. NIH Proposals – Biosketch
What goes in a personal statement?
State the goal of the project and what you hope to achieve
Describe your qualifications (academic preparation or prior experiences) and/or unique skills that position you to do work in this content area, on this topic, and/or with this particular audience.
Describe experience managing projects and/or working with collaborators.
Address any work disruptions or gaps

13. NIH Proposals – Biosketch
What to Include in Contributions to Science
Historical background that frames the scientific problem;
Central finding(s);
Influence of the finding(s) on the progress of science or the application of those finding(s) to health or technology; and
your specific role in the described work.
For each contribution, you may cite up to four publications or research products that are relevant to the contribution. If you are not the author of the product, indicate what your role or contribution was.
NOTE: The contributions can be in thematic areas or may be in specific methodology or technology areas. The framework is up to you.

14. Questions?
You can reach me at x2648 or via
You can reach Mary at x4911 or via
Research Development Webpage