Grant Application Writer's Handbook, 4th Edition

Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 12
Preface......Page 16
Acknowledgments......Page 18
About the Author......Page 20
PART I: GETTING STARTED......Page 22
Successful grant-getters need......Page 23
Some questions that SUCCESSFUL grant-getters should be able to answer before starting to write a Grant Application......Page 25
Successful grant-getters understand......Page 27
What is a grant?......Page 29
Categories of awards......Page 30
Types of granting agencies......Page 31
About NIH......Page 32
Information to gather before you apply for a grant......Page 38
Application information......Page 41
Information about the review process......Page 42
Sharing of research data......Page 43
Recap for Part I: Getting Started......Page 46
PART II: UNDERSTANDING THE NIH REVIEW PROCESS......Page 48
A good grant proposal must start with a good idea......Page 49
The NIH Review System......Page 50
Council......Page 51
Grant Application assignment to a Study Section......Page 52
Grant Application assignment to an Institute or other funding component......Page 54
The Study Section (the first stage of NIH peer review)......Page 55
Possible actions taken on Applications being reviewed......Page 61
A site visit......Page 62
After the Study Section meeting......Page 63
What PIs should expect after the Study Section meeting......Page 64
The Council (the second stage of NIH peer review)......Page 65
Know your Study Section......Page 66
Think about the Reviewers’ Workload......Page 67
Keep up to date......Page 68
Recap for Part II: Understanding the Review Process......Page 69
PART III: PARTS OF THE GRANT APPLICATION......Page 72
Introduction......Page 73
Face Page......Page 76
Abstract Page......Page 78
Table of Contents......Page 81
Detailed Budget for the Initial Budget Period (Usually the First 12 Months)......Page 82
Budget for Total Project Period......Page 87
Budget Justification......Page 88
Biographical Sketches (Biosketches)......Page 92
Other Support......Page 94
Introduction......Page 95
General Instructions for the Research Plan......Page 97
Parts of the Research Plan......Page 98
Appendix......Page 116
Checklist......Page 118
Simultaneous submission of Applications......Page 127
Use and availability of information contained in Grant Applications......Page 128
Non-Competing Continuation Applications......Page 129
Progress Report Summary......Page 130
Recap for Part III: Parts of the Grant Application......Page 132
PART IV: PLANNING THE RESEARCH PLAN......Page 140
Understanding the “Lingo”......Page 141
Start building a reputation......Page 142
Things to Think About Before You Write the Research Plan......Page 144
Leave yourself ample time to do a good job......Page 145
Other Preliminary Considerations......Page 146
Write down the answers to the following questions......Page 147
Recap for Part IV: Planning the Research Plan......Page 150
PART V: WRITING THE RESEARCH PLAN......Page 152
The Way to Write your Grant Application......Page 153
Begin to write your grant proposal EARLY......Page 154
Make an outline for each section of the proposal......Page 157
Plan to refer to the literature thoughtfully and thoroughly but selectively......Page 158
Writing the First Draft......Page 159
Be accurate......Page 160
Be clear......Page 161
Be consistent......Page 163
Be brief (concise but complete)......Page 164
Think about emphasis and impact......Page 165
Think about style......Page 166
Think about presentation......Page 167
Perspective......Page 168
Further suggestions for editing your first draft......Page 170
Getting help from others when you have a good second draft......Page 173
Revising the Second Draft After It Comes Back from the Readers/Pre-reviewers......Page 177
Recap for Part V: Writing the Research Plan......Page 178
PART VI: SUBMITTING AND TRACKING THE GRANT APPLICATION......Page 180
Polishing and Checking the Pre-Final Draft of the Grant Application......Page 181
Preparing the Application for Submission......Page 183
Mailing the Application......Page 184
Tracking the Application......Page 185
Recap for Part VI: Submitting and Tracking the Grant Application......Page 189
PART VII: SUMMARY STATEMENTS, REBUTTALS, AND REVISIONS......Page 192
Some Hints About the Summary Statement......Page 193
Rebuttals......Page 195
Submitting a Revised Application......Page 196
Recap for Part VII: Summary Statements, Rebuttals, and Revisions......Page 198
PART VIII: SOME FINAL WORDS......Page 200
The Grass is Always Greener…......Page 201
Recap for Part VIII: Some Final Words......Page 202
APPENDIX I: GENERAL CHECKLIST FOR AN APPLICATION......Page 204
B. Is the Study Design Good?......Page 205
E. Adminstrative Detail......Page 206
APPENDIX II: STRATEGIES FOR GOODWRITTEN AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS......Page 208
Strategies for getting started......Page 209
Strategies for achieving clarity and brevity in your writing......Page 211
B. Strategies for Good Oral Presentations......Page 223
Combat nervousness......Page 224
Plan your talk based on the needs of the audience— not just your needs!......Page 226
Things to check before the talk......Page 227
APPENDIX III: NIH INFORMATION......Page 230
The Mission of NIH......Page 231
NIH Medical & Behavioral Research Grant Policies, Guidelines & Funding Opportunities......Page 232
The NIH Roadmap......Page 234
Where to Get Information About NIH Awards......Page 236
Some Specific NIH Contact Information......Page 238
Some definitions that may be useful......Page 239
Applicant organization types......Page 240
Some Additional Definitions Used at NIH......Page 241
An NIH Glossary......Page 247
Acronyms and Abbreviations......Page 252
Other useful NIH sites......Page 253
Instructions......Page 254
The NIH Grants Policy Statement......Page 255
Introduction......Page 256
Supersession......Page 257
Information You Will Need to Complete an NIH Grant Application......Page 261
Guide for Assigned Reviewers’ Preliminary Comments on Research Grant Applications (RO1)......Page 263
Format of written reviewer’s report......Page 264
Inclusion of minorities and women in clinical research study populations at NIH......Page 267
CSR scoring procedures......Page 268
Salary limitation on grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts......Page 270
Amended applications......Page 271
Recruiting minorities for study sections and NIH minority programs: The pipeline for minorities......Page 272
Some NIH Awards......Page 273
Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) (R15)......Page 274
“RAPID” (Rapic Assessment Post-Impact of Disaster) Program—NIMH......Page 275
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant (at NIH these are called R43, R44)......Page 276
Example of an NIH Study Section Agenda......Page 277
The peer review process......Page 278
More about the peer review process......Page 279
Interactions with NIH after review of a Grant Application......Page 280
NIH Institutes, Centers, and Divisions......Page 281
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)......Page 283
Help for minority Applicants to NIH......Page 284
The Abstract......Page 289
Research Plan......Page 290
Appendix......Page 296
Sample Budget Justifications......Page 297
Budget justification Example A......Page 298
Budget justification Example B......Page 299
APPENDIX IV: ABOUT GRANT APPLICATIONS TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)......Page 306
The role of NSF......Page 307
Words of Wisdom from Scientists with Experience with NSF......Page 309
NSF Programs and Proposals......Page 310
NSF merit review criteria......Page 312
An Outline of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)......Page 314
The Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)......Page 315
Format of the Proposal......Page 327
Proposal Contents......Page 328
Special Guidelines......Page 347
NSF proposal processing and review......Page 356
Integration of research and education......Page 357
Proposal file updates......Page 358
Award recommendation......Page 359
Copies of reviews......Page 360
APPENDIX V: SOME INFORMATION ABOUT APPLYING TO OTHER AGENCIES......Page 362
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Fellowships Program......Page 363
United States Army Research Office: Life Sciences Research Program......Page 364
Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP)......Page 365
Some Advice for Applying for Foundation Grants......Page 366
Do your homework......Page 368
The review process at private foundations......Page 370
Some review criteria at private foundations......Page 371
A......Page 374
D......Page 375
G......Page 376
M......Page 377
N......Page 378
P......Page 379
R......Page 380
S......Page 381
W......Page 382
Z......Page 383