Section outline

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  • Wednesday, January 6, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Introductions and Course Overview

    Introduction, Review syllabus, What to expect from an academic research career, Types of grants and Introduction to the Specific Aims section

    Faculty:  Erin Van Blarigan

    Location (Access restricted to registered students): Zoom

    • Session Slides:

    • Slides for Week 1 File

    • Discussion: Who am I presenting myself as, where is my career going, and why do I need this grant to get there?

      • What's your hook?
      • What are you doing now?
      • Where do you want to be in 5 years?
      • How will a training/research grant help you get there?

    • Assignment 1, due 8a 1/11:

      1. Create a bulleted outline of the Specific Aims section for your research idea. Read the text and fill in your bullets in the “Create Your Bulleted Outline” document that can be downloaded from http://www.grantcentral.com/downloads/

      2. Turn in a link to the PA (or other grant mechanism) that you plan to apply to and a list of potential sponsors/mentors on your grant. In a few sentences, describe the sponsors/mentors’ areas of expertise and what role they will play in your training.

    • Assignment 1

    • Reading (to be completed prior to next class on 1/13):

    • Tips on Writing National Research Service Award Predoctoral Fellowship Proposals From Real NRSA Reviewers: http://www.pitt.edu/~gsiegle/Siegle-f31hints-BehaviorTherapist10_fordistrib.pdf OR http://www.pitt.edu/~gsiegle/khints-wholeworld-062615.pdf (K applicants). These docs are old (but still helpful) so some of the links within these docs are not current.

    • Learn about the types of grants available to individuals at your career stage by exploring these websites: https://researchtraining.nih.gov/career-path https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/career-development 

    • Look over the program announcement (PA) for your chosen grant mechanism

  • Wednesday, January 13, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Advice from Recent Training Grant Applicants

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Session Slides:

    • Slides for Week 2 File

    • Discussion: Discuss Assignment 1 (Specific Aim outline and potential mentors) in breakout rooms (4 students and 1 instructor per room).


    • Assignment 2, due 1p 1/20:

      1.     Outline your Training (F) / Career (K) Goals. In a sentence or two each, what are your overall training goals (for F writers) or long-term and short-term career development goals (for K writers)? Under each goal statement, write out a few bullet points for: a) what you have done in the past that supports your ability to achieve that goal and b) what you need to do/learn to achieve your goal (e.g., coursework, seminars, workshops, research experience, etc.).

      2.     Make an appointment with your most likely lead mentor (“sponsor”) to review your aims within the next 3 weeks. The meeting or review should be completed before 2/3/2021. Submit the name of the person and the scheduled meeting date.

    • Assignment 2

    • Reading to be completed prior to next class on 1/20: 

      Read 2 examples of successful training grant applications. You will be assigned one grant’s Specific Aims to present to the group next week. In ~5 minutes (orally, no slides), what is the grant about? What research question do they propose to answer and how do they plan to do so? What strengths and limitations do you see?

  • Wednesday, January 20, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Overview of NIH and Research Strategy - Specific Aims

    Institutes, Deadlines, PAs, RFAs, NGA, era commons, Project Officers, funding priorities, etc.

    Faculty: Erin Van Blarigan

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Slides for Week 3 File
    • Success Rates from NIH RePORT URL

    • Discussion: Discuss previous successful grant’s Specific Aims. Each student will briefly present one assigned grant’s Specific Aims to the group (orally; no slides). In ~5 minutes, what is the grant about? What research question do they propose to answer and how do they plan to do so? What strengths and limitations do you see?


    • Assignment 3, due 8a 1/25:

      1. Using your outline from Assignment 1, expand to sentences to create a full 1-page draft of your Specific Aims.

      a. Include training goals in your Specific Aims page.

      b. Include 1-2 sentences that describe your study methods (often in the paragraph before the bulleted Aims); include study design, study population, N, exposure, outcome. For example: To address these research gaps, we propose a prospective cohort study of 6,000 men with prostate cancer to examine whether physical activity after prostate cancer diagnosis is associated with higher quality of life and longer survival.

      c. 1-page limit

    • Assignment 3

    • Reading to be completed prior to class on 1/27: One of your classmates’ Assignment 3 (Specific Aims). The document you need to read will be assigned to you on Monday 1/25 by 9a. Please also review the scoring criteria for various types of grants: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/review_templates.htm

    • NIH review criteria for F31s and F32s File
    • NIH review criteria for K awards File
    • NIH grant review videos URL

  • Wednesday, January 27, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Research Strategy - Significance and Innovation

    Faculty:  Erin Van Blarigan

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Session Slides:

    • Slides for Week 4 File

    • Discussion: Peer review of Specific Aims (Assignment 3)


    • Assignment 4, due 8a 2/1:

      1. Everyone: 1-2 pg rough draft of your Significance section

      2. K writers (& others who need to write an innovation section): ½ pg draft of Innovation

      3. E-mail the NIH Program Official (PO) of your PA/institute of interest to schedule a phone call in the next 2 weeks (by Feb 10th) to discuss whether your research topic and training goals are of interest to them. You can send them a copy of your draft Specific Aims with the email requesting a meeting.

       

      NIH contacts (program officers - aka "Scientific Program Contact") can be founded at the following websites:


      F31 (pre-doc) contacts: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/contacts/parent_F31.html

      F32 (post-doc) contacts: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/contacts/parent_F32.html

      K01 contacts: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/contacts/parent_K01.html

      K23 contacts: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/contacts/parent_K23.html

       

    • Assignment 4
    • Example E-mail to NIH Program Officer (PO) File
      Not available unless: You belong to a group in Registered Students Only

    • Reading to be completed prior to class on 2/3: One of your classmates’ Assignment 4 (Significance). The document you need to read will be assigned to you on Monday 2/1 by 9a. Please also spend time reading the literature on your research topic. In preparation for writing the significance section of your proposal, you need to have a good understanding of what has been done in the past and where research gaps remain.

  • Wednesday, February 3, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Research Strategy - Approach

    Faculty:  Erin Van Blarigan

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Session Slides:

    • Slides for Week 5 (Approach) File

    • Discussion: Peer review of Significance & Innovation (if submitted) sections (Assignment 4)

    • Assignment 5, due 8a 2/8:

      1. Turn in an outline of your Approach section. See instructions in the application guide for specific topics that must be addressed. Include information on Preliminary Studies. Note, you may not have finalized your study design and many details of the approach. That is OK! The outline process will help you identify the decisions that you still need to make and questions to ask your mentors.

      2. Start on other Research Plan / Research Training Plan sections required for your grant mechanism (not to be turned in)

    • Assignment 5

    • Reading to be completed prior to class on 2/10: One of your classmates’ Assignment 5 (Approach section outline). The document you need to read will be assigned to you on Monday 2/8 by 9a. Please also review the Approach Sections from 2 previous successful training grants.

  • Wednesday, February 10, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Sponsor/Mentor & Institutional Environment and Commitment Sections       

    Faculty:  Amy Conroy

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Session Slides:

    • Slides for Week 6 (Training Part 1) File

    • Discussion: Peer Review of Approach (Assignment 5) and questions on any Research Plan / Research Training Plan components

    • Assignment 6, due 1pm 2/17:

      1.     Turn in notes from the email exchange and/or phone call with your NIH PO.

      2.     F writers:

      • Turn in a draft “Applicant’s Qualifications and Potential for a Research Career” (See F70 and successful F applications in the Box folder). This is part of the sponsor’s statement and should be written from the perspective of your sponsor. 
      • Other components of the sponsor’s statement that do not to be turned in include research support available; previous fellows/trainees; training plan, environment, research facilities; number of fellows/trainees to be supervised during fellowship; clinical trial information (if relevant).
      • Start working on (not to be turned in): Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training; Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, or Consultants (if relevant)

      K writers:

      • Turn in a draft of the “Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-mentor(s)” for your primary mentor only. See your PA for detailed and specific instructions on content. You must address each bullet in the instructions regarding content. Note, there is a 6-pg limit combining statements from all mentors.
      • Turn in a draft of the “Institutional Commitment to the Candidate’s Research Career Development” letter (1-page limit)
      • Start on other sponsor section materials (not to be turned in): Letters of Support (6-pg limit), Description of Institutional Environment (1-pg limit)

    • Assignment 6

    • Reading to be completed prior to class on 2/17: Two examples of Sponsor Statements for F grant writers and Plans and Statements of Mentor(s) for K grant writers. F writers can find examples in the DEB PhD program Grant Writing & Funding Opportunities / F31 Grant folder. K writers can find examples in the K Proposal Library.

  • Wednesday, February 17, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Statistical Analysis, Power, Sample Size                  

    Faculty:  Charles McCulloch

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Session Slides

    • Week 7. Power and Sample Size File

    • Discussion: Stats, power, and sample size questions; other pending questions about your Approach

    • Assignment 7, due 1 pm, 2/24:

      • Work on your Approach section (not to be turned in).

    • Assignment 7

    • Reading: None this week.

  • Wednesday, February 24, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

    Lecture:  Fellowship / Career Development Award Applicant Sections

    Faculty:  Amy Conroy

    Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

    • Session Slides:

    • Discussion: Workshop time / discussion of pending questions

    • Assignment 8, due 1 pm 3/3:

      • F writers:
        • Draft of the “Applicant’s Background and Goals for Fellowship Training” (6-pg limit, see page F62-F63). Include, at a minimum, the content mentioned in the corresponding application guides and be sure to look at prior applications in the Box folder (ok to copy format). Include the following sections:
          • “Doctoral Dissertation and Research Experience”
          • "Training Goals and Objectives"
        • "Activities Planned Under Award" section. Don't worry about % effort for now - focus on outlining the activities you propose to complete. Use a table to present your training plan/activities.
        • K writers:
          • Draft of the “Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development” (6-pg limit, see K-85). Include, at a minimum, the content mentioned in the corresponding application guides and be sure to look at prior applications in the Box folder (ok to copy format). Include the following sections:
            • Candidate’s Background
            • Career Goals and Objectives
            • Candidate’s Plan for Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period - Don't worry about % effort for now - focus on outlining the activities you propose to complete. Use a table to present your training plan/activities.

      • Assignment 8

      • Reading to be completed prior to class on 3/3: One of your classmates’ Assignment 8 (Applicant/Candidate sections). The document you need to read will be assigned to you on Monday 3/1 by 9a. Please also review two examples of the training sections of successful prior grants (see box folder on CLE as well as the DEB PhD program Grant Writing & Funding Opportunities / F31 Grant folder and the K Proposal Library).

      • Recording on Lecture 2/24 Media Resource
        Not available unless: You belong to Registered Students Only

    • Wednesday, March 3, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

      Lecture:  None this week - we'll dedicate the time to workshop/discussion


      Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL


      • Discussion: Peer review & discussion of Assignment 8; other pending questions. When reading peer’s training document, consider: Does the candidate’s background demonstrate a capacity to do research? Are the candidate’s goals clear? What does the candidate need to do to achieve their goals? Is there a pathway to an independent research career separate from the mentor? Do the planned activities include some new didactics, workshops, and/or formal mentoring?

      • Assignment 9, due 1 pm, 3/10: Turn in as one file:

        F writers: Specific Aims (1 pg) and Research Strategy (6 pg, includes Significance and Approach)

        K writers: Specific Aims (1 page) and Research Strategy (6 pg limit, includes Significance, Innovation, and Approach)


        These will be reviewed by outside reviewers! Late submissions might not get outside review. 

      • Assignment 9

      • Reading: None this week.

    • Wednesday, March 10, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

      Lecture: NIH Reviewer Insights for Training Grants

      Faculty:  Katie Stone

      Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL

      • Discussion: Workshop time / open questions

      • Assignment 10, due 1 pm, 3/17: Peer review of assigned proposals. In 1-pg (bullet points ok), address the following:

        (1)   Aims: Will the aims, if accomplished, move the candidate towards a long-term research career? Is the scope of the aims appropriate for the candidate’s level (either PhD or fellow)?

        (2)   Significance: Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

        (3)   Innovation (for K-writers): Show how proposed research is new and unique, e.g., explores new scientific avenues, has a novel hypothesis, and will create new knowledge. Explains how project's research can refine, improve, or propose a new application of an existing concept or method. If showing how the research can shift a current paradigm (more difficult claim to make): make a very strong case for challenging the existing paradigm; have data to support the innovative approach; and have strong evidence that you can do the work.

        (4)   Approach: Do the methods appear to be sound? Is the research feasible? Are there potential pitfalls that need to be discussed?

      • Assignment 10

      • Reading: None this week

    • Wednesday, March 17, 2021; 1:10 PM - 3:00 PM

      Lecture: Review of Training Grants with Outside Reviewers

      Location (Access restricted to registered students):  Zoom URL