Getting Money for Research

Lori B. SweeneyDecember 2014

Top 10 Tips on How to get Fundingby Julia Lane, NSF Program Director

Make yourself valuable. Develop a set of demonstrable core competencies through yourpublications. Your cv is your portfolio of skill sets, and you will be judged on your abilityto deliver. Don’t submit a proposal before you have a few publications under your belt inthe relevant area.

Get to know the funding sources. Different funding sources have different missions anddifferent criteria. Your sponsored research office (SRO) should be able to help you getthis information, and you should also peruse the foundation websites. NSF, for example,funds basic research, so intellectual merit and broader impact, are the key criteria.Foundations have specific goals in terms of advancing a particular agenda. Governmentagencies have specific missions. Don’t forget about doing consulting work, particularly ifyou can turn the information gleaned from the work into an insightful publication.Identify the funding source which has the greatest overlap with your research interest andinvest heavily in getting to know more about their interests.

Tips cont. Get to know the key people. If you are going after grants, get in touch with thecognizant program officer. It is their job to know about their foundation, and they willoften know about upcoming opportunities at both their foundation and others. But don’twaste their time. A courteous email which provides a concise outline of your researchidea, and connects it to their mission is a much better introduction than a phone call outof the blue.

Get to know the community by presenting at their conferences. This helps in severalways. First, a good presentation helps establish you as competent and explains yourresearch agenda beyond your proposal. Second, the networking with others who havebeen successful at getting grants helps you get a better sense of the funding source’sportfolio, and the style of research they support. Third, members of the community willtypically be asked to review any grant proposal you submit.

Submit your first few grants with senior colleagues who have been successful ingetting grants. Grant writing is a skill that is not typically taught in graduate schools,and on the job training is the best way to learn how to acquire that skill.

Write well and have a focus. In your opening paragraph, state your focus. Everysentence that you write in the grant should develop your key idea. Write clear prose thatassumes the reader is an expert, but not necessarily deeply embedded in your project.You should have a clear and logical beginning, a middle, and an end to your proposal.Write multiple drafts and eliminate verbosity

HOT TOPICS

• Vulnerable Populations• Health Care disparity• Multi-disciplinary• Technology• Health Care Literacy

Important Questions to Ask

• Do I need a power analysis?• If I am collecting samples from patients, can

samples be batched?• Is there someone in your Division/Department

who is performing similar research?• Is there someone in your Division who is

currently funded?

Power Analysis/Statistical Suppport

• This is free• Point of Contact is: Adam Sima• Have an outline of research (question, specific

aims, etc) before contacting him• He will assign the project to a PhD student

who will perform the analysis, which is then reviewed by CCTR statistician

• Contact him early!!!!

THINK OUT OF THE BOX

• Start with your professional organizations• Example: Endocrine Society: Endocrine

Fellows Foundation Grant• Search “early career awards”• Smaller grants are usually a 5-10 page

application, much simpler than NIH

THINK OUT OF THE BOX

• Collaborate with young faculty member• Collaborate with a medical student• Industry Sponsored Research (see BP example)• There are lots of research opportunities for

fellows if they can travel to an underserved area: talk with your program director early (See ID example)

Try your Specialty OrganizationsExample: Endocrine Fellows Foundation:

Research Grant Program The Endocrine Fellows Foundation conducts a very successful program by which

it provides support to first or second year fellows engaged in significant research.  EFF has received over 1,500 applications since the program’s inception and over 300 grants, totaling more than $2 million, have been awarded.  Applications are

reviewed twice yearly in the spring and fall.  The next research grants will be awarded in April 2015.  Applications will be available in early January.

The EFF wants to acknowledge the help of our expert reviewers without whom this program could not be a success.

Available Grants EFF Research Grant in Diabetes, Obesity, and MetabolismThis research grant is made possible by our sponsor, AstraZeneca

Pharmaceuticals.  This grant is limited to studies involving:• Diabetes • Obesity 

• Metabolism Both Clinical and basic research is accepted. EFF plans to award up to 10, $5,000

grants in the 2015 year. All applicants to this grant will be considered for attendance at a winter meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The meeting takes place

in late January to early February and is organized by the Endocrine Fellows Foundation. Recipients of the grant will be required to present at this meeting.

Copyright © 2001-2014 Endocrine Fellows Foundation.

American Heart Association

• Fellow to Faculty Transition Award• https://my.americanheart.org/professional/

registration/loginForm.jsp?signinType=CAWD

Pulmonary Fellows: ATS • ATS Foundation/Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Career Development Award in Idiopathic

Pulmonary Fibrosis (1 award available)• This activity is supported by a research grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Please visit

boehringer-ingelheim.com for more information about our partner.• The Fellowship Career Development Award is designed to support the research of a fellow undergoing training

in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-directed research. Applicants should submit proposals for mentored projects addressing important areas of investigation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Applicants may request up to $50,000 for one year.

• Individuals who already have faculty positions are not eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited pulmonary/critical care training program and must be in good standing in the program. The goal is to support the research efforts of fellows during the latter part of their training (typically after their second year of training) in order to enhance their educational experience, advance discovery, and promote careers in academia. In line with these goals, applicants must hold a MD, DO, MD/PhD, PhD, DVM, or equivalent degree and should plan to pursue a career in academic medicine.

• During the period of this award, applicants may not accept other training awards or other external funds that provide stipend or salary support for the same work outlined in their proposal. Applicants must also be a U.S. citizen or resident alien with a Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card") at the time the application is submitted. Grant funds may not go towards indirect costs.In addition, the following individuals are not eligible for this award:

• http://www.thoracic.org/research/research-program-portfolio/grant-portfolio.php

• http://www.francisfellowships.org/applyguidelines.htm

Parker B. Francis Fellowship

ELIGIBILITY & EVALUATION CRITERIA Applicants are eligible to apply for a PBF Fellowship if at the time of application they are:•Scientists holding a relevant doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D, D.V.M,, Dr. P.H.) who are embarking on a career in clinical, laboratory or translational science related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at a U.S. or Canadian university or research institution; •A citizen or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada or have a permanent residency application on file at the time of application with the U.S. or Canadian Immigration Services;•A Ph.D. or other non-M.D. scientist no more than seven years beyond completion of their doctoral degree or an M.D. scientist no more than seven years beyond clinical training (i.e., residency, internship, clinical fellowship) at the time of application. Candidates with greater than seven years since the doctoral degree require approval for continued training from the Scientific Director of the PBF Fellowship Program. •Applicants must be approved by their department to apply for the PBF Fellowship. Institutions may have no more than three Parker B. Francis Fellows in a single department at a given time, a department may submit no more than two applications annually, and a mentor may only sponsor one application annually.•Individuals are not eligible for a PBF Fellowship if, at the time of application, they are or have been principal investigator on an NIH K or R series research award or other nationally competitive research award at a comparable level. PBF Fellows in the second or third year of their Fellowship, who receive an NIH K or R series award or similar grant, may request approval to retain the Fellowship and to reallocate a portion of the Fellowship salary support to supplies or other research costs. •PBF Fellows are required to have at least 75 percent of their time available for research.Most successful candidates have two-to-five years of research experience and a minimum of two or three research publications at the time of fellowship application. Candidates from under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.Applications for Fellowships will not be considered for funding if either the mentor or the Fellow has a relationship with the tobacco industry as described in the American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines. If a current PBF Fellow or Mentor enters into a relationship with the tobacco industry, the PBF Fellowship support will be immediately terminated.EVALUATION CRITERIAThe appraisal of a PBF Fellowship application is based on consideration of: (1) the qualifications and career trajectory of the candidate; (2) an assessment of the mentor's credentials and the institution as resources for training in research; and (3) the scientific merits of the research project proposal. Equal weight is given to each of these three aspects in determining the final priority rating.

A/AGA-Eli & Edythe Broad Student Research Fellowship(s):GI

• PARTNER WITH A MEDICAL STUDENT• High School, Undergraduate, Medical and Graduate

School Students• Amount/year:• $2,500/$3,000• Duration:• 10 weeks• Deadline:• Feb. 13, 2015• Start Date:• June 1, 2015

ID Research Funds: Can you travel?

• Merle A. Sande/Pfizer Fellowship Award in International Infectious Diseases• Eligibility Requirements• Applicants must be members of IDSA for 2014.• Must be enrolled in an accredited graduate training program in infectious diseases.• Research must be conducted in a resource-limited country as defined by the World Bank (

low- income and low-middle-income countries).• Application must indicate how much time during the year will be spent in the resource-

limited country.• Sponsor must be from the resource-limited country and does not necessarily have to be an

IDSA member.• Postdoctoral fellows who hold a comparable fellowship are not eligible.• The award is provided on a competitive basis.• Selection criteria will include but not be limited to:

– the applicant's scholarship performance and professional qualifications– scientific merit of the proposed project, validity of the research rationale– adequacy of the facilities to the applicant

Oncology Fellows: SGO• SGO Fellow-in-Training Ovarian Cancer Award• Established in 2014 through a grant from the SGO, the SGO Fellow-in-Training

Ovarian Cancer Award focuses on funding research that produces innovative approaches, tools, and technologies, leading to new insights and discoveries in ovarian cancer.

• Up to one award will be funded to a maximum total of $10,000. Research proposal applications will require a detailed budget. The application deadline is Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. Grant winners will be notified by Dec. 22, 2014. The grant project period is Jan. 5, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2015.

• Candidates are required to be a fellow-in-training member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) to be eligible for this award. It is highly recommended that they be a part of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellows Research Network (GOFRN). For more information please contact membership@sgo.org.

• Learn more about the SGO Fellow-in-Training Ovarian Cancer Award

GI Fellows

• Several grants exist to fund medical student research

• You could both gain experience as a mentor and get funding by including a medical student in the research (think about data collection, recruitment!!)

AGA Investing in the Future (IITF) Student Research Fellowship

• http://www.gastro.org/aga-foundation/grants/aga-investing-in-the-future-iitf-student-research-fellowship

• This fellowship provides 10 awards at $5,000 for underrepresented minority undergraduate and medical school students to perform eight to 10 weeks of research related to digestive diseases or nutrition. Highly qualified students will travel out of state to work with top investigators in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology. The award amount includes housing, travel and a stipend.

Jeffress Trust Award

• Up to $100,000 for one year pilot project• Heavy emphasis on collaborative projects with

technology aspect • Must be a junior faculty with no more than 7

years since initial appointment• Deadline: January 15, 2015• Only 46 applicants/23 funded

AMA Seed Grant Research Program• Seed Grant Research Program• Dr. Peter Lee of Stanford University,

seed research grant recipient for 2013• The AMA Foundation established the Seed Grant Research Program in 2000

to encourage medical students, physician residents and fellows to enter the research field. The program provides grants to supports medical students, physician residents, and fellows in conducting small research projects.

• With a generous contribution from Genentech, Inc., in 2015 the AMA Foundation will be awarding research grants of up to $2,500 in the areas of cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases and pancreatic cancer and $5,000 in the area of neoplastic diseases.

• The 2015 Seed Grant Research Program Application is now available. Please submit applications to seedgrants@ama-assn.org by December 5, 2014 at 5pm CST.

Industry Sponsored Research

• BP products: immunology based research• http://www.bdbiosciences.com/research/gran

t/apply/immuno.jsp

• Handout provided

Genetech: Oncology focus• http://www.biooncology.com/resources/grants-contributions-and-

fellowships• Scientific Project Support Scientific Project Support provides

funding for general research, translational research, other research or development projects, and/or other initiatives of research organizations, labs, and academic institutions. Research collaborations, clinical trials and associated correlative research involving or undertaken in relation to Genentech or Roche products (whether investigational and/or approved for other uses) are excluded from this type of support. For information regarding these types of programs refer to our pipeline.

Grant Space

• http://grantspace.org/tools/knowledge-base/Individual-Grantseekers/General/researchers

• Online tool: THINK HEALTH DISPARITIES• Biomedical and Health Care includes funding opportunities for medical and

nursing research, biomedicine, health care professionals, and organizations providing health care at the community level. Examples of areas covered include clinical and programmatic studies in gerontology and mental health; clinical studies of the cause, detection, and elimination of cancer; health care delivery and maintenance; and studies of infectious and immunologic diseases, including programs researching all areas related to AIDS. Funding sources include the National Institutes of Health agencies and other federal government agencies, professional associations, foundations, and corporations that make health care a giving priority.