The Art of Writing NIH Grants

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The Art of Writing NIH Grants
Society for Gynecologic Investigation March 2004
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Before you begin writing

• Educate yourself about funding opportunities NIH
  Guide at http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.
  html
• Check out what NIH is funding in your area CRISP
  database at http//crisp.cit.nih.gov/
• Determine the best study section for your
  proposal http//www.csr.nih.gov/
• Identify an NIH Institute and contact a program
  official!

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Before you begin writing

• Educate yourself about the best grant mechanism
  for your proposal
• Seek feedback on the scope and specific aims
• Identify collaborators, and outline their exact
  contributions
• NIGMS tips for new NIH investigators at
  http//www.nigms.nih.gov/funding/tips.html

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Writing the Grant

• Allow enough time for multiple drafts and
  feedback on the science AND the presentation
• Focus on clarity and impact of significance and
  rationales
• Know and follow the formatting rules for NIH
  grants
• Keep the proposal readable and do not tolerate
  typos or bad grammar

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Writing the Grant Proposal

• Check the new investigator box if you have not
  had NIH research grant funding before
• Perfect the abstractthis may be all that the
  non-assigned reviewers will read
• Present specific aims as hypotheses to test
• Do not pyramid the aims
• Include expected outcomes, pitfalls, and
  alternative approaches

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Writing the Grant Proposal

• Budget
• Specific Aims
• Background and Significance
• Preliminary data and progress report
• Research design and methods

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Writing the Grant Proposal

• Humans subjects protection, inclusion of
  minorities, both genders and children and use of
  vertebrate animals

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Writing a RevisionRule 1
Even if youre on the right track,
youll get run over if you just sit there.Will
Rogers

• Remember the timeline and plan accordingly
• Use the revision to strengthen your application
• Contact your program official!

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Writing a RevisionRule 2Better the devil
you knowthan the devil you dont
know.http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-f
iles/NOT-OD-03-065.html
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Writing a Revision Rule 3
Use Introduction to respond reviewers
criticisms Thank them for their insightful
comments Respond to each criticism based on
science Find gaps between you and reviewers and
try to minimize them
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Whom and when do you call?

• Before writing Program staff (e.g. RSB, NICHD)
• Before review for submission of additional
  materials SRA, CSR
• After review Program staff