Components of a Successful AREA R15 Grant

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Components of a Successful AREA (R15) Grant

• Rebecca J. Sommer
• Bates College

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Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)
Program (R15), NIH

• Funds small-scale, health-related research
  projects at institutions that are not major
  recipients of NIH funding
• Major goal is to expose undergraduate students to
  meritorious biomedical and behavioral research
• 25 - 31 of proposals funded in 2004-2007

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http//grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm
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Recovery Act-Funded AREA Request for Applications
(RFA-OD-09-007)

• Single submission, due September 24, 2009
• Increases total funding to 300,000 direct costs
• Extends eligibility to Institutions receiving
  less than 6 million dollars annual NIH funds
• NIH plans to make the increases permanent by the
  next standard due date (October 25, 2009)

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Factors Key to Success

• Important research question
• Focused and organized proposal
• Demonstration of expertise
• Positive impact on research activity of
  undergraduates and PI

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Important Research Question

• Meritorious research project
• Collaboration not competition
• Can be a new area of research

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Focused and Organized Proposal

• Focused and organized at the level of both the
  writing style and research approach
• Two-four closely related Specific Aims are
  appropriate

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Demonstration of Expertise

• More flexibility in judging potential for success
  (more than publication record and preliminary
  data)
• Include letters of support
• Provide convincing Methods and Alternative
  Approaches
• Perhaps include a collaborator

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Positive Impact AREA Grant Statement

• PI experience in supervising undergraduate
  student research
• Suitability and enhancement of research
  environment
• Availability of well-qualified students
• Evidence of Institutional support
• Supports release/leave time

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A Few Nuts and Bolts

• On-line submission
• register in grants.gov and eRA Commons
• Signing Official needs to submit the application
• be prepared to meet other in-house requirements
• Modular vs. detailed budget
• modular budgets are more flexible but limited to
  total of 250,000 direct costs

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Get to Know AREA Program Contact Person and
Institute Program Officer

• Dont hesitate to email/call your AREA Contact
  Person for guidance
• find most appropriate Institute, Scientific
  Review Group (SRG) and particular study section
• NIH Institute or Center (IC)
• get a measure of the ICs commitment/enthusiasm
  for AREA proposals and your project in particular
• after review, the IC Program Officer becomes your
  main point of contact

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Peer Review is a Two-Step Process

• Center for Scientific Review
• Integrated Review Groups, each is made up of
  several different study sections
• provides comments and funding priority score
• NIH Institute or Center (IC)
• Advisory Council or Board, makes funding
  decisions based on the review and the goals of
  the IC
• IC Program Officer can pull a proposal up

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Writing for Step One of Peer Review Process

• Find and request the best Integrated Review Group
  and study section for your proposal
• http//cms.csr.nih.gov/peerreviewmeetings/csrirgde
  scriptionnew/
• Write to your audience
• know the members of your probable study section
• read the Guidelines for Reviewers
• http//cms.csr.nih.gov/PeerReviewMeetings/Reviewer
  Guidelines/

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CSR Review Criteria

• Significance
• Investigator(s)
• Innovation
• Approach
• Environment
• Additional Review Criteria (Protections for Human
  Subjects, Resubmission, Renewal...)

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Outcome of Step One of Peer Review Process

• Five individual core criteria scores and overall
  impact/priority score
• Summary Statements
• reviewer critiques and summary of discussion
• Streamlining
• less competitive applications are not discussed
  or given a priority score at study section
  meetings, still receive the written critiques and
  criteria scores submitted by assigned reviewers

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Dont Get Discouraged

• It usually takes more than one submission!
• Use comments to revise and resubmit
• Standard AREA submission deadlines are February
  25, June 25 and October 25.

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AREA (R15) Program Website

• http/grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section
• Lists eligible institutions
• Provides email addresses for AREA Program Contact
  Persons
• Describes NIH Institutes and Center objectives
• Links to Peer Review Information

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• Thank you!
• You can contact me at rsommer_at_bates.edu