Academic Research Enhancement Award

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Academic Research Enhancement Award

• Dr. Norma Dunlap
• Department of Chemistry
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Murfreesboro, TN 37132

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Purpose of AREA Grants

• To stimulate research in educational institutions
  that provide baccalaureate or advanced training
• Have not been major recipients of National
  Institutes of Health support
• Using the R15 award mechanism
• Funding Limit 150,000
• Duration 3 YEAR(s)

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National Institutes

• AGING
• ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
• ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• ARTHRITIS, MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SKIN DISEASES
• BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND BIOENGINEERING
• CANCER

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More National Institutes

• CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
• COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
• DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS DISORDERS
• DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
• DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES DRUG
  ABUSE

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Still More National Institutes

• ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
• EYE INSTITUTE
• GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
• NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE
• HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE
• MENTAL HEALTH
• NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
• NURSING RESEARCH
• NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
• NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH RESOURCES

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What is Funded?

• 150,000 in direct costs plus facilities and
  administrative costs
• Salaries for the principal investigator and other
  research personnel (including students),
  supplies, equipment, travel

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Types of Projects

• Small-scale, new or ongoing health-related
  meritorious research projects, including pilot
  research projects and feasibility studies
• Development, testing, and refinement of research
  techniques
• Secondary analysis of available data sets
• Similar discrete research projects that
  demonstrate research capability

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How Does This Fit at MTSU?

• We qualify!
• Primarily Undergraduate Institutions with small
  graduate programs
• Traditionally not many apply to NIH
• The current successes
• Norma Dunlap (2003)
• Don Morgan
• Abdul Rao
• Scott Handy (2005)
• Previous NIH funding Ervin, Newsome

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Personal Funding History

• 1999 (Research Corporation - denied)
• 2001 (Petroleum Research Fund - denied)
• 2002 (NIH AREA Grant - denied)
• Peptidomimetics of D-Ala-D-Ala as Novel
  Antibacterials
• 2002 (NSF-CCLI -denied)
• Hands-on Experiences with NMR in the
  Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum
• 2003 (resubmitted NIH - funded for 105,000)
• 2003 (resubmitted NSF-CCLI - funded for 174,443)
• 2003 (NSF - RUI -funded for 415,879)
• 400 MHz NMR for Research and Research Training
• in Chemical Synthesis

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Strategy for AREA Grants

• Identify your project
• Identify your Institute
• Allow several months for writing
• Get a mentor through CARS www.mtsu.edu/research/c
  ars-intro.html
• Contact your program officer with questions
• Allow several weeks for formatting!
• Dont miss the deadline
• Jan. 25, May 25 and Sept. 25

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Objectives

• Strengthen research environment at institutions
  that are not research intensive
• Provide research experiences for students
• Provide support for meritorious research programs

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Review Criteria

• Significance importance of problem, advancement
  of knowledge, effect on field
• Approach appropriate, well reasoned methods and
  acknowledgement of potential problems
• Innovation Originality, novelty of concepts and
  methodologies
• Investigator appropriate training and
  experience
• Environment likelihood for success,
  collaborations, institutional support

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Additional Criteria for AREA

• Mentoring experience Has PI supervised research
  students?
• Institutional profile
• Benefit to institution will award strengthen
  research environment?
• New investigator status irrelevant
• Preliminary results useful but not required

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After Proposal Submission

• Call your program officer
• Wait 6-10 months, develop a thick skin
• If youre denied
• Address any reviewer concerns
• RESUBMIT!!

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Acknowledgements(shout-outs?)

• Andrienne Friedli
• Abdul Rao
• Don Morgan
• NIH