Response to Prior Review and Resubmission Strategies Yuqing Li, Ph.D Division of Movement Disorders Department of Neurology Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration The Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida

Outline Summary statement Summary statement Decision to resubmit or switch to another project/idea Decision to resubmit or switch to another project/idea How to Prepare for Resubmission How to Prepare for Resubmission Specific issues Specific issues

Summary Statement Sample Summary statement Sample Summary statement Choosing Study Sections: Choosing Study Sections: based funded projects in your field and member composition. based funded projects in your field and member composition. Talk to program officer Talk to program officer Specify it clearly in cover letter Specify it clearly in cover letter Exclude conflict of interests reviewers Exclude conflict of interests reviewers Contact program office for insight Contact program office for insight

Summary Statement Overall impact score and percentile Overall impact score and percentile Five components: Five components: Significance Significance Investigator(s) Investigator(s) Innovation Innovation Approach Approach Environment Environment Strengths and weaknesses Strengths and weaknesses Protection for Human Subjects Protection for Human Subjects Vertebrate Sections Vertebrate Sections

Whether to resubmit or not Scored application: consult with collaborators and mentors Scored application: consult with collaborators and mentors Triaged or unscored application: Triaged or unscored application: Resubmission will be very difficult Resubmission will be very difficult Additional problems not mentioned in the summary statement present further impedance for success Additional problems not mentioned in the summary statement present further impedance for success It is doable as long as you fix all the problems It is doable as long as you fix all the problems Triaged or unscored application: Triaged or unscored application: Change to another mechanism or another funding agency Change to another mechanism or another funding agency

However to resubmit Significance Significance How to pick an important topic How to pick an important topic You can always change what you do after you are funded You can always change what you do after you are funded Rare disease: to associate it to impact beyond your field to major disease Rare disease: to associate it to impact beyond your field to major disease Disease-focused research but try to have impact on basic biological processes as well Disease-focused research but try to have impact on basic biological processes as well

However to resubmit Investigators Investigators Lack of independence Lack of independence Obtain a private foundation grant first Obtain a private foundation grant first Publish or perish Publish or perish Turn any data from postdoc period into your own publication, even with your previous mentor as a collaborator. Turn any data from postdoc period into your own publication, even with your previous mentor as a collaborator. Collaborators to cover areas you as a PI lacks Collaborators to cover areas you as a PI lacks Publications with collaborators will strengthen the application Publications with collaborators will strengthen the application

However to resubmit Innovations Innovations Conceptually, new ideas will advance field Conceptually, new ideas will advance field Technical innovation, a new tool, a new method Technical innovation, a new tool, a new method A new approach to a field A new approach to a field Cutting edge approaches, effective use of the university core facilities Cutting edge approaches, effective use of the university core facilities

However to resubmit Approach Approach Logical design of aims Logical design of aims Central hypothesis tested by 2 to 4 complementary aims Central hypothesis tested by 2 to 4 complementary aims Cutting edge approaches, effective use of the university core facilities Cutting edge approaches, effective use of the university core facilities Collaborations to expand the scope of the project, you will not penalized for enlisting more collaborators, with an eye toward promotion and tenure evaluation later Collaborations to expand the scope of the project, you will not penalized for enlisting more collaborators, with an eye toward promotion and tenure evaluation later Collaborations, publications, preliminary data to establish feasibility. Collaborations, publications, preliminary data to establish feasibility.

However to resubmit Environment Environment As one of the 108 Carnegie High Research Activity University, overall university environment is excellent As one of the 108 Carnegie High Research Activity University, overall university environment is excellent Florida State UniversityTallahassee FL Florida State UniversityTallahassee FL University of Central FloridaOrlandoFL University of Central FloridaOrlandoFL University of FloridaGainesvilleFL University of FloridaGainesvilleFL University of MiamiCoral GablesFL University of MiamiCoral GablesFL University of South Florida-TampaTampa FL University of South Florida-TampaTampa FL

However to resubmit Environment Environment Department Chairman Chair/Division Chief support: seed money; time protect for research; space right now or promised space if funded. Department Chairman Chair/Division Chief support: seed money; time protect for research; space right now or promised space if funded. Seek out local collaborators: win-win situation Seek out local collaborators: win-win situation Get membership in centers and insitutes to package it very differently Get membership in centers and insitutes to package it very differently

However to resubmit Things will help for the resubmission: Things will help for the resubmission: More papers published, possibly high impact papers More papers published, possibly high impact papers Preliminary data to demonstrate the feasibility Preliminary data to demonstrate the feasibility Preliminary data to support your hypothesis Preliminary data to support your hypothesis Access to new reagent (antibodies, cell lines, animal models) Access to new reagent (antibodies, cell lines, animal models) Access to new equipment and facility Access to new equipment and facility

However to resubmit Introduction: Introduction: Limited to one page Limited to one page Thank the panel members Thank the panel members Fully address the issues in the Resume and Summary of Discussion Fully address the issues in the Resume and Summary of Discussion Address most, if not all, of the concerns raised by all three reviewers Address most, if not all, of the concerns raised by all three reviewers Remember to thank them again near the end Remember to thank them again near the end 3 Example: 3 Example:

Specific Issues Biased reviewer: Biased reviewer: Try to exclude the reviewer Try to exclude the reviewer Try to switch to another study section Try to switch to another study section Address the question head on and follow the suggestion of the bias reviewer Address the question head on and follow the suggestion of the bias reviewer Proposal went to the wrong reviewer: Proposal went to the wrong reviewer: Try to write for people outside of the field and get them excited about your work Try to write for people outside of the field and get them excited about your work Point out the error in a diplomatic way and turn the reviewer into an advocate for your proposal Point out the error in a diplomatic way and turn the reviewer into an advocate for your proposal