Grant Preparation Workshop: Stage 1 Understanding NIH Submissions Presenters: Kate Petcosky-Kulkarni, Office of Proposal Development Renna Lilly, Office of Sponsored Programs Carter Cornwall, Study Section Reviewer

Office of Proposal Development (OPD) Goals: To support investigators by focusing on the administrative components of grants prior to submission To permit investigators to focus time and energy on the scientific components of proposals Alleviate the administrative burden of pre-award support from departmental administrators To permit all BUSM faculty to readily respond to complex, interdisciplinary grant applications

OPD Services: Planning stages Contact sponsors: obtain background information confirm eligibility criteria clarify guidelines/policies to ensure proposals are administratively compliant and address programmatic priorities described in funding announcement Meet with PI(s) early: discuss application create task list Initiate subcontracts plan timeline to complete application to meet OSP and sponsor deadlines

OPD Services: Proposal Development and Review Project Management: Complete all administrative components including: Budgets Application packages Internal BU proposal summary sheet Track proposal tasks, including those assigned to collaborators at other institutions, to ensure timely completion Review the final proposal to verify that all components are complete, have been formatted correctly, and adhere to sponsor guidelines Submit complete and final application to BU OSP for final review, approval, and submission

OPD Services: Post OPD and award management After submission: If awarded, management of grant is handled by the departmental administrators we work closely with PIs and departmental administrators at the time of application to be sure salaries are correct and budgets are appropriate from the departmental standpoint. Track metrics for all grants supported by BU

Grant Writing SUPPORT Led by Dr. Elaine Lee (ellee@bu.edu), Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences & Education Copyediting and proofreading: Proposals can be corrected for grammar, spelling, syntax, and formatting errors.  Provide critical feedback: An application package can be evaluated for cohesiveness between the scientific narrative and the administrative components.  Consult on overall grant writing process: PIs writing their first grants can receive help through the entire grant writing process, from developing Specific Aims to evaluating study designs for the Research Strategy.  Help with a resubmission: PIs can get help strategizing an approach that increases the chances of success for their grant proposals during resubmission.  Coordinate and respond with internal consistency on a large/multi-PI grant. 

OPD: Measures of Success Primary goal: provide excellent pre-award support to faculty in BUSM who submit grants through BU-OSP Faculty should find the process of submitting a grant “easy” time freed up to focus on the science have needed administrative support for complex, interdisciplinary proposals Offer templates for standard proposal sections Facilities/resources, data sharing, multi-PI leadership plans, etc. Grants submitted to BU-OSP should be correct, complete, and compliant so that OSP-RAs are not spending unnecessary time and effort reviewing incomplete or incorrect applications before submission Increases likelihood of an “on-time” submission With these factors addressed, this will hopefully lead to higher success rates for proposals submitted.

BUSM Departments, Sections and Centers Currently Supported by OPD Anatomy & Neurobiology Rheumatology/Arthritis Center Biochemistry Biomedical Genetics Cancer Center Computational Biomedicine CReM Dermatology Endocrinology Framingham Heart Study Graduate Medical Sciences Microbiology NEIDL Neurology Ophthalmology Pathology Pharmacology Physiology & Biophysics Preventive Medicine Psychiatry Pulmonary Center Surgery Vascular Biology VA

Tips to keep in mind when planning a submission 1. You are not alone-putting together a grant is a team effort PI: working/editing science, finalizing details with collaborators Dept Admin and/or OPD: developing budget, completing admin sections, completing/routing internal documents, uploading pieces into application, routing to OSP OSP: conducts final review and submission of application* *all applications for external funding need to be approved by OSP prior to submission 2. Plan ahead- New OSP submission policy Do you have a subcontract? Consultants? Collaborators? Additional paperwork is required from them which takes time 3. Discuss your project with your Dept. chief/chair - They need to approve it before OSP can submit, especially if there is a proposed cost-share, require additional space….etc 4. Discuss your application with colleagues- They can be great resource for boiler plate information (resources, equipment, data sharing…etc) and help critique your science

Important Questions Which submission method- Adobe or ASSIST? How many years of funding? Modular or detailed budget? Subcontracts? Multiple Principle Investigators? eRA commons Account w/PI designation?

Administrative Components Cover letter and/or PHS Assignment Request Form Budget & Justification Biosketches Facilities & Resources Equipment Narrative Letters of Support Consortium Agreements Current/Pending Support (K Grants) Letters of References (K & F Grants) Vertebrate Animals or Human Subjects Attachments Multiple PI Plan Resource Sharing Plan Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources Appendix

Notify OPD or your DA as soon as you decide to submit Deadlines Notify OPD or your DA as soon as you decide to submit 4 weeks is ideal for most grants Comply with OSP Submission Policy: 2 weeks prior to deadline: budgets, justifications, subcontracts complete 5 business days before deadline: all items aside from final science 3 business days: entire complete grant to OSP

OPD: Contact information Office: 72 E. Concord St., R703 Director: Kate Petcosky-Kulkarni, MA, MPH 617-638-5378 petcosky@bu.edu Grant Writer: Elaine Lee, Ph.D. 617-638-5345 ellee@bu.edu Manager: Chelsea Rathbun 617-638-4538 crathbun@bu.edu Associates: Julia Huntsman (jhunts@bu.edu) Katie Stocking, MPH (stocking@bu.edu) Amanda Tan (aatan@bu.edu) http://www.bumc.bu.edu/proposaldevelopment/