Grants Academy Session Two Prepared for Samuel Merritt University January 23, 2018 www.hanoverresearch.com

Biography Joined Hanover as a Grants Consultant in April 2013 Sarah Ott, Grants Consultant, Hanover Research Joined Hanover as a Grants Consultant in April 2013 Began grant writing career at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center Continued career at University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Extensive experience and success with basic and clinical science grant proposals Has helped clients obtain more than $30 million in funding from government agencies and private foundations including NIH, PCORI, HRSA, CDC, the Department of Education, other federal agencies, and private funders

Agenda Set the Stage for Competitiveness 10:00-10:25 Know your Field 10:25-10:40 Formulating Research Questions 10:40-10:55 Developing Purpose, Specific Aims/Objectives 10:55-11:15 Q&A 11:15-11:30 Homework: Draft Background and Statement of the Problem; Draft Purpose, Objectives and/or Specific Aims Between Session 2 and 3: PI consultation calls (when needed/requested) and review of PIs’ Background and Objectives/Specific Aims drafts

Set the Stage for Competitiveness

Collaboration Encourages creativity More experience Wider array of techniques Deeper Dive Networking More resulting publications

Planning to Respond to a Solicitation Capacity and expertise Timeframe considerations Support Planning tools Grantsmanship 101

Review Grantmaker Materials Eligibility Funding Amount and Project Period Map out your strategy to develop and submit the proposal on time Checklist of all required proposal elements Timeline for proposal development, including key dates and responsibility assignments Block out schedule Note deadline(s) Note character-, word-, and page-limits, as well as formatting requirements Always allow time for derailments: plan to submit well before the deadline

Review Faculty Scholarship Grant Program Guidelines

Dates for 2018 FSGP Funding Cycle Step in Application Process Due Date 2018 Documents/Instructions/Applications Available January 15, 2018 “Letter of Intent” to submit FSGP Due March 15, 2018 FSGP Application Process Opens and Applications Accepted March 19, 2018 FSGP Applications Process Closes (Complete Submittals Due) April 16, 2018 FSGP Scientific Merit Review Process Commences April 17, 2018 FSGP Scientific Merit Scores Forwarded to Office of Academic Affairs May 4, 2018 FSGP Award Announcements Made to Grant Recipients May 18, 2018 Grant Accounts Created and Monies Awarded June 2018

Know Your Field

Know Your Field How does your work relate to other work in the field? Nationally, internationally Literature Review Ask yourself: What gap in knowledge or services will this work fill? Does this work build on previous work? Which work? Does this work solve a fundamental challenge facing the field? Does this work duplicate other work? How does this work relate to other work currently in process? How will this work contribute to the field in the short and long term? Is this work a priority for the field?

Literature Review Resources Online journals Online databases PubMed, EBSCO, Science.gov, etc. Google Scholar Previously funded research resources: Grantome Federal RePORTER NIH RePORTER NSF Award Search SBIR—STTR America’s Seed Fund Award Information

Background and Statement of the Problem States the research problem including the proposed rationale, current state of knowledge and potential contributions and significance of the research to the field Critically evaluate existing knowledge, including background literature and relevant data References should reflect an updated knowledge of the field Specify existing gaps that the project is intended to fill Discussion should convey the importance and relevance of the research aims Highlight potential policy or practice impacts. Highlight why research findings are important beyond the confines of the specific research project (e.g., significance; how research results can be applied)

Formulating Research Questions

Research Question A good research question should Specify the population of interest Be of interest to the scientific community and potentially to the public Have clinical relevance and further current knowledge in the field

Questions to ask as you develop a research question Do I know the field and its literature well? Are there any gaps in knowledge my study could fill? Is there already a great deal of similar research being conducted in this topic area? Have similar studies been conducted? If so, is there room for improvement? Is my proposed topic area being funded? Will my study have a significant impact on the field? “So what?” test

Developing Purpose, Specific Aims/Objectives

Study Hypothesis/Study Purpose All studies have a purpose, not all will have a hypothesis A purposeful study can be exploratory or descriptive A “first look” May lead to hypothesis Note that a proposal that is hypothesis-driven is more likely to be funded than a “fishing expedition” or a primarily descriptive study A Hypothesis is a specific prediction about the nature and direction of the relationship between two variables A well-thought-out and focused research question leads directly into your hypothesis Strong hypotheses: Are testable and measurable by the proposed experiments Spring logically from PI and team’s experience Typically, no more than three primary hypotheses are proposed for a research study

Specific Aims vs. Objectives Sometimes referred to as one in the same In the context of a research grant application Your objective is the objective of the application or what you seek to accomplish through your study Should link back to the gap in knowledge your study is addressing Emphasize product, not process Specific Aims are the steps you are going to take to test your hypotheses

Develop Specific Aims Each aim should be directly matched with a hypothesis If you have an idea that is not directly testing your hypothesis, save it for later Each aim should be: Highly focused Measurable Feasible Independence vs. interdependence Complete independence is ideal Some interdependence is okay Complete interdependence is verboten

Independent vs. Interdependent Specific Aims Aim 1. Identify the segment of the mouthpart required for partial laceration of the strawberry leaf. Aim 2. Evaluate the efficacy of various salt compounds for reducing leaf damage compared to current methods of slug control. Some interdependence: Aim 1. Evaluate the efficacy of various salt compounds for reducing leaf damage compared to current methods of slug control. Aim 2. Determine the optimum concentration of salt compounds found to be efficacious for slug deterrence. Complete interdependence: Aim 1. Determine whether magnesium chloride applied to strawberry leaves reduces leaf damage compared to current methods of slug control. Aim 2. Determine the optimum concentration of magnesium chloride for slug deterrence.

Example from the Literature Study: Warden SJ, Metcalf BR, Kiss ZS, et al. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for chronic patellar tendinopathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Rheumatology 2008;47:467–71. Research question: How does low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) compare with a placebo device in managing the symptoms of skeletally mature patients with patellar tendinopathy? Research hypothesis: Pain levels are reduced in patients who receive daily active-LIPUS (treatment) for 12 weeks compared with individuals who receive inactive-LIPUS (placebo). Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of LIPUS in the management of patellar tendinopathy symptoms.

HEALTHCARE DEVELOPMENT CENTER Sources BioScience Writers. (April 9, 2015). NIH grant applications: the anatomy of a specific aims page. Dresbeck, R. (2013). Writing a great specific aims page. Oregon Health and Science University. Farrugia, P et al. (2010) Research questions, hypotheses and objectives. University of Washington. (n.d.). Grantsmanship 101: developing and writing effective grant applications – session 3: crafting effective specific aims. Wahlby, C. (n.d.). NIH proposal: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/documents/wahlbyresplan.pdf The Research Assistant: http://www.theresearchassistant.com/tutorial/2-1.asp HEALTHCARE DEVELOPMENT CENTER

CONTACT Title Position 202.xxxx-xxxx xxxx@hanoverresearch.com www.hanoverresearch.com