“REBP- How to write research proposals for funding” Gülcan Arusoglu, Ph.D.  Head, Assistant Prof. Istanbul S. Zaim University Dept. of Nutrition and Dietetics Istanbul – Türkiye www.izu.edu.tr

Presentation Content Call for proposals How to get started The basics of writing a proposal Title, proposal acronym, abstract, and keywords Introduction, research objectives Methods, techniques Tables and figures, results, references Project organization and management Do we need partner organization? Why? Workpackages CV of the researcher Budget and ethics Summary table of how to apply package

Call for proposals search for possible ways of funding, e.g.: call for national/ international proposals check criteria for proposals for each call – different calls will have different criteria and templates make sure that your idea/research questions fits the call make sure that you will be able to meet criteria of the call (e.g. deadline of submission, number of partners)

The basics of writing a proposal Getting started: What do I have to say? What is the right format for the message? What is the audience for the message? How does the project fit in criteria of the call?

what’s this study about? Title: Ask Yourself What is the single most important point of this study? How would I tell my colleague, in one short descriptive sentence: what’s this study about? A descriptive, specific title perfectly framing your study will be apparent only after you’ve written the paper and abstract. Start with a short descriptive working title

Proposal Acronym Often an acronym is used. For example: Dietitians Improving Education and Training Standards (DIETS)

Abstract Emphasize importance of the project, formulate research question and explain methods check the call for exact template J of Clinical Epidemiology. Effective writing and publishing scientific papers. part XI, part XII, part IX, part X, part VI

Introduction The introduction must allow readers to understand the biological, clinical, or methodological rationale for your study. A good introduction will ‘‘sell’’ the study to reviewers The introduction should be as concise as possible.

Introduction Existing state of knowledge Gaps in knowledge which research will fill. State what you Intend to do Give pertinent references It does not Review the history of the subject Does not identify all the other gaps in knowledge Don not include methods, results and discussion

Checklist for the introduction Check, if the introduction has a funnel shape with clear sections on general background (what is this all about?); What is known and what is unknown about this specific subject (why was this study needed, and why is it important?); primary research question (what did we want to know?); and study aim and design (what did we do to answer the research question?). What are the primary and secondary outcomes and or milestones? Ask yourself, ‘‘Will this introduction sell my paper to reviewers?’’

Research objective Have a clear understanding of the primary research objective. Without this, it will be impossible to write a clear and concise story. Exm: -The aims of the proposal is to improving the understanding….. -The results will be highly pertinent to the understanding of the… -The data obtained from this project will enable…..

Methods Reason for selecting the design of the study. e.g. RCT, clinical trial, animal study, cross sectional, cohort etc. What Subjects/patients/animals/specimens techniques will be used? Statistical methods that will be used for analysis need for approval of medical ethical committee ethics (informed consent e.g.)

Checklist for the methods section Include basic information on study design, setting and subjects, data collection, data analysis, and ethical approval Refer to previous publications from the same large research project, such as a study protocol, for additional information (if applicable) Ask yourself, ‘‘Would a researcher be able to reproduce the study with the information I provide in this paper?’’

Use clear, clean, and unemotional language. Try to use active verbs, and consider using signaling words (such as to determine whether…, to clarify this…, to compare…). Use present tense for established facts (e.g., ‘‘low back pain is a common reason to consult physical therapists’’) and past tense or present perfect for findings you do not consider established.

Techniques Give enough details for readers to assess the validity of the results, and repeat the study If standard techniques are used, give appropriate reference, any modifications should be clearly explained If a drug/supplement trial- clear description of trial

Statistics Consult a statistician, if necessary. Clearly mention the statistical methods that will be used or that will be used? for appropriate verification of reported results. What is the statistical power calculation of the proposal?

Project organisation and management make clear how the project will be organised; which partners will be involved in decision making, will there be administrative support, how wil the project be monitored often a SWOT analyses will be part of the proposal

Consortium What partners do you need to answer you research question? The proposal should indicate partners involved in the project each partners’s role in the project the reason why each partner is important for the project Provide a list of all participants indicating the legal entity, the department carrying out the work and the supervisor of the action.

Workpackages Large projects are often divided into several workpackages. Each workpackage has its own objectives and activities and deliverables Each workpackage has a co-ordinator and members from relevant partner organisations (explain why partners are in this particular workpackage)

Example for WP

Description of the phases, work plans, milestones and deliverables (Q: Quarters of year) Time Period Phases/Work Plans (WP) / Deliverables (D) Year 1 (Q1) (approx. 3 months) PHASE 1: ….. • WP1.1 … • WP1.2 … Milestone 1: … D1.1 …. D1.2 …. (Q2, Q3, Q4) PHASE 2:…

CV of researcher A CV of prinical investigator is often required. Research experience with CV Research results including publications, teaching, etc. Independent thinking, leadership qualities, and capacity to transfer knowledge Match between the fellow's profile and project

Budget Develop a clear budget proposal. How budgets should be presented will differ widely, so please check whether their are templates to be used for the call you apply for your proposal.

Medical ethical approval Check whether your proposal needs be to approved by a medical ethical committee. If a medical ethical committee needs to be involved, please check guidelines for sending proposals for your committee (since these will vary across Europe). If medical ethical committee approval needs to be obtained, these committees will have guidelines and criteria for documents to be developed and reviewed.

Summary Table of Content Research project Theoretical background The study system Hypotheses and predictions Research methodology Objective 1 – Measuring ….. Objective 2 – ……. Originality and innovative nature of the project Timeless and relevance of the project Quality of the group/supervisors TRAINING Clarity and quality of the research training objectives for the researcher Relevance and quality of additional scientific training as well as of complementary skills offered

Summary Table of Content RESEARCHER Research experience Research results IMPLEMENTATION Quality of infrastructures/facilities and practical arrangements for the implementation and management of the project Feasibility and credibility of the project, including work plan IMPACT Contribution to European excellence and European competitiveness ETHICAL ISSUES Addressing ethical concerns Ethical issues table REFERENCES