Concept Note Development Course Rajshahi University, Dept of Statistics Day 3 June Facilitated by Dorothy Southern and Yushuf Sharker Programme on Infectious Disease and Vaccine Sciences, ICDDR,B

Day 3Session 1 Session 1: Best practice presentation and peer review Time: 9:00 – 11:00 Facilitator: Dorothy Southern and Yushuf Sharker

Objectives To provide an example of a quality concept note To introduce a checklist to use for a pair work peer review exercise

PowerPoint presentation of a ‘gold-standard’ concept note

Peer review of participants’ draft concept notes using a checklist

Day 3Session 2 Session 2: Course Wrap-up Time: 11:30 – 13:00 Facilitator: Dorothy Southern and Yushuf Sharker

Objectives To wrap–up the course through a review of knowledge and skills presented and outline the next steps –Q & A session and next steps –Post-training assessment –Certificates and vote of thanks

Any comments? Questions? Day 1 Session-1: Focus and Structure of Course Session-2: Think Before You Write (Research question, hypothesis, objectives) Session 3: Successful Proposal Writing Session 4: Framing your research question (background section) Session 5: Plagiarism and referencing Session 6: Writing in Scientific Style (the 6 Ss)

Day 2 Session-1: Research Design Session-2: Statistical Conclusion Validity Session 3: Logistics: Timeline and Budgets Session-4: Ethics, Gender, Collaboration, MDGs and Knowledge Translation

Next steps Concept note review –like all scientific documents, concept notes are improved by review. Seek review from your co-investigators, and proposed collaborators. The deadlines for funding agencies are shorter than for manuscript submissions. Expect that it will take one working week to get feedback from collaborators. Be sure to start drafting a concept note early enough so that you can get review

Responding to funding agency reviews –The funding agency usually will have questions. This is a critical time in the negotiation for funding. You need to be an excellent listener so that you can respond appropriately. This means being willing to change the proposal to address the funding agency’s concerns. This process of negotiation is when the funding agency is assessing your professionalism and responsiveness.

Accepted or rejected? –Expect that many of your funding ideas will be rejected Rejection of concept notes and manuscripts is part of being a scientist. It is important to persist and to apply for more than one opportunity. Continue to explore research questions that can make a positive contribution to public health and try to convince an agency to fund it, as is, or by adapting it into a more fundable proposal.

Key points to remember… Clear, concise protocol is critical for a study’s success Start early—protocol development takes time –Early input facilitates review A team effort, not individual (collaboration!) Seek multiple reviews from everyone (PI, co- authors, external collaborators, external reviewers, and IRBs )

Other sources of information: This is the Science and Development Network website with great information on: –agriculture and environment –climate change and energy –health

The CCD is willing to continue to support the Department of Statistics, Department of Mathematics and RMCH’s in developing concept notes for funding opportunities. You are welcome to send a complete concept note outline to We will review it, give comment and suggestions and then send it back for you to revise the second draft.

Thank you!