2. Finding Funding Opportunities: Choosing the Best Grant for You
Maureen E. Goode, PhD, ELS
Administrative Director
Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences

3. Start thinking about grants NOW.
Learn the types of grants available, how you can keep informed about funding opportunities, and how to choose the kind of grant most likely to be funded.
Plan a couple of steps ahead in your career.

4. The choices seem endless….
NIH, NSF, DoD, AHA, MDA, ACS…?
NCI, NEI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NIBIB, NICHD, NIDA, NIDCR, NIEHS, NIMH, NINDS, NINR, NIAMS, NIDCD, NIDDK, NIGMS…?
R01, R03, R21, T32, P01, P30, K08, K22, K23, IDEA grant, young investigator grant…?
Investigator initiated or in response to an FOA?

5. Learn the Language--investigators
New investigator = has no major (R01-type ) funding
Early stage investigator = new investigator within 10 years of completing terminal research degree or medical residency

6. Learn the Language—grants & applications
Grant mechanism = kind of grant (R01, K22, P01, new investigator)
Investigator initiated (unsolicited) application= your idea + a general grant mechanism
Application in response to an FOA = your idea + an FOA

7. Learn the Language—information
FOA = funding opportunity announcement
RFA = request for applications
PA = program announcement
RFP = request for proposals
Notice = information about an FOA

8. Learn the Language—your new best friends
Funding agency = organization that awards grants
IC = National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institute or Center
Program officer = funding agency employee managing an FOA
Study section = reviewers of your grant application

9. Learn the Language—NIH-specific terms
NIH Glossary & Acronym List

10. To choose the best grant for you, ask yourself:
What do I want to do?
How much will it cost? How long will it take?
Where am I in my career?
Who might give me a grant?

11. What do you want to do?
Conduct research
Individual and group research grants
Get training
Training and career development awards
Train others
Departmental & institutional training grants
Hold a scientific or educational meeting
Build new facilities

12. Individual Research Grants
One project
Examples
R = NIH research grants
R01—Research Project Grant
R03—Small Grant
R21—Exploratory/Developmental Grant
R41/R42—Small Business Technology
Transfer Research Grants
R43/R44—Small Business Innovation
Research Grants

13. Multiproject Grants
Several related projects, sometimes with supporting cores and programs for career development and for funding pilot projects (you could get a grant from a multiproject grant)
Examples
P = NIH multiproject grants
P01—Research Program Project Grant
P30—Center Core Grant
P50—Specialized Center Grant

14. Career Development/Training Awards
For the development of researchers
Salary support and research funds
Most are for students, fellows, and assistant professors, but some are for more senior faculty
Many are limited to certain career periods (e.g., first 3 years of assistant professorship) and to US citizens or resident aliens
Investigators with other career development awards or R01-type funding are not eligible

15. Examples
K, F, and T = NIH career development/training
K01—Mentored Research Scientist Award
K08—Mentored Clinical Scientist Award
K12—Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award
K22 —NCI Transition Career Development Award
K23—Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award
K24—Established Investigator Award
F32—Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award
T32 —Kirschstein Institutional Research Training Award

16. How much will it cost? How long will it take?
All FOAs have time limits
Almost all have budget limits or ranges
For initial planning, an approximate cost is fine--$50,000? $200,000? Millions?
Colleagues and your departmental grants administrator can help you estimate the cost of the research (direct funds)
Indirect funds (which go to your institution) have to be included

17. Where are you in your career?
Graduate student
Postdoctoral or clinical fellow
New assistant professor just beginning a research project
Associate or full professor continuing an established research program
Any professor testing a new hypothesis
There are specific grants for all these stages in your career.

18. Graduate Students
NIH grants
GrantsNet (useful information for everyone)
GSBS announces grant opportunities for its students
Check large institutional and departmental training and research grants too

19. Postdocs
NIH grants
(has information for assistant professors too)
GrantsNet
Check large institutional and departmental training and research grants too

20. Who might give you a grant?
NIH
Other funding agencies—check eCivis

28. Don’t like the FOA but like the funding agency?OR
Want to confirm that you’ve chosen the right grant from that agency?
Check the agency’s web site for other FOAs
Here’s an example…

31. Department of Defense (DoD)
cdmrp.army.mil/funding/default.htm
Have been for a variety of diseases. FY11 list is not out yet.
Mechanisms: postdoctoral, new investigator, hypothesis-testing (Idea), clinical investigator, and therapy-development awards (varies by disease site)
Many emphasize innovative ideas
Not restricted to US citizens or resident aliens

32. AFTER READING THE FOA,
Get More Information from the Program Officer
Is my project a good fit with the FOA?
If not, are there other FOAs that would be better?
This FOA is about to expire. Will it be reissued?
Who is on the study section?
Will a lot of people apply for this grant? (What are my chances?)
Can you suggest any ways to improve my proposal?
Also, thank them— their institute or foundation directors

64. REMEMBER Contact us to discuss what we can do for you;
or Maureen Goode ( )
Use CCTS services and programs to leverage your grant applications
Check our web site for information

65. From the New Yorker, December 6, 2010