1. UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Alan Tackett, PhD
UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
“Significance and Innovation”

2. Basics White space is your friend Easier on the reviewer to read
Demonstrates your ability to write concisely
11 pt. Arial
Space between paragraphs
Indent paragraphs
Use headings
Construct your figures to tell the story
Exceptional figures translate to exceptional scores
Create the figures so that a reviewer could simply flip through your figures and understand the entire proposal
Start off with a general figure that summarizes the whole grant (Specific Aims page or very early in the Significance)
Make the figures large and figure captions the same font size as the other text
Put a box around the figure and legend
Avoid tables of data if possible

3. From the NIH PHS398 Instructions
(a) Significance
Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed project addresses.
Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.
Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.
(b) Innovation
Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms.
Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s) to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s).
Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions.

4. From the Parent R01 Announcement Scored Review Criteria
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?  
Innovation
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?   
The applicant instructions and reviewer instructions are the same so you must address all points

5. From NCI suggestions on how to write a grant http://deainfo. nci. nih
RESEARCH PLAN PART 2: Significance
Purpose: The Significance section should explain the importance of the problem or describe the critical barrier to progress in the field that is being addressed. Explain how the proposed research project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields. Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.
Recommended Length: Approximately 1-2 pages (approx. 1 page for 6 page research plan; 2 for 12 page research plan)
Content: The Significance section replaces the previous Background and Significance section.
It should cover:
The state of existing knowledge, including literature citations and highlights of relevant data (yours and others)
Rationale of the proposed research
Explain gaps that the project is intended to fill
Potential contribution of this research to the scientific field(s) and public health.

6. From NCI suggestions on how to write a grant http://deainfo. nci. nih
RESEARCH PLAN PART 2: Significance
Suggestions
Make a compelling case for your proposed research project. Why is the topic important? Why are the specific research questions important? How are the researchers qualified to address these?
Establish significance through a careful review of published data in the field, including your own. Avoid outdated research. Use citations not only as support for specific statements but also to establish familiarity with all of the relevant publications and points of view. Your application may well be reviewed by someone working in your field. If their contributions and point of view are not mentioned, they are not likely to review your application sympathetically.
Highlight success of your related grants and awareness of potential barriers and alternative approaches.
Highlight why research findings are important beyond the confines of a specific project i.e., how can the results be applied to further research in this field or related areas.
Clearly state public health implications.
Show that the objectives are attainable within the stated time frame. Include a time frame for each specific aim.
Stress any innovations in experimental methods (e.g., new strategies, research methods used, interventions proposed).
Relate back to the hypothesis

7. RESEARCH PLAN PART 3: Innovation
Purpose: Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms. Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions. Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.
Recommended Length: The recommended length of the innovation section is page.
The innovation section should include the following: Explain why concepts and methods are novel to the research field. Focus on innovation in study design and outcomes.
Suggestions
Describe how the application differs from current research or clinical practice paradigms.
Provide a careful review of the current literature to support the innovative methodologies, approaches, or concepts of your research.
Demonstrate familiarity with novel methodologies by citing your publications and publications of others in the field.
Summarize novel findings to be presented as preliminary data in the Approach section.
Relate back to the hypothesis