0.4 How to obtain funding  (Page 3/3)

Slide 22: how to obtain funding: an assistant professor’s guide

Robert M. Raphael, Ph.D.

TN Law Assistant Professor

Dept. of Bioengineering

Rice University

Slide 23: spirit of the fighting irish

Slide 24: writing great grants: a three step recipe

• Choose a significant problem
  • Bonus points if not much work has been done on the problem
  • More bonus points if you have done the important work
• Leave no question that you can accomplish your aims
  • Established track record of publications
  • Clear and convincing preliminary data
• Write a clear, easy to read proposal
  • “Calm down, understand the situation and communicate clearly” – We Were Soldiers

Slide 25: big hurdles and pitfalls

• Navigating the Scylla of building on your accomplishments and the Charybdis of creating new research problems and attacking new research areas, given your situation:
  • Laboratory techniques not yet working
  • Students not yet trained/busy with classes
  • Teaching and other responsibilities
• Proposing to do too much
• Not making clear the points and connections that are obvious to you

Slide 26: final do’s and dont’s

• Do not necessarily assume the person who reviews your grant will be an expert in your area or know why your research is novel
• The response to a revised NIH grant is very important
  • Never appear to be angry or emotional. Just stick to the science. If a reviewer got something wrong (which often happens), just lay out the facts.
  • This is hard because you have put so much effort into the grant it’s easy to take comments personally.
  • Criticisms are of the science, not of you!
• Get grants done in advance and have colleagues read them !
  • Resist the thrill of pulling it off on “third and long”

Slide 27: and remember:

Slide 28: acknowledgements

• Thanks for Believing in Us!
  • NSF CAREER
  • Whitaker Foundation
  • Texas Advanced Technology Program
  • National Organization for Hearing Research
  • NIH NRSA (Greeson, Organ)
  • NSF-IGERT
  • Keck Center for Computational and Structural Biology
  • DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

Slide 29: so you want someone else to pay for your research?

Joan E. Strassmann, Ph.D.

Department Chair

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Rice University

• So you want someone else to pay for your research?
  • Ask important, big questions.
  • Have several projects at once.
  • Write clear, well-researched proposals.
  • Collaborate.
  • Identify all possible funding sources and learn their cultures.
  • Don’t let funding consume you. Keep publishing!

Slide 30: number 1 - ask important, big questions.

• Do not redo your Ph.D. or postdoc work.
• Find a substantially new project if your proposal is rejected twice.
• Read deeply and broadly (at least 5 articles a day).
• Be creative.
• Do not be afraid to do something really different.
• Talk to lots of people about research.

Slide 31: number 2 - do several projects at once.

• Keeps you excited.
• When one project faces problems, another could be blooming.
• Increases funding opportunities.
• Synergy in thinking about different things can suggest novel pathways.
• Increases your visibility.

Slide 32: number 3 - write clear, well-researched proposals.

• The proposal must be impeccable, no typos, clear headers, clear flow from hypotheses to methods.
• Follow the format of the agency exactly.
• Include preliminary data and figures.
• Get sample funded proposals by asking people for them, preferably those not too close to your research.
• Have several people read your proposal.
• Leave enough time, at least 3 months.

Slide 33: number 4 - collaborate.

• New ideas often come from collaboration.
• Techniques and approaches can be shared.
• This is the ONLY way to succeed without turning into a workaholic.
• Teamwork is fun!
• Find collaborators from a broader pool than is initially comfortable, and bridge the gaps with frequent meetings.
• Same-stage collaborators are often best.

Slide 34: number 5 - identify all possible funding sources and learn their cultures.

• NSF and NIH are not the only sources of funding.
• Learn about those grants requiring nominations, and get them.
• Take advantage of your sponsored research office in learning about private funding.

Slide 35: number 6 - keep publishing.

• The search for funding can be discouraging.
• Keep trying, but don’t forget to keep publishing anyway.
• Write up your research quickly.
• Write a minireview, review, perspective etc. at least every 2 years.

Slide 36: conclusion

Have fun! It’s a great life!