Ready, Get Set, Submit Your Application

This is the seventeenth article in our New Investigator Series.

Previously, we wrote about how to create an appealing application and what to do once you’ve finished writing. In this article, we look at the ins and outs of submitting your application.

Summary

  • Tackle technical aspects early on.
  • Understand what’s involved with Grants.gov and eRA Commons validations.
  • If your application doesn’t pass validations, carefully consider the options.
  • Withdraw your application only after you’ve weighed several factors.

It’s been a long road up to this juncture, but you should be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel now that you’re ready to send your application on its way to NIH.

Since you’ll likely do this electronically,* you should be aware of the steps your application will go through, decisions you may have to make along the way, and what you can do to ensure smooth sailing.

Submitting your application is not as easy as you may think. That’s why you shouldn’t go it alone if you run up against a roadblock or are confused about how to proceed.

Read the rest of this post »

March 16, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Comment on Dr. Wählby’s Sample Application

This blog post gives you a place to share your own advice and comments on one of four sample R01 applications:

PI and Grantee Institution

Application Resources

Carolina Wählby, Ph.D., of the Broad Institute
“Image analysis for high-throughput C. elegans infection and metabolism assays”		 Summary Statement
Research Plan
Full Application

Learn more at Sample R01 Applications and Summary Statements.

March 15, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Comment on Dr. Striepen’s Sample Application

This blog post gives you a place to share your own advice and comments on one of four sample R01 applications:

PI and Grantee Institution Application Resources
Boris Striepen, Ph.D., of the University of Georgia
“Biology of the apicomplexan plastid”		 Summary Statement
Research Plan
Full Application

Learn more at Sample R01 Applications and Summary Statements.

March 15, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Comment on Dr. Ratner’s Sample Application

This blog post gives you a place to share your own advice and comments on one of four sample R01 applications:

PI and Grantee Institution Application Resources
Adam Ratner, M.D., M.P.H., of Columbia University

“Gardnerella vaginalis: toxin production and pathogenesis”

 Summary Statement
Research Plan
Full Application

Learn more at Sample R01 Applications and Summary Statements.

March 15, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Comment on Dr. Parrish’s Sample Application

This blog post gives you a place to share your own advice and comments on one of four sample R01 applications:

PI and Grantee Institution Application Resources
Colin Parrish, Ph.D., of Cornell University
“Structural controls of functional receptor and antibody binding to viral capsids”		 Summary Statement
Research Plan
Full Application

Learn more at Sample R01 Applications and Summary Statements.

March 15, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

ISO Projects That Improve Flu Vaccine Production

If you want to conduct research on strategies, methods, or tools to optimize the production of influenza vaccines, consider NIAID as a potential source of funding.

We are eager for investigator-initiated research, and we have several different types of grants to support your work.

Read the February 8, 2011, Guide notice to learn about some of our high-priority areas of research and see what funding opportunity announcements may suit you.

March 11, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

NIAID’s Priorities: Do You Get the Concept?

We don’t believe in crystal balls, but if you’re trying to glimpse into NIAID’s future research priorities, check our list of concepts, newly updated for those approved at February Council. Go to Concepts: Potential Opportunities.

Though only some concepts go on to become initiatives, all of them target research NIAID considers high priority.

When you plan an investigator-initiated application and start gathering preliminary data, set your research compass in the direction the concepts point. Even if we never publish a funding opportunity announcement for a given concept, your application could have a funding edge because of the importance of the topic.

If we end up setting aside money for an initiative, you’ll already have the makings of a great application.

See the following pages for information and advice:

March 8, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Ghostwriting – What’s Your Take?

We’re giving you the opportunity to express your opinion on grantees using ghostwriters for journal articles and more. The Project on Government Oversight watchdog group raised the issue in a March 2, 2011, blog post after writing a letter to Francis Collins. Also see Dr. Collins’ response.

March 3, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Finishing Touches for Your Application

This is the sixteenth article in our New Investigator Series.

Previously, we wrote about what it takes to get independent support and how to plan and write your application. In this article, we look at what you need to do after you finish writing.

Summary

  • Conducting a thorough “inspection” of your application is crucial.
  • Go through our checklist to ensure that everything is in tip-top shape.
  • Always include a cover letter, which can cover a lot of bases for you.

When building or buying a house, it’s a good idea to have an inspector check that everything is A-OK before you move in. Now that you’re done writing your application, think of it as a new home that’s ready for a complete once-over.

As the inspector, you should make sure it’s structurally sound and that all the pieces fit together perfectly before you submit it.

To make your life a little easier, you’ll find pointers here on how to proceed. Read the rest of this post »

March 2, 2011  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Two Acts and the Cost of Select Agent Research

Have the USA Patriot Act and the 2002 Bioterrorism Preparedness Act raised the cost of conducting select agent research?

A report published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) analyzes this question, and NIAID did its own evaluation for comparison. The results may surprise you.

Behind the PNAS Report

Published in May, the report studies the results of a bibliometric analysis to determine the two Acts’ effects on select agent research productivity for all projects funded by the U.S. government.

The authors find a two- to five-fold increase in the cost of conducting select agent research as measured by the number of research papers published per U.S. research dollars awarded.

What Goes Up Does Come Down

As you can see below, data from PNAS show a dramatic increase in the cost of select agent (Anthrax and Ebola) research after 2003. After five years the costs drop significantly, though they remain higher than before the two Acts went into effect. Read the rest of this post »

February 28, 2011  Tags:   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments