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NIH R01 proposal development workshop

Overview

The goal of this 10-week workshop to is to generate a robust draft of an R01 grant for submission to the National Institutes of Health.

The workshop is designed in a “writing group” format: Participants will share preliminary drafts of grant sections for peer review by other participants, faculty mentors, and language experts. The workshop will be led by faculty and staff with extensive experience writing successful grants.

In addition, the workshop will use a workbook developed by Grant Writers’ Seminars and Workshops to provide structure and guidance during the writing process. Every grant is different, and individuals ultimately identify the skills and techniques that resonate with them and fit best for a given grant topic. Thus, the recommendations presented in the workbook will be used as one example, with further discussion of other options during the grant discussions.

Applications for this year's workshop should be submitted by January 27. 

Workshop Structure

The 2025 workshop begins Tuesday, February 25.

  • Every other Tuesday, 2:30 - 4 pm: Group meetings 
  • Alternate Tuesdays, 2:30 - 4 pm: Office hours with the mentors

Between meetings, the participants will submit specified drafts, and will provide critiques of drafts from fellow participants. For the workshop to be successful, participants need to submit their drafts for critic on time, and need to provide thoughtful, helpful, yet rigorous critiques to their peers. Grant writing is an iterative process, with feedback known to be a critical component of successful grants. The goal of this workshop is to both develop strong grant-writing skills in the participants but also to identify points at which feedback is helpful in developing a robust grant application.

Text

The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook
National Institutes of Health Version
Grant Writers’ Seminars and Workshops
John D. Robertson, Stephen W. Russel, David C. Morrison
May 2020 Edition

Syllabus

Week 1 – Develop the focus and concept for your grant application and introduce the concept of specific aims

  • Preparation: Read Workbook Chapter 2
  • Perform NIH RePORTER search on your topic to identify other funded grants in your focus area
  • Identify areas in which you need to recruit collaborators

Week 2 – Specific Aims (no meeting)

  • Preparation: Read Workbook Part 2 - Chapters 7/8
  • Create a bulleted outline of the Specific Aims page (Chapter 7)
  • Write the Introductory and W’s paragraphs of the Specific Aims page (Chapter 8)
  • Submission: Submit the Introductory and W’s paragraphs to Canvas site by Sunday midnight

Week 3 –Specific Aims Discussions and Introduction to the Significance and Innovation sections

  • Preparation: Provide written peer review critiques for your assigned Specific Aims
  • Submission: Submit peer review critiques to Canvas site by Sunday midnight

Week 4 – Significance and Innovation sections (no meeting)

  • Preparation: Read Workbook Chapter 10
  • Make a bullet point outline of the Significance and Innovation sections using the subheadings: Importance of the Problem, Rigor of Prior Research, Significance of Proposed Research
  • Write the Significance and Innovation sections drafts
  • Revise Specific Aims page
  • Submission: Submit your draft Specific Aims, Significance and Innovation section drafts to Canvas by Sunday midnight

Week 5 – First half grant review discussion, intro to Research Approach Section and Placement of Preliminary Data

  • Preparation: Read workbook Chapter 9
  • Provide written peer review critiques for your assigned drafts
  • Submission: Submit the peer review critiques to Canvas site by Sunday midnight

Week 6 – Planning the Research Approach section (no meeting)

  • Preparation: Read Workbook Chapters 9 and 11
  • Identify Preliminary data to be included in grant
  • Make a bullet point outline for each Aim that includes the following subheadings: Introduction, Research/Experimental Design, Expected Outcomes, and Alternative Approaches.
  • Revise the Specific Aims, Significance, and Innovation sections, as needed
  • Submission: Submit your draft sections and the Research Approach outline to Canvas site (only instructor peer review) by Sunday midnight

Week 7 – Writing the Research Approach section (no meeting)

  • Preparation: Write draft of Research Approach section from the bullet point outline
  • Submission: Submit your grant draft including Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Research Approach, Timeline and Future Directions to Canvas site by Sunday midnight

Week 8 – Preparation for Mock Study Section

  • Preparation: Provide written peer review critiques for your assigned grants
  • Submission: Submit the peer review critiques to Canvas site by Sunday midnight

Week 9 – Receive Mock Study Section Reviews from Peers and “Experts in the Field”