NIAID Workshop on Grantsmanship, Funding,

and Peer Review

NIH Structure and Grantsmanship

Alison Deckhut Augustine, Ph.D.Basic Immunology Branch

Division of Allergy, Immunology and TransplantationNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Presentation Outline

■NIH Structure and Grantsmanship (Alison)

■Funding Opportunities (Lawrence Prograis, MD)

■Grant Application Process/Peer Review (B. Duane Price, PhD)

NIH – 27 Institutes and Centers

Office of the Director

National Libraryof Medicine

Center for InformationTechnology

Center for Scientific Review

FogartyInternational

Center

National Instituteof Arthritis andMusculoskeletal

and Skin Diseases

National Instituteof Diabetes andDigestive and

Kidney Diseases

National Instituteof Dental andCraniofacial

Research

National Institute onDeafness and Other

CommunicationDisorders

National EyeInstitute

National Heart,Lung, and Blood

Institute

National Instituteon Alcohol Abuseand Alcoholism

National CancerInstitute

National Instituteon Drug Abuse

National Instituteof Environmental Health Sciences

National Instituteof Mental Health

National Instituteof NeurologicalDisorders and

Stroke

National Instituteof Allergy and

Infectious Diseases

National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities

National Instituteon Aging

National Instituteof Child Health

and HumanDevelopment

National HumanGenome Research

Institute

National Instituteof General

Medical Sciences

National Instituteof Nursing Research

National Centerfor Complementary

and AlternativeMedicine

National Centerfor ResearchResources

Clinical Center

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

no fundingauthority

Different Missions, Responsibilities and Constituencies

National Instituteon Minority Health

and HealthDisparities

A Typical NIH Institute/Center

Office of the IC Director

Board of Scientific

Counselors

National Advisory Council

Extramural Intramural

Biomedical Research

Grants

Biomedical Research Contracts

Basic & Clinical

Research

Clinical Trials

Understanding/Navigating the NIH

NIH Extramural Programs

NIH Extramural Staff

■Program Officer (PO)

■Scientific Review Officer (SRO)

■Grants Management Specialist (GMS)

Program Officer

A science professional, usually Ph.D./M.D. level, who:■ Serves as an advocate for investigators

■ Provides scientific stewardship and administration of grants & contracts awarded by NIH

■ Identifies areas of scientific priority and develops funding opportunities for extramural researchers

■ Provides guidance on NIH extramural policy/procedures, research resources, and funding opportunities to extramural investigators

Scientific Review Officer

A science professional, usually M.D. or Ph.D. level, who: Is based at an NIH Institute or Center (IC), or at the

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

Manages Study Sections and review panels for grants and contracts

Selects review panel members

Assigns reviewers to applications

Compiles application summary statements

Grants Management Specialist

Business/finance professional who:

Negotiates and awards all grants

Provides fiscal administration of grants

Is the government official on fiscal and policy issues and approvals

Types of NIH Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)

FOA: Call for applications in a particular research area of interest to one or multiple NIH Institutes.Contracts RFP BAA

Grants Request for Application (RFA) Program Announcement (PA)

Types of NIH Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)

Request for Application (RFA)

One application receipt date

Set-aside funds

Areas of scientific interest indicated, also includes areas

not supported by the RFA

Awards may have a budget cap

Programmatic, Review, and Grants Management

contacts

Types of NIH Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)

Program Announcement (PA) – 3 types PA – general type. No set-aside funds or special review.

Reviewed in standing study sections, paid with IC “payline” funds

PAR – Special review (Special Emphasis Panel) convened, no set-aside funds (paid with IC “payline” funds)

PAS – Set-aside funds, may include review by a Special Emphasis Panel

When will I get my grant funded?

(well, sometimes it just feels that way…)

Grant Writing 101: The Big Three

Can your research move your field forward?

Is the field important – will progress make a difference in human health?

Can you and your team conduct the work (expertise, resources)?

Read FOA instructions thoroughly

Never assume the reviewers will “know what you mean”

Refer to literature thoroughly

State rationale of proposed studies

Include well-designed tables and figures

Present an organized, clear story

Grant Writing 101

Lack of new or original ideas; incremental advances

Absence of a solid scientific rationale

Insufficient knowledge of relevant published work

Diffuse, superficial or unfocused research plan or

experimental approach

Proposed studies are too broad or too narrow

Limited/no experience in essential techniques, no collaborators with

required expertise

Lack of discussion of possible pitfalls and alternative approaches

Uncertainty concerning future directions

Common Grant Writing Mistakes

A Little Help From Your Friends

■ NIH extramural staff:■ SRO – advice about appropriate study sections; submission

requirements■ PO - advice about research focus (before review), appropriate study

sections, discussion of review results and applicant responses

■ Colleagues: read your application, well in advance of the application due date

■ GRIP: Grant Review for Immunologists Program■ Matches new PIs with established PIs in same area■ Obtain expert advice on grant applicationhttp://www.aai.org/Education/GRIP/index.html

Mechanisms (Funding Opportunities)

Lawrence Prograis, M.D.Division of Allergy, Immunology and

Transplantation

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PhD Career Track and NIAID Funding Mechanisms

T32 - Institutional training grant (NRSA)-has pre- & postdoc slots F31 - Individual (diversity) predoc fellowship (NRSA) F31 – Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (NRSA) [FY2015 available] F32 - Individual postdoc fellowship (NRSA) K01- Mentored Research Scientist Award K22 - Research Scholar Development Award K99/R00 - Pathway to Independence Award

Ph.D.FacultyPosition

AwardTypes

CareerStage

HighSchoolStudent

GraduateStudent

IndependentInvestigator

T32 T32

Diversity Supplements

F32 K22K99 orR00K01

Postdoc Phase

F31

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MD Career Track and NIAID Funding Mechanisms

T35 - NRSA Short Term Institutional Research Training Grant F30 - Individual predoctoral MD/PhD and Other Dual Doctoral Degree Fellows (NRSA) T32 - Institutional training grant (NRSA)-has pre-& postdoc slots F32 - Individual postdoc fellowship (NRSA) K01 - Mentored Research Scientist Award K08 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award K23 - Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award K24 - Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research K22- Research Scholar Development Award

M.D.FacultyPosition

AwardTypes

MedicalStudent

ClinicalTrainingPhase

Research TrainingPhase

IndependentInvestigator

T35 T32

Diversity Supplements

F32 K24

K01K08K23

F30

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NIAID Fellowship Awards (Fs)

F30: started FY14 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual

Predoctoral MD/PhD and Other Dual Doctoral Degree Fellows (Parent F30)

F31 (Div): Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual

Predoctoral Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31 - Diversity)

F32: Ruth L. Kirschstein

National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (Parent F32)

FY15: Sign on to F31: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual

Predoctoral Fellows

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Individual Fellowship Awards (Fs)

Individual awards Cannot change the scope, move fellowship, or

change mentor without prior NIH approval NIH determines stipend levels and limited

tuition reimbursement, training related expenses; F&As 8%

Review at CSR (currently 24 SS) http

://public.csr.nih.gov/StudySections/Fellowship/Pages/default.aspx

Success rate < 20%

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NIAID Career Development Awards (Ks)

K08:

Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08) 

K23:

Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23)

K24:

Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24)

K22 (PAR):

NIAID Career Transition Award (K22)

K99/R00:

NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00)

NIAID supports only 1 year of a mentored phase (K99) and 2 years of the independent (R00) phase. This is a deviation from the support from all the other ICs.

K01:

Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01)

NIAID Career Development (K01) Awards in Epidemiology, Modeling, and Outcomes Research

http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-AI-08-040.html

K25:

Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25)

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Career Development Awards (Ks)

Individual awards MDs (K08 and K23) to support development to become

independent investigators K24 (associate professor)**supports mentoring of young clinical

investigators Salary for K08/23 awards: $90K/$50K research support; F&A 8% Most are mentored, others are not PhDs (MDs): Mostly K22 and K99/R00: transition awards; also

K01 and K25 Review at NIAID SRP by 4 chartered committees (AIDS, AITC,

MID and MID-B)• Candidate, Career Dev. Plan, Research Plan, Mentor(s), Env./Inst. Com.

Success rates about 30+%

Postdoc (PhD/MD) – Should I apply for a K22 or a K99/R00?

NIAID Research Scholar Development

Award (K22)

Transition award (postdoc-to-assistant

professor)

2 year award

No mentored phase. Fundable score,

s/he has one year to find a position as

assistant professor

Phase 2: • Assistant Professor position

• Own lab space

• Significant start-up funds

• Little teaching/ no administrative

responsibilities

$150K (Year 1) + $100K (Year 2)

Success rate: >25%

NIAID’s Pathway to Independence

Award (K99/R00)

Transition award (postdoc-to asst.

professor)

3 year award (other ICs 5yrs)

1 yr mentored phase ($90K/yr)

Awardee becomes assistant professor

(internal approval similar to K22 phase 2)

2 yr independent R00 phase ($249K/yr

TC)

No US citizenship required

Success rate: ca. 7-18%

NIAID Transition Awards (K22 or K99/R00)

Postdoc with less than 4 years of postdoc experience

Assistant Professor

+/- 1 year

Secures a faculty Position

&Submits the K22 phase II

or R00 applicationSubmits a K22 or K99 application and receives a fundable score

NIAID makes the award to the new institution/candidate.

Success Rates for NIAID Training and Career Grants, FY2012

Grant Type Applications Awards Success Rate

F32 Awards 240 47 19.6%

K08 38 15 39.5%

K22 51 15 29.4%

K23 32 17 50.1%

K99 33 6 18.2%

T Awards 72 23 31.9%

NIAID Training Pay lines

FY

Overall Impact Score

F31 F32 K (not K99) T32

2013 30 25 26 14

2012 24 22 24 16

2011 26 24 31 22

2010 28 28 26 28

Loan Repayment programs (LRP)

NIH wants to encourage outstanding health professionals to pursue careers in biomedical, behavioral, social, and clinical research. If you commit at least two years to conducting qualified research funded by a domestic nonprofit organization or U.S. federal, state, or local government entity, NIH may repay up to $35,000 of your qualified student loan debt per year. Loan repayment benefits are in addition to the institutional salary you receive for your research.

Clinical Research Pediatric Research Health Disparities Research Contraception and Infertility Research Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

General LRP site:• http://www.lrp.nih.gov/index.aspx• A recorded overview webinar from the LRP Office: http://go.usa.gov/aHx

NIH WEBSITES

Training at NIH• http://www.training.nih.gov

NIH Research Training Opportunities• http://grants1.nih.gov/training/extramural.htm

NIH Guidelines and Forms• http://www.nih.gov/grants/documentindex.htm

NIAID Advice on Training• http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/training/default.htm

How to Write a Grant• http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/write/index.htm

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Non-NIH Research Funding Websites

Fogarty International Center: http://www.fic.nih.gov/funding/index.htm

National Science Foundation (NSF): http://www.nsf.gov/

FastLane: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

(DARPA) http://www.darpa.mil/ The Congressionally Directed Medical Research

Programs (CDMRP) http://cdmrp.army.mil/

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Research Support Funding Websites

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: http://www.fgatesfoundation.org/default

The Wellcome Trust: http://www.wellcomefund.ac.uk/

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: http

://www.theglobalfund.org/en/

amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research:http://www.amfar.org/

  The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative: http://www.iavi.org/

  The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: http://www.sloan.org/

Centers for Research Libraries (includes dissertations): http://www.crl.edu/catalog/index.htm

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Private Funding Sources:(National and International)

A short list of NIAID's List of Foundations and Other Funding sources at:

• http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/ann/Pages/found.aspx

NIH Peer ReviewB. Duane Price, PhDSenior Scientific Review OfficerImmunology Review Branch,Division of Extramural Activities, NIAID

CSR assigns applications to study section (review) & NIH Institute (funding)

3- 4 reviewers assigned to read and write critiques for each application

Summary Statement and Priority Score transmitted to applicant (Commons) and NIH extramural staff

Researcher writes andInstitution submits application to NIH

Application Processing

Study section composed of 20-30 reviewers – review/discuss applications

*

Mock Peer Review

Sample R01 Applications and Summary Statements http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/pages/appsamples.aspx

NIH Grant Review Process YouTube Videos http://cms.csr.nih.gov/ResourcesforApplicants/InsidetheNIHGrantReviewProcessVideo.htm

NIH Scoring Range

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Understanding the Summary Statement Impact/Priority Score: 1-9 scale

Percentile: Approximate percentage of applications receiving an impact/priority score from the study section during one year (3 review cycles), NOT all types of grants receive a percentile

Resume: Official summary of review meeting discussion, for scored applications only

Critiques: Reviewers written comments

What to Do After Review Talk to your NIH Program Officer

Attends the Study Section (most cases) Provide insights to discussion (unofficial) and possible funding

options

Read the Summary Statement Official document providing scientific merit score and summarizing

reviewers comments First paragraph (Resume) is the official summary of the meeting

discussion

Strategize Next Steps Talk to your NIH program officer again, after both of you have read the summary statement Discuss with colleagues, mentors