For many early career investigators (ECIs), beginning a first tenure track faculty position is intense. Some find themselves in the first semester juggling a heavy course load, including courses they've never taught that they're scrambling to develop. It's no wonder that research goals sometimes fall off the radar until at least the winter semester. It absolutely makes sense, yet a chaotic start to your career can leave some faculty in a sort of slump as to how to really get things started around their research when they are ready to do so.
Drawing from ORDE and Office of Research Services (ORS) resources, as well as other successful research development offices around the country, I offer some tips to get started that can help to get your research and research funding work going.
Attend workshops and seminars
Even if you've written several grants with your mentor, leading a grant development effort can bring new challenges. By registering for grant development seminars and training, you can get insight on how to approach grant-writing, as well as meet other ECIs and seasoned PIs that you might collaborate with and/or learn from.
ORDE offers a seminar series that will begin in January of 2015, open to all CU Denver faculty. The Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) also offers various educational programs, including Pre-K and K to R programs for aspiring NIH ECIs. Many professional organizations offer grant development training or intensive programs to their members as well. It's always worth exploring what these organizations offer as it may be a good fit for you.
Meet with a mentor, RD professional, or leader
Having a one-on-one conversation with a mentor, an accomplished investigator or a research development professional can help you put your research career and plans into perspective. Having someone to serve as a sounding board and/or an adviser can be incredibly helpful to ECIs as they juggle their responsibilities and find ways that they can move forward.
The ORDE team is always available to meet with any of our faculty in strategy sessions as folks who you can bounce ideas off of. This can be particularly helpful when you're also wondering what funding sources are available to you.
Conduct a fund search
ORDE is also available to conduct personalized fund searches for our faculty. We work with you to understand your research goals or your specific research project, and provide you with a planning document that outlines potential funding agencies, a summary of those agencies, deadlines, eligibility, etc. These fund searches and our follow-up updates are all focused on your research.
Find seed money
Seed money can be difficult to come by, but it can really make the difference for ECIs trying to grow their research. ORDE offers a New Investigator Funding e-Book and an e-Book for Pilot Project Funding. Additionally ORS offers small and large grants to researchers on the Denver campus. This seed money can help to jump start your project and put you in a more competitive position when applying for larger external grants down the road.
Identify/form a writing group
Although a large amount of grant development and research is done independently, recruiting and working with a group of peers in a writing group or something of the like can keep you moving forward. A writing group that meets regularly can give you accountability to your peers as well as give you a mutually beneficial group of peer reviewers to offer you feedback on draft grant applications.
These resources and tips can be helpful as you grow your research and research support.
Resources
Office of Research Development Education (ORDE)
Office of Research Services (ORS)
Colorado Clinical and Translational Service Institute (CCTSI)
Friday, November 21, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Supporting Documents for Grants
Letters of recommendation, letters of collaboration, references, oh my! Unfortunately, these important support documents are often left to the last minute by grant-writers. But, there is a danger to leaving these documents to an afterthought...
Get them early
First, they take time to get together. If you're waiting till you finish writing your grant to reach out to your collaborators or supporters to provide a letter for you, it oftentimes frustrates those vital partners who are forced to turn something around so quickly, if in fact they can turn it around as quickly as you ask. Waiting till the last minute can also impact the quality of the letter you get. As we all know, writing is only as good as the time put into it.
Clarify what the sponsor wants to see
In some situations, agencies are happy to see letters that speak to the character or strong qualities of the PI, but more and more, agencies want to see specifics in letters of support, and do not want to see any "fluff" on how great the PI is. For instance, depending on the program and agency, they may want to see specific resources that a collaborator is providing - including time, numbers, access, etc. Some sponsors want to see letters from department heads that assure them that the institution and department are supportive of the PI, the project, and their career trajectory.
Write them yourself
Although you don't want to be presumptuous, most letter writers appreciate if the PI provides a draft of the letter (including exactly what the sponsor is looking for) that they can then alter or put into their own words. More often than not, the letter writer will just sign the letter written by the PI, although if there is any misunderstanding around commitments, the letter can bring those to light early on.
Consider submittal requirements
Most grant submissions use an electronic process. Make sure that your letters are submitted appropriately and once submitted, print out the full application to make sure that it looks right and that all of the letters look professional, especially if they are in a different format than other parts of the application with signatures, etc.
Resources
How to write an effective letter of support - Tufts University, Office of Proposal Development
Letters of Support - Fresno State, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Letters of Support - The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Office of Research
Get them early
First, they take time to get together. If you're waiting till you finish writing your grant to reach out to your collaborators or supporters to provide a letter for you, it oftentimes frustrates those vital partners who are forced to turn something around so quickly, if in fact they can turn it around as quickly as you ask. Waiting till the last minute can also impact the quality of the letter you get. As we all know, writing is only as good as the time put into it.
Clarify what the sponsor wants to see
In some situations, agencies are happy to see letters that speak to the character or strong qualities of the PI, but more and more, agencies want to see specifics in letters of support, and do not want to see any "fluff" on how great the PI is. For instance, depending on the program and agency, they may want to see specific resources that a collaborator is providing - including time, numbers, access, etc. Some sponsors want to see letters from department heads that assure them that the institution and department are supportive of the PI, the project, and their career trajectory.
Write them yourself
Although you don't want to be presumptuous, most letter writers appreciate if the PI provides a draft of the letter (including exactly what the sponsor is looking for) that they can then alter or put into their own words. More often than not, the letter writer will just sign the letter written by the PI, although if there is any misunderstanding around commitments, the letter can bring those to light early on.
Consider submittal requirements
Most grant submissions use an electronic process. Make sure that your letters are submitted appropriately and once submitted, print out the full application to make sure that it looks right and that all of the letters look professional, especially if they are in a different format than other parts of the application with signatures, etc.
Resources
How to write an effective letter of support - Tufts University, Office of Proposal Development
Letters of Support - Fresno State, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Letters of Support - The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Office of Research
Friday, November 7, 2014
Getting Funding in the Arts and Humanities
It seems that this year there has been a lot of buzz around seeking external funding for the arts and humanities in the research development world. Despite this particular funding landscape being particularly challenging, it makes sense that RD folks offer more support to those faculty in the arts and humanities. But as soon as someone asks what we should be doing for these essential faculty, there is either a resounding silence or someone timidly points to the Foundation Center's Directory for Arts and Humanities Funding.
At any rate, in this week's blog I offer some tips and resources for those faculty in the arts and humanities both from conversations I've had with our own A&H faculty and from other experts - both those faculty writing grants in these fields and those supporting them.
Finding a common language
Artists have a unique perspective on their work, what it does, and how they cultivate that work. They sometimes have what feels like a different language to discuss their creative process that us art dummies (and I'm referring to myself) have a hard time following. The dilemma here is that depending on the genre of art or creative work we're talking about, these languages don't necessarily translate even within the arts. And, when the art dummies come into the process, either as research developers, grant reviewers, or sponsors in some cases, the faculty member's work can be greeted with confused looks.
This is where research developers can provide support. When working with those in grant development, they can help you cull out the common language that will speak to sponsors. They can also help to illuminate where there are holes in your story and thus your case for funding.
Humanities PIs have a similar challenge in that it is often difficult for them to quickly and succinctly get to their case and point, often forcing them to skip over or abbreviate centuries of foundational work that may seem obscure to the layperson, but is necessary to really see the richness of a new project. Again, use an outside perspective of layperson to help you translate some difficult concepts into something simpler. Although it may be difficult to set aside some of the details that seem so crucial, always remember that effective writers, and certainly funded PIs must learn to "murder their darlings," which refers to cutting the language that although you may love, does not help your reader to understand your point.
Write your story
The University of Colorado Boulder's Center for Arts and Humanities offers some tips to A&H grant writers. Among their suggestions is that faculty write a 3000 word grant-like description of their work. Whether this is in response to an RFP or just an exercise you go through, answering what you're doing, how you're doing it, and why it's important for a broad audience will offer you clarity on your own work that will extend beyond your artist's statement or your research mission statement.
Susan Stanford Friedman of Carleton College's English Department suggests that A&H grant writers focus on the big picture of their research and work, to really try and step back and conceptualize the whole of your work and how all of the pieces then fit together.
Open up to different funding opportunities
I mentioned already how competitive grant funding is for A&H, but there is a larger span of funding opportunities than most faculty are aware. First, being aware of the big A&H sponsors in the federal and private arenas and what they fund is important, especially if your work is a good fit for any of the major funders.
Funding in the arts and humanities also often take on different forms than traditional grants. Opportunities like residencies, travel opportunities, etc. may not look like funding opportunities, but they are competitive support programs that can further your work and build your credentials as you go after other funding (traditional and non) in the future.
Lastly, faculty can find success by looking at how they can partner with faculty and researchers outside of their field and be eligible for funding on larger grant applications where they play a unique role as a co-PI or consultant. It's also good to note that by collaborating with others outside your field, you will further improve how you position and discuss your work and its relevance to laypeople.
Resources
Funding Opportunities in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences - NORDP presentation
Writing Effective Proposals - Susan Stanford Friedman
Gigi Rosenberg's Blog - Author, Artist, and Entrepreneur
At any rate, in this week's blog I offer some tips and resources for those faculty in the arts and humanities both from conversations I've had with our own A&H faculty and from other experts - both those faculty writing grants in these fields and those supporting them.
Finding a common language
Artists have a unique perspective on their work, what it does, and how they cultivate that work. They sometimes have what feels like a different language to discuss their creative process that us art dummies (and I'm referring to myself) have a hard time following. The dilemma here is that depending on the genre of art or creative work we're talking about, these languages don't necessarily translate even within the arts. And, when the art dummies come into the process, either as research developers, grant reviewers, or sponsors in some cases, the faculty member's work can be greeted with confused looks.
This is where research developers can provide support. When working with those in grant development, they can help you cull out the common language that will speak to sponsors. They can also help to illuminate where there are holes in your story and thus your case for funding.
Humanities PIs have a similar challenge in that it is often difficult for them to quickly and succinctly get to their case and point, often forcing them to skip over or abbreviate centuries of foundational work that may seem obscure to the layperson, but is necessary to really see the richness of a new project. Again, use an outside perspective of layperson to help you translate some difficult concepts into something simpler. Although it may be difficult to set aside some of the details that seem so crucial, always remember that effective writers, and certainly funded PIs must learn to "murder their darlings," which refers to cutting the language that although you may love, does not help your reader to understand your point.
Write your story
The University of Colorado Boulder's Center for Arts and Humanities offers some tips to A&H grant writers. Among their suggestions is that faculty write a 3000 word grant-like description of their work. Whether this is in response to an RFP or just an exercise you go through, answering what you're doing, how you're doing it, and why it's important for a broad audience will offer you clarity on your own work that will extend beyond your artist's statement or your research mission statement.
Susan Stanford Friedman of Carleton College's English Department suggests that A&H grant writers focus on the big picture of their research and work, to really try and step back and conceptualize the whole of your work and how all of the pieces then fit together.
Open up to different funding opportunities
I mentioned already how competitive grant funding is for A&H, but there is a larger span of funding opportunities than most faculty are aware. First, being aware of the big A&H sponsors in the federal and private arenas and what they fund is important, especially if your work is a good fit for any of the major funders.
Funding in the arts and humanities also often take on different forms than traditional grants. Opportunities like residencies, travel opportunities, etc. may not look like funding opportunities, but they are competitive support programs that can further your work and build your credentials as you go after other funding (traditional and non) in the future.
Lastly, faculty can find success by looking at how they can partner with faculty and researchers outside of their field and be eligible for funding on larger grant applications where they play a unique role as a co-PI or consultant. It's also good to note that by collaborating with others outside your field, you will further improve how you position and discuss your work and its relevance to laypeople.
Resources
Funding Opportunities in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences - NORDP presentation
Writing Effective Proposals - Susan Stanford Friedman
Gigi Rosenberg's Blog - Author, Artist, and Entrepreneur
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