This week, ORDE offered a seminar on Data Management in which Shea Swauger, our Head of Research Support Services at the Auraria Library discussed the ins and outs of data management and what to include in a data management plan. All of this was offered in light of the demand by major funding agencies to include a data management plan in their grant applications.
Below are some of the things that PIs should consider as they put together their data management plan.
Storage
As you consider data storage for your project, be sure to identify all of the different sorts of data you will be producing and consider the amount of data that you think you are going to generate. Also, consider security and access needs that you have and how best to back up the data you are generating. Shea suggested that if your institution can't offer you storage to meet your needs, some cloud options could be the most cost effective and usable solutions. Specifically, he recommended Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft OneDrive.
Organization
When you're spending your days immersed in your data - gathering, cleaning, analyzing, etc. - your organization feels so natural. However, it's amazing how quickly you can forget what this category was for or what that file name meant. This is why it's a good idea to incorporate metadata. Metadata can be as simple as just incorporating notes to yourself as to what you meant by this or that.
Preservation
Once you've analyzed your data and published your results, what do you do with your data? With increasing demands by national agencies to preserve raw data and to make your research reproducible, it's important that you have a plan to preserve your data. Shea offered a couple of solutions for preserving data, including the new Auraria Institutional Repository or you can find an appropriate data depository at this site.
Dissemination
There is a call from funding agencies for PIs to share their data and make it possible for their research to be reproducible. So, important to your data management plan is the component that outlines your plan for dissemination. More and more, sponsors see data dissemination as a requirement for funding. As you develop your grant proposal, make sure you have a clear understanding of the agency's requirements and recommendations for dissemination and be sure to meet those in your data management plan.
It can seem like a burden to lay out your data management plan at the outset of a project, but not only will a good data management plan make you more competitive for funding, it will save you headaches in the future.
Resources
Data Management Planning Tool - University of California
Data Q
Friday, September 30, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Budget Justification
I had a PI this week ask what should go in her budget justification. She was asking, in part, because her budget seemed quite straightforward. There wasn't much more she wanted to say about it in the budget justification. That's a good thing, but usually grant application guides do not allow you to forego the budget justification. So, below are some tips:
Follow the rules:
Sponsors usually outline the format they want to see in your budget justification. Be sure to read through your grant application guide and to include all the information the sponsor asks for in the budget justification. The sponsor and your institution also have rules around allowable costs. Be sure to check that all of your budget items are allowed, or they'll be a no-go and make it look like you didn't do your homework if unallowable costs slip through in your submission.
Stick to your budget order:
Again, check your application guide for the format for your budget and budget justification and follow those rules to a T. But, in addition to that, if the guidelines do not offer you rules on order of budget and budget justification, make sure to follow the same order in both. This makes it easy for your reviewers to go back and forth between budget and budget justification.
Elaborate on costs that may not be clear:
If there are items in your budget, where your need for them isn't abundantly clear, take extra time to communicate your need and/or describe the items. Or, if you need equipment at a certain quality level that costs more than other versions, you may want to explain in your justification why you need the version you need.
Make sure all costs are reasonable:
It's true that oftentimes when you're awarded a grant, it comes with a budget cut in a negotiation with your Program Officer. This reality can make it tempting for PIs to pad their budget to soften the blow when they're cut. But, resist padding! The truth is that your budget and budget justification are a reflection of you as a project manager and if your budget isn't frugal, that will reflect on you. Most reviewers and POs know when something is padding, so it's more likely your budget will get cut more significantly when they see it.
The budget justification is certainly not an exciting part of your proposal, but it is still essential in showing your competence and skill-level, so make it clear and informative!
Resources:
Writing a budget justification - Appalachian State University
Budget Justification Guidelines - Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research
Budget Justifications - University of California, Irvine
Follow the rules:
Sponsors usually outline the format they want to see in your budget justification. Be sure to read through your grant application guide and to include all the information the sponsor asks for in the budget justification. The sponsor and your institution also have rules around allowable costs. Be sure to check that all of your budget items are allowed, or they'll be a no-go and make it look like you didn't do your homework if unallowable costs slip through in your submission.
Stick to your budget order:
Again, check your application guide for the format for your budget and budget justification and follow those rules to a T. But, in addition to that, if the guidelines do not offer you rules on order of budget and budget justification, make sure to follow the same order in both. This makes it easy for your reviewers to go back and forth between budget and budget justification.
Elaborate on costs that may not be clear:
If there are items in your budget, where your need for them isn't abundantly clear, take extra time to communicate your need and/or describe the items. Or, if you need equipment at a certain quality level that costs more than other versions, you may want to explain in your justification why you need the version you need.
Make sure all costs are reasonable:
It's true that oftentimes when you're awarded a grant, it comes with a budget cut in a negotiation with your Program Officer. This reality can make it tempting for PIs to pad their budget to soften the blow when they're cut. But, resist padding! The truth is that your budget and budget justification are a reflection of you as a project manager and if your budget isn't frugal, that will reflect on you. Most reviewers and POs know when something is padding, so it's more likely your budget will get cut more significantly when they see it.
The budget justification is certainly not an exciting part of your proposal, but it is still essential in showing your competence and skill-level, so make it clear and informative!
Resources:
Writing a budget justification - Appalachian State University
Budget Justification Guidelines - Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research
Budget Justifications - University of California, Irvine
Friday, September 16, 2016
Building a strategic mentoring circle
Mentorship is important to your development as a researcher; Mentors can provide support, advice, and advocacy to early career investigators. But, the traditional mentorship of having one guru to guide you in all things is less useful than strategically developing a mentoring circle.
Below are some considerations as you plan your mentoring circle:
Focus on your needs
Although, there seem to be those people that just seem right to seek out as a mentor, take some time to really assess your mentorship needs. Are you looking for guidance or support within your specific research field? Are you looking for moral support and advice from another academic who has shared your unique position? Or, are you looking for someone to provide insight as you navigate the tenure process? Likely, you have multiple needs. So being clear on what they are can help you identify the right person for each need.
Do a test run
Instead of introducing yourself and asking someone if they will be your mentor, it's a good idea to introduce yourself to a potential mentor and work to build some rapport with them. Remember, you're asking a mentor to invest at least time in you, so you want them to know you and your potential before you ask. Once you've gotten to know your prospective mentor, try asking for their help or a small commitment from them. Perhaps ask them to review a grant proposal or an article for feedback or take them to coffee and ask their advice on something. This way you and the mentor can get a sense of how you might work together before you ask them to make the larger commitment of being a mentor.
Consider the return
As mentioned, you are asking a mentor to make an investment in you, so it's important that they see the value in this mentoring relationship. Sure, your mentor is likely paying it forward, and does not expect an equal give/take relationship, but you must make sure that you're easy to work with and respectful of their time. Come to meetings with agendas and make sure you stick to agreed time limits for meetings. Also, be sure to acknowledge your mentors when you receive accolades for your own work. Offering additional visibility to mentors may not be something they expect, but it shows your appreciation for their investment in you and offers something back.
As with any relationship, it is wise to work on developing clear communication and expectations with your mentors. Be clear on what you're hoping to do and what you'd like their support for, and make sure you understand their expectations of you and the relationship as well.
Resources:
Mentoring: An Essential Leadership Skill - MindTools
Mentoring FAQ - Management Mentors
Below are some considerations as you plan your mentoring circle:
Focus on your needs
Although, there seem to be those people that just seem right to seek out as a mentor, take some time to really assess your mentorship needs. Are you looking for guidance or support within your specific research field? Are you looking for moral support and advice from another academic who has shared your unique position? Or, are you looking for someone to provide insight as you navigate the tenure process? Likely, you have multiple needs. So being clear on what they are can help you identify the right person for each need.
Do a test run
Instead of introducing yourself and asking someone if they will be your mentor, it's a good idea to introduce yourself to a potential mentor and work to build some rapport with them. Remember, you're asking a mentor to invest at least time in you, so you want them to know you and your potential before you ask. Once you've gotten to know your prospective mentor, try asking for their help or a small commitment from them. Perhaps ask them to review a grant proposal or an article for feedback or take them to coffee and ask their advice on something. This way you and the mentor can get a sense of how you might work together before you ask them to make the larger commitment of being a mentor.
Consider the return
As mentioned, you are asking a mentor to make an investment in you, so it's important that they see the value in this mentoring relationship. Sure, your mentor is likely paying it forward, and does not expect an equal give/take relationship, but you must make sure that you're easy to work with and respectful of their time. Come to meetings with agendas and make sure you stick to agreed time limits for meetings. Also, be sure to acknowledge your mentors when you receive accolades for your own work. Offering additional visibility to mentors may not be something they expect, but it shows your appreciation for their investment in you and offers something back.
As with any relationship, it is wise to work on developing clear communication and expectations with your mentors. Be clear on what you're hoping to do and what you'd like their support for, and make sure you understand their expectations of you and the relationship as well.
Resources:
Mentoring: An Essential Leadership Skill - MindTools
Mentoring FAQ - Management Mentors
Friday, September 9, 2016
The three foci of grant development
Grant development is more than just grant writing. It takes sponsor research, Program Officer relationship-building, and idea development. Yet, when it comes to actually writing the proposal, you're smart not to go in with one focus.
The Venn diagram depicts the three essential foci of a good grant proposal. According to Wood (2012), "In the study of rhetoric, successful communication is traditionally expected to address all three equally. The speaker, or in this case, the principal investigator or project director, needs to establish credibility so that the audience will bother to read the message. Equally important, the speaker must analyze the audience -- in this case the reviewers -- to tailor the message specifically for them. In proposal development, the proposal is your message, and the sponsor's personnel and reviewers are your audience."
So, given Wood's framework, let's dig into these core pieces of the proposal.
Principal Investigator
I know I've said it before, but competitive grant applications don't just propose a fantastic idea and realistic project, but they also show that the PI is the best person to carry-out and/or lead the project and bring the fantastic idea to fruition. Certainly, there are spaces reserved for making this case in a proposal, such as the biosketch, but before you begin writing your proposal, take some time to identify exactly why you are the best person to conduct the research you're proposing.
Reviewers
Reviewers are the audience for your grant proposal, and they play a large role in deciding whether or not your proposal is funded. So, it makes sense to focus on who they are, what they want, and even the climate in which they read your proposal. Some things to remember are reviewers end up reading a lot of proposals in a short period of time. They want to see an exciting/compelling project, but they want the proposal to be easily understandable, well-organized, and clear.
Proposal
Bearing in mind your strengths and your reviewers, you must apply these components in your vehicle for communication - your proposal. Your proposal must first and foremost, propose a project that is a good fit for the sponsor, follows all the rules in the program announcement or proposal guide, and then be clearly written and easy to navigate.
If you can really be excellent in all of these foci, with a great research project, you'll be able to knock it out of the park!
Resources:
What do reviewers really want, anyway? - Robert Porter
Wood, B. (2012). The writing (Chapter 6) in Licklider, M.M. (Ed.). Grant seeking in higher education: Strategies and tools for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
The Venn diagram depicts the three essential foci of a good grant proposal. According to Wood (2012), "In the study of rhetoric, successful communication is traditionally expected to address all three equally. The speaker, or in this case, the principal investigator or project director, needs to establish credibility so that the audience will bother to read the message. Equally important, the speaker must analyze the audience -- in this case the reviewers -- to tailor the message specifically for them. In proposal development, the proposal is your message, and the sponsor's personnel and reviewers are your audience."
So, given Wood's framework, let's dig into these core pieces of the proposal.
Principal Investigator
I know I've said it before, but competitive grant applications don't just propose a fantastic idea and realistic project, but they also show that the PI is the best person to carry-out and/or lead the project and bring the fantastic idea to fruition. Certainly, there are spaces reserved for making this case in a proposal, such as the biosketch, but before you begin writing your proposal, take some time to identify exactly why you are the best person to conduct the research you're proposing.
Reviewers
Reviewers are the audience for your grant proposal, and they play a large role in deciding whether or not your proposal is funded. So, it makes sense to focus on who they are, what they want, and even the climate in which they read your proposal. Some things to remember are reviewers end up reading a lot of proposals in a short period of time. They want to see an exciting/compelling project, but they want the proposal to be easily understandable, well-organized, and clear.
Proposal
Bearing in mind your strengths and your reviewers, you must apply these components in your vehicle for communication - your proposal. Your proposal must first and foremost, propose a project that is a good fit for the sponsor, follows all the rules in the program announcement or proposal guide, and then be clearly written and easy to navigate.
If you can really be excellent in all of these foci, with a great research project, you'll be able to knock it out of the park!
Resources:
What do reviewers really want, anyway? - Robert Porter
Wood, B. (2012). The writing (Chapter 6) in Licklider, M.M. (Ed.). Grant seeking in higher education: Strategies and tools for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Writing your personal statement
I've gotten questions or been asked to talk about writing personal statements in the past week, so I thought why not talk about it here? Various sponsors ask for personal statements from PI's, especially for career development grants. But, the personal statement is a mainstay of the NIH biosketch.
So what goes in the personal statement? How personal should it be? How do you put it together?
Of course, the answer to these questions, as with everything in grant development is... it depends. The first thing to realize about a personal statement is that you should not just copy and paste the same one into each grant you submit that calls for one. Depending on the type of grant for which you're applying, you should mold your personal statement to position yourself as the ideal candidate to conduct the project or develop your career.
Having said this, below are some elements to consider incorporating into your personal statement, especially if you are an early career investigator:
Describe your preparation
It's important in your personal statement to give background. Tell the story of how you got to where you are now. Particularly, focus on your productivity and successes you've seen as you've developed as a researcher.
Describe your commitment to career
Reviewers want to understand not only who you are as a researcher, but where you're heading and that you are committed to the research you're doing . With limited grant funding available, sponsoring agencies want to invest in those researchers with the most promise and commitment to their work.
Explain choices
Although sponsors are generally not looking for long explanations for why you did what you did in your career, the personal statement is a good place to briefly address possible points of confusion. If there is a gap in your productivity or you made certain choices because of a need for family leave or due to visa requirements, the personal statement is a good place to share your brief reasoning.
Highlight opportunities
As you discuss your past work and aspirations, show how you have seized past opportunities and how you plan to seize those in the future. Because a research grant is a huge opportunity, reviewers want to see your track record on how you've succeeded with opportunities you received in the past and get a sense of how you will succeed with future opportunities.
State goals
Along with your commitment to your career, strengthen that commitment by offering both short and long-term goals in your personal statement. Offering long-term goals shares your vision, and short-term goals show your reviewers a realistic path toward that vision.
Incorporating these components into your personal statement can paint a solid picture of you as the researcher and give reviewers a sense of your promise and why an investment in you and your research will be worthwhile.
Resources:
Personal Statement Workshop - University of Alabama at Birmingham
NIH Personal Statement Template - Ball State University
So what goes in the personal statement? How personal should it be? How do you put it together?
Of course, the answer to these questions, as with everything in grant development is... it depends. The first thing to realize about a personal statement is that you should not just copy and paste the same one into each grant you submit that calls for one. Depending on the type of grant for which you're applying, you should mold your personal statement to position yourself as the ideal candidate to conduct the project or develop your career.
Having said this, below are some elements to consider incorporating into your personal statement, especially if you are an early career investigator:
Describe your preparation
It's important in your personal statement to give background. Tell the story of how you got to where you are now. Particularly, focus on your productivity and successes you've seen as you've developed as a researcher.
Describe your commitment to career
Reviewers want to understand not only who you are as a researcher, but where you're heading and that you are committed to the research you're doing . With limited grant funding available, sponsoring agencies want to invest in those researchers with the most promise and commitment to their work.
Explain choices
Although sponsors are generally not looking for long explanations for why you did what you did in your career, the personal statement is a good place to briefly address possible points of confusion. If there is a gap in your productivity or you made certain choices because of a need for family leave or due to visa requirements, the personal statement is a good place to share your brief reasoning.
Highlight opportunities
As you discuss your past work and aspirations, show how you have seized past opportunities and how you plan to seize those in the future. Because a research grant is a huge opportunity, reviewers want to see your track record on how you've succeeded with opportunities you received in the past and get a sense of how you will succeed with future opportunities.
State goals
Along with your commitment to your career, strengthen that commitment by offering both short and long-term goals in your personal statement. Offering long-term goals shares your vision, and short-term goals show your reviewers a realistic path toward that vision.
Incorporating these components into your personal statement can paint a solid picture of you as the researcher and give reviewers a sense of your promise and why an investment in you and your research will be worthwhile.
Resources:
Personal Statement Workshop - University of Alabama at Birmingham
NIH Personal Statement Template - Ball State University
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