Understanding an agency is essential for being able to write a grant proposal that responds to their need and is thus competitive. As you research agencies that might be a good fit for you and your research, be sure to do your research on the agency itself.
To help in this area, ORDE develops two-pager Know Your Agency Briefs that can help familiarize you with an agency to which you might apply.
Our latest featured agency is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA):
Overview
The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was created in February, 1958, in response to Soviet Union technological achievements including the Sputnik satellite. Later renamed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), it was authorized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and tasked with “cultivating breakthrough technologies for national security.”
Specific Interests
DARPA’s strategic priorities are four-fold: 1. Rethink complex military systems 2. Master the information explosion 3. Harness biology as technology 4. Expand the technological frontier. Innovative technologies in which DARPA has been involved include both military (e.g., precision weapons, stealth technology) and civilian (e.g., internet, voice recognition, GPS receivers for small consumer products).
Approach
DARPA invests in technologies that can make major differences in US national security, partnering with academic, corporate, and government entities – what DARPA terms their “innovation ecosystem.” All research efforts are outsourced as DARPA has no research facilities; rather, the agency provides “thought leadership, community building frameworks, technology challenges, research management, funding, and other support elements” to meet their mission. The agency refers to its “culture of innovation” and is known for “executing rapidly and effectively.” Identifying cutting-edge objectives translates to investing in risk-taking research, a concept with which this agency is very familiar and comfortable. Every DARPA funding announcement carries the admonition that the agency seeks transformational versus evolutionary or incremental results in the projects they support.
Agency Organization
Reporting to the Secretary of Defense, DARPA works independently from other defense research and development activities. DARPA’s Director and Deputy Director are responsible for setting agency-wide goals/priorities, ensuring a balanced investment portfolio, approving new programs, and reviewing ongoing ones. With about 220 employees, this is likely the only federal agency where almost half of the employees are hired with the understanding they will be part of the agency for only three to five years. These “temporary” workers are the approximately 100 Program Managers (PMs) who are charged with overseeing some 250 R&D programs at the agency. DARPA PMs are recruited from academia, industry, and government agencies, and are discipline experts. PMs define their programs, set appropriate milestones, meet with their researchers, and track progress. They report to DARPA’s Technical Office Directors and Deputies who are responsible for setting directions for their offices, hiring PMs, and overseeing program execution.
DARPA’s six Technical Offices are:
• Biological Technologies Office (BTO)
• Defense Sciences Office (DSO)
• Information Innovation Office (I2O)
• Microsystems Technology Office (MTO)
• Strategic Technology Office (STO)
• Tactical Technology Office (TTO)
To learn more and to understand DARPA's grant review process, access the Know Your Agency Brief directly or go to DARPA's Website.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Friday, August 18, 2017
Early Career Investigator Grants
I'm happy to announce that ORDE has just posted our newest e-book: Research Opportunities for New Investigators. So, I thought I'd post some questions to consider for those researchers interested in early career grants...
How does the agency define new investigator?
If you're a new investigator, you're a new investigator, right? Well, maybe. Different agencies define new investigator differently. Some are looking at how many years since you received your terminal degree(s). Some are looking at how long you've been in your research position. And, some are looking at whether or not you've received major funding previously.
Is it a mentored grant?
Some new investigator programs are the same sort of research-focused programs as those that are not for new investigators. And others are considered mentored awards, where in your proposal you must address your own career development plan, and also identify a mentor who will work with you throughout the award period. The NIH Career Development or K awards are generally framed in this way. While K applicants must identify a research project in their proposal, the larger focus is on the candidate, their mentor, and their career development. On the other hand, the NSF's CAREER program is research-focused. While applicants are wise to show how their CAREER project fits in with their and their department's larger research goals, this is peripheral to the research project itself. Other agencies run the gamut.
Do your past grants affect eligibility?
At some agencies, the new investigator programs are targeted at bringing very early career investigators and their research up to speed. Thus, if you have shown that you are competitive for major funding previously, this could make you ineligible for some new investigator awards. For instance, at the NIH, if you have secured major funding as the PI, e.g., received an R01, you lose your new investigator status and would not be a good candidate for a K award. But, for the NSF CAREER program, about half of CAREER awardees have received previous awards from the NSF and it puts them in a better place to compete for the CAREER and certainly does not make them ineligible.
What are the goals of the program?
The questions above really all lead to this question. Before you decide whether or not to apply for a new investigator grant, you must first understand the goals of the agency and the new investigator program. Is the agency hoping to create new independent investigators with their program by funding career development? Or is the agency looking to promote those newer investigators who have already proven that they are independent and productive researchers? When you understand the program, you can consider if it is a good fit for you at your current stage.
Resources:
Research Funding Opportunities for New Investigators - ORDE
How does the agency define new investigator?
If you're a new investigator, you're a new investigator, right? Well, maybe. Different agencies define new investigator differently. Some are looking at how many years since you received your terminal degree(s). Some are looking at how long you've been in your research position. And, some are looking at whether or not you've received major funding previously.
Is it a mentored grant?
Some new investigator programs are the same sort of research-focused programs as those that are not for new investigators. And others are considered mentored awards, where in your proposal you must address your own career development plan, and also identify a mentor who will work with you throughout the award period. The NIH Career Development or K awards are generally framed in this way. While K applicants must identify a research project in their proposal, the larger focus is on the candidate, their mentor, and their career development. On the other hand, the NSF's CAREER program is research-focused. While applicants are wise to show how their CAREER project fits in with their and their department's larger research goals, this is peripheral to the research project itself. Other agencies run the gamut.
Do your past grants affect eligibility?
At some agencies, the new investigator programs are targeted at bringing very early career investigators and their research up to speed. Thus, if you have shown that you are competitive for major funding previously, this could make you ineligible for some new investigator awards. For instance, at the NIH, if you have secured major funding as the PI, e.g., received an R01, you lose your new investigator status and would not be a good candidate for a K award. But, for the NSF CAREER program, about half of CAREER awardees have received previous awards from the NSF and it puts them in a better place to compete for the CAREER and certainly does not make them ineligible.
What are the goals of the program?
The questions above really all lead to this question. Before you decide whether or not to apply for a new investigator grant, you must first understand the goals of the agency and the new investigator program. Is the agency hoping to create new independent investigators with their program by funding career development? Or is the agency looking to promote those newer investigators who have already proven that they are independent and productive researchers? When you understand the program, you can consider if it is a good fit for you at your current stage.
Resources:
Research Funding Opportunities for New Investigators - ORDE
Friday, August 4, 2017
Preparing for your first years as an independent researcher
As we get close to the start of another academic year and new faculty orientations are upon us, I thought I'd offer some advice for brand new and returning early career investigators based on that suggested by seasoned faculty researchers. From our vantage point in ORDE, we often see new faculty set aside their research for the first year, which then sometimes slides into continued avoidance in the second year. This is understandable, given the loads that most faculty are carrying, but it's also dangerous to set aside your research for that long. So, in order to help you to focus in on your research as soon as possible, we offer the following tips.
Do what counts:
There are so many opportunities as a new faculty member that it can get overwhelming. So, spend your time doing what really counts. Perform mini (return on investment) ROI assessments on all tasks and ask yourself, is this where my time is best spent. Is this going to get me where I need to be for tenure and to be the kind of researcher I want to be in 5-10 years?
Be ready to say no:
Along these same lines as doing what counts, researchers must get used to saying no. Inevitably, you'll be asked to be on a slew of committees. And, yes, service is necessary, but as a new tenured faculty and budding researcher you want to say no to most of these requests. Now, you can be apologetic and cordial while saying no, but say no, nonetheless. Folks will understand you're trying to protect your time and focus on your research and writing early on.
Develop a mentoring network:
Because you may feel overwhelmed, you want to have a network to support you. Identify what kind of support and guidance would be most helpful. Then, be on the lookout for people who fit that bill. And make a point to invite multiple people to be part of your mentoring network instead of looking for one person to be everything.
Meet the right people:
If you're at a new institution, figure out who the major players are. Who has money? Who has influence? Seek them out and introduce yourself. Look for opportunities to invite them to lunch. Perhaps these folks become part of your support/mentor network.
Be kind to yourself:
Most faculty researchers don't accomplish what they set out to in the first year or two. But, beating yourself up about not meeting goals that may have been unrealistic doesn't help your productivity. Take time to reflect on your goals and if they are realistic. Forgive yourself for goals not reached and move on. Certainly feeling bad about your work will not help you to be any more productive.
Lastly, always remember that your friendly Office of Research Development and Education (ORDE) and Office of Research Services are here to support you so don't hesitate to reach out!
Resources:
I survived year 1 as a tenured professor, and you can too! - Tenure, she wrote
Advice for new assistant professors - Chris Blattman
Advice for your first year on the tenure track - Karen Kelsky
Do what counts:
There are so many opportunities as a new faculty member that it can get overwhelming. So, spend your time doing what really counts. Perform mini (return on investment) ROI assessments on all tasks and ask yourself, is this where my time is best spent. Is this going to get me where I need to be for tenure and to be the kind of researcher I want to be in 5-10 years?
Be ready to say no:
Along these same lines as doing what counts, researchers must get used to saying no. Inevitably, you'll be asked to be on a slew of committees. And, yes, service is necessary, but as a new tenured faculty and budding researcher you want to say no to most of these requests. Now, you can be apologetic and cordial while saying no, but say no, nonetheless. Folks will understand you're trying to protect your time and focus on your research and writing early on.
Develop a mentoring network:
Because you may feel overwhelmed, you want to have a network to support you. Identify what kind of support and guidance would be most helpful. Then, be on the lookout for people who fit that bill. And make a point to invite multiple people to be part of your mentoring network instead of looking for one person to be everything.
Meet the right people:
If you're at a new institution, figure out who the major players are. Who has money? Who has influence? Seek them out and introduce yourself. Look for opportunities to invite them to lunch. Perhaps these folks become part of your support/mentor network.
Be kind to yourself:
Most faculty researchers don't accomplish what they set out to in the first year or two. But, beating yourself up about not meeting goals that may have been unrealistic doesn't help your productivity. Take time to reflect on your goals and if they are realistic. Forgive yourself for goals not reached and move on. Certainly feeling bad about your work will not help you to be any more productive.
Lastly, always remember that your friendly Office of Research Development and Education (ORDE) and Office of Research Services are here to support you so don't hesitate to reach out!
Resources:
I survived year 1 as a tenured professor, and you can too! - Tenure, she wrote
Advice for new assistant professors - Chris Blattman
Advice for your first year on the tenure track - Karen Kelsky
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)