Picking the right Institute at the NIH

This week we had our final program of the semester on the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and our speaker, Dr. Janet Snell-Bergeon brought up a lot of great points, not only on the NHLBI but on selecting an institute for which to apply for funding more generally. So, naturally, I thought it would be useful to share some of these tips.

1. Remember, you don't pick.
When you submit a grant proposal to the NIH, your application goes to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR). This group of PhD-level scientists review your grant and assign it to a study section and an Institute. You may request the study section and Institute you want your proposal going to, but the CSR makes the ultimate decision.

2. Your application is not peer-reviewed by the Institute.
At NIH, the peer review process is, for the most part, centralized. All applications are sent to a study section that includes expert reviewers on the subject matter. The applications that are scored are then sent on to their assigned Institute, where the advisory council makes a recommendation for which applications should be funded.

3. Hedge your bets.
The best way to hedge your bets and get your application to the Institute that you think will be the best fit for your application is to understand well what the Institute wants to fund. Read their strategic goals and look at what they've funded recently using the RePORT tool.

4. Try matchmaker.
If you're trying to familiarize yourself with the NIH and to understand where your application has the best shot, try using their Matchmaker tool. This tool allows you to copy and paste your project abstract in the space available. It then provides you with a report of the rates projects similar to yours have been funded by different Institutes and study sections. This can give you an initial sense of where you may want to direct your proposal.

5. Get the inside scoop.
If you haven't had the opportunity to be on a study section for the NIH, it's difficult to get a sense of the inner workings in the review meetings. However, make sure that you offer to review for a study section as soon as you can. As past reviewers have said, this is a graduate education on what makes good and bad grant proposals. But before you're on study section, find someone who has been and ask them about their experiences and for any tips they might give you as a seasoned reviewer.

The NIH has a variety of articles and videos to give you a sense of how they work and make decisions. As you're trying to decide if they're a good fit for you, spend time getting to know them.

Resources:
NIH Grants Process Overview
NIH Peer Review Revealed Video