How are you doing?

This morning I met with a student who was having a difficult time staying on top of assignments in our class. And, as I got on the line with the student prepared to launch into creating a plan for how to have them catch up, I stopped myself to first say, "How are you doing?" And, taking that pause made me realize how important that discussion was for not only my student but me too. 

As my children's school district has begun the announcements that they have moved their school online for longer and longer to what feels like will inevitably be till at least the end of the year, I've avoided planning for what will be a chaotic and frustrating fall. It will continue to be stressful to manage kids that miss friends and have little interest in completing schoolwork online along with the daily negotiation with my partner as to when who has what meeting that can't be disturbed by the afternoon tantrums and butt-wiping requests (yes, it is time for the five-year-old to handle that himself).

All this to say, I know that many faculty researchers are experiencing something similar. And for many, particularly faculty of color, the killing of Black people and the related unrest adds to this trauma. So, how are you doing? Are you taking time for yourself and your family? Are you being honest with yourself, your colleagues, and your Department Chair about what's on your plate and what support you need? As you look to fall, particularly with furloughs and strained resources, do you have what you need to successfully teach your classes?

In terms of research, be fair with yourself and clear with others about what you can do and can't. Maybe there is an article close to being submitted that you could find the time to get in. Or, maybe now is the time to reach out to colleagues who can help co-author or even partner on a project with you to share the load and keep things moving even if they slow down.

It's okay and good to ask for help. It's okay and good to seek counseling, whether it's with a trusted friend or a professional. As we look toward fall, don't forget to ask your students and colleagues how they're doing and don't forget to ask yourself how you're doing too!

Resources

How to be a trauma-informed department chair during COVID - The Chronicle of Higher Education

No motivation? Look to your needs to find it - The Professor Is In

The Difference Between Academic and Grant Writing

Research faculty have generally done plenty of academic writing in their training and careers, but oftentimes they have done less grant writing by the time they're ready to apply for grant proposals. This shift in writing genre can feel like a rude awakening, quite simply because the rules and acceptable styles are different in a grant proposal versus a scholarly publication. Below are some of the ways they are different.

Difference in Purpose
One of the biggest differences between a proposal and a publication is that a publication is usually sharing research that you've already completed. Proposals on the other hand are focused on making a case for the research you want to do. However, proposals do require a discussion of the cutting edge research and gaps in that research similar to what you see in a literature review in a publication. Also, many granting agencies expect PIs to have preliminary data to be competitive for a grant, so PIs must describe work they've already done in making a case for the work they want to do.

Audience
One of the similarities between publications and proposals is that they are generally peer-reviewed. That means, someone like you (a researcher in your field) is asked to weigh in on whether your work should be published or funded. The key difference is that usually your publication is sent to a few reviewers who individually review your publication and send feedback and a recommendation through the journal editor. For a proposal, usually a larger group of peers review your grant proposal and weigh in after discussing it as a group. These larger groups tend to include peers who are further away from your area of expertise. Some agencies even include non-experts on review panels in which case your proposal must be accessible to the layperson

Citations
In publications, oftentimes scholars use citations to justify their inclusion or use a particular theory or framework without a full explanation of that theory/framework, since they assume that the readers will know it or can go research it through the articles they've cited. In a proposal, you cannot rely on citations in the same way. You must instead clearly outline the theory, methods, or framework you are engaging in addition to citing it. Certainly, you cannot expect a grant reviewer to go and do additional research to understand your grant; they've usually been given a whole stack of proposals to review at a time. This is another difference between grant reviewers and journal reviewers. Anytime I've been asked to review a journal article, I am only asked to review one at a time.

Format
Certainly, publications expect you to follow some guidelines and style requirements for your submission for publication, but these guidelines and requirements are usually much larger and more stringent for a grant proposal. The majority of grant proposals submitted are not even reviewed because they did not follow the format rules or the project was not in line with the mission of the agency. So, it's best to read and re-read the grant proposal guidelines and to follow them closely.

In closing, it's true that good writing is good writing, but what makes writing good in most cases is that it is written with the audience in mind.

References:
Why academics have a hard time writing good grant proposals - Robert Porter
Academic vs. Grant Writing - ORDE

Contacting Program Officers

Working with Program Officers (POs) is an important element of the grant development process. POs are able to offer insight into the grant-making agency's priorities as well as offer information that may not be as clear in the program announcement. Also, if and when you are not funded, a conversation with the PO can provide you additional context on the reviewers' feedback and advise you on where to revise and bolster your proposal for your submission.

Even though POs are a fantastic resource, many early career investigators are nervous and choose not to reach out to a PO when developing their first proposals. So, below I offer some specific advice on initially reaching out to POs.

First, it's a good idea to meet a PO early on. Many POs you might work with attend national conferences and meetings (back in pre-pandemic times when we physically attended such conferences). When such physical meetings start again, you can track POs down in presentations they give or sometimes find them in the exhibit hall at the agency's booth. POs will often have slots of time set up to meet with interested investigators and be happy to slot you in, but they may also be scheduling such meetings virtually, so reach out via email before the conference to see if you can secure 15-20 minutes with them. Use the time to tell them about your research agenda and get their insight into agency priorities and where your best entry point into funding might be.

When it comes time to develop a proposal, and you want to reach out to a PO to see if your project is a good fit, below I've outlined some basic steps for contacting your PO:

Write up a project description:
Before you email a PO, make sure you have a one-two page project description ready to go. The reason you should do this before reaching out is that likely once you've emailed a PO, the first thing they'll ask for is your project description. So, be ready for that. Otherwise, you'll be scrambling to get it together so you don't leave your PO hanging once you've reached out. Also, make sure your write up is in the format that the agency expects in your ultimate proposal, e.g., writing a draft Specific Aims for the NIH or a draft of the Project Overview for the NSF.

2. email the PO
With one-pager in hand, send a brief email to your PO asking to schedule a phone call to discuss the fit of your project. Introduce yourself and include a 3-5 sentence description of your project. End with a request for a phone call. Below, is a mock email:

If you don't hear back right away, give the PO a week to respond and then email them again (including your last email) checking in. After nudging the PO a few times with no response, try finding a colleague who has been funded by the same program to see if they can make an introduction.

It can be frustrating when POs are unresponsive but be persistent because they do hold the keys to the kingdom in many ways.

Resources:
Can We Talk? Contacting Program Officers - Robert Porter
What to say and not say to Program Officers - Michael Spires