Pilot Grants & Preliminary Data

Many investigators joke that to get a grant for your research you have to have completed the research to report your results in your proposal for the project you've already done. And there is a bit of truth in this jest. Most grant-making agencies today want to see significant preliminary data before investing in your project and you with a grant.

This can create a catch 22 for PIs when they need funding to move forward with the projects to get preliminary data. When you're in this situation, your institution may have internal grant programs to help get you going. For instance, at the University of Colorado Denver Campus, the Office of Research Services has an internal grants program to get faculty off and running.

Externally, there are grants for pilot projects or new innovative projects. When applying for these types of grants, it is important that you develop a larger vision for your research beyond your pilot or seed project. What is your ultimate goal? Where will you secure funding for your larger project? Once you know where you're ultimately going with your research and how you will get there, you need to identify the parameters of your pilot or seed project that will allow you to secure the preliminary data you need to compete for your bigger project.

Once you know what you must accomplish in your initial project, you'll be able to outline a budget and clearly describe not only your small initial project but also make the case for what this project will allow you to do afterward.

It's important to note that while some pilot grants are for the very initial stages of research, some require preliminary data or at least expect it. So bear this in mind and read the program announcement thoroughly to determine if the program you choose will meet your needs and if you can meet its demands.

Resources:
Highlight Preliminary Data in Your Application - NIAID

Common Errors in Preliminary Data Section - ConductScience

Mid-Summer Check-in

By my count, summer is more than half way over, so it's time to take stock of where you're at in terms of being refreshed and being productive in your research. For many institutions, there is a plan to return to campus this fall, and in many ways this will mean a uniquely busy start to the academic year following a uniquely challenging year in a pandemic. So, preparing yourself will be especially important this year.

Don't Stress:

Now that I've freaked you out with a reality check, my first piece of advice is don't stress. If you're like most researchers, you've set big goals for yourself this summer along with some plans of catching up, and you weren't able to do it all. But, don't get hung up on it. Look at all the things you did do, and if you spent a lot of time relaxing, that's great - you needed it! So, do a reality check, but let go of any guilt or regret that comes along with it. Just use the moment to reset your plans, remembering that one important goal is for you to start the fall semester energized!

Plan For One More Break:

To that last point, plan for at least one more break in your summer. Take a trip or stay-cation and relax. Stay away from your email and projects and really focus on R&R. If you're having a hard time giving yourself permission for this, remember that stepping away from projects that are undone can give you a fresh perspective when you come back to them. So, set down that manuscript for a week; when you come back to it you'll be ready to tackle it.

Tie up Loose Ends:

Remember, the fall brings with it classes and meetings that you had some reprieve from during the summer. See what loose ends you can tie up before the semester is upon you. You'll feel better knowing that the grant proposal is in or you've submitted your review of a manuscript. Try to get those things done to free up some brain space.

Schedule Your Next Steps for Research:

Too often, faculty get caught up in the rigamarole of classes and teaching and before they know it, they're midway through the spring semester and they haven't made real progress on their research. Don't get caught in this. Plan for what you want to do related to your research fall semester and put due dates on your calendar or block out time on your calendar now so you don't get off track.

It will be a challenging year, but remember it will also be a rewarding year! You'll do great work and make important contributions to your field, so get ready!

Resources:

7 Productivity Tips, Backed by Science - Lemonade

Productivity for Researchers - Nature

Finding Clarity in Project Descriptions/Narratives

The season of internal grant proposal review is upon us, or upon me anyway. And, as always, I use my experience reviewing to draw blog inspiration. What's been jumping out at me most is the importance of offering a clear project description or project narrative in your grant proposal.

In the grant development world, our conversation often focuses on the importance of making a case for your project - explaining what's been done already and why your research is so important. And while making a case for your research is essential in securing grants, it is equally important to very clearly show your reviewers what you're going to do.

In the last week, I've seen proposals that made an excellent case for their research, and got me on board, thinking "yes, I agree, this research needs to move forward." But, at the same time, more than once, I found myself asking "But what are they going to do?" They might have done a nice job of telling me what's been done already, including what they've done, but that does not serve as a substitute for telling me what they will do next with the funding for which they're applying.

Below, I offer some tips to clearly convey your project narrative.

Give an overview

Most research is complex; there is a reason that most researchers in academia have a terminal degree. But therein lies the rub when trying to synthesize your doctoral level work to someone who has a doctorate in something else. Offering an overview of your project is thus a good way to ease your reviewers into understanding your project. If you begin by giving them a summary of what your project is about before giving them the details, they're more likely to be able to follow you into and through some of the more technical project details.

Use numbers

Giving specific numbers of things can help reviewers get a picture of your project. How many subjects? How much time? How many groups? Answering these type of questions can give your reviewers clarity around the scope of your project. Having said that, although numbers can be helpful, be careful about including equations or formulas in your grant proposal unless absolutely necessary and only when you can be sure that reviewers will be able to make sense of them.

Give a timeline

People, including reviewers, tend to think chronologically, so offering a timeline image in your project narrative can give them clarity around what step you'll be doing when. It also offers a concrete snapshot of your entire project.

Use plain language in Methods

Methods tend to be the most technical part of any research proposal. These are where the acronyms, formulas, and algorithms are unleashed, making it treacherous reading for reviewers whose expertise does not lie in your exact area. So, write it carefully. Think before every step, is there a clearer, more accessible way to say this. If the answer is yes, rewrite it in that way. All of your reviewers, including your technical experts, will thank you for going the extra mile to write a clear and understandable methods section.

Remember, even if you've convinced your reviewers that the world will end if research doesn't move forward, they will still not recommend funding if they don't understand your project. Follow-up that case with a clear solution.

Resources

Project Summary/Abstract and Narrative - NIH