How to write a project proposal for BioI 7713

• Description of the R-03 program
• The program announcement (PA) for the Small Grant program. Pay particular attention to the Review Criteria section.
• The The PHS398 form materials, on which R- grants are submitted.

Let's look at the grant format and review criteria in a little more detail. First, consider the main component of the grant, your Research Plan It has four parts. In an R-03, the total page count of the plan cannot exceed 10 pages.

Specific Aims

This is your succinct definition of what it is you intend to accomplish. Generally, there is a paragraph or two introducing the aims, and then a numbered list of 2 or 3 aims, each of which can be stated in a sentence or two. It is sometimes (although not always) necessary for an aim to have 2-3 sub-aims enumerated similarly.

Background and Significance

Here, you explain why it would be important if you were to achieve your specific aims. How would your work affect human health, solve important open problems, provide technology that would facilitate other important work, etc. In this section, you should also describe how your work relates to others' work. To show how you are building on others' results, you can discuss the availability of datasets, existing methods, known results, etc. that bear on your aims. Also, this is where you can show that your approach to the problem is different than what has been done before.

Preliminary Studies

In an R-03, this is a fairly minor part of the proposal, but in R-01's it is crucial. This section describes work that you have already done that demonstrates that you will be able to achieve the aims that you describe. The previous background section focuses on other people's work, while this section focuses on your own previous work. There is a fine line here between showing that you have achieved good results in "pilot" study, and hurting the significance of your proposal because you have accomplished too much of it already.

Research Design and Methods

This is the most important part of the grant. What is your detailed plan to achieve the significant aims? You should talk about not only your first choice plan, but also identify challenges that might arise along the way and various alternative approaches you have for addressing them. It is also crucial to address evaluation, that is, what you plan to do to see if your method worked in achieving the specific aims. Many proposals are weakened because not enough thought went into the evaluation plan.

Significance:

Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?

Approach:

Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? [NB: Pay special attention to this last question -- this is research, so things may not go as you initially planned. How will you adapt your research plan in different circumstances?]

Innovation:

Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?

Investigator:

Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)? [NB: this is less important for your course project proposal.]

Environment:

Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?