doctor

What You Need to Know About the NIH Data Management Plan

The NIH closely scrutinizes the Data Management Plan (DMP) as a fundamental part of the grant application, for it demonstrates how data will be handled and generated during the research project. A well-crafted DMP reveals that the researcher has considered the full life cycle of the research data and is committed to sharing valuable resources… read more

success

Seven Characteristics of Successful Grant Writers

Panic is often the first reaction I hear from grant writers who have not fully developed their ideas, do not have an understanding of what exactly is needed from each person on their team, and who are writing at the last minute. On the other hand, I hear cautious optimism from people who are ready… read more

doctor

Five Crucial Facets of Successful Research Funding

Do you want to get a grant? Chances are that you can, but only if you properly organize yourself. Whether you have a complex or simple proposal, the major facets you must master are: rigor, focus, preliminary data, communication, and persistence. Rigor Rigor encompasses a whole host of practices. In research, it’s the belief that… read more

questions

Five Key Questions for Grant Success

Five key questions that are universal to all grant writing will determine the success of a proposal. Knowledge, credibility, direction, research, and passion are essential components of any proposal. Politics will also play an important part in this process. This requires a full understanding of what the funder wants. If the objectives and the language… read more

plug

10 Errors That Will Disqualify Your Grant

Poorly written proposals often contain small issues that could have easily been remedied if one had paid close attention to detail. On the other hand, there are other major errors that can immediately disqualify a proposal from being funded, such as the lack of research depth, a bad idea, weak institutional support, and unqualified personnel…. read more

research

The Most Important Part of Your Application: The Specific Aims Page

The most important part of a medical research application is the Specific Aims page. The reviewers have to understand, appreciate, and be convinced of your idea by the time they finish reading this one page. It is where you provide the summary of your entire project in persuasive terms that convince the reviewer that you… read more

outcome

Outcomes: 5 Questions You Must Answer

Confusing outcomes with methods is one of the most common errors that grantees make. To clarify, methods are described in the objectives; meanwhile, the outcomes are identified by the success that occurs. The two examples below demonstrate the approach: Example 1 Objective: To initiate a 4-hour per week tutoring program over a 6-month period for… read more

evaluation

Evaluation: Measuring Success

Donors will always ask how you will know if your idea is succeeding. Your response can make or break your chance to win the grant, and your evaluation plan holds the answer. Reassuring the donor that you have a strong evaluation component – and that your project will make a substantial impact – will add… read more

data

Sources of Data to Build Your Argument

Citing authoritative sources in your proposal can greatly improve your chances of being funded. Data, statistics, and respected voices in the field will be your best means of persuasion. Multiple current and convincing sources of data will strengthen your argument. Some of the key sources for such data searches are listed below: Federal Sources Citations… read more