The role of a Program Officer (or Program Manager or Technical Point of Contact, depending on the sponsor) varies a lot between sponsors. For example, while it is extremely difficult to get Department of Defense funding without talking to the Program Officer, it is quite common to get funding from the National Institutes of Health …read more
On more than one occasion, I have discussed how important it is to address the “who, what, when, where, and why” of your research project when writing a proposal. One way of addressing those issues in a very systematic manner is by using the Heilmeier Catechism. The Heilmeier Catechism (sometimes called The Heilmeier Criteria or …read more
I suspect this conversation happens regularly: Grant proposal writer: I am writing a grant and I have to write an outreach section. Any tips on what I should put in? Writer’s colleague: You do a ton with the camps and departmental programming, so just list all of the stuff you do over the summer, and …read more
As most people will tell you, relationships are key to getting Department of Defense (DoD) funding. So, how do you build these relationships when you are new to research, funding, and your entire career? It turns out, the DoD has something to help in the form of their early career research program known as a …read more
I had one of my favorite conversations recently. A faculty member walked up to me and said he had recently landed a grant from a new (to him) sponsor, in part, he believed because he had worked so hard on his writing. “Too often, you think that the scientific value will speak for itself even …read more
On the advice of several good friends, I started The Flash, a show about the DC Comics superhero by that name. My friends were right; it is a fun show. But, I want to reflect on one thing about the show’s first season that made me crazy and how you can make sure you don’t …read more
National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released their new grant application policies and instructions for due dates on or after May 25, 2016. The changes focus on the following areas: Rigor and transparency in research grant applications (including small business and complex research grant applications) – NOT-OD-16-011 and NOT-OD-16-012 Applicants must use the new “Authentication of Key Biological …read more
Below are some of the limited submissions with internal deadlines in late May into early August. To be considered for these opportunities, please send a letter of intent (LOI) to Beth Keithly by the internal deadline. The LOI for any internal limited submission needs to be a one page document (it may be a bit longer …read more
Hello, I’d Like Some Funding: Writing Your Grant Introduction You’ve heard the expression, “You do not get a second chance to make a first impression.” The same thing is absolutely true for proposal writing. Getting the project description introduction right is key to keeping your readers’ attention. The trick to writing a good introduction is …read more
Grant proposal writing can be an intimating undertaking. You take a piece of your life’s work, attach a price tag to it, and send it to strangers to judge. But thinking about it that way negates the fact that you need money to do your life’s work, and those strangers have some to give. So …read more
