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Duke offers workshops and lectures for people preparing for grant submission.
Scientific Writing Resources compiled by the NIH Library, including links to the Duke University Online Science Writing Course and The Science of Scientific Writing by noted Duke Professor George Gopen.
The Early Career Grant Programs (formerly known as the K Club and Path to Independence Programs) are designed to help junior faculty prepare NIH Career Development Awards (K Series) and prepare their first NIH R01s. The program is offered three times per year to coincide with the NIH application submission deadlines, and consists of structured reviews and feedback on grant applications by experienced faculty.
Program Timeline
| If your NIH grant is due on... | February | June | October |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration Period | September | January | May |
| Programs | September-January | January-May | May-September |
General Program Structure
The Early Career Grant Writing Program consists of the following components. Participation in all aspects of the program is expected.
- General Strategy session: Dr. Cathleen Colon-Emeric will provide a 1 hr lecture summarizing general strategy for preparation and submission of grants to the NIH.
- Specific Aims Workshops: Up to 4 applications per session will be reviewed with a senior facilitator and a member of the Faculty Development staff. The sessions will be separated based upon project scope into basic science, translational, or clinical research.
- Significance and Innovation Strategy Session: Dr. Joanna Downer will provide a 1 hr lecture discussing strategies for successful writing of the significance and innovation section. Several drop-in writing islands will be offered following the lecture for 1:1 review and discussion of this section.
- Career Development Strategy and assistance: A general guidance for this section will be provided, and time will be reserved for drop-in guidance and review of the career development plans with the senior facilitators.
- Internal Grant Review: As part of the MOU for the program, mentors must agree to assist their mentee in arranging an internal review with 2-3 faculty outside the immediate mentor team approximately 1 month prior to the grant deadline. A general guidance for scheduling and conducting internal grant reviews at the division, center or departmental level will be provided to participants.
- Individual Resubmission Consultation: After NIH review, participants whose application was scored but not funded will be offered individual meetings with a science writer in the Office for Research Development to plan revisions and response to reviewers.
For general program questions, contact resmen@dm.duke.edu.
This widely acclaimed seminar comprehensively addresses both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to the proposal-writing process.
It is an all-day program, held once a year (typically in July). Speaker will come from Grant Writer’s Seminars and Workshops. They will provide a workbook which is a bible for writing proposals.
Registration for Write Winning Grants typically opens 6-8 weeks before the seminar. Exact program and registration dates are posted on the upcoming events page as soon as they are available. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Faculty are given priority. Faculty are notified of registration by an e-mail from the Office for Faculty Development. Seats typically fill up within 72 hours of the e-mail being sent.
- Grant Writing Resources from NIH NIAID, including sample applications, application tips, and budget planning resources. Useful for anyone writing an NIH grant.
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Concept Reviews
Grant support from Department of Medicine; A message from Dr. Dee Gun
Planning a grant? As part of a DoM effort, we can offer you help and advice as you plan what to include in the proposal and how to structure your approach. We can also help you identify potential collaborators or methods that may enhance your proposal. Our goal is to help you submit the highest quality grant possible by getting your science in order before you start writing. We term this mechanism “concept reviews” and it has worked quite well for the investigators we have done thus far.
How it works?
You present an outline of your planned grant (background, preliminary data, and tentative research plan) as a PowerPoint talk to a small group of Duke investigators (5-8 people total). The group will provide you with feedback and, with luck, can identify potential problems and offer you suggestions as to how the grant may be improved. Our goal is to do this substantially in advance of the grant due date, so that you may make any required changes before you actually start writing the grant.
If you are interested, here is what we would need from you:
- The general topic of your proposal
- Your anticipated submission date.
- The study section your grant will or would normally go to (if you know).
- The names of 4-5 Duke investigators, from any department, who have expertise in the area of your grant. This can include your mentor(s) if you have any.
- A range of dates that you are available. The sooner we know the better for scheduling.
One week prior to the review, we will need:
- A draft Specific Aims page for your proposed grant.
- If this is a resubmission or the re-working of a failed A1 proposal, the summary statement from the previous submission.
For your review, you will need:
- A ~20 minute PowerPoint presentation that covers your background, preliminary data, an outline of your research plan, and any specific questions you have
If you are interested in participating or have any questions about this, please contact Ashton Spicer (taylor.spicer@duke.edu) in the Department of Medicine. Dee Gunn (michael.gunn@duke.edu) runs the basic research proposals and Heather Whitson (heather.whitson@dm.duke.edu) runs the clinical research proposals.
If you are a beginning grant writer, this course will provide you with the essential tools needed to write a successful grant proposal from start to finish. For those more experienced, this workshop will sharpen your skills and keep you up-to-date through discussions of current grant writing trends. Learn about the grantsmanship process – from foundation research and cultivation to the development and writing of a winning proposal. You will learn about the typical questions funders ask when considering a proposal and the criteria used. Class participants will have an opportunity to review and critique a proposal. Tips for ensuring grant compliance and improving your chances of future grant success will be discussed.
- One day class
- Course fees: $150
- Fall class: Sep 10th or Dec 3rd
The Office of Research Development provides consultation and editing services for individual research grants to Duke School of Medicine faculty under three circumstances: (1) the individual is put forward by the department chair or division chief; (2) the individual is a recipient of Bridge Funding from the School of Medicine; (3) the individual has participated in a complex grant that we have facilitated.
This editing service provides:
- a fresh set of eyes and excruciating attention to detail to catch errors, inconsistencies, and leaps of logic in the text,
- organization to aid reviewers’ understanding and help them find necessary information quickly,
- a clear and compelling message about the work and its impact, and
- assistance fitting text into page limits.
The goal of this service is to help each PI submit a proposal that responds effectively to reviewer concerns and that meets the five “Cs”: Clear, Compelling, Consistent, Concise, and Complete.
Feel free to contact Joanna Downer PhD, Associate Dean for Research Development, to see if your division or department has already used its allotted slots for individual investigator support.
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Other Events & Resources by Office for Research Mentoring
