NIH 101: What You Need to Know! Lana Shekim, PhD, NIDCD ASHA LfS ’08 Conference

1. NIH 101: What You Need to Know!Lana Shekim, PhD, NIDCDASHA LfS ’08 Conference

2. Outline • NIDCD Mission in Research on Human Communication • Brief Orientation to NIH Research Project Grant Programs (R03, R21, R01) • The People Behind Them (Program, Review, Grants Management)

3. NIDCD • The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

4. Mission of NIDCD • Reduce the burden of communication disorders thru conducting & supporting research & research training in: -Hearing -Balance -Smell -Taste -Voice -Speech -Language

5. Funding Research in CSD • The NIDCD: the major source of funding of communication sciences & disorders (CSD) within the federal government • Some other NIH ICs that fund CSD: • NICHD, NINDS, NIA, NIMH, NIDCR, NCI

6. Voice Program • Laryngeal Tissue Engineering • Voice therapy • Spasmodic Dysphonia • Swallowing • Cleft palate

7. Speech Program • Speech sound production • Speech perception • Speech of the deaf and hearing impaired • Neurogenic speech disorders • Stuttering • AAC

8. Language Program • Language disorders in children • Specific Language Impairment (SLI) • Language and Deafness • Phonology • Adult Aphasia

9. Hearing Program • Auditory system structure, function, dysfunction & development • Hearing Loss • Otitis Media • Tinnitus • Cochlear implants • Hearing aids • Balance & vestibular function

10. Some Common Acronyms • FOA: Funding opportunity announcement • RFA: Request for application • PA: Program announcement • PAR: Program announcement with a special receipt, referral and/or review • PAS: Program announcement with set aside funds • Glossary & acronym list • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/glossary.htm

11. Funding Mechanisms/Activity Codes • A three-digit code assigned by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify funding mechanisms (e.g. F32, K12, P01, R01, T32, etc.). General categories include: • F -- fellowships • K -- career development awards • N -- research contracts • P -- program project and research center grants • R -- research project grants • S -- research-related programs • T -- training grants • U -- cooperative agreements • Y -- interagency agreements

12. Funding Mechanisms • There is something for everyone • Predoctoral & postdoctoral fellowships • Junior investigator • More experienced investigators • Career development • Clinical trials

13. R03 Small Research Grant Program • To provide support specifically limited in time and amount • Multiple announcements at NIH • NIH parent announcement • $50k per year up to 2 years • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-180.html

14. CSD relevant participants in Parent R03 FOA National Institute on Aging (NIA) (http://www.nia.nih.gov/) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)

15. NIDCD R03 • Only for individuals beginning their research career and within 7 years from terminal degree • Supports preliminary short-term projects designed to launch a more expansive research program (K award or R01) • Not renewable

16. NIDCD R03 (cont) • Provides up to $100K per year for up to three years to conduct feasibility studies • Provides a testing ground for the challenging task of writing a competitive R01 application

17. Different from Parent NIH R03 FOA • Remember! Follow instructions of the desired FOA • Three special receipt dates • Next receipt date for NIDCD is June 27, 08 • NIDCD R03 is reviewed: SRB/NIDCD • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-287.html

18. NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program R21 • Include the unique and innovative use of an existing methodology to explore a new scientific area • Assess the feasibility of a novel area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance health-related research

19. NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program R21 • May involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research • Preliminary data are not required but may be included if available

20. NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program R21 • Open to both senior and junior investigators • May not exceed 2 years, limited to $275k in DC and no more than $200k in 1 year • Not renewable • Reviewed at CSR, standard receipt dates, next is June 16th, 2008 • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-181.html

21. Research Project R01 • Supports discrete, specified, circumscribed project in PI’s area of interest • Mainstay of NIH research support for new & established investigators • Modules of $25K up to $250k in Direct Costs (DC) per year for 3,4 or (usually) 5 years • Budgets over $250k should be detailed

22. R01 • Needs pilot data and a publication record • 25 page research plan • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-070.html

23. R15 • Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) • Designed to support small scale research projects conducted by faculty in primarily baccalaureate-degree granting domestic institutions • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-042.html

24. Conference Grant R13 • Designed to support national or international meetings, conferences and workshops • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-041.html

25. SBIR • a set-aside program (2.5% of an agency's extramural budget) • for domestic small business concerns • to engage in Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) • that has the potential for commercialization.

26. For NIDCD Support • http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/foa/ • NIDCD-Issued • All NIDCD-issued announcements • RFAs only • PAs only • PARs only • NIDCD-Participating • All NIDCD-participating announcements • RFAs only • PAs only • PARs only

27. Research supplement to promote diversity in health related research • This program was established toimprove the diversity of the research workforce by supporting and recruiting students, postdoctorates, and eligible investigators from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented • Applications can be received anytime • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-015.html

28. Supplement to promote reentry into biomedical and behavioral research • Supports fully trained individuals to reenter an active research career after taking time to care for children, parents or other family responsibilities • Can be fulltime or part time • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-126.html

29. NIH Roadmap To identify major opportunities and gaps in biomedical research that no single institute at NIH could tackle alone but that the agency as a whole must address, to make the biggest impact on the progress of medical research.

30. NIH RM • For more information on the NIH Roadmap explore www.nihroadmap.nih.gov

31. NIH Blueprint for NSC • A framework to enhance cooperative activities among fourteen NIH Institutes and Centers that support research on the nervous system. • The ultimate goal of the Blueprint is to accelerate neuroscience research to reduce the burden of nervous system disorders. • http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/

32. To get started • Explore the NIH websites e.g. • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm • www.nidcd.nih.gov • E-mail the designated Program Director for your scientific interest • Subscribe to the NIH Guide • http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm

33. Your Friends @ NIH /Extramural Staff Program Grants Management Review

34. Program Official/PO • PO: The NIH official responsible for the programmatic, scientific, and/or technical aspects of a grant; assists you through the process • Contact the PO early to discuss your goals and get advise • Do your homework before you contact the PO; maximize everyone’s efficiency

35. Scientific Review Officer/SRO (SRA) • SRO: A Federal scientist who presides over a scientific review group and is responsible for coordinating and reporting the review of each application assigned to it. The SRO serves as an intermediary between the applicant and reviewers and prepares summary statements for all applications reviewed.

36. Contact with SROs • Don’t be shy about communicating with the SRO • Make requests, recommendations for areas of required expertise for informed and fair review of your application • Review the roster when posted on website • Alert SRA of any potential conflicts

37. Grants Management Officer • An NIH official responsible for the business management aspects of grants and cooperative agreements, including review, negotiation, award, and administration, and for the interpretation of grants administration policies and provisions. Only GMOs are authorized to obligate NIH to the expenditure of funds and permit changes to approved projects on behalf of NIH. Each NIH Institute and Center awarding grants has one or more GMOs with responsibility for particular programs or awards

38. Grants Management Specialist (GMS) • A NIH staff member who oversees the business and other non-programmatic aspects of one or more grants and/or cooperative agreements. These activities include, but are not limited to, evaluating grant applications for administrative content and compliance with statutes, regulations, and guidelines; negotiating grants; providing consultation and technical assistance to grantees; and administering grants after award.

39. GMO/GMS • The person who signs the Notice of Award (NoA) previously known as Notice of Grant Award (NGA) • Grants Process at a glance • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/grants_process.htm#process

40. VSL Contacts • Language Program • Judith Cooper, Ph.D. • cooperj@nidcd.nih.gov • Voice & Speech Programs • Lana Shekim, Ph.D. • shekiml@nidcd.nih.gov

41. Hearing Program Contacts Amy Donahue, Ph.D. donahuea@nidcd.nih.gov Nancy Freeman, Ph.D. freemann@nidcd.nih.gov Bracie Watson, Ph.D. watsonb@nidcd.nih.gov

42. Other Program Contacts • Christopher Platt, Ph.D. • Balance & Vestibular Program • plattc@nicdd.nih.gov • Roger Miller, Ph.D. • Neural Prosthesis Program • millerr@nidcd.nih.gov

43. NIDCD Program Contacts • Barry Davis, Ph.D. • Smell & Taste Programs • davisb@nidcd.nih.gov • Daniel Sklare, Ph.D. • Research Training & Career Development • sklared@nidcd.nih.gov

44. Top 10 errors 1. Lack of an original idea 2. Diffuse, unfocused, or superficial research plan 3. Lack of knowledge of published relevant work

45. Top 10 errors (cont) 4. Lack of experience in essential methodology 5. Uncertainty concerning future directions 6. Questionable reasoning in experimental approach 7. Absence of acceptable scientific rationale

46. Top 10 errors (cont) 8. Unrealistically large amount of work 9. Lack of sufficient experimental detail 10. Uncritical approach

47. Go for it & good luck!