Specific Aims Fitting your grant on one page

Specific Aims: Fitting your grant on one page Laura Ranum Director, Center for Neuro. Genetics Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

What I look for in a Grant and on the Aims Page • • • Who What Why How What will you do with the information– – Will it make an impact? – Is it incremental or transformative?

Structure • Background • Rationale for your proposal • List of specific aims – 1. ) Hypotheses – 2. ) General description of approach

The foundation of your proposal: The Hypothesis http: //medicine. emory. edu/research/R_series. cfm

My experience • Keep it simple – expect that your reviewers will be smart but not necessarily experts in your field. • I have never reviewed a grant directly in my field for the NIH

Aims Page: Revise • As you write your ideas down they will become clearer • As your ideas become clearer revise your aims page • Writing a grant is a wonderful opportunity to focus the efforts of your lab – What is most important – What has to get done quickly

Consider a diagram of your aims

Final thoughts • Start early • Grant writing is hard work • Administrative stuff takes A LOT OF TIME – Get it done early!!!!!! • Talk through your aims with your colleagues • Refine and revise your aims as you write the body of the grant – it is okay if they change • Writing a grant is fun – it is an opportunity to refocus and take your research to the next level!!!! • Talk with your NIH Program Officer – they have great advice and are your advocate

Good Luck!!!!