Grant Writing 101

Abstract

Writing a grant is a hefty undertaking. Start by surrounding yourself with a successful mentor and accompanying team with a good track record. Get organized, select clear goals and objectives to your project. Once the foundation for the grant is set, begin by generating a robust hypothesis. Once your hypothesis is clearly defined, you should contact the project officer of the specific grant for which you are applying; they can help identify if the proposal meets an area of need. The basic components of a grant include the following: the face page, which highlights the key contributors; followed by table of contents; abstract; biographical sketches, which are minicurriculum vitae; budget; research plan, which is composed mostly of background, significance, and specific aims; and lastly, references cited. Be sure to follow specific formatting. Use resources including the internet to find an appropriate grant. Finally, given the confines of a busy surgical practice and the significant amount of work necessary to complete a grant, it is essential that the work begins early and well in advance of the proposed deadline.

Keywords

grant hypothesis - mentorship - face page - biographical sketches - budget - research plan - specific aims - letters of support

• Bibliography

• 1 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm
• 2 Eastwood PR, Naughton MT, Calverley P , et al. How to write research papers and grants: 2011 Asian Pacific Society for Respirology Annual Scientific Meeting Postgraduate Session. Respirology 2012; 17 (5) 792-801
• 3 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html
• 4 http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/write_grant_doc.htm