April 2001

Table of Contents

Funding Alerts

National Science Foundation:  Women in Academic Science
Cottrell College Science Awards – Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy 
Predoctoral, Postdoctoral, and Postresidency Health Disparity Training -
  Prostate Scholar Awards (DoD CDMRP) 

Spelman Students Present at the 78th Annual Meeting of the Georgia Academy of Sciences

Announcements:

SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
ONLINE JOURNALS NOW AVAILABLE
CONGRATULATIONS

Janice's Corner
Administrative Niche

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How to Get a Bite of
NIH’s Billion-Dollar
Funding Pie

“The role of the National Institutes of Health [NIH] is to give away $20 billion a year for research.” So says Donna Dean, the senior adviser to NIH's acting director who hosted a grants seminar, "Working on Preparing a Competitive Grant Proposal," at the annual Howard Hughes Medical Institute's fellows' meeting on 25-27 September in Chevy Chase, Maryland. “But it is your role as an applicant,” Dean says, “to understand how the NIH dispenses these dollars--before you dash off your application.” Like her seminar title suggests, winning a share of those research dollars is a competitive process. And although the quality of your research plan is crucial to your project's success, there are a number of non-research- related, practical things you can do to make sure your application stays on track and, in so doing, improve your chances of getting it funded.

Getting It There 
Dean recommends you "get a receipted delivery" when sending your application to the NIH. It sounds obvious, but this step creates a "chain of custody" that proves your grant package was submitted to the NIH at the appropriate time. Sometimes applicants do miss the last courier and decide to drive their applications in so they are not late. "We see cars with Maryland plates, Virginia plates, North Carolina plates ... even [cars] from New Jersey" pulling into the visitor's parking lot, says Dean. But by and large, the vast majority of applications arrive at a loading dock behind NIH's Center for Scientific Review (CSR) in Bethesda, Maryland, right on time. "I used to look out my office window and see thousands and thousands and thousands of applications arriving. It was a very sobering activity," says Dean, who, early on, was "totally terrified" about processing the deluge of documents. A team of workers unpacks applications and assigns computer inspection numbers to each one so there is "a record of the application." The applications--and their copies--are bundled together and stacked into a jam-packed room.   

The NIH Grants Process Is Interactive 
“From this point on, NIH officials take turns "shepherding" your application through the complexities of the NIH peer-review process,” says Dean. There is a referral officer who decides where it should be reviewed; a scientific review administrator who chairs the study section; and a program officer who represents the institute that may fund the project. And although "one would hope that [officials] are all perfect people ... no one is perfect, not even us or you," she states. “So it is imperative to make sure you actively interact with NIH,” says Dean. You should find out who at NIH is responsible for your application and at what point in the grant process that person presides over your application.

Finding a Home
The first person to handle your application once it's had an inspection number slapped onto it is one of CSR's many referral officers, who decides which study section should review the project and which institute might want to fund the project. "One way to help NIH [officials] make those decisions is to choose the title of your application correctly. Make it a succinct, clear, and very brief expression that describes your research," suggests Dean. 

But how do you find out who's doing what? "How do you know which institute might be most interested in funding your project, and how do you know which study section might be most appropriate?" asks Dean. Finding the answers to these questions helps you tailor your application (and its title), but it does involve doing a little fieldwork. First of all, "identify at least one of the institutes at the NIH closest to your area of research interest." Likewise, select two or three study sections you feel best represent the  expertise needed to review your application. 

Many of your mentors probably have been reviewers and have sat in on study section panels, says Dean. Speak with them about the process, but be sure to speak with many colleagues and peers, so you don't receive biased accounts of the review mechanism. In addition, keep in mind that the review process can change over time. "Even I am a little bit out of date on some of the guidelines," admits Dean. Once you have a good sense of which review group and institute you believe should handle your application, write a cover letter indicating your choices. The letter should convey all relevant communications you've had with interested NIH officers, as well as any concerns you have about who may review your application. Use the cover letter to highlight possible conflicts of interest. "It's much better to address this up front in a cover letter in a very levelheaded way, rather than bringing up possible conflicts later on," advises Dean. 

Amending Your Application 
Four to 6 weeks after submission, and after assignments and decisions have been made by the referral officers, applicants receive a notification letter informing them of the impending review. It is important to check this letter carefully, because "sometimes we make mistakes ... and so do you," divulges Dean. At this point in the process, your application falls under the jurisdiction of a scientific review administrator who controls the study section review. "You might also want to find out what your assigned study section's policy is with regard to receiving additional information," says Dean. Two years ago, for example, it was standard procedure for study sections to accept one to two pages of succinct additional information before meeting to discuss applications, she reveals. 

"I'm Only Human" 
Regardless of what supplementary materials they may receive, NIH study sections do not operate by a simple "thumbs up, thumbs down" rating system, says Dean. "The review is a human system. Scientists are trained to be objective, but as people, they still have a general tendency to be subjective. Make sure you do all you can to minimize any mistakes" that might crop up. Keep in mind that the study section wants to know why your application is unique: To them, your application is just one of 100. So it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the criteria NIH reviewers use to assess applications before you write up your plan. 

To Fund or Not to Fund 
After your application has been reviewed and given a score, it is handed over to the program director from the institute interested in funding this round of applications. An institutional advisory council decides which projects best fit its institute's mission and goals, and then it slices its budget to fund the successful applications.   If you do not get funded, do not get upset. Put the reviewer's comments aside for a day or two and then calmly respond to the criticisms. Often, the research is sound, but there are "conceptual gaps" that fail to put the project into proper context. Dean suggests you think about your research in a different light: Think about how you can differentiate your own research from the work of others. Sit in on seminars and read papers outside of your immediate field to stimulate new ideas. Just remember that "the context of your research has at some point got to be relevant to health," says Dean. "After all, we are the National Institutes of Health, not the National Institutes of Science." 

But once again, Dean humanizes what is often perceived to be a pitiless, crushing federal review machine. "The biggest mistake applicants can make is being afraid to get in touch with the NIH," she reveals. Become familiar with the NIH Web site, find out which study sections should review your application, and heed Dean's words. You may be only one funding cycle away from a slice of the $20 billion dollar pie!   Reprinted from Nextwave October 2000.

Scope: NSF is offering three types of grants to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers in three areas:  (1) institutional transformation; (2) leadership;  and (3) fellows.

Deadline:  Varies by focus area.

Funds: Institutional transformation awards range up to $750,000 per year for five years; leadership awards up to $200,000 over three years; and fellows awards up to $60,000 in 12-month salary support and up to $25,000 as an annual career development allotment.

Eligibility:  for those applying for a fellows award, applicant must have a Ph.D. in an field support by NSF and be a U.S. citizen, or permanent resident.

Contact: Alice Hogan/ahoban@nsf.gov or www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf0169/nsf0169.htm

Chemistry, physics, and astronomy faculty at undergraduate institutions may apply for the Cottrell College Science Awards(CCSA) from Research Corporation. The program supports basic science projects in chemistry, physics, or astronomy that the PI will conduct during the summer with undergraduate students. Faculty and student stipends for the summer research period are provided, as well as money for equipment and supplies. According to Research Corporation's Winter 2001 Newsletter, about one-third of the proposals submitted for the CCSAs are funded each year. 

Eligibility: Faculty must hold an appointment in a chemistry, astronomy, or physics department in an institution that grants baccalaureate, but not doctoral, degrees. 

Funds: Average awards are $31,000 per year. 

Deadline: Applications will be accepted 15 May 2001 and 15 November 2001. For more information: View details on the Cottrell College Science Awards at: http://www.rescorp.org/college.html. 

The Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) support research on a number of  important health problems, such as breast cancer, neurofibromatosis, osteoporosis, and prostate cancer. A new part of the Prostate Cancer Program, the Health Disparity Training –Prostate Scholar Awards (HDT-PSA) aims to address the increased incidence of prostate cancer in the African American community by supporting the work of predoctoral, postdoctoral, and postresidency scientists. A major requirement for the Award is that the supported individual "must demonstrate a connection to, or effectiveness in working with, the African American community," according to the Announcement. Leo Giambarresi, Prostate Cancer Program manager, indicated that "anyone can apply," as long as they can show this connection. 

Eligibility: For awards at all three training levels, the applicant must show a connection to the African American community (see the Announcement for details). Predoctoral applicants must already be enrolled in a doctoral program when they submit their materials, and postdocs must have no more than three years of research experience after obtaining their Ph.D. For the Postresidency Award, applicants must be within six years of finishing their degrees. 

Funds: Amounts listed in the Announcement cover both "direct and indirect costs." Giambarresi says that the amount the trainee would receive for a stipend "depends on the magnitude of the indirect costs, which vary tremendously from institution to institution." 

Deadline: A letter of intent is due by 23 May 2001, and the full application is due by 6 June 2001. For more information: Download the Prostate Cancer Research Program II Announcement from: http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/default.htm#pcrp2. Scientist must be a member of the ASCB or have submitted a membership application.

Organized in 1922 and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1953, the Georgia Academy of Sciences has grown to a membership some 450 strong, whose interests encompass the sciences, engineering, and technology from astrophysics to zoology.  The GAS is dedicated to the promotion of science education and the fostering of scientific research in the state of Georgia, and to that end hold scientific meetings, sponsor science competitions at the elementary and undergraduate levels, and support K12 and P16 initiatives in integrating and improving science education throughout the formal learning experience of students in Georgia.  

The 78th Annual Meeting was held March 23-34, 2001 at the Coastal Community College in Brunswick, GA.  Students from the laboratories of Drs. Ananaba, Hibbard, Gunter-Smith, McClure, and Primus each presented at this years annual meeting.  Presenters included: Jamila Belgrave, Erika Carr, Kimberly Duhart, LaShauna Evans, Fatima McKindra,  LaToya Perry, and Kisha Young.  Also in attendance were: Oluwakemi Abdulkadir, Eniki Mack, Marcia Price, Denise Saunders, Janice Tittle and Tammy Wallace.

26th Annual AAAS Colloquium on Science and Technolgoy Policy
May 3-4, 2001
Washington, DC

SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

RISE is presently accepting applications for the Summer Research Training Program (6 week program for rising sophomores and juniors with no research experience) and the Summer Development Activity (8 week program for rising juniors and seniors with research experience).  Please visit the RISE web site (rise.spelman.edu) for more information and applications.

ONLINE JOURNALS NOW AVAILABLE

Faculty, staff and students now have online access to the Journal of Biological Chemistry (www.jbc.org)  and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (www.pnas.org/subscriptions).  You may log onto each site for full subscription access.  Usernames and passwords for each site will be distributed this week or you may call the RIMI office (x2278) for login information. Big thanks to Jeffery Boyd for his help in making this possible!

CONGRATULATIONS

Dr. Audrey F. Manley, President, Spelman College, was recently honored at the Morehouse School of Medicine’s Women’s Health Initiative Forum Series:   “In the Presence of Elders: Contributions of African American Women to Science and Medicine”

Dr. Jann P. Primus (C’81), Associate Professor of Biology, has been selected to receive one of two alumnae achievement awards in the health sciences during “Breakfast at Tiffany & Co.”  

Good Day! I hope that your Spring Break Day was one of rest and enjoyment. It is my pleasure to be writing to you for the first time. I am very excited to be your new laboratory manager. I have plans to implement various methods that will make your jobs less tedious and less stressful. Right now, the most recent plans are the new mailing list system and the plan to update chemical inventories and Material Safety Data Sheets for the laboratories. Each lab personnel will receive a sample purchase requisition sheet as to where to place the assigned mailing code for your lab. Also, as mentioned to you in the letter, I will be conducting inventories during the first two weeks of April. Please call me to set up an appointment. Once again, I am here to facilitate your job, don’t hesitate to call.

An e-mail was recently sent to all RIMI Program Research Investigators requesting a hard copy of all recent presentations, publications and notations of those articles that have been submitted or in press.  This information will be included in the 2000-01 Progress Report. If you haven’t sent this information to the RIMI office, please do so at your earliest convenience.  We have two more Biology/RIMI lectures scheduled for the month of April.  Dr. Mark Maloney will give a lecture on April 10th.  The title of his lecture is “Structure and Function of Glycolipid-Binding Proteins.”  Dr. Cassandra Smith from Boston University will lecture on April 24th.  The title of her lecture is “The Genomic Complexities of Twins, Aging and Schizophrenia.”  Dr. Sonya Sobrian will lecture on April 17th.  The title of her lecture is “Prenatal Maternal Stress: Possible Neurodevelopmental Model of Depression.” More details will be forthcoming regarding these and all other upcoming lectures.  I am also requesting referrals for our summer lecture series.  Please forward  any referrals you may have to me at extension 2278 or you may e-mail me at bharrison@spelman.edu.