CLSC 7101/7102 Grant Writing Spring 2014 Course Instructors: Dr. Matt Taylor matthew.taylor@ucdenver.edu Dr. Cathy Battaglia catherine.battaglia@ucdenver.edu Dr. Lisa Cicutto- cicuttol@njhealth.org or lisa.cicutto@ucdenver.edu Dr. Doug Everett everettd@njhealth.org Statistical Advice Course Administrator: Amanda Whiting amanda.g.whiting@ucdenver.edu Day and Time: Selected Fridays from 7-9 am. See below for exact dates. Location: Ed 2 South 2305 (after the first two weeks we will break into smaller groups and you will be assigned to one of three rooms in the Leprino Bldg). Please note that the last session will be held in Ed 2 South 2305. Prerequisites: BIOS 6601 and 6602 Applied Biostatistics I and II, CLSC 7150 Ethics and Regulation in Human Subjects Research,EPID 6630 Epidemiology Course Description and Purpose: The purpose of this course is to develop and improve your skills in writing successful grant applications and participating in the critique and review process of grants. Course Structure: Throughout the course, students will be developing and writing a grant for a funding agency that they have identified as relevant for the project. This is a relatively fast paced and intensive course. Before taking the course, students should identify a research mentor and an area of research investigation. In general, students will have an assignment for every scheduled class that will include a written component of your grant submission and a critique of your peers (x2) grant submissions. The classes are set-up to run similar to a NIH study section committee or a grant review committee. Course Objectives: At the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) Apply an understanding of the process and the skills necessary to review grants and participate in study section committees; 2) Explain the general process for writing research grants; 3) Craft and write concise and effective components of a grant that include: 1. Hypothesis 2. Specific aims 3. Grant abstract 4. Significance
5. Innovation 6. Research Approach (Methods) 7. Preliminary Data 8. Budget and Budget Justification; 4) Critique your grant and the grants of others; 5) Effectively receive and respond to criticism to improve your grant; 6) Work with a more senior mentor to develop and improve your grant. Required Text While not all students in this course will be working on NIH grant submissions, the basics of an NIH-style grant can be valuable when applied to many grant formats. Therefore, the textbook for this course is The Grant Application Writer s Workbook: National Institutes of Health Version, authors Stephen W. Russell and David C. Morrison. The most recent version of this textbook is available for purchase for ~$75 at the website below. Please order early so that you will have this textbook available for the initial classes. http://www.grantcentral.com/workbook_nih_sf424_shortened.html Core Clinical Science Competencies Addressed in this Course To prepare students to perform state of the art translational research, this course addresses the following clinical science competencies: [Propose] human research that adheres to the principles and guidelines of ethical conduct Critically appraise existing literature and sources of information Apply evidence based practice principals Accurately select, use and interpret commonly used statistics Apply and use appropriate study designs and methods to address research questions/hypotheses Identify and measure clinically relevant and meaningful outcomes Design and conduct research studies Prepare and submit grant proposals Provide constructive reviews and feedback to colleagues Demonstrate effective communication and leadership skills Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration For HSR Collaborative Students: Course Integration Statement- The methodology taught in this course applies to Health Services Research, Health Policy, Public Health and Clinical Sciences. Role of Research Mentor: Research Mentors are essential to guide and coach the student through his/her research experience. Research Mentors are experienced researchers in the student s field of study or type of research methodology. The Research Mentor-student relationship should be in place prior to registering for
Grant Writing. During Grant Writing, the student should plan to meet and discuss the grant throughout the semester with the Research Mentor to: Develop the research plan and identify a funding source Review drafts of the grant and provide feedback on an ongoing basis Review the final grant and provide feedback Assignments and Elements of Course Grade: Participation and Critique of Colleagues: Weekly Assignments are due for each class meeting except the first session (see schedule below) On the Tuesday before each class, an assignment is due You must: a) post your assignment on Canvas in the corresponding Discussion Forum section folder b) review the TWO grants you are assigned and be prepared to review and discuss in class that week Students will submit the course assignments according to the deadlines outlined in the calendar below to allow for peer and instructor review for class discussion, review the assignments of peers and provide oral and written feedback to peers. Except for the initial lecture classes, the course structure is based on full participation by students, which includes 1) submitting grant assignments on time, 2) reviewing assigned grants of other students, 3) providing feedback to students on their grants during class, and 4) overall attendance. Students should check Canvas to see which submissions they are assigned to as reviewers. Reviews should be ready to present to the student applicant in both written and oral format the day of class. This component of the course is worth 20%. Full grant proposal: Students must complete a full grant proposal that is ready for submission to the designated funding agency. This final grant assignment is worth 80% of the course grade. If needed, course instructors may consult with outside faculty experts to assist with the grading of your grant assignment. The assignment is due May 2, 2014 by 4pm. Absences: Students are allowed to miss one class session without penalty, although the course instructor(s) and peers need to be made aware of this absence in advance. A written assigned review of other students grants must still be provided on time by email and cc d to the instructors. Late Policy/Attendance Instructors are not responsible for providing information related to classes missed. Handouts and/or lecture notes should be obtained from other participants in attendance. Participants are responsible for all information presented in class. Peer feedback cannot be turned in late your peers are counting on you!
For each day the grant is late, without an approved excuse from the course instructor, 2% per day it is late will be deducted from the course grade. Letter Grade GPA %Grade A 4.00 93-100 A- 3.70 90-92 B+ 3.30 87-89 B 3.00 83-86 B- 2.70 80-82 C+ 2.30 77-79 C 2.00 73-76 C- 1.70 70-72 D+ 1.30 68-69 D 1.00 63-67 D- 0.70 60-62 F 0.00 <60 Course Evaluation Requirement: Students are required to complete an online course evaluation for this class before a final grade can be given. This evaluation will be emailed to you after the last day of class. For questions related to the online evaluations, please contact Galit Mankin (Galit.Mankin@ucdenver.edu) Canvas Website Canvas can be accessed at http://canvas.cuonline.edu using your UCD Access login. For access assistance, please contact the UC Denver Online Help Desk at 303.315.3700 (Monday through Friday, 7:00 am 7:00 pm), or email cuonlinehelp@ucdenver.edu. The help desk provides email assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They guarantee a 24-hour response time to inquiries, but generally respond in much shorter time. Badge Access A UC Denver Student ID Badge is NEEDED TO ACCESS CLASSROOM. If a new badge is needed or the current badge has expired, please contact the Badge Access Office at IDAccess.Badges@UCDenver.edu or 303-724-0399.
Honor Code A University-wide honor code that all students are required to follow was instituted in the Fall of 1988. The code includes specific procedures, including rights of appeal, when violations are reported. A copy of the Code is located in Graduate School Handbook. Matriculation into a Graduate School Program at the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus indicates your willingness to abide by this Code. Questions and concerns may be directed to the Graduate School. Academic Honesty Students should adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Examples of behavior that violates these standards include: plagiarism (including the undocumented use of internet and web-based information), cheating, illegitimate possession and/or use of examinations, violation of the ethical standards for conducting research, and falsification of official records. Special Considerations The Professors will gladly accommodate participants with physical disabilities or diagnosed learning disabilities, upon request. For students requesting accommodations, contact the Office of Disability Resources and Services. Their staff will assist in determining reasonable accommodations as well as coordinating the approved accommodations. Phone number: (303) 724-5640. Location: Building 500, Room W1103. The physical address is 13001 E. 17th Place. Class Meeting Schedule * Post all assignments on Canvas (Discussion Board) by 5 P.M. of the assignment date. * Class starts at 7am sharp! January 24, 2014: Overview of course; Anatomy of a NIH Grants and Inner workings of a study section; Non-NIH funding. Location: ED2 S 2305 Matt Taylor MD, PhD Lisa Cicutto RN, PhD Assignment#1 due Jan 28th by 5PM: Identify granting agency, mentor, and topic January 31, 2014: Ed 2 South, Rm 2305 Who s Reading Your Grant? Writing For Your Audience Elizabeth Staton MSTC, MPH Tips for writing non-nih grants Mandy Allison MD, MPH Assignment#2 due Feb 11 by 5PM: Submit title, specific aims, and hypothesis(es) or research question(s) [and revised agency, mentor topics]
February 14, 2014: Review and critique title specific aims, and hypothesis(es) or research question(s) (Leprino Bldg, 318, 343, 360) Matt Taylor MD, PhD, Cathy Battaglia, PhD, RN, Lisa Cicutto, PhD, RN Assignment#3 due Feb 25 by 5PM: Submit significance [and revised title, aims, hypothesis(es) or research question(s)] February 28, 2014: Review and critique significance and revisions (Leprino Bldg, 318, 343, 360) Cathy Battaglia, PhD, RN, Lisa Cicutto, PhD, RN, Liron Caplan MD, PhD Assignment#4 due March 11 by 5PM: Submit innovation, approach, and preliminary data (if required) and revisions March 14, 2014: Review and critiue innovation, approach, preliminary data and revisions (Leprino Bldg 318, 343, 360) Cathy Battaglia, PhD, RN, Lisa Cicutto PhD, RN, Matt Taylor MD, PhD Assignment#5 due March 25 by 5PM: Submit abstract, budget (includes budget justification), and revisions March 28, 2014: Review abstract, budget, and revisions. (Leprino Bldg, 318, 343, 360) Matt Taylor, MD, PhD, Lori Silveira, PhD, Lisa Cicutto, PhD, RN, Michael Ho MD, PhD and Richard Lindrooth PhD Assignment#6 due April 14 by 5PM: Submit completed draft of entire grant with revisions April 18, 2014: Mock Study Section: Critique entire grant submission (Ed 2 South, Rm 2305) Matt Taylor MD, PhD, MSCS, Doug Everett PhD, Lisa Cicutto PhD, RN, and Cathy Battaglia, PhD, RN Assignment#7 due by 5pm May 2, 2014: Submit final grant electronically to Lisa Cicutto (Lisa.cicutto@ucdenver.edu) for grading. Confirm when the grant will be submitted to a funding agency. May 2, 2014: No class meeting. Submit grant.