Biophysical Society Newsletter - July 2015

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BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2015

JULY

Careers

Review website so that you will better understand the review process. The site includes “Applicant Resources” page with information on how to plan, write, and submit a successful grant application, and information on review, results, and appeals. Contact the program officer with questions during your application preparation. Program staff can give you information about: • An institute/center’s potential enthusiasm about your research area; • The appropriate FOA through which to apply; • Investigator-initiated research: topics of inter- est and new scientific directions; • Additional information about an initiative such as a request for applications or program announcement; • Requirements for special areas such as human subjects and vertebrate animal research; and • The appropriate study section to request in your cover letter. If you are putting together an NSF Career Propos- al, make sure you include information about the educational aspects of your project. The educa- tional focus is what differentiates Career Proposals from regular ones. Additional Funding Opportunities In addition to NIH and NSF, biophysicists can pursue funding from the DOD - DARPA, DOE, and DOA – NIFA. Private foundations (like PEW, Searle Scholars) also provide funding to researchers through a direct application process or institution- al nominations. Keep in mind that other funding agencies and funding bodies may not have pro- gram directors who will talk with you like NIH’s and NSF’s, and may not provide institutional overhead as part of the funding. Some institutions have listings on their websites about grant opportunities, as does the Biophysical Society newsletter. Before you go on interviews for faculty positions, start learning about funding op- portunities available to you.

Grant Opportunities for Early Career Faculty The Early Careers Committee hosted a panel at the 59 th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, to discuss funding opportunities for early career faculty. The panel consisted of Kamal Shukla , NSF Program Director; Bishow Adhikari , NIH Pro- gram Director, and Beth Schachter , Beth Schachter Consulting/Still Point Coaching & Consulting. Their presentations and grant-writing advice are summarized below. NIH and NSF grants NIH has funding opportunities for every career level: F30/F32 = graduate and postdoctoral fel- lowships, T32=apply through institution, K99/ R00=for postdocs (each grant type for 2 years), R01=support discrete, specified research for pe- riods of 3-5 years. 80% of NIH’s budget goes to funding extramural projects. When applying for a grant, it is important to have: a great and feasible idea; an understanding of the grant process; an excellent execution plan; and a strong team, resources, and environment. Make sure your application is easy to read and in clear language, and that all required sections are completed. The timeline to receive funding is nine months to two years after the submission process begins (not including your prep time), so begin planning early. NIH has 27 institutes and each has an early career website with career planning and grant informa- tion. Use NIH RePORTER to find funded appli- cations, including some samples of successful grant applications. You can subscribe to the NIH Guide Listserv for weekly emails featuring links to new Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) published during the week. Read the Center for Scientific