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Preface for the Second Edition
PREFACE FOR THE SECOND EDITION
It has been nearly 5 years since I completed the first edition of this book. In that time, I have helped a large number of trainees to construct a Ruth L. Kirschstein training grant. At the same time, my grant-writing seminar expanded from a single, 1-h seminar to an interactive 6-h seminar covered in two, 3-h sessions. Through both of these services, I’ve interacted with many trainees and their mentors, I’ve answered questions that may be specific to their situation or may be more general in nature. Regardless, I realized through these questions that there were topics and concerns that I hadn’t even considered or that I unintentionally omitted when writing the first edition. Further, some of the questions highlighted the fact that I didn’t discuss certain topics in enough detail. Therefore, I felt the need to include these issues and provide clarity in what I had previously written. More importantly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have made several significant changes in the Ruth L. Kirschstein training grant application packet since the first edition of this book was published. Some of these changes involved general topics made to all NIH grant application (e.g., Biosketch), others were changes that specifically applied to these training grants (e.g., submission of References, etc.), and some are newly required sections (i.e., Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training). Regardless of whether these changes or additions were general or specific, they were significant enough that parts of the first edition of this book were obsolete. In the second edition I have expanded and updated the original version to include all of these topics. Specifically, I describe the combining of previous sections (Doctoral Dissertation and Other Research Experience, Goals for Training, and Activities Planned) into a new section entitled “Applicant’s Background and Goals for Fellowship Training.” I discuss how an applicant or sponsor’s productivity is now illustrated through a new subsection of the Biosketch call “Contributions to Science.” I include information on the newly required section “Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training” and where appropriate I provide more
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Preface for the Second Edition
detail on how to tailor your writing style to the type of grant you are applying for (i.e., F30, F31, or F32). Further, I highlight the importance of providing a clinical slant to the overall training of MD/PhD students applying for the F30 mechanism. In addition to these major changes, I also expanded discussions on issues that may be considered minor, but yet are important to consider when constructing a training grant. This information includes updating the process by which References submit their recommendations and providing information on formatting issues to improve the overall visual image of the grant application (i.e., including “white space” and care in the use of acronyms). Finally, through these 5 years I found that many times, trainees had little to no understanding of the basics of the NIH, including the overall structure of the NIH, the common granting mechanisms available through the NIH, and the individuals at the NIH who assist in the review process and the postreview awarding of the applications. Therefore, I have included a brief description of these topics. I never deluded myself into thinking that my book would become a New York Times bestseller, nor that I would get rich and retire off of the royalties. Honestly, fame and fortune have never been driving factors in my career and life choices that I make. What I set out to do 5 years ago when I sat down to work on the first edition of this book was to write something that I knew was needed, a resource that I knew would educate trainees and mentors on the ins and outs of constructing a training grant, and a guide that I hoped would contribute to trainees being successful in garnering important and prestigious funding. Through word of mouth, from direct interactions with trainees, and from reading reviews of my book on Amazon.com (which my Mom checks on a regular basis!) I know that in that respect I have been successful. It is my sincere hope that this second edition, updated to reflect changes in the Ruth L. Kirschstein grant application package, continues to do what I originally set out to do. Andrew D. Hollenbach, Ph.D. January 2018
It has been nearly 5 years since I completed the first edition of this book. In that time, I have helped a large number of trainees to construct a Ruth L. Kirschstein training grant. At the same time, my grant-writing seminar expanded from a single, 1-h seminar to an interactive 6-h seminar covered in two, 3-h sessions. Through both of these services, I’ve interacted with many trainees and their mentors, I’ve answered questions that may be specific to their situation or may be more general in nature. Regardless, I realized through these questions that there were topics and concerns that I hadn’t even considered or that I unintentionally omitted when writing the first edition. Further, some of the questions highlighted the fact that I didn’t discuss certain topics in enough detail. Therefore, I felt the need to include these issues and provide clarity in what I had previously written. More importantly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have made several significant changes in the Ruth L. Kirschstein training grant application packet since the first edition of this book was published. Some of these changes involved general topics made to all NIH grant application (e.g., Biosketch), others were changes that specifically applied to these training grants (e.g., submission of References, etc.), and some are newly required sections (i.e., Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training). Regardless of whether these changes or additions were general or specific, they were significant enough that parts of the first edition of this book were obsolete. In the second edition I have expanded and updated the original version to include all of these topics. Specifically, I describe the combining of previous sections (Doctoral Dissertation and Other Research Experience, Goals for Training, and Activities Planned) into a new section entitled “Applicant’s Background and Goals for Fellowship Training.” I discuss how an applicant or sponsor’s productivity is now illustrated through a new subsection of the Biosketch call “Contributions to Science.” I include information on the newly required section “Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training” and where appropriate I provide more
x
Preface for the Second Edition
detail on how to tailor your writing style to the type of grant you are applying for (i.e., F30, F31, or F32). Further, I highlight the importance of providing a clinical slant to the overall training of MD/PhD students applying for the F30 mechanism. In addition to these major changes, I also expanded discussions on issues that may be considered minor, but yet are important to consider when constructing a training grant. This information includes updating the process by which References submit their recommendations and providing information on formatting issues to improve the overall visual image of the grant application (i.e., including “white space” and care in the use of acronyms). Finally, through these 5 years I found that many times, trainees had little to no understanding of the basics of the NIH, including the overall structure of the NIH, the common granting mechanisms available through the NIH, and the individuals at the NIH who assist in the review process and the postreview awarding of the applications. Therefore, I have included a brief description of these topics. I never deluded myself into thinking that my book would become a New York Times bestseller, nor that I would get rich and retire off of the royalties. Honestly, fame and fortune have never been driving factors in my career and life choices that I make. What I set out to do 5 years ago when I sat down to work on the first edition of this book was to write something that I knew was needed, a resource that I knew would educate trainees and mentors on the ins and outs of constructing a training grant, and a guide that I hoped would contribute to trainees being successful in garnering important and prestigious funding. Through word of mouth, from direct interactions with trainees, and from reading reviews of my book on Amazon.com (which my Mom checks on a regular basis!) I know that in that respect I have been successful. It is my sincere hope that this second edition, updated to reflect changes in the Ruth L. Kirschstein grant application package, continues to do what I originally set out to do. Andrew D. Hollenbach, Ph.D. January 2018