Basic Principles for Successful Grant Writing.

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1 Lehigh Valley Health Network LVHN Scholarly Works Patient Care Services / Nursing Basic Principles for Successful Grant Writing. Mary Ellen Herzog ME d, CFRE, CGMS Lehigh Valley Health Network, Maryellen.Herzog@lvhn.org Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Nursing Commons Published In/Presented At Herzog, M. (2010, October 04). Basic Principles for Successful Grant Writing. Presentation Presented at: Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PA. This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by LVHN Scholarly Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in LVHN Scholarly Works by an authorized administrator. For more information, please contact LibraryServices@lvhn.org.

2 Basic Principles for Successful Grant Writing Research Day, October 4, 2010 Mary Ellen Herzog, M.Ed., CFRE Senior Director

Who We Are Largest academic community hospital

Hospital 154,792 ED visits / 63,743 admissions

3 Who We Are Largest academic community hospital in PA Largest Level 1 Trauma Center in PA Certified Stroke Center Employees 9,656 Medical Staff 1,100+ Nurses 2,334 Magnet Hospital 154,792 ED visits / 63,743 admissions 988 acute care beds 3 hospital campuses Revenues over $1 Billion

5 Assess Research Question in Light Grant Types of LVHN Procedures Program Development Grants Team Research Question NORI or Nursing Research Comparative Study NORI or Nursing Research

6 Lehigh Valley Health Network Internal Procedures Intranet Grant Applications Development Grants Team as a resource Grants Assistance Request Form Internal resources Supervisor s approval Assemble strong writing team When to ask for help & where to direct request

7 Strategy Match with Prospective Funders Introduction to writing for external agencies Internal funding options The Dorothy Rider Pool Healthcare Trust The Carl and Anne Anderson Trust

8 Why Seek External Funding? Research requires resources External validation of a problem Track record for subsequent funding

9 Selecting a Funding Agency Program grants Research grants

10 National Funding Organizations National Institutes of Health Nursing organizations American Nurses Foundation Sigma Theta Tau International National League for Nursing Specialty Associations PHENSA Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

11 Considerations for National Associations Focus for specific type of grant Membership Other requirements Timeline Completion Type of grant

12 Local Funding Agencies Volunteer run agencies Foundations Pennsylvania Foundations Online

13 Hard Copy Searches Please see handouts

14 Understanding Organizational Funding Priorities Research priorities Significance of the study and organizational funding priorities Organizational goals Funding priorities Issues important to the organization

15 Selecting the Right Funder Matching your project to organizational goals Case Example Credentialing research Magnet Recognition program Certification Accreditation Continuing Education

16 Ensuring a Good Fit Goals consistent with agency s goals Call for proposals covers your research interest Request for Proposals (RFPs) Notice of funds available (NOFA) Specific objectives coincide with your objectives Preliminary letter Press releases Previously funded grants Public appearances of funding agency principals Seek clarification of jargon

17 Discuss Proposed Project Topics vs Research Questions Open discussion.

18 Types of Research Basic Research examination of clinical phenomenon Translational Research Use Basic Research to develop treatment for disease and injury (animal models not done at LVHN) Applied Research Assessment of clinical intervention to determine efficacy

19 What if it is not a good fit? Will a reasonable modification work? Seek another funding agency Talk with the program officer Other RFPs within the agency Determine whether it is a fit

20 Preliminary Planning Identify research problem Transform research problem to research question Validating research question Refining the problem: making the case statement Discuss proposed research question with NORI staff Discuss the proposed project with Development Grants Team

21 Proposal Planning Generating list of tasks Assemble a team Develop a timeline Due date Postmark Receipt Method: mail, electronic

22 Understand Budget Development Before you write your proposal, prepare a budget Discuss each staff member and their role Investigate logistics for the proposed project Will additional staff be required? Are those positions approved? Relate to GAR form Direct expenses Indirect expenses Part of the supporting documents

23 Concept Paper Purpose Critique Agency staff if appropriate Colleagues Internal staff Non-professional expert

24 Preliminary Steps Before Writing the Research Proposal Talk with friends and colleagues Identify your goals Read the advice of the funding agency Develop partnerships Identify previous work Talk with the program officer

25 Characteristics of a Good Proposal State a logical and consistent message Use clear and convincing language Highlight how the proposal matches agency s priorities Address each element in the evaluation section Assemble a well-qualified team for the work Budget appropriately for the work proposed Present in the agency s desired format

26 Proposal Elements Abstract Introduction Literature Review Theoretical Framework Methods Data Analysis Supporting materials

27 The Compelling Proposal Convinces others of the following: Your research project is worthwhile You have the competence to complete it You have a work-plan that demonstrates that you can complete it Contains all the elements of the research process Good grasp of the relevant literature Good grasp of major issues Reflects sound methodology Reflects cultural sensitivity Includes sufficient information for the reviewers to evaluate the proposed study Is well-written

28 What needs to be included? What do you plan to accomplish? Why is it important? How do you propose to accomplish it?

29 Title Character or word limitation Concise and descriptive Eliminate An investigation of Consider catchy or compelling phrase Serial Assessment for Elders (SAFE Project) Often stated in terms of a functional relationship between the independent and dependent variables

30 Abstract Brief summary words Includes the following: Research question Rationale for the study: public health significance Hypothesis Method Design Procedures Sample Instruments Data analysis

31 Introduction State the research problem State the purpose of the study Provide context for research study to show its importance Describe the rationale for your study - why it is worth doing Describe the major issues to be addressed by the research Identify the major variables of your research State what is it that you are going to study through your hypothesis or theory Set the boundaries of your research to provide a focus

32 Literature Review Ensures that you are being innovative Credits those who have laid the groundwork for your research Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem Demonstrates your knowledge of the research and theoretical issues related to the question Demonstrates your ability to critically evaluate the research Provides new insights Convinces reader that your research will make an important contribution to the science Create subsections and organize the content

33 Common Issues with Literature Reviews Lack of organization and structure The run on citation Lack of focus Repetitive Failing to cite important papers Not being aware of recent developments Excessive use of secondary sources Citing irrelevant sources

34 Instrumentation Investigator developed Off the shelf instruments Resources for instruments Mental Measurements Yearbook CINAHL PsycINFO PubMed

35 Protection of Participants Rights Institutional Review Board Is it research, quality assurance or program evaluation? Types of reviews Do you need a consent? What do you include in your proposal about the IRB?

36 Protecting Rights of Participants IRB proposal Which agencies? What needs to be in the proposal submitted to the agency

37 Information about Human Subject Protections Recruitment of participants Methods to protect identity Procedures for informed consent Care giver consents Administrative approval IRB approval Potential risks, expected occurrence, seriousness Procedures to minimize risk Participant burden Risks vs. benefits Why are the risks reasonable in comparison to the benefits?

38 HIPAA Considerations Access to potential participants Protected Health Information (PHI) De-identified data Privacy board

39 Support Materials Budget Biosketches Consultants Letters of support Administrators Others IRB Privacy board

40 Budget Ethical issues related to budget preparation Funding agency requirements Testing costs of an intervention What is allowed Direct expenses Indirect expenses

41 Budget Expenses Personnel (salary by % effort and fringe benefit - must be able to justify each individual) level of effort must be documented Statistical consultation Consultants Equipment purchases, maintenance, and repair Travel costs associated with data collection or research presentations (mileage, parking, per diem, airfare, hotel, etc.) Copying or printing of materials Services needed, e.g., transcription, graphic artist, data entry and management Laboratory or other tests Supplies - be as specific as possible and use unit cost Postage Telephone (local and long-distance; cellular phone, pagers).

42 Budget Satisfy all criteria in the RFP Check maximum allowable budget in all categories Reasonable and calculated Salary and fringe benefits negotiated rates Costs should be fair Matching fund requirements Narrative and/or form

43 Biosketches Instructions Appearance Clarity How does each member s expertise contribute to the successful completion of the project?

44 Consultants Exact role Fees Number of hours Reasonable rates

45 Administrative Support Letter Quality of the letter Draft of letter Review RFP for content needed in letter of support

46 Final Proposal Preparation Appearance Headings White space Bullets Diagrams Charts Timelines Spelling and grammar Consistent terminology Format Abstract Make it easy for reviewers to understand Review proposal evaluation criteria Draft, review, edit and repeat Critique: content expert, a nurse with a different specialty, a nonnurse

47 Lehigh Valley Health Network s Process Administrative approval Scientific review Institutional Review Board Research through NORI Project through Development Grants Final sign off

48 Format Time Electronic Mail Postmark Receipt date Electronic Time Zone Deadline

49 Do s Read the application thoroughly Answer all questions Follow instructions Say it once succinctly Follow format instructions Be complete Signatures and approvals Follow format for resubmissions Estimate real costs accurately Get critiques from your friends and colleagues

50 Issues with Multiple Funders Rules General guidelines Ethics of duplicate proposals

51 Don ts Don t start the study before approvals or funding Don t assume funder knows your agency Don t assume reviewer knows everything about your discipline or specialty Don t write a grant to do a project you don t need or want just because money is there Don t assume that it is not competitive Don t politic with the reviewer Don t use an old application form

52 Proposal Critique and Reviews Is the idea innovative? Does it answer an important question? Is the design sound? Has the researcher demonstrated that he or she is capable of conducting the research? Is there a strong environment for the conduct of the research? Are there any human subjects concerns?

53 Common Reasons for Not Being Funded Lack of a clear match between the research question and the methodology Failure to cite landmark studies Did not assure reviewers that the sample could be obtained Missing information Inaccuracies in citations Failure to adhere to format Missing information Budget numbers did not add up

54 After the Award Notify NORI or Development Grants Team Budget becomes the contract Compliance issues Hiring processes Research assistants Reporting requirements

55 Contact Information: Development Grants

Application Instructions

Quality Initiative/Process Improvement Project Funding REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Application Instructions Individuals or groups may submit applications for up to $100,000 per proposal. Funds will be paid to