EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SCORE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTAL PLANS. Case 1: SC1 Example, Mid-career stage Investigator, SC1 grant awarded 2008.

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Aubrie Waters
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1 EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SCORE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTAL PLANS Case 1: SC1 Example, Mid-career stage Investigator, SC1 grant awarded Developmental Objectives The PI is an active researcher at the intermediate developmental stage between MBRS and RO1 level of support. As a matter of fact the PI has been actively seeking non-score support in recent years obtaining an initial score of 250 followed by 185 and finally 208 but failing to meet the cutting level of funding. Based on these results and to enhance competitiveness, the PI feels there are several areas to be strengthened such as publication record, networking and grantsmanship. Therefore, the Developmental Objectives of the PI are (1) to increase the quality and quantity of peer-reviewed publications to further support the re-submission of a competitive non-score, R01 proposal. The PI plans to submit research papers in top-ranking journals like Journal of Neuroscience, Neuropsychopharmacology and others. The strategy is to submit at least two articles in high impact journals during the first 1.5 years of support based on the results of the first and second specific aims. Thereafter, we will continue with the same rate of productivity throughout the following years of the project. The research proposed here will complete and expand our preliminary findings. Thus, a critical number of high quality publications will be achieved which will permit me to progress into the second developmental objective which is (2) the submission of a new RO1- type research proposal for the end of the second and beginning of the third year. The latter is the major developmental objective for the proposed cycle of support. D.1. Developmental Plan and Timeline The PI is an active researcher at the intermediate developmental stage between MBRS-and-RO1 level of support. As stated in the Specific Aims Section, I have been actively seeking non-score, R01 support and have attained priority scores ranging from Based on these results and to enhance competitiveness, the PI feels there are several areas to be strengthened such as publication record, networking and granstmanship. Therefore, the Developmental Objectives of the PI are (1) to increase the quality and quantity of peer-reviewed publications to further support the re-submission of a competitive non- SCORE, R01 proposal. Publication Plan: The PI plans to submit research papers in top-ranking journals like Journal of Neuroscience, Neuropsychopharmacology and others. The strategy is to submit at least two articles in high impact journals during the first 1.5 years of support based on the results of the first and second specific aims. Thereafter, we will continue with the same rate of productivity throughout the following years of the project. The research proposed here will complete and expand our preliminary findings. Thus, a critical number of high quality publications will be achieved which will permit me to progress into the second developmental objective which is (2) the submission of a new RO1- type research proposal for the end of the second and beginning of the third year. Role of Mentor and Institutional S06 Award. The collaborator/consultant(s) and the S06 Institutional Developmental Award will play key roles in the facilitation of my research career advancement to successfully obtain non-score. Collaborator/consultant(s): We will benefit from the expertise of our consultant, Dr. from the University of, School, who is a world renowned leader in the area of (research topic) with vast experience in grants management and study sessions. Dr. will provide advice on protocol design, alternative study models, advanced techniques, and interpretations of results. Particularly he/she will help on the protocols related to specific aims 1 & 3. The consultant will be available for frequent consultations by phone, s and on-site visits. In addition, our collaborator, Dr. from University of is a young but well-known researcher in the area(s) of (research expertises). He/she will collaborate with us in specific aim #3 with all the experiments related to. Institutional Support: In order to improve the potential to obtain non-score support we plan to participate in grantsmanship workshops, specialized national and international meetings, and increase the productivity rate during the period of Score support. The SCORE Institutional Developmental Award will provide scientific merit assessment of the proposal and manuscripts using the SCORE External Advisory Committee and a Pool of Ad

2 Hoc reviewers and editors. In addition, scientific research productivity indexes will be estimated annually to assist in the progress assessment process. Papers preparation and submission Meeting with consultant and collaborator Research Enhancement Activities Meeting presentations Preparation of RO1 Submission of RO1 Revision of RO1 for resubmission Developmental Plan Timeline Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Papers 3 and 4 Papers 3 and 4 (Specific Aim 2) (Specific Aim 2) Papers 1 and 2 (Specific Aim 1) If not funded Papers 3 and 4 (Specific Aim 2)

3 Case 2: SC2 Example, Young Investigator, SC2 grant awarded August A. Specific Aims section on Developmental Objectives PI s Developmental Objectives. Dr. joined the Department of at the School of, University of, as an Assistant Professor in. The PI is considered to be a new investigator, therefore all efforts are being directed towards the establishment and development of research projects. Dr. long-term career goal is to become a competitive, successful, independent, and externally-funded cancer researcher. To accomplish this goal the following Career Developmental Objectives have been delineated: (1) To successfully obtain initial extramural funding. The PI has identified several funding sources that support new investigators, and will prepare and submit grant applications to each of them. The MBRS SCORE-SC-2 Pilot Project is the first attempt. The new SC-type SCORE mechanisms provide an important platform for the development as an independent investigator that will transition into non-score grant support mechanisms. The PI will also explore applying for a K22 NCI Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity. (2) To establish strong and productive collaborations with senior investigators. In this regard, Dr. ( School of, University of ) will serve as mentor for the PI in this project; she is a well-established cancer researcher and an expert in the research topic. Other collaborations within the University of, specifically through the Puerto Rico Cancer Center, will be established. (3) To publish in peer-review journals. During the SC-2 proposed cycle of support, I will submit at least two manuscripts to relevant, high-impact factor journals in the area of cancer and biochemistry, such as Cancer Cell, Cancer Research, and Journal of Biological Chemistry, among others. (4) To submit and obtain RO1-level of funding. Upon building on scientific merits by developing original ideas, consistently publishing in high-impact journals, and progressively acquiring higher levels of external funding, the PI will reach the qualifications needed to compete for RO1 level of research support or equivalent. Developmental Plan and Timeline. Dr. received her doctoral degree in in 20 and completed three years of postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. at University. The PI joined the Department of at the School of, University of, as an Assistant Professor in (month/year). At this moment the PI is beginning his/her independent line of research at a minority serving institution, therefore initial funding from programs like this SC2 would provide the foundations needed to build on my scientific career. It is anticipated that the results of this SC2 project will provide solid data to prepare at least two manuscripts and submit an SC1 proposal to study the (research topic/aims). Based on preliminary results, the PI expects to obtain significant results from the SCORE-sponsored period (SC2 and SC1) that will generate several manuscripts and more ideas to develop. This new investigator will receive valuable experience during this phase of his/her scientific career that will lead to ultimately submit an R01-level grant, which will focus in studying if it is possible to improve therapy in (research health-relatedness, translational component) (see timeline). To achieve success in getting external funding and publishing, the PI will focus in improving her overaqll scientific skills. In this regard, the SCORE Institutional Development Award (S06) is committed to assist the PI by coordinating research competitiveness enhancement activities which include: workshops for grantsmanship and scientific writing skills, scientific merit assessment of proposals and manuscripts by the SCORE External Scientific Committee and pool of Ad Hoc Reviewers, manuscripts and proposal editors. Timeline of Career Development SC-2 SC-1 R01-level SM SC1p SM SM SM RP SM RS SM Year SM: submit manuscript, SC1p: SC1 preparation & submission RP: R01 preparation RS: R01 submission

4 Case 3: SC3 Example, Mid-career stage Investigator, SC3 grant awarded August D.4 Developmental Plan and Timeline The main developmental goal of this SC3 award applicaton is to implement a faculty development plan that will allow the PI to increase his publication record and generate the preliminary data necessary for the submission of non-score competitive research grants. The PI is currently an investigator that, as presented in the Progress Report/Preliminary section, has made significant progress during this past SCORE funding period. However, the PI recognizes that in order to submit competitive grant applications he needs to improve his publication record. The PI has several manuscripts in preparation that will be submitted and published during years of the new SCORE cycle (see publication plan below). In addition, the PI needs to further develop the collaborative project with Dr. of the University of, and to enhance his training and transfer of new technology to his laboratory. The PI understands that the SCORE- SC3 mechanism is the best option to achieve these goals and is requesting support for three years. This time period will allow the implementation of the faculty development plan proposed here. D.4.1 Publication Plan. First and foremost, to achieve the critical number and quality of peer review publications the following short- and long-term publication plan is proposed. Short term publication plan: Publication 1. Authors, Title. (Data presented in Progress Report/Preliminary Results Section) Submitted. Publication 2. Authors, Title. This publication deals with (brief description of impact/importance/contribution) (data presented in Progress Report/Preliminary Results Section). The manuscript is in preparation and will be submitted by late 20. Publication 3. Authors, Title. This publication deals with (brief description of impact/importance/contribution) (data presented in Progress Report/Preliminary Results Section). We estimate that the work will be submitted for publication in mid 20. Long-term publication plan: The long-term publication plan deals with the work proposed in the current grant application. Three publications are expected from this work, Publication 4 from aim 1, Publication 5 from aim 3, and Publication 6 from aim 2. D.4.2 Non-SCORE Grants Submission plan. Grant 1. Spring A pilot project will be submitted to Center Partnership Program. We will propose to develop an assay to determine the in (disease) patients. The PI has already visited (collaboration Center) and identified a collaborator for this study. This collaborative work also provides transfer of new technology to the PI s laboratory. Grant 2. Fall (possiblel proposed grant title). In this grant application we will propose to use as a biological tool to assess the functional significance of. It will be submitted under the R21 mechanism to (NIH institute). Grant 3. Fall The PI will submit an R01-type grant. Although it is too early to define the specific aims of this grant proposal, the focus of the grant will be related to the long-term research goals of the PI which are to understand the role of DNA repair and antioxidant defenses in maintaining genomic stability. This grant application will expand the knowledge gathered during the proposed experiments in the current grant application particularly Specific Aim 3. The additional training that the PI will receive during the next grant cycle (see below) will be crucial for the success of this application. D.4.3 Role of Mentor in the Developmental Plan. Dr., Department of, The University of at will be the PI s mentor/collaborator in this research proposal. The PI has developed, since 20, a collaborative work with

5 Dr. (mentor/collaborator). Since then, Dr. has visited the PI s laboratory in two occasions and the PI and his doctoral student have visited her laboratory in two occasions. Data presented in the Progress Report/Preliminary section have been generated during this funding period and a manuscript including these data is in preparation. Dr. will continue to interact with the PI not only in the development of Specific Aim 3 of this proposal but in the other two specific aims since she is an internationally recognized scientist in the field of. The PI will continue to visit Dr. s laboratory at least once per year to enhance his development in the area of (see below under (grant section)). D.4.4 Institutional Role in the Developmental Plan. The SCORE Institutional Development Award (S06) will coordinate research enhancement activities which include: workshops for grantsmanship and scientific writing skills and scientific merit assessment of proposals and manuscripts. These will be carried out by the SCORE External Scientific Advisory Committee and Pool of Ad Hoc Reviewers. In addition, scientific research productivity indexes will be estimated to assist in the progress assessment process. D.4.5 Additional training and technology transfer. Since the PI is interested in using (experimental models) to study the role of in (human disease(s)), the PI will enhance his knowledge in by taking the appropriate courses at Laboratory. The first course is the Annual Short Course on of the Laboratory in Cancer Research. This course focuses on the as an experimental tool in cancer research, but includes general topics such as:, among other topics that can be related to the PI s research goals. The PI plans to take this course during summer of The second course that the PI will take is the : Principles and Practices. This course is designed to provide training in the theory and practice of maintaining for production and research. The PI plans on taking this course in 20. These courses will allow the PI to gain knowledge to establish new at his/her institution. This will be of great importance for the submission of the PI s R01-type grant by the fall of In addition to the above-mentioned courses, the PI will be doing yearly visits to the laboratory of his mentor/collaborator. Dr. not only maintains several colonies of, but is also the Director of the Facilities at the University of. By visiting the collaborator s Institution the PI will gain and refine his skills in. These trips will serve as learning experiences and will facilitate the transfer of technology to the PI s parent institution. D.4.6 Time table of Proposed Research and PI s Developmental Plan

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