HSCI 6265: Grantsmanship in Translational Health Science

Course Description
This graduate course is intended to build skills in writing grant proposals to fund clinical research, with an emphasis on translational research proposals. Students practice communicating persuasive, significant, and conceptually based hypotheses or research questions and appropriate research methods that reflect and build on relevant literature. Students will gain exposure to practical issues related to the grant application process, including communicating with funding agencies and program officers, developing defensible budgets that provide rationale for resources that support translational health science studies, and developing an effective personal statement for a biosketch.

Course Objectives    

  • The goal of this course is to gain knowledge and skills in developing a successful grant proposal. By the conclusion of HSCI 6265 (Grantsmanship in Translational Research), learners will be able to:                                

  • Identify and appraise appropriate funding sources and communication for program officers; articulate clearly how your project meets funding agency and other stakeholder goals.

  • Develop and describe a conceptual model that informs and guides your research questions.

  • Articulate a concise summary of your project, including specific aims, goals, and research questions. Provide peers with feedback on components of their grant proposal.

  • Formulate rationale for the portion of your budget that supports team collaboration.

  • Formulate a personal statement that supports your role on your proposed project

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Weekly Learning Objectives

Week 1: Unit 1 – Translational Health Science Research:

  • Introduction to the course

  • Review course syllabus and expectations

Week 2: Unit 2 – Identifying a Funding Agency and Grant Mechanism

  • Identify possible agencies and sources of funding

  • Interpret the goals and objectives of the agency

  • Examine and compare the Request for Applications (RFA) requirements relative to your research project idea

Week 3: Unit 3 – Defining a Translational Problem and its Importance to Stakeholders

  • Identify the required components of a Letter of Intent (LOI)

  • Describe the translational nature of your project within the context of the agency goals and RFA priorities

  • Identify and discuss the gap in practice or knowledge that your project addresses.

  • Appraise the value of discussing a project early with your project officer

Week 4: Unit 4 – Developing a Conceptual Model and Identifying Key Variables:

  • Identify the key components and outcomes of your proposal

  • Illustrate the relationship among the key components graphically

  • Describe your conceptual model including the key components (variables) and how they relate to your study outcomes.

  • Reported Outcomes. ISPOR Connections: The Official News & Technical Journal Of The International Society For Pharmacoeconomics And Outcomes Research, March 2008.

Week 5: Unit 5 – Logic Models and Defining Short Term and Long Term Goals:

  • Discuss the value of creating a logic model for translational health science proposals

  • Describe how creating a logic model helped you clarify short-term and long-term goals

  • Report the rationale for your proposals goals

  • Constructively critique others short term and long term goals

Week 6: Unit 6 – Specific Aims and Hypotheses:

  • Develop the overall rationale for your project

  • Identify the key factors in writing strong hypotheses or research questions

  • Describe what is innovative and significant about your project

Week 7: Unit 7 - Writing Science to Your Audience & The Review Process and Reading Pink Sheets:

  • Discuss options that are available to you if your grant is not funded on the initial submission

  • Evaluate when to resubmit and when to redesign

  • Reflect on feedback you have received on assignments to date in the course for how you might respond if these were reviewer critiques

Week 8: Unit 8 - Writing Week:

  • This week is to develop and work on your specific aims page

Weeks 9 & 11: Units 9 & 10: Dissemination and Knowledge Translation Plan

  • Design a knowledge translation plan that meets stakeholder needs

  • Evaluate the likely impact of your dissemination plan and the metrics you will use to capture it.

Week 12: Unit 11: Budget Justifications and Gantt Charts:

  • Plan and present the major tasks and milestones of your proposed project using the Gantt Chart method

  • Explain the major costs associated with your study

Week 13: Unit 12 - Writing a Personal Statement or Narrative Biosketch:

  • Identify why having a digital record of your research accomplishments is critical to grant writing success

  • Identify the strengths and opportunities for enhancing your biosketch

  • Demonstrate knowledge of how to highlight the translational nature of your work

Week 14: Writing Week:

  • Complete your biosketch personal statement and compile your playbook, including your reflective statement

Week 15: Unit 14 – VoiceThread Presentations:

  • Develop and present the highlights of your proposal including your conceptual model, study goals and specific aims, and your dissemination and implementation plan

  • Briefly reflect on how your project has developed over the course of the semester

  • Constructively comment on other class members’ presentations

Course Assessment

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trudy@gwu.edu