Grant Application Process Research Articles

Bringing Artificial Intelligence to Research Analytics: Research Highlighter-MatchMaker

It is more significant to identify accurate grant opportunities given the increasing challenges in securing grants these days. Combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, we have developed Research Highlighter-MatchMaker to facilitate the grant application process. The tool aims to provide an overview of research strength and to recommend matched funding opportunities as well as potential collaborators for researchers based on their research track records. It has the potential to expand to provide matching for on-campus researchers and industrial partners. It will also include a chatbot to facilitate the research administration infrastructure and process on campus.

Diversity trends in traumatic brain injury clinical trials in the United States

ABSTRACT Background This study aims to understand the demographic representation of patients in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) clinical trials by evaluating the proportions of patients from various demographic categories amongst completed TBI clinical trials in the United States. Methods ClinicalTrials.gov was queried for active TBI clinical trials. One hundred and eight completed trials in the United States were selected based on inclusion criteria, and information regarding intervention, setting, age, sex, race, and ethnicity was extracted. 2002–2006 TBI incidence data was obtained from the CDC. Chi-squared testing was applied to analyze the relationship between distributions of race and sex in the collected clinical trials and the national TBI data, and logistic regression was conducted to identify variables that may predict reporting of race or ethnicity. Results About 53.7% of selected clinical trials reported racial data and 34.3% reported ethnicity data. Logistic regression identified that clinical trials in defined phases were more likely to report racial data (p = 0.047 [1.015, 9.603]). Conclusion Current TBI trials do not consistently report race or ethnicity data. Future efforts to ensure equitable representation in clinical trials may involve reform of recruitment processes and accountability measures implemented within the grant application process to ensure proper racial and ethnicity data reporting.

The Implementation of a Doula Grant Program Directed at Families from Economically Vulnerable Backgrounds: A Process Evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the process and overall feasibility of a doula grant program for expectant families from economically vulnerable backgrounds. A mixed-methods process evaluation framework was utilized to examine program feasibility and focused on constructs related to fidelity, dose delivered/dose received, reach, program satisfaction, and limited efficacy testing. Evaluation constructs were measured using a program tracking document. Program satisfaction and efficacy were examined through a mixed methodology approach utilizing doula surveys and birthing parent interviews. Related to survey data, analysis focused on presenting descriptive counts and percentages related to the number of doulas that participated and clients served. Continuous variables were calculated as means and standard deviations and categorical data as counts and percentages. Qualitative data analyses were conducted using a structured deductive thematic approach. The grant program was successfully implemented over an 18-month period, and the program had a high rate of fidelity to the grant processes developed by a Midwestern-based nonprofit organization. The program was satisfactory to doulas and parents, and the largest barrier was communication. A high incidence of prenatal anxiety among the birthing parents was reported. Thematic findings from the birthing parent interviews included the following: the grant application process was effective and easy, birth doulas were greatly valued, and a financial burden was lifted. This grant process can be replicated by other organizations seeking to fill a gap between doula services and the economically vulnerable.

Similar‐to‐me effects in the grant application process: Applicants, panellists, and the likelihood of obtaining funds

We analyse if and how the characteristics of grant research panels affect the applicants' likelihood of obtaining funding and, especially, if particular types of panels favour particular types of applicants. We use the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) award decisions to test the similar‐to‐me hypothesis for the first time in the grant context. Our main results indicate that panel members tend to favour more (or penalise less) applicants with similar characteristics to them, as the similar‐to‐me hypothesis suggests. We show, for instance, that the quality of the applicants is more critical for panels of high quality than for panels of relatively lower quality, that basic‐oriented panels tend to penalise applied‐oriented applicants, and that panels with fewer female members tend to penalise teams with more female applicants. As a whole, we show that similar‐to‐me effects are simultaneously at work for a wide variety of functional, job‐related research characteristics as well as for more well‐known demographic attributes.

Children using a unilateral cochlear implant and contralateral hearing aid: bimodal hearing outcomes when one ear is outside the UK (NICE 2009) audiological criteria for cochlear implantation – a single site case–control study

IntroductionIn the new revised National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE, TA566, 2019) guidelines for cochlear implantation (CI) have clearly stipulated that the hearing loss must be bilateral. Prior...

'Real-life' benefit of hearing preservation cochlear implantation in the paediatric population: a single-site case–control study

IntroductionCochlear implantation with hearing preservation (HPCI) has allowed a cochlear implant (CI) electrode to be implanted while trying to preserve residual acoustic low-frequency hearing. The concept arises from the importance...

Co-building a training programme to facilitate patient, family and community partnership on research grants: A patient-oriented research project.

Patient engagement in patient-oriented research (POR) is described as patients collaborating as active and equal research team members (patient research partners [PRPs]) on the health research projects and activities that matter to them. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada's federal funding agency for health research, asks that patients be included as partners early, often and at as many stages of the health research process as possible. The objective of this POR project was to co-build an interactive, hands-on training programme that could support PRPs in understanding the processes, logistics and roles of CIHR grant funding applications. We also conducted a patient engagement evaluation, capturing the experiences of the PRPs in co-building the training programme. This multiphased POR study included a Working Group of seven PRPs with diverse health and health research experiences and two staff members from the Patient Engagement Team. Seven Working Group sessions were held over the 3-month period from June to August 2021. The Working Group worked synchronously (meeting weekly online via Zoom) as well as asynchronously. A patient engagement evaluation was conducted after the conclusion of the Working Group sessions using a validated survey and semi-structured interviews. Survey data were analysed descriptively and interview data were analysed thematically. The Working Group co-built and co-delivered the training programme about the CIHR grant application process for PRPs and researchers in five webinars and workshops. For the evaluation of patient engagement within the Working Group, five out of seven PRPs completed the survey and four participated in interviews. From the survey, most PRPs agreed/strongly agreed to having communication and supports to engage in the Working Group. The main themes identified from the interviews were working together-communication and supports; motivations for joining and staying; challenges to contributing; and impact of the Working Group. This training programme supports and builds capacity for PRPs to understand the grant application process and offers ways by which they can highlight the unique experience and contribution they can bring to each project. Our co-build process presents an example and highlights the need for inclusive approaches, flexibility and individual thinking and application. The objective of this project was to identify the aspects of the CIHR grant funding application that were elemental to having PRPs join grant funding applications and subsequently funded projects, in more active and meaningful roles, and then to co-build a training programme that could support PRPs to do so. We used the CIHR SPOR Patient Engagement Framework, and included time and trust, in our patient engagement approaches to building a mutually respectful and reciprocal co-learning space. Our Working Group included seven PRPs who contributed to the development of a training programme. We suggest that our patient engagement and partnership approaches, or elements of, could serve as a useful resource for co-building more PRP-centred learning programmes and tools going forward.

How to write a successful grant application: guidance provided by the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy

Considering a rejection rate of 80–90%, the preparation of a research grant is often considered a daunting task since it is resource intensive and there is no guarantee of success, even for seasoned researchers. This commentary provides a summary of the key points a researcher needs to consider when writing a research grant proposal, outlining: (1) how to conceptualise the research idea; (2) how to find the right funding call; (3) the importance of planning; (4) how to write; (5) what to write, and (6) key questions for reflection during preparation. It attempts to explain the difficulties associated with finding calls in clinical pharmacy and advanced pharmacy practice, and how to overcome them. The commentary aims to assist all pharmacy practice and health services research colleagues new to the grant application process, as well as experienced researchers striving to improve their grant review scores. The guidance in this paper is part of ESCP’s commitment to stimulate “innovative and high-quality research in all areas of clinical pharmacy”.

Involving people with a lived experience when developing a proposal for Health Technology Assessment research of nonsurgical treatments for pelvic organ prolapse: Process and reflections.

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is an expectation when conducting research, including Health Technology Assessment (HTA), but practical guidance for those wishing to embed PPI into the grant application process is not always easily accessible. We wanted to ensure that PPI was central when preparing a proposal for an investigator-led evidence synthesis HTA investigating nonsurgical interventions for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women. Here, we describe our methods. We recruited two patient co-applicants separately through an open process to help ensure that patient voice was present within our proposal's management and direction. We invited co-applicants to attend research team meetings and comment on the full proposal. We designed, recruited to and facilitated a scoping workshop, as well as undertook its subsequent evaluation. The insight shared within the workshop for patients with a lived experience of POP, including our patient co-applicants, helped us develop the scope and rationale behind our HTA proposal. We particularly considered the interventions to include within the evidence synthesis. We also considered the outcome measures for both the evidence synthesis and economic evaluation. We elicited ideas about where and how results could be disseminated. Feedback suggested the workshop was as valuable for the attendees as it was for the researchers, making them feel valued and listened to. The time spent by researchers working on the activity was substantial and not directly funded but a necessary and valuable activity in developing our potential HTA. Our work was informed using the UK Standards for Public Involvement and the Authors and Consumers Together Impacting on eVidencE (ACTIVE) framework. PPI can be enormously valuable in both developing and strengthening research proposals. However, further guidance is needed to help researchers recognise the level and type of involvement to use at this early stage, particularly given the large time investment needed to embed meaningful PPI. Women with a lived experience of POP were involved at every stage of the grant application process; their involvement is documented in full throughout this work.

Gendered research grant conditions and their effect on women’s application (dis)engagement

Men continue to outperform women in obtaining funding through research grants globally, in both science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and social science, in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary fields. This article focuses on the role of research grant funding conditions in women’s lack of research grant funding. Grant conditions are the rules of participation and funding use set out by grant funders. This study aimed to answer the question: how do grant conditions limit women’s propensity to engage with research grant applications? Research grants from the Open 4 Research database were analysed. Research careers with a reproductive life-cycle perspective and four feminist concepts were deliberately gendered. These resulted in a theoretical framework. A content analysis on n = 270 multidisciplinary early career grants for those who already have a PhD was conducted. Grants were selected from both the social science and STEM disciplines. The findings suggest that, overwhelmingly, grant conditions are gender-neutral, assuming no differences between women and men. A comparison between STEM and social science grant conditions also show very little difference. The article provides a framework to guide multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary grant funders in crafting deliberately gendered grant conditions.Transdisciplinary contribution: A pre-application phase to the research grant application process by problematising gender neutrality in early-career researcher grant conditions is introduced. It is posited that grants’ gender neutrality is discouraging women to consider applying, resulting in self-exclusion early in the pre-application phase.

What are States Doing to Encourage Safe Routes to School Programming in Disadvantaged Communities? Findings From a U.S. Mixed-Methods Survey

Active transportation (AT), walking/bicycling for transportation, in school-aged children (K-12) provides a variety of health benefits for those who participate. One state-funded initiative which attempts to increase AT among schoolchildren are Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. These programs implement education and encouragement projects, as well as infrastructure-related construction. Although these programs have shown significant success in increasing AT behavior and safety throughout many communities in the United States, various demographic populations continue to see disparities in AT participation and injuries/death (e.g., low-income, communities of color, disabled individuals, non-English speakers, etc.). Additionally, there is a lack of literature (academic and technical) concerning strategies to reaching disadvantaged populations. This mixed-methods study attempted to understand the common barriers, best practices, and desired resources to providing equitable programming to disadvantaged populations. Surveys were sent to state SRTS representatives ( n = 59), and 22 states completed the survey and these were analyzed. Results suggested that there were many barriers seen when attempting to reaching disadvantaged communities, including within leadership, grant application process, and community implementation. There were various barriers seen throughout states in the U.S.; however, incorporating training/education materials concerning how to successfully reach disadvantaged populations, creating strategies to improve overall funding mechanisms toward these initiatives, and bringing in individuals with public health backgrounds may help initiate equitable and sustainable SRTS programs throughout disadvantaged populations in the U.S.

Effective or predatory funding? Evaluating the hidden costs of grant applications.

Researchers are spending an increasing fraction of their time on applying for funding; however, the current funding system has considerable deficiencies in reliably evaluating the merit of research proposals, despite extensive efforts on the sides of applicants, grant reviewers and decision committees. For some funding schemes, the systemic costs of the application process as a whole can even outweigh the granted resources-a phenomenon that could be considered as predatory funding. We present five recommendations to remedy this unsatisfactory situation.

Building capacity for mental health resilience – local impact of the UK Better Mental Health Fund

Abstract Background COVID-19 as a public mental health emergency has exacerbated existing mental health inequalities. The UK government invited local authorities with areas of high deprivation to apply for a year of funding, in order to address the mental health impacts of COVID-19 and incentivize investment in prevention and promotion interventions for better mental health. South Tyneside Council in North East England made a successful bid to the Better Mental Health Fund (BMHF), and distributed grants to 7 organisations delivering 13 programs. A qualitative evaluation of these programs aimed to answer the following questions: 1. How were the funded programs implemented? 2. What difference did they make to local beneficiaries? 3. How might these programs and their impacts be sustained into the future? 4. Has the BMHF led to any wider impacts on organisations and local communities? Methods In-depth interviews with individuals, pairs and groups were conducted online or in person with service providers and beneficiaries. Non-verbatim transcripts were made from recordings, checked with verbatim transcripts from Teams and Zoom, and analyzed thematically to generate a coding frame. Throughout the analysis, comparisons were made between organizations and programs. Results Fifteen interviews involving 22 participants lasting up to an hour each were conducted. The main themes identified as impactful were 1) community approaches based on supportive and good relationships between the local authority public health lead and participating organizations (mainly voluntary agencies), enabling 2) capacity-building for mental health resilience and 3) community empowerment. This was despite the short turnaround of the grant application process, limited time to deliver on targets, and anxieties about future sustainability. Conclusions Short-term funding can build capacity in mental health resilience in deprived areas if administered by public health leaders who relate well with provider organizations. Key messages • Public health leaders who relate well with provider organizations are key drivers of community health promotion strategies that include mental health capacity building. • Qualitative methods used in evaluations can inform public health commissioning by capturing the benefits and challenges of short-term funding for interventions promoting community mental health.

P361 Demystifying the NIH grant application process for international investigators

Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funds one of the largest medical mycology research portfolios. The portfolio includes the major human fungal pathogens and covers basic fungal biology and the more translational areas of therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics. NIAID utilizes many granting mechanisms that are open to US and international researchers. These include investigator-initiated applications (R01, R21, and R03s) and targeted announcements for fungal research. Additionally, NIAID has a suite of preclinical services supporting therapeutic, diagnostic, and vaccine development. These services are free and available to investigators in academia, not-for-profit organizations, industry, or governments worldwide. The NIAID granting mechanism can be complicated. Tips and tricks for navigating the NIAID application process and preclinical services will be discussed.

Trends in the Use of Promotional Language (Hype) in Abstracts of Successful National Institutes of Health Grant Applications, 1985-2020

The integrity of the grant application process is important to the success of the entire research enterprise. However, little information is available concerning the prevalence and evolution of subjective or promotional language ("hype") that has the potential to undermine objectivity in the writing and evaluation of grant applications. To assess changes over time in the use of hype in abstracts of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications. This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of promotional adjectives in abstracts in the NIH archive from 1985 to 2020. From all abstracts in the NIH RePORTER (Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools: Expenditures and Results) archive, adjectives were automatically extracted, and their frequencies in the most recent year (2020) were assessed relative to the start year (1985). Adjectives that shifted significantly in frequency and that carried a promotional sense (ie, hype) were retained, and patterns of change were assessed by plotting yearly frequencies (1985-2020). By grouping the adjectives based on shared semantic properties, broad meanings commonly expressed by hype were identified. Absolute change was measured as the difference in normalized frequency between 1985 and 2020. Relative change was measured as the percentage change in normalized frequency in 2020 relative to 1985, or the first year of occurrence. In total, 901 717 abstracts were analyzed and 139 adjective forms were identified as hype. Among these 139 adjective forms, 130 hype adjectives increased in frequency by 7690 words per million (wpm) (mean [SD] relative increase, 1378% [3132%]), while 9 hype adjectives decreased in frequency by 686 wpm (mean [SD] relative decrease, 44% [18%]). The largest absolute increases were for the terms novel (1054 wpm), critical (555 wpm), and key (461 wpm), while the largest relative increases were for the terms sustainable (25 157%), actionable (16 114%), and scalable (13 029%). Hype most often serves to promote the significance, novelty, scale, and rigor of a project; the utility of the expected outcomes; the qualities of the investigators and research environment; and the gravity of the problem; as well as conveying the personal attitudes of the applicants. Levels of hype in successful NIH grant applications have increased over time from 1985 to 2020. The findings in this study should serve to sensitize applicants, reviewers, and funding agencies to the increasing prevalence of subjective, promotional language in funding applications.

National Institutes of Health Funding Trends to Ophthalmology Departments at U.S. Medical Schools

ABSTRACT Purpose To analyze trends in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in ophthalmology and characterize its distribution to departments and principal investigators (PIs) affiliated with U.S. medical schools. Design Longitudinal descriptive analysis. Methods We queried publically accessible data from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research and NIH RePORTER to determine annual funding trends in ophthalmology from 2009 to 2020. To characterize the distribution of funding, we further ranked the top departments and principal investigators (PIs). Department websites (among other online resources) were utilized to extract characteristics of the latter cohort. Results After adjusting for inflation, we observed a modest 9% increase in median NIH funding to academic ophthalmology departments between 2009 and 2020. In the same time period, among individual PIs, this translated to a 9% decline in median funding. Our results among both departments and PIs indicated a persistent inequality in NIH funding. In 2020, 10 ophthalmology departments received 44% of total funding, which is consistent with findings from prior years. Our ranking of PIs by average annual NIH funding indicated a disproportionate representation of males (76%) and PhDs (58%) in the top 50. Conclusions Overall, the results of this investigation suggest NIH funding remains limited for individual investigators, reflecting the increasingly competitive nature of the grant application process. Systemic alterations will be required to reverse these trends. If not accomplished, nascent and established researchers alike will continue to endure challenges in obtaining and maintaining funding.

Continuing Medical Education Calendar

Visit education.aaaai.org/CWRecs for more information. ▪ Primary Immunodeficiency Disease-Performance Improvement Module The Primary Immunodeficiency Disease-Performance Improvement Module was developed to implement improvements in clinical care of patients with primary immunodeficiency disease and assist practitioners in incorporating quality initiatives that impact patient care and outcomes. Visit education.aaaai.org/PIDPIM for more information.Featured CME Opportunities ▪ The Nuts and Bolts of Grant Writing This module focuses on essential aspects of the grant application process, including common application requirements, considerations for the writing process, and tips for success. Take the course at education.aaaai.org/research-principles/grantwriting. ▪ Demystifying IgE-Mediated Cow's Milk Allergy: Diagnosis and Management: 2021 Update Cow's milk allergy's clinical presentation is not always straightforward–diagnosis and management of complex cases can be challenging and impact quality of life.

How to Promote Career Advancement and Gender Equity for Women in Gastroenterology: A Multifaceted Approach

How to Promote Career Advancement and Gender Equity for Women in Gastroenterology: A Multifaceted Approach

The socio-spatial politics of royalties and their distribution: A case study of the Surat Basin, Queensland

This paper is concerned with the socio-spatial and ethical politics of redistribution, specifically the allocation of natural resources rents from political and economic cores to the economic and geographical peripheries whence the resource originated. Based on a case study of the coal seam gas sector in Queensland's Surat Basin, this paper focuses on the operation of the Queensland State Government's regional development fund for mining and energy extraction-affected regions. Employing an environmental justice framework, we critically explore the operation of these funds in ostensibly helping constituent communities in becoming resilient to the worst effects of the ‘staples trap’. Drawing on secondary demographic and housing data for the region, as well as primary information collected from key respondents from mid-2018 to early 2019, we show that funds were distributed across all of the local government areas, and allocated to projects and places primarily on a perceived economic needs basis. However, concerns were raised with the probity of the funds’ administration. In terms of recognition justice, the participation of smaller and more remote towns and local Indigenous communities was hampered by their structural marginalisation. Procedurally, the funds were criticised for the lack of local consultation taken in the development and approval of projects. While spatially concentrated expenditure may be the most cost-effective use of public monies, we argue that grant application processes should be open, transparent and inclusive, and the outcomes cognisant of the developmental needs of smaller communities, together with the need to foster regional solidarity and coherence.

Black in Immuno ‐ amplifying, celebrating, and supporting Black voices in immunology

Black in Immuno ‐ amplifying, celebrating, and supporting Black voices in immunology