Northwestern University Model Grant Writing Coaching Group for Mentees – Southeast Region

One of the last and most complicated skills a scientist must cultivate is the ability to develop and effectively present proposals to obtain funding for their research. It is so complicated because it is not just about effective writing, but rather the combination of identifying research questions that peer reviewers and funders

think are worth studying; crafting an appropriate research design; obtaining preliminary data to establish feasibility; and flawless written presentation in a style that reviewers expect to see and compels them to view it favorably. Ideally, mentors provide the guidance to develop these skills, but too often they lack the time, interest or expertise to actually teach mentees the grant writing process. Workshops and short trainings abound, and many present valuable information, but in our experience, a more sustained coaching process is needed for weeks to months as research ideas evolve and writing is refined. This approach is what has been developed by Dr. Rick McGee over the course of his work at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, the NIH intramural program, and most recently Northwestern University (NU).

Pattern-based Group Process

Rather than approaching grant writing with “just do it” attitude, we have developed a novel approach that displays the typical writing or rhetorical patterns that are common to many NIH-style proposals and that are particularly effective for conveying what is being proposed and why.  Knowing and writing to this framework has shown to be exceedingly helpful for early-stage scientists. Additionally, we have found that a group process across 2 to 3 months is far more effective for teaching and learning these skills than even individual coaching or mentoring by a single expert. In addition to getting real-time feedback from multiple perspectives, participants master writing skills more effectively and the camaraderie that develops among group members mitigates the isolation and sense of insurmountable barriers that early stage scientists can experience.

Size of Instructor Cohort: 1 NRMN faculty; 5 to 10 coaches in training

Size of Cohort: up to 40 individuals in the cohort; groups break up into subgroups after

the kickoff sessions

Total Program Duration: 2 to 4 months depending on the needs of the subgroups

Competencies and Product Outcomes Gained

Mentees will develop their skills across the following areas and/or produce the following:

• Writing approaches from the perspective of rhetorical patterns, and a deconstructed view of how to approach writing for multiple levels and types of reviewers at the same time.
• For individuals writing Career Development Awards (such as F32, K99/R00, K01, K08, K23, etc.), insights and skills for constructing and writing the other parts of the proposal such as descriptions of prior research, career development plans and mentoring teams.
• Depending on the nature of the research being proposed and the make-up of the group, review of the Research Plan may also take place.
• Additionally, if it is determined that there would be benefit to identifying scientific content experts to assist with design or writing of detailed science, efforts will be made to identify such individuals using NRMN resources NRMN.
• An NIH grant submission at the end of the program or soon thereafter. Based on past experience, it is not uncommon to get into a group and discover that some are not as ready as they envisioned due to unclear research designs, insufficient preliminary data, and/or a need to complete current work to get publications to demonstrate productivity. In these cases, a person may pull back from continued active writing for a period of time, with the option to rejoin the current or a future group.

Eligibility Requirements

Note: Participants may not be enrolled in more than one concurrent NRMN Grant Writing Coaching Group. 

U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency

Grant writing Experience Requirements: Moderate level of grant writing experience

Experience/level*: Postdoctoral fellows and Junior faculty who are:

Preferred Qualities

Any grant writing process must start first with a clear understanding of the components and style of typical proposals. For example, one can be very accomplished in writing NIH-style proposals and have no idea where to start for National Science Foundation proposals! Thus, the process led by Dr. Engler is framed around NIH-style proposals. It can be adapted easily to other agencies if the format is similar, but it is not universal.

To work well, those involved must:

1. Be actively involved with writing a health disparities or health-equity-related proposal with a 4-to-8 month submission window; the proposal can have been previously submitted but needs revision, or it can be new.
2. Prior submission of proposal to any intra- or extramural funding mechanism that follows an NIH-style format. Examples include institutional pilots; developmental seed awards; RTRN pilot awards; SCORE, K-series or R-series awards; etc.
3. Have a record of research training and publications to deliver a convincing argument that they are ready to lead the research being proposed.
4. Have professional time to write the proposal and conduct the research if it is funded.
5. Be willing to commit the time and engage in a writing process with weekly or bi-weekly virtual meetings to go over progress made and provide feedback to other group members.
6. Have sufficiently developed research ideas such that it is realistic to initiate a proposal.
7. Be willing to participate in pre- and post-assessment activities to record progress.

*Due to NIH restrictions on providing funding and resources to employees or contractors of the NIH Intramural Program through extramural funds, postdoctoral fellows currently working at NIH are not eligible to participate in NRMN Grant Writing Coaching Groups.