Submitting a first successful R01 is a major challenge. The University’s KL2 program, a part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, is again organizing R01 writing groups that will include up to five NIH defined new investigators who are pursuing their first R01 NIH award (or equivalent). Each group will be headed by one or two senior faculty members with extensive success with NIH awards and study section reviewer experience. The groups will foster peer and senior mentoring to produce top quality grant submissions. The groups are not intended to replace grant writing courses or seminars, but, rather, to provide advice, mentoring and time management for the grant writing process. As such, prior participation in grant writing courses or seminars, formal or informal, is encouraged.

Please note that this writing group is geared towards those firmly planning to submit their R01 for the October 2023 deadline. It is important that the aims and methods have been reviewed, critiqued, and roughly established (for example, via chalk talks, meetings with your mentor team or other colleagues, etc.) before you submit your application.  Otherwise, we have found the likelihood of finishing the grant by the deadline to be low.

The Plan

The groups will meet starting early in May 2023, initially weekly to finalize the Specific Aims, and then continue approximately every other week to draft the Research Strategy, until the early part of August 2023.

Groups will meet via zoom to provide guidance and feedback on the Specific Aims and elements of the Research Strategy (preliminary data, research plan, significance, and innovation).

In the middle of August 2023, there will be an afternoon mock study section. The junior faculty’s content mentor or primary mentor will be expected to participate. In October 2023, the bright, ambitious R01 pursuers will submit their grant.

We anticipate notifying applicants of acceptance into the program by April 27, 2023.

This team approach has been used nationally and locally to increase success with obtaining first R01s. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Admission will be competitive based on a review of the specific aims page and preliminary data in place to support those aims. Applications are due applications by 9:00 a.m. MT, Monday, April 17, 2023, by emailing necessary documents to Lyalya Sultanova.

Application documents should include:

1. Current Specific Aims Draft following the format and steps in the template here.
2. Your Biosketch
3. A List of collaborators for this proposal including their position, credentials
4. A signed letter from the Senior scientific mentor(s) stating that they have 1) worked with you on your aims, 2) agree to meet with you and your R01 group leader in the first month and 3) agree to meet with you and the group leader again 1-2 times as needed.
5. Preliminary data and their relationship to each aim.
6. Evidence of completion of the required institutional Onboarding for new PIs.
7. List of grant writing courses or seminars you have completed.

Please encourage your faculty, who meet new investigator status (never had an R01 or equivalent as PI) and who are well-poised to prepare a competitive application, to participate.

The admissions contact is Lyalya Sultanova, who will be providing administrative support for the program during its duration.