Grant Writing Resources

Department of Pediatrics Grant Application Process

This updated Department of Pediatrics Grant Application Process is effectively immediately for any new intentions to submit.

In an effort to streamline and improve our grant application process and ensure accurate and timely submission, please note the following steps for all faculty/post-docs/trainees planning to submit a grant:

  • **UPDATED STEP** Greater than 45 days before due date: Send an email to your assigned GCA (see list below) immediately upon your decision to submit a grant application. Upon receipt of your email, your GCA will schedule a kickoff meeting at least 45 days prior to the due date of your submission to the grant sponsor. (NOTE: if you do not provide your GCA sufficient advance notice for them to schedule this meeting 45 days prior, your submission will be at risk of not being reviewed or submitted.) Please do not submit your SOM Intent to Submit form via MyResearchHome before you have your kickoff meeting with your GCA.
     
  • 45 days before due date: GCA will schedule a kickoff meeting to go over details within the Intent to Submit Form, including personnel/effort, need for subcontracts, budget, etc. The purpose of this meeting will be to ensure complete and timely submission of the SOM Intent to Submit Form, the companion SOM Proposal Intake Form, and provide a timeline of what items will be needed by whom to ensure an overall timely and high quality submission to ORA and then to the sponsor.
     
  • Attachment: PDSA #1 Initial High Level Process Flow [pdf]

Additional Information

  • Information and valuable tips on myRESEARCHpath about preparing and submitting a grant at Duke [Learn more]
  • Details and FAQs about institutional deadlines and requirements [Learn more]
  • Research onboarding with the myRESEARCHnavigators team is required for any new faculty within 90 days of hire/faculty appointment AND for first time PIs on external awards. [Learn more]

Department of Pediatrics Grant Administrators

LeAnne Camp
919.684.4626
Portfolio: Allergy and Immunology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, Rheumatology.

Byron Smith
919.681.0893
Portfolio: Critical Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Hospital Medicine, Medical Genetics (Gregory Crawford and Vandana Shashi only), Neonatology, Obesity Research Center, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Healthy Lifestyles, Medicine-Pediatrics.

Feng Wang
919.620.5301
Portfolio: Nephrology, Neurology/Rehab, Infectious Diseases.

Tammy Smith
919.681.6025
Portfolio: Endocrinology, Child Abuse and Neglect, Office of Pediatric Education.

Michele Ragland
919.684.9750
Portfolio: Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Medical Genetics, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Children's Health Discovery Initiative.

Marsha Newby
919.681.2412
Portfolio: Senior Grants and Contracts Manager.

[Please contact your divisional grant manager early and often to ensure compliance with institutional policies.]

Department Resources

Vice Chair for Research

Christoph Hornik, MD

Director of Research Development
Katherine Misuraca, PhD

Children's Clinical Research Unit (CCRU)

Grant Reviews

Katherine Misuraca, PhD, provides overall guidance in format and organization as well as writing support for scientific premise and clarity of presentation to members of the Duke Department of Pediatrics. She also coordinates the internal peer reviews of grant applications (add link). Katherine received a PhD in molecular cancer biology in 2014 from Duke and has been providing grant writing support to Duke Pediatrics faculty since 2016. Her focus is on NIH R and K level submissions along with coordinating department-wide training grant submissions, however, time permitting she can assist with other types of grants, including foundation and internal submissions. If you would like to request assistance, please contact her well in advance of your due date (preferably at least 2 months for NIH grants, longer if you would like an internal peer review).

Katherine Misuraca, PhD
Director of Research Development
Department of Pediatrics
Duke University School of Medicine
Erwin Square
2200 W. Main Street, Wing B, Suite 220
(919) 681-5877 office
katherine.misuraca@duke.edu  

Concept Reviews

To sustain and grow our existing research program, the Department of Pediatrics has implemented a set of intensive principles and processes for the internal peer review and submission of research grant applications including:

  • NIH R01 and K awards 
  • NIH R21, foundation grants, and smaller awards 

Please contact Katherine Misuraca at least 3 months prior to your NIH due date if you are interested, and see the Concept Review Policy below.

Department of Pediatrics K Club

The Department of Pediatrics K Club is open to all faculty members with primary appointments in Pediatrics and fellows who are submitting NIH K applications. Register online at least 6 months before your due date.

Statistical Support

The Division of Quantitative Sciences in the Department of Pediatrics includes faculty with expertise in quantitative sciences such as biostatistics, epidemiology, econometrics, health services research, and pharmacology. These faculty members are board-certified pediatricians with clinical skills in diverse areas and advanced degrees in quantitative methods. For additional information or to access resources within the Division, please contact Christoph Hornik, MD, Chief of the Division of Quantitative Sciences.

IACUC Merit Reviews

Please send IACUC protocol needing merit review to Bernie Fischer, DVM, PhD at bernie.fischer@duke.edu or Elizabeth Brooks, DVM at izzy.drake@duke.edu. Please allow 7 business days for the review to be completed.

Biosketches

Duke requires all PIs and key personnel to use the new Biosketch and other support forms effective May 25, 2021 (even though NIH requires it to be used after January 25, 2022). Contact for questions: Bernie Fischer, DVM, PhD at bernie.fischer@duke.edu or Katherine Misuraca, PhD at katherine.misuraca@duke.edu.

Vertebrate Animals

Contact Bernie Fischer, DVM, PhD at bernie.fischer@duke.edu with questions.

NIH R01 and K Resources

Email Katherine Misuraca at katherine.misuraca@duke.edu for Specific Aims Guide, Research Strategy Guide, K Award Specific Aims Page and K Application Instructions and Suggestions.

Duke Resources

Duke Office of Research Initiatives

The Duke Office of Research Initiatives is a joint effort of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the School of Medicine and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.  Our overarching goal is to facilitate effective research and collaborations for the Duke research community. We serve researchers from across Duke's schools, centers and institutes, and offer our services to all researchers -- from faculty to staff and trainees.

  • myRESEARCHhome
    myRESEARCHhome provides a single location for research-related tasks and information, putting relevant applications, resources, and information - specific to you and your projects - at your fingertips. You can personalize it even further to save you time and effort. It includes reports and functions previously available in MyResearch, which was accessed in Duke@WORK. When you click on the MyResearch tab in Duke@WORK, you will be directed automatically to myRESEARCHhome. 

  • myRESEARCHpath 
    myRESEARCHpath was developed to serve as an institution-wide roadmap for navigating the research project life cycle across Duke University and Duke Health. It is intended to serve all personnel involved in the research process (including but not limited to faculty/PIs, scientific staff, grants and contracts administrators, students, and trainees) by integrating information from over 35 research support offices across the institution into one place. Processes, policies, and resources are curated and organized by life cycle stage and topic (as opposed to organizational unit) to allow researchers to find the information needed to facilitate their research. 

  • myRESEARCHnavigators
    myRESEARCHnavigators offers trained experts available by phone or email who can help identify relevant research resources, provide connections with collaborators, resolve systems issues, and answer questions about processes and best practices in performing research at Duke. You can ask them any research question! To contact this team of experts, call 919.684.2243 (Press 4 for Research) or email myresearchnavigators@duke.edu.

  • Researcher Consultations and Onboarding
    1:1 research consultation and onboarding sessions for researchers who are engaging in School of Medicine or health-related research activities. Each consultation is tailored to the specific portfolio and research-related plans of the researcher. We coordinate our efforts with departments and research units to ensure access to and efficiency in navigating the processes and central offices necessary to plan and start up research activities at Duke. Sessions typically take 60-90 minutes. [Note: Onboarding sessions are now REQUIRED for all new reserch faculty within 90 days of hire/faculty appointment and first time PIs on external awards.]

Office of Research Development

The Office of Research Development at the Duke University School of Medicine provides services to teams of investigators and individual investigators to help ensure submission of high quality grant applications.  All School of Medicine faculty leading complex research proposals (i.e., those with multiple projects and/or cores such as NIH P and U grants) are eligible to use our services on a first-come, first-served basis. Individual investigators nominated by their department chair or division chief are also eligible for our services, as are recipients of School of Medicine Bridge Funding and faculty who have previously participated in a complex grant opportunity with us. If in doubt, please contact us – we aim to serve.  Originally launched by Nancy Andrews, then Dean of the Duke University Medical School, our services continue to be provided free of charge to Duke School of Medicine faculty as a service of Dean Mary Klotman.

Write Winning Grant Proposals

This widely acclaimed seminar, presented by Grant Writers’ Seminars & Workshops LLC comprehensively addresses both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to the proposal-writing process. It is an all-day program, held once a year (typically in July). Emphasis is given to such things as idea development, identification of the most appropriate granting agency, how to write for reviewers, and tips and strategies that are of proven value in presenting an applicant's case to reviewers, geared towards NIH format and review.

Writing from the Reader’s Perspective

Held annually in October/November, Writing from the Reader's Perspective is a three-part seminar series presented by George D. Gopen, JD, PhD focusing on writing from the reader’s perspective. The series is based on the concept that in order to improve writing, it is first necessary to understand the process of reading. The ideas presented in this series of workshops have changed participants' writing habits permanently, often resulting in improved grant-writing and publication success.

Office for Faculty Development

The Office for Faculty Development offers an array of activities and programs intended to promote faculty success and well-being by offering tools needed to successfully navigate a career at Duke.  These programs include Write Winning Grant Proposals and Writing from the Reader’s Perspective (discussed above) among other leadership, professional development and networking events.

Office for Research Mentoring

The Office for Research Mentoring aims to support the strong mentoring community within the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing.  Their team works to promote faculty success and well-being by offering tools needed to successfully navigate a career at Duke with programming designed to help junior faculty members write successful grant applications for an ever competitive funding environment. 

Office of Physician-Scientist Development

The Office of Physician-Scientist Development (OPSD) in the Duke University School of Medicine assists trainees across the career spectrum (medical students, residents and fellows, and junior faculty) by providing information and programming on career development activities such as grant writing and funding opportunities.

Office of Research Administration

The Office of Research Administration (ORA), is responsible for supporting investigators and administrators in the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing by managing externally sponsored research projects through the pre-award process.

EndNote

EndNote is powerful reference management software designed to keep track of citations and format bibliographies. Virginia (Ginger) Carden, MLS in the DUMC Library at virginia.carden@duke.edu or 919.660.1184 is an expert with EndNote. She can ensure you are using the latest version and provide additional information and support as needed.

Conducting Surveys

Qualtrics
The Qualtrics survey tool is available free for Duke users through a university-wide site license. Qualtrics users can send and track participation invitations and reminders; display survey results in real time, graphically and statistically; and export raw data in a variety of formats (to CSV, XML, HTML and SPSS, a popular statistical package available through OIT software license). If you need assistance logging in, sharing surveys, creating and managing groups, or changing survey ownership, please contact the OIT Service Desk at 919.684.2200.

REDCap

REDCap is a mature, secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases. Using REDCap's stream-lined process for rapidly developing projects, you may create and design projects using 1) the online method from your web browser using the Online Designer; and/or 2) the offline method by constructing a 'data dictionary' template file in Microsoft Excel, which can be later uploaded into REDCap. Both surveys and databases (or a mixture of the two) can be built using these methods.  If you require assistance or have any questions about REDCap, please contact DOCR REDCap Support at redcap-docr@duke.edu. 

NIH Grant Information and Resources

SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for NIH and Other PHS Agencies

This page provides application guides for preparing electronic grant applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms.

Guides, Templates, and Suggestions for NIH Grants 

Templates for NIH applications can be found in myRESEARCHpath.

FORMS D Changes (submissions after 2016)

  • Rigor and Reproducibility
    Scientific rigor and transparency in conducting biomedical research is key to the successful application of knowledge toward improving health outcomes and must be addressed in NIH grant applications and progress reports. 
  • Scientific Premise/Rigor of the Prior Research
    The scientific premise for an application is the research that is used to form the basis for the proposed research question(s). NIH expects applicants to describe the general strengths and weaknesses of the prior research being cited by the applicant as crucial to support the application. It is expected that this consideration of general strengths and weaknesses include attention to the rigor of the previous experimental designs, as well as the incorporation of relevant biological variables and authentication of key resources. January 2019: NIH replaces the term scientific premise with the rigor of the prior research:
  • FAQs for Rigor, Transparency, and Scientific Premise

FORMS E Changes: (submissions on or after January 25, 2018)

  • Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information Form
    A primary component of NIH’s initiative to enhance the stewardship of clinical trials is the creation of a new application form that consolidates all Human Subjects and Clinical Trial related information into one place, and also expands the information required for studies that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial. This new form is included in the new FORMS-E Application Packages to be used for all due dates on or after January 25, 2018 and should be used for all human subject contract proposals responding to Requests for Proposals issued as of January 25, 2018. 

  • Information about Human Subjects Research

  • Clinical Trial Definition

  • Duke Resources for FORMS E Changes
    • ORA Website
      Includes Training Sessions and Communications, Resources including training videos, forms, and tools to use while preparing your application, and Templates (prepared by the Office of Research Development, School of Medicine).
    • Pediatrics Department Resources
      Specific suggestions and templates developed by Katherine Misuraca. [coming soon]

Vertebrate Animals

Biosketch

Instructions, guidelines, and templates for completing your NIH Biosketch—be sure to use the most recent blank template.
[Note: Duke requires the use of the new Biosketch form effective May 25, 2021 (even though NIH requires it after January 24, 2022.]

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Facilities and Resources

  • Email Katherine Misuraca if you have a request for common facilities and resource documents.

Cover Letter

NIH Assignment preferences are not communicated via the online Assignment Request Form on grants.duke; cover letters are no longer used for that purpose.

NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)
The NIH RePORTER system provides a searchable database of NIH-funded research, including abstracts, publications and patents.

NIH Grant Writing Advice and Sample Applications (R01)

This list of useful websites will help you plan, write, and apply for a research project grant.

Guidelines for Reviewers (Center for Scientific Review)

This resource informs reviewers of their roles in peer review and of steps to take throughout the process in order to perform the highest quality assessments of the scientific and technical merits of applications.

Identify your Study Section

The Center for Scientific Review assigns grant applications to study sections—groups of 20–40 scientists focused on a particular research field who are charged with reviewing applications.

Videos of NIH Peer Review Sessions

The Center for Scientific Review has produced a series of videos to give you an inside look at how scientists from across the country review NIH grant applications for scientific and technical merit. 

eRA Commons Tutorials

There are three new tutorial videos available for viewing to help you navigate the Status screen in eRA Commons. These videos are the first three in a series that will look at the Status option in detail.

  • Status Screen Overview (tutorial #1) goes through the steps of how to get to the Status search options if you are a Signing Official (SO) or a Principal Investigator (PI); it outlines the importance of the Status screen; it also highlights some of the critical actions that must be taken to manage a grant application from submission to award to closeout.
  • Signing Official: Finding Information (tutorial #2) is focused on the tools available to a Signing Official.  The video reviews the three ways an SO can search for a grant application, and the various other search options available to them.
  • Status Search Results (tutorial #3) covers the results of a search. The video highlights how search results are displayed and organized and the importance of checking the items listed in the Action column.

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