Preparing Your First R01 (Yes, You ARE Ready For Prime Time)
Preparing Your First R01
(Yes, You ARE Ready For Prime Time)
Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH
UCSF Division of Geriatrics
2024 OAIC Annual Meeting
April 25, 2024
Today’s Topics
•
Receiving and Using Feedback
•
A few application pointers
Getting Feedback and Advice
•
Getting advice from the right people AND using it effectively the
single most effective skill for first R01
•
The right people: Significance of Idea and Big picture methods
•
2-3 experts in your topic area
•
3-5 generalists
•
Informants to keep you out of trouble
•
Topic experts (how do people in this area talk?)
•
Method experts (measures and instruments, analytic)
The Differential Diagnosis of Feedback
•
Feedback you get on an idea is a combination of
•
The quality of the idea
•
Your success in explaining and justifying the idea
•
Do not throw out the baby with the bathwater!
•
Many good ideas die because of premature discouragement
•
Great idea that was poorly expressed or needed m(e)(a)ssaging
•
Learn to become deeply analytical about feedback
•
Why did you get that reaction?
•
I know this is novel. Why am I being told otherwise?
•
It’s been done before—But done poorly, in limited populations, wrong outcomes
•
”Everyone knows that”—Maybe they do-at a superficial or wrong level
Talk Less. Listen More. Probe.
•
You are human
•
You will be defensive. Your instinct will be to argue. Change their mind
•
But learning their thought process a golden opportunity to improve your idea and
your grant
•
Listen closely to their reasoning
•
Probe
•
Tell me more about this does not feel novel
•
What do you think is known?
•
You said recruitment will be hard. Why?
•
What would make this more interesting to you?
•
Learn what they think you are trying to say
•
Can you summarize what you think I am trying to do? I want to see if I am writing clearly
•
What did you think about my argument for significance?
•
Probe even when someone likes your idea
Captaining the ship
•
You will get a lot of advice taking you in divergent directions
•
If you try to please everyone your grant will be a mess
•
Your job is not to answer every suggestion, but understand the
reasons and driving forces
Tips: Aims Page
•
Most important part of your grant
•
Key Parts
•
This is a really important problem
•
But there are critical gaps that really mater
•
Therefore we propose a study with the following aims
•
Folded newspaper
•
Part above the fold leads naturally to part below the fold
•
A reader of your aims page should have a clear sense of what will
be in the rest of the grant
•
Including methods
Remember Core Elements
•
Subjects
•
Clear description of where your subjects come from, how they will be
enrolled and followed
•
Measures (Don’t lose forest from trees)
•
Key predictor variable
•
Main outcome variable
•
Analysis
•
Your statistician needs to keep explaining until you understand
•
Goal directed analyses
•
Clear sense of what the analysis is leading to
•
Tip: What will be key tables and figures. Explain how you will get there
Your Team
•
Pick people you enjoy working with
•
You might actually get the grant!
•
Key expertise
•
Content
•
Methods
•
Your and your team all count towards pilot work
•
Common to underestimate amount of pilot work that has been done
•
Anything convincing that your team can carry out the work
Explain Justify Teach
•
Your reviewers are often not experts
•
You know more than them
•
Teach them about the science
•
Given the rationale for every key element (subjects, measures,
analyses)
•
Clearly describe the alternatives and the reasons for your choice
You can do this!
•
Have faith in your ideas
•
It can feel daunting
•
Use your mentors
•
Use each other
•
Get started
•
Look for reasons to do. Not reasons to not do.
Learn how to effectively receive, utilize, and navigate feedback and advice for your first R01 application. Discover the significance of getting advice from the right experts, understanding differential feedback, and the art of listening and probing to improve your grant proposal. Take charge of your grant-writing journey by captaining the ship and understanding the driving forces behind feedback.
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Presentation Transcript
Preparing Your First R01 (Yes, You ARE Ready For Prime Time) Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH UCSF Division of Geriatrics 2024 OAIC Annual Meeting April 25, 2024
Todays Topics Receiving and Using Feedback A few application pointers
Getting Feedback and Advice Getting advice from the right people AND using it effectively the single most effective skill for first R01 The right people: Significance of Idea and Big picture methods 2-3 experts in your topic area 3-5 generalists Informants to keep you out of trouble Topic experts (how do people in this area talk?) Method experts (measures and instruments, analytic)
The Differential Diagnosis of Feedback Feedback you get on an idea is a combination of The quality of the idea Your success in explaining and justifying the idea Do not throw out the baby with the bathwater! Many good ideas die because of premature discouragement Great idea that was poorly expressed or needed m(e)(a)ssaging Learn to become deeply analytical about feedback Why did you get that reaction? I know this is novel. Why am I being told otherwise? It s been done before But done poorly, in limited populations, wrong outcomes Everyone knows that Maybe they do-at a superficial or wrong level
Talk Less. Listen More. Probe. You are human You will be defensive. Your instinct will be to argue. Change their mind But learning their thought process a golden opportunity to improve your idea and your grant Listen closely to their reasoning Probe Tell me more about this does not feel novel What do you think is known? You said recruitment will be hard. Why? What would make this more interesting to you? Learn what they think you are trying to say Can you summarize what you think I am trying to do? I want to see if I am writing clearly What did you think about my argument for significance? Probe even when someone likes your idea
Captaining the ship You will get a lot of advice taking you in divergent directions If you try to please everyone your grant will be a mess Your job is not to answer every suggestion, but understand the reasons and driving forces
Tips: Aims Page Most important part of your grant Key Parts This is a really important problem But there are critical gaps that really mater Therefore we propose a study with the following aims Folded newspaper Part above the fold leads naturally to part below the fold A reader of your aims page should have a clear sense of what will be in the rest of the grant Including methods
Remember Core Elements Subjects Clear description of where your subjects come from, how they will be enrolled and followed Measures (Don t lose forest from trees) Key predictor variable Main outcome variable Analysis Your statistician needs to keep explaining until you understand Goal directed analyses Clear sense of what the analysis is leading to Tip: What will be key tables and figures. Explain how you will get there
Your Team Pick people you enjoy working with You might actually get the grant! Key expertise Content Methods Your and your team all count towards pilot work Common to underestimate amount of pilot work that has been done Anything convincing that your team can carry out the work
Explain Justify Teach Your reviewers are often not experts You know more than them Teach them about the science Given the rationale for every key element (subjects, measures, analyses) Clearly describe the alternatives and the reasons for your choice
You can do this! Have faith in your ideas It can feel daunting Use your mentors Use each other Get started Look for reasons to do. Not reasons to not do.
