Introduction to Grant Writing: Beyond the Research Strategy Syllabus

Catalog description

This course is designed for PhD students in the School of Medicine, with enrollment also open to PhD students from other schools. The course is one of a two part course series that aims to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to write competitive fellowship grant applications for submission to NIH and/or foundations. The courses that make up the two part series do not have to be taken in a specific order and each course can be taken independent of a student's enrollment or planned enrollment in the other course. Students will explore the fundamental components of grant writing beyond the research strategy, including understanding the purpose and requirements of the biosketch, training plan, letters of reference, letters of support, and additional supporting documents. The course will also cover key aspects such as communication with grant administrators and program officers and expectations with regard to pre- and post-award timelines. Through a combination of faculty-led discussions, workshops, Q&A panels, and peer reviews, students will gain hands-on experience in drafting and refining essential components of their fellowship application. By the end of the course, students will have well-developed supporting documents for their research strategy proposal, along with a deeper understanding of the grant writing process and the skills to secure funding for their research.