Writing Grant Proposals for Biomedical Research

Catalog description

This course will give students experience with the preparation of and submission process for grant proposals. BMS 801 Writing Grant Proposals for Biomedical Research (1) This course provides students with a hands-on learning approach to the process of submitting competitive grant proposals. It will inform students of the types of grants that exist, including training fellowships for which they may be eligible. Students will learn of the many different types of organizations, both public and private, that offer biomedical research funding. A majority of the course will focus on the proposal sections pertaining to the research plan emphasizing the purpose of each section along with strategies to create an effective, successful proposal. The proposal sections to be covered in detail are: specific aims, significance, innovation and approach. In-class discussions and team-based learning activities will be used to highlight the teaching objectives for each session. Using these in-class experiences as a guide, students will apply the key aspects of proposal writing by completing a proposal as part of a grant-writing team. The proposal review process will be discussed and a demonstration of the review process will allow students to understand who reviews proposals and how proposals are reviewed as well as to allow them to participate in the review process. In addition to these writing and review experiences, strategies for the oral presentation and defense of a proposal will be covered. By the end of the course, a student will be able to write an effective grant proposal and have the knowledge of how to present and defend that proposal orally, all skills required for a successful career in the biomedical sciences.