BVGH 2023 Introduction to Grant Writing Lecture Series

BVGH 2023 Introduction to Grant Writing: Key Grant Writing Advice

See below a compilation of advice from our lecturers based on the most frequently asked questions across the 10-
lecture series.

GENERAL GRANT WRITING ADVICE:

● Read every section of the funding application and submission instructions very carefully and thoroughly.
Continue to consult the instructions often while preparing your proposal to ensure you are aligning with the
request.
● Do not be nervous about reaching out to the program officer of a funding opportunity with questions. It is a
good idea to ask them these questions early in your process to ensure your project is applicable to the funding
opportunity and you are following the application guidelines as closely as possible
● Start working on your proposal as early as possible.
● Researchers who are not from the U.S. can apply for NIH and NIAID, etc., funding opportunities: Look at
funding opportunities to see if they are a direct foreign award or have a foreign component. These indicate that
foreign institutions are eligible to apply for the opportunity or to co-apply with a collaborator.
○ https://grants.nih.gov/grants/foreign/index.htm
○ https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/grants-and-training/funding-opportunities-and-contacts/global-health
○ https://www.fic.nih.gov/Grants/Pages/Foreign.aspx
○ https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/grants-foreign-international
○ https://nida.nih.gov/international
● Researchers at any stage of their career can apply for funding opportunities: If you are young in your career,
start with smaller opportunities and/or those dedicated to early-career researchers; as you advance in your
career, apply for larger opportunities and/or those dedicated to your career stage.
● Seek a review of your proposal from a peer (or from several peers) before submitting your application.
● Do not be discouraged if you do not receive a funding award! You are in good company. Keep trying.

HOW CAN I LEARN ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FROM LECTURE SERIES SPEAKER ORGANIZATIONS?
● National Cancer Institute (NCI):
○ NCI funding opportunities can be found here: https://www.cancer.gov/grants-training/grants-funding
● National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
○ You can see NIAID opportunities here and sign up to have funding opportunities emailed directly to you:
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/funding-news#:~:text=You%20can%20subscribe%20directly
%20by,opportunities%20to%20connect%20with%20us.
● National Institutes of Health (NIH):
○ Visit this link for NIH news and resources and to sign up for email notifications:
https://grants.nih.gov/news/news_and_events.htm#.
○ You are also encouraged to explore this page, which contains many resources about applying for NIH
grants: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/about_grants.htm
● Wellcome Trust:
○ Wellcome Trust funding opportunities can be found here: https://wellcome.org/grant-funding
○ Sign up for the Wellcome Trust newsletter here: https://wellcome.org/what-we-do/our-work/research-
funding-newsletter
BVGH 2023 Introduction to Grant Writing Lecture Series

HOW TO SEARCH FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

● What are some other resources for finding funding opportunities? How do I search online for funding
opportunities?
○ Look for foundations, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and many others
○ Look for international agencies like USAID and many others
○ Look at professional societies like ASTMH and many others
○ Search for funding opportunities based on your research topic (Google: “topic” funding, etc.)
○ Search for funding opportunities available in your location or region
○ Search for funding opportunities available to people like you
○ Subscribe to newsletters of funding organizations you come across to receive information about future
opportunities
○ Pay attention to the acknowledgements section when reading literature to see if a funding organization
was mentioned
○ Grant search engines: Pivot RP, Grant Forward, Grant Watch, Foundation Directory, etc. (see lecture 9
for some instructions on how to use some of these search engines)
○ Grant databases: Grantome, NIH RePORTER, etc.

WHERE CAN I FIND EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PROPOSALS?

● NIH: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/resources/sample-applications.htm
● Lecture 6 included guidance on writing a Wellcome Trust grant; here is a link to their website resources:
https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/guidance/how-to-write-wellcome-grant-application
● See lecture 7. Dr. Sivaram discussed highlights of some successful applications

OTHER
Useful websites:
The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (mentioned by Dr. Sivaram during the Lecture 7 Q&A) this site
may be useful to help you find international collaborators: https://www.cugh.org/

BVGH Practice Grant Application–if you were unable to participate in the Peer Review Workshop but wish to use the
practice grant application to help you develop materials, kindly follow the instructions below to access the
application. You can then find a peer to review it for you, which will help you to develop materials for real
applications.
● Create a personal copy of this Google doc: https://bit.ly/45WrR9i for editing online in Google Drive. Do not
request edit access. You must save a copy of this document to your personal Google Drive account to be able to
complete your practice grant.
● Kindly see this video if you would like brief instructions on how to make a copy of a Google doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlQ-n7MaUCo. You do not need to watch past the first minute (1:04).