applying for a postdoctoral fellowship 101 rachel a. cook, m.a. health sciences sponsored project...
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Applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship 101 Rachel A. Cook, M.A. Health Sciences Sponsored Project Pre-Award Office (HS SPPO). Agenda. A postdoctoral scholar ("postdoc") is … - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship 101
Rachel A. Cook, M.A.Health Sciences Sponsored Project Pre-Award Office (HS SPPO)
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06/29/2012 2
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Agenda
Fellowship Overview
Types of Awards
Funding Sources
Applying for
Fellowship Application
s
Resources
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A postdoctoral scholar ("postdoc") is …an individual holding a doctoral degree who is
engaged in a temporary period of mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose
of acquiring the professional skills needed to pursue a career path of his or her choosing
– National Postdoctoral Association definition
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Fellow (PI)
Sponsor/Mentor
Department Business Office
Central Sponsored
Projects Office
Funding Agencies
Office of Post-Award Financial Services/Gifts
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Fellowship Overview Process: Key Players
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Locate Funding Source Develop Research Plan
Application Preparation SPO Reviews & Submits and Registration
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Fellowship Overview Process:Critical Steps
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ORA
HS SPPO
SIOOCGA
VMRF
Rachel Cook submits ALL Postdoctoral Applications for Health Sciences
The appropriate
OCGA Analyst submits
General Campus NIH
F32 Postdoctoral
Fellowships
For NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowships for SIO, contact
Elizabeth Meier
For general questions, contact Jennifer Oh
Fellowship Overview Process:Central Sponsored Projects Offices
For research conducted in VA space, submit through VMRF, contact Beth Beiger*
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Fellowship Overview Process: Time
Plan in Advance!
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Types of Awards: Fellowships vs. Grants
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• Career Development• Funding for
Individual• Funding Primarily for
Salary/Stipend• Non-transferable
Fellowships
• Research• Funding to
Institution• Transferable
Grants
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Fellowships Grants
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Types of Awards: Fellowships vs. Grants
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Federal GovernmentNon-ProfitsFor-ProfitsUC ProgramsForeign Agencies
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Funding Sources
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06/29/2012 12http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2012/06/29/postdoctoral-researchers%E2%80%94facts-trends-and-gaps/
Types of Awards
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1306/29/2012
Types of Awards
http://grants.nih.gov/training/FTAwards.htm
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•Links to various search engines (such as Community of Science) and database of special funding opportunities: SURF
SURF
•Click on the “Funding” tab for lists of sponsors and search tools•Sponsors•Tools
OCGA
•Links to weekly lists of HS-related Funding Opportunities•NIH PAs and RFAs•Fellowships, Grants, Prize Opportunities
HS SPPO
•Includes UC Grants Research Programs as well as other Statewide Research Programs: CBCRP, CHRP, & TRDRPUCOP
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Funding Sources
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•NIH medical & behavioral research grant policies, guidelines, and funding opportunities
•NIH F Kiosk: comprehensive information on Fellowships
NIH OER
•All federal agencies use this portal as well as list their open funding opportunities
Grants.gov•A large % of non-federal agencies and some federal
agencies use this portalProposal Central
•Check deadlines & FOAs carefully: LOIs required!CDMRP
•Science Magazine’s GrantNetGrantsNet06/29/2012 15
Funding Sources
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Helen Hay Whitney Fdn:
7/16
AHA Western States Affiliate:
7/18
NIH F32 NRSA: 8/8
DOD CDMRP: Varies
Damon Runyon Cancer
Research Fdn: 8/15
National MS Society: 8/15
Marie Curie: 8/16
NARSAD: TBD: (Fall)
Susan G. Komen for the
Cure: TBD (Fall)06/29/2012 16
Funding Sources & Upcoming Deadlines
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Fellowship Application: Keys to a Successful Application
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Fellowship Application: Common Elements
Applicant’s•Career Goals•Prior Experience•Transcripts•Training
Applicant’s•Career
Development Plan
•Research Project Plan
Other•Mentor’s
Statement•Training
Institution Information
•Reference Letters•Varies*
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Fellowship Application: Keys to a Successful Application
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Find a funding Agency with programs in your career specialty
Read the funding Agency submission guidelines and eligibility requirements, solicitation, etc …
Discuss your plans with your mentor (sponsor)
Start well ahead of the deadline (at least a month)
Contact your department’s business office for possible assistance and to advise of your plans for submission
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Determine the UCSD Key Players for the application
Ask for assistance to determine who needs to see and/or sign the application
Line up potential reference letter providers
Contact the Sponsored Project Officer (SPO - i.e. signing official) so s/he is aware of your application
Provide the SPO with a copy of or a link to the funding opportunity
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Fellowship Application: Keys to a Successful Application
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Fellowship Application
Use and follow the Agency specific forms and requirements (make sure they are the most recent ones!)
Complete administrative sections of your application first
In most cases, the fellow will be the PI of the application
The application organization or institution will be UCSD, not you nor your mentor’s department
Make formal requests for reference letters
Fellowship Application: Keys to a Successful Application
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Fellowship Application
… Then concentrate on writing the research plan / career development plan
A mentor written section or statement is frequently required – make sure mentor has instructions
1 to 2 weeks before the deadline, complete a good, nearly complete draft of all required text for your mentor and others to critique
Submit a good draft of the application to the department business office and the SPO (signing official) for review.
Fellowship Application: Keys to a Successful Application
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Fellowship Application: Reference Letters
A minimum number of letters may be required
Some agencies allow more than the
minimum, others do not
NIH & AHA – minimum of 3 required, NIH allows up to five.
Reference letters have deadlines for receipt
Electronic submission of these letters is
frequently required
Letter providers will need the agency
instructions regarding format and submission
requirements
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Fellowship Application: UCSD Information
• The Regents of the University of California; UC San Diego• The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego• Your department’s name is not an institutional name
Legal Institutional Name
• Depends on part of campus is submitting:• OCGA, HS SPPO, SIO, VMRF
• Note: It is NOT your Department Business Officer!Institutional
Signing Officials • 95-6006144• 1956006144A1 (for NIH applications)UCSD’s Tax Payer
ID # (EIN)• Donald Larson, Controller, or• Mark Cooper, Director, OPAFSFiscal Officer
• Your department business office can advise you if other institutional information is requestedOther Institutional
Information
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Fellowship Application: Various Submission Portals & Methods
• Check early on the agency’s submission method, deadlines, and how the application is to be prepared
• Submission requirements determines who submits – you or the Signing Official (Sponsored Projects Officer or SPO)
• Grants.gov, used by many Federal agencies, requires a SPO to submit a completed forms package (do not register for Grants.gov yourself)
• A few Federal agencies have different methods, such as NSF’s Fastlane
• Many non-profit Agencies have their own websites for submission or use Altum Proposal Central
Check Early! Requirements? Methods? Where & how?
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• Most federal agencies use Grants.gov for submission• Do not register in Grants.gov• NIH Requires eRA Commons registration. • You must be registered as a PI in the eRA Commons• For NIH, access the Grants.gov application package
from the NIH Funding Announcement
• NSF Fastlane – Fastlane registration is required.– For NSF fellowship applications, register as an
individual– NSF has Target Deadlines & Hard Deadlines
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Fellowship Application: Grants.gov & NSF Fastlane
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NIH ONLY allows for 4 font types =
Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, &
Palatino Linotype
Font color = Black Minimum font size = 11 point
Minimum characters per inch = 15 CPI
Maxim lines per inch = 6 LPI Margins = ½ inch
It cannot be stressed enough – read & follow the guidelines!
Fellowship Application: Format Notes for NIH Applications
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NSF allows for these font types =
Arial, Courier New, Palatino Linotype
(10)
Add’l font types = Times New Roman (11) & Computer Modern family of fonts (11)
Minimum font size = 10 point *or 11 point*
Minimum characters per inch = 15 CPI
Maxim lines per inch = 6 LPI
Margins = 1 inchFont color = Black
It cannot be stressed enough – read & follow the guidelines!
Fellowship Application: Format Notes for NSF Applications
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• US Army Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) – two-step submission method– 1st:Step: CDMRP – Pre-proposal site
• Register and choose the University of California, San Diego as your organization
– 2nd Step: CDMRP - choose the appropriate Sponsored Projects Officer (Contract Representative)
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Fellowship Application: CDMRP (DOD)
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• UCSD Sponsored Projects Officers (Contract Representative): – General Campus – Michael Brown, enter his email address
[email protected]– Health Sciences: Rachel Cook from the drop-down list or
[email protected] – SIO: Nancy Wilson from the drop-down list
• CDMRP has a 2 PM Pacific Time deadline for submitting LOIs. The deadline is firm, no exceptions!
• NOTE: Actual application will be submitted via Grants.gov by the Sponsored Projects Officer
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Fellowship Application: CDMRP (DOD)
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Altum Proposal Central• Registration as an individual is required
– Your registration will be good for any future applications from UCSD
• Registration must be associated with an institution – Do not try to enter an institutional name, instead– Search by Institutional City, and enter “La Jolla”
• Select one of the following:– The Regents of the University of California, San Diego– University of California, San Diego – Health Sciences– The Regents of the University of California, Scripps
Institution of Oceanography
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Fellowship Application:Altum Proposal Central
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• Next start your application• Grant the department assistant and the signing official
access to your application• Email those individuals when you have done so • Allow the department and official time to review your
application on line• You will submit your application from Proposal Central
but• Obtain required signatures before you submit your
application• Most agencies also require a signed paper copy
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Fellowship Application:Altum Proposal Central
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What to Watch Out For:• Is a proposal preparation and submission service used by
subscribing funding agencies?• Does the Funding Agency require both electronic and paper
submission?• Are the deadlines for the original signed paper copy(ies) different
than the electronic deadline?– Some agencies require an original paper application to arrive in a certain
location, by a specific date and time (and not PST)
…And• Always obtain any required approvals and signatures (mentor,
department, Sponsored Projects Officer) before submitting an electronic application
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Fellowship Application: Altum Proposal Central
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• Register as an individual • Choose the University of California, San Diego • Choose the Administrative Officer (Sponsored Project
Officer) who will submit your application • General Campus : Wilma Orantes• Health Sciences: Rachel Cook• SIO: Elizabeth Meier
• Note: There is now a FEE to apply ($100 if not a member)
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Fellowship Application: AHA
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Fellowship Application: Other
Funding Agencies not using Proposal Central are all over the map!
Check the agency website and instructions closelySome require an online application be completed, or an uploaded file or a mix of entered information and uploaded files
Some require the application to be emailed as an attachment
Many agencies also require a signed paper copy
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• Fellows located in VA labs with UC-VA mentors:– For research conducted in VA space, the VA requires
proposals to be submitted by The Veterans Medical Research Foundation (VMRF).
– However, there are a number of exceptions to this policy:• NIH requires that all K (career award) and NRSA
fellowship applications be submitted by UCSD, not VMRF
• For non-NIH fellowship applications, VRMF has determined that certain other application, such as American Heart Fellowships, should also be submitted through the University
– When in doubt, please contact Beth Beiger at VMRF [email protected]
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Fellowship Application: VA & VMRF
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Administrative•Wrong SF424 application
package used•Issues with credential•Title/Narrative/Summary too
long•Incorrect Institutional
Assurance Numbers
Logistical•Using Word docs•Use of interactive PDFs•Use of Co-PI•Headers/footers•Scientific environment
statement•Wrong format for Bios•File names •Proof-reading errors
Budgetary•Modular vs. Detailed•Missing effort and salary in
out years•Modular Budgets and
justifications•GSR effort and tuition
remission•NGN costs•F&A incorrectly calculated
Fellowship Application: Common Errors & Adobe Forms
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1. Contact the mentor, the department administrator, and the Sponsored Project Officer
2. Animal and/or Human Subjects or other regulatory approvals may be required at this pointa) NIH and many other agencies will require
documentation of such approvals prior to award 3. Work with your department and your Sponsor Project
Officer to submit any required approvals.4. Award terms should be reviewed and addressed before
any award documents are signed and returned.
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Fellowship Application: Award Notice
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• Sponsored Project Officers are UCSD employees who are able to sign awards on the behalf of The Regents
• The SPO reviews terms and conditions – Problem terms can restrict PI ability to publish, future use of
project results, etc. – Problem terms can conflict with UC policies and practices
(i.e. publication, intellectual property, confidentiality, unusual reporting requirements, etc …)
– In some cases, alternate terms have already been negotiated with the agency by UC, but the agency may not reference them. UC then needs to remind the agency of said terms.
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Fellowship Application: Award Notice
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Fellowship Application: UCSD Resources
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HS SPPO Resources
WebsitePolicies & procedures; calendar;
funding opportunities, contact info & resources
WikiNew university & agency updates
and/or changes
Fellowship Application: Resources
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HS SPPO Wiki
Updated by NIH RSS Feeds!
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Resources: Other UCSD
Research Affairs Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs
Animal Subjects
Human Subjects Research Ethics Stem Cell Research
OPAFS Human Subjects Training (CITI)
Your Department,
Mentors, Fellow Post Docs!
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Thank you,
Rachel A. Cook (858) 822-4344, [email protected]
Presentation hosted by:
Contact: Jennifer Oh (858) 534-6632; [email protected]