Training for Bench, Clinical, Biomedical, Translational and Population Health Researchers
Are you planning to submit a Career Development Award? Have you assembled mentors and developed a Specific Aims page, but want to ensure that you submit the most competitive application possible? The Career Development Award Grant Writing Workshop, sponsored by the BU CTSI, is open to Faculty and accomplished Post-doctoral Students/Fellows who will be remaining at BU. This course is offered in the Spring and Fall, and consists of 7, 2-hour sessions. (Space is limited, and Participants will be selected based on a competitive application process.)
Participants in the course will:
- Write a concise, rigorous specific aims page for a career development award application
- Collaborate with mentors to formulate and refine a career development and research plan
- Write all sections of a career development award application using appropriate grantspersonship strategies and with consideration of review criteria
- Participate in a mock grant application review once all sections of the application have been written
- Provide constructive peer feedback on interim drafts of sections of career development award proposals during each session of the course. The ultimate goal is submission of a successful Career Development Award.
Read the Spotlight Here.
Application Component
The Spring 2025 Application is due on January 6th, 2025 (11:59pm).
Complete application in application portal
- Biosketches, Required: Applicant, Primary Mentor(s). Optional: Co-Mentors. (It is OK to not have finalized all members of the mentoring team at the time of the application.)
- Specific Aims Page — Given that this is a training award, the Aims page should include brief mention of training goals during the award period
- Letter of Support from primary mentor (this letter will serve as the foundation of the actual Mentor’s Letter of Support for the K application), which includes:
- commenting on your promise as an independent investigator
- her/his commitment to working closely with you on the grant including weekly or every-other-week meetings, and if there is an existing mentoring relationship
- her/his prior R level funding
- her/his experience mentoring K mentees and if any mentees have successfully navigated transition to independence
- how they will support the mentee during the K award
- Review comments or scores from previously submitted career development grant, if applicable
Eligibility Requirement
- Plan to submit a CDA (K23, K01, K08, foundation career development award) within 1-2 NIH cycle due dates from course completion. Note: this course does not cover K99/R00
- Faculty and accomplished Post-doctoral Students/Fellows who will be remaining at BU; To be considered, post-doctoral students/fellows must have a letter from their Division Chief or Department Chair that they will be hired as a faculty member
- **Note: this workshop is not appropriate for investigators who have submitted a CDA but do not yet have their scores back
- Able to attend every session; agree to review classmates’ drafts and provide feedback during class sessions; complete writing assignments between classes
Questions
For questions regarding the application please contact Miriam Castagne @ mycastag@bu.edu