Researcher Resources
Whether you are a junior investigator submitting your first grant application or a senior scientist, the following tools contain information that will assist you in creating a stronger proposal that will lead to increased success in grant funding.
NIH Grants Tutorials
These tutorials developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases help biomedical investigators, especially new ones, plan, write, and apply for the standard NIH research project grant, the R01. These Research Project Grants support a focused research program conducted by a principal investigator with or without collaborators, postdoctoral trainees, graduate students and/or technicians.
http://funding.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/pages/aag.aspx
NIH New Investigators Program
The Office of Extramural Research (OER) has established a new web site that articulates NIH's continuing commitment to new investigators. The site describes current policies, data related to the influx of new investigators, resources that new investigators can use to understand and work with the NIH and helpful hints that might be useful in constructing a first application for NIH support.
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/
Urologic Diseases in America
"Urologic Diseases in America" is a reference standardon the prevalence, incidence, treatment and economic impact of urologic disease in the United States.It was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). This 716 page report is divided into 21 urologic diseases specific chapters andIs available at:
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/uda/
National Urology Research Agenda
The Urology Care Foundation National Urology Research Agenda (NURA) serves as a roadmap for articulating the basic and clinical research and research infrastructure priorities in urology, with the goal of promoting substantial improvements in patient care. The NURA seeks not only to identify areas of scientific priority and opportunity, but also to emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary activities and to define areas of multidisciplinary potential. This is critical to "growing" the field and to increasing competitiveness for funding.
For more on the NURA, click here.
Resources for the Development of Early-Career Scientists
Young investigators face a variety of challenges in launching their careers. Good research skills are only one part of the formula for success. They have to hire and lead a research team, efficiently manage a lab, find grant support, publish, and mentor. The publications and links on this Web site can help new investigators "make the right moves" as they launch their careers and assist those who take on the important task of providing early-career researchers with scientific management training.
http://www.hhmi.org/resources/labmanagement/
NIH Peer Review Revealed
The NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) has produced a series of videos to give interested individuals an inside look at how scientists from across the country review NIH grant applications for scientific and technical merit.
New and established applicants will find insights and understanding that can empower them to improve the applications and increase their chances for receiving a more positive review.
Click on this link to view the videos.
Other Sources of Funding
Urology Research is funded through a number of federal agencies and foundations:
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is your source to FIND and APPLY for federal grants. The site allows users to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. The "Resources" section also provides access to useful grants-related information and links.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
To help achieve its mission of promoting health and quality of life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides postgraduate training and service programs for health scientists of diverse educational backgrounds and other funding through its Procurement and Grants Office (PGO).
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense's Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) manages Congressional Special Interest Medical Research Programs (CSI) in specified areas. Current programs that have urologic disease related funding include the Prostate Cancer Research Program, the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program and the Minority and Underserved Populations Program. Look for annual program announcement(s) as well as for current funding for postdoctoral candidates, idea grants and clinical trials on their web site.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Office of Research and Development aspires to lead the Veterans Health Administration in providing unequaled health care value to veterans. That endeavor is made ever greater - and challenged by - the changing dynamics of health care, which is always evolving as consumers demand quality for their dollar, and medical technology leaps ahead of our capacity to manage it.
- VA Merit Award: Must have 5/8ths VA appointment-awards are for three to five years
- Research Career Development Award: 5/8ths VA appointment not required; provides support for biomedical, clinical, rehabilitation, and health services research. Goal is to attract new investigators to VA system.
- Details available at www.research.va.gov
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the principal health research agency of the federal government. It is a component of the Department of Health and Human Services and is made up of 27 different Institutes and centers which provide funds to organizations outside the NIH to accomplish program goals-grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. The NIH awards research grants for terms ranging from one to five years and make up the largest category of funding provided by the NIH.Among the Institutes and Centers that fund urologic disease related research are the following:
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports training programs in the basic, clinical and population science disciplines to provide a base of personnel who can participate in basic and epidemiological research, clinical trials and cancer treatment programs. The NCI funds grants in research training, career development and cancer education, including the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award components (F32 and T32) and Loan Repayment contracts.
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) funds urologic research in a number of areas; including pediatric urology, sexual dysfunction, prostate and bladder research, and the genitourinary effects of diabetes mellitus, spinal-cord injury and multiple sclerosis. The NIDDK Training and Careers Programs offer research training and career development awards in the clinical and basic sciences for predoctoral and postdoctoral training and career development in the broad areas of research supported by NIDDK. Of particular program interest are training and development of underrepresented minority investigators for retention in academic research and the training of future independent researchers. Visit this site for funding and research opportunities.
National Institute on Aging
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) supports studies on the mechanisms of aging, the processes of aging, aging and the nervous system and aging in relation to health and disease. The NIA supports four extramural research programs Biology of Aging, Behavioral and Social Research, Neuroscience, and Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
The NICHD conducts and supports research on topics related to the health of children, adults, families, and populations.The NICHD supports extramural research through various centers, including the Center for Population Research (CPR), Center for Research for Mothers and Children (CRMC), and the Center for Developmental Biology and Perinatal Medicine (CDBPM). Additional resources provided through the NICHD include tissue banks, the Knock Out Mouse Project (KOMP), NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry, and the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA).
Foundations
Hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding are also available through private and non-profit organizations. The research grant programs at these organizations support the efforts of both established and young investigators, and frequently target research where funding may not be available from "traditional" sources.
