Research What Federal Funding Program Officers Want You to Know

What Federal Funding Program Officers Want You to Know

By Youyou Duanmu, MD, MPH; Bernard P. Chang, MD, PhD; Prasanthi Govindarajan, MBBS, MAS; and Jody Vogel, MD, MSc, MSW, on behalf of the SAEM Research Committee

While there has been significant growth in emergency medicine (EM) sponsored federal research in the past decade, emergency medicine remains underrepresented in federal research funding relative to other medical specialties. Although many emergency physicians are engaged in research, obtaining large-scale funding to build independent research programs in emergency care is challenging.

As a first step to increasing emergency care research and the number of federally funded investigators, we facilitated a panel discussion with program officers (POs) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The objective for the session was to learn how to effectively engage with POs to optimize the success of grant applications. The panel of program officers included: Henry Ahn, MBA, MS, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program officer at NSF Kristen Huntley, PhD, addiction medicine team leader in the Center for the Clinical Trials Network (CCTN) of the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Jane Scott, ScD, MSN, director of the Office of Research Training and Career Development of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences in the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Jeremy Brown, MD, director of the Office of Emergency Care Research working within the NIH National Institute on Neurologic Disorders (NINDS)

Sources of Federal Funding

NIH is just one source of federal research funding. The NSF, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Defense (DOD) are other sources of federal funding for emergency care research. For NSF SBIR/STTR, the emphasis is on startups and very early-stage companies. If a company is developing innovative technology with commercial potential, there is a fit somewhere within the NSF SBIR/STTR program regardless of the topic. NSF will not fund clinical trials but much of the research and development work from the very beginning (with preliminary evidence that the technology has the potential to work) through the preclinical trial stage would be considered appropriate.

NIH Structure

The NIH is composed of 27 institutes and centers; each operates independently and differently. A key component of a successful application is to understand the structure and approach to funding in the institute or center through which you would like to obtain support for your research. It is important to review the website (search by institute) and weekly NIH publications to identify potential grant topic areas of interest to each Institute. The Institutes that currently provide the largest amount of grant support for emergency care research include NHLBI, NINDS, NIDA, and the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Establishing an independently funded research program requires a stepwise approach and is a multiyear process. Generally, it takes six to eight years of NIH research training to become a competitive NIH R01 independent investigator. Investigators often participate in multiple rigorous predoctoral and postdoctoral scientific training programs such as a National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Training Grant (T32), Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Institutional NRSA (TL1), CTSA Institutional Career Development Awards (KL2) and individual K awards for postdocs and junior faculty that should, over the five years of the K award, transition mentored scientists to independent NIH investigators. The NIH has a research training website for reference.

Strategies for a Successful Grant Application

It is important to read the strategic plan for each NIH institute prior to meeting with the PO. With a clear understanding of the strategic plan for the Institute, one can easily describe how the proposed project may support or advance the strategic research initiatives on the institute. As an example, if an investigator is interested in the cardiovascular side effects of chemotherapy, the topic may be better served with NHLBI if the primary endpoint is cardiovascular instead of the National Cancer Institute which may be focused on the cancer treatment.

The NIH RePORTER is an excellent resource to review current awards and ensure your planned approach to the topic area and investigation is novel and innovative. The RePORTER is an excellent way to familiarize oneself with investigations as it may take several years for research results to be published.

Effective communication with the PO can be very helpful during the grant application and review processes. The PO wants to engage with researchers and is available to assist you with understanding the priorities of the Institute and to provide helpful guidance related to the application. Early, effective communication with the PO is essential to help ensure a successful grant application. Prepare for your call with a PO. Think through which institute might be interested in your research, and whether other institutes might also be interested. If you have specific aims and a biosketch, send them to the PO in advance of the call.

Resources for Emergency Care Researchers

The Notice of Special Interest in Emergency Care Research is a list of research topics from several NIH institutes about research areas they are looking to fund. Although the notice officially expired in September 2022, the institutes may still be interested in related proposals and this list can be a good jumping-off place.

The Office of Emergency Care Research sits within NINDS but is a transNIH office where EM researchers can get help connecting with the correct PO based on their research. This office does not offer funding opportunities but can help you connect with the right institute. The Office of Emergency Care Research can help connect you with the right people for early exploratory ideas that still need to be prepared for a clinical trial.

Starting the Conversation When is the right time to reach out to a PO and when is the right time to start the initial communications?

Henry Ahn: The wrong time to reach out is when you have a proposal pending as our policy does not allow POs to discuss anything over the phone at that stage. The right time is any other time when you have any questions. The best way to start at the NSF is to submit a project to the project pitch portal where you can get feedback on which topic fits best and start putting together your proposal. Jeremy Brown: The time to reach out is very early. Have a one-page specific aims, which can include one primary and two secondary aims, the approximate project cost, and with that, send the PO an email to start the conversation. Jane Scott: With the specific aims, please also send a CV or a biosketch because this helps POs understand where you are in the process of becoming an independent investigator. Kristen Huntley: Having the specific aims page can make the initial call more productive and will give the program officer time to review and think about your project and provide more in-depth feedback. Use your mentors, too, they’re vital.

International Collaborations I am a researcher from Canada. Do you welcome or are you interested in international collaborations?

Jane Scott: Part of the answer depends on what the mechanism of funding is. Historically at the NIH, international work has gone through Fogarty International Center. Jeremy Brown: The primary grant can sometimes be totally foreign. If you can justify the need for an international collaboration (e.g., malaria research), that would be looked upon better than if one happens to have a colleague in Canada. NIH has used Canadian sites for clinical trials in the past if they can provide certain expertise, but not as the primary investigator. Henry Ahn: In NSF, there is a specific office that deals with international collaboration, but the SBIR program requires that the grant funds stay within the country.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Duanmu is an assistant professor and codirector of the ultrasound fellowship at the Stanford University Emergency Department. Her research interests include critical care ultrasound, clinical trials and ultrasound curriculum development and competency assessment.

Dr. Chang is vice chair of research and associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University, where he holds the Tushar Shah and Sarah Zion Endowed Chair in Emergency Medicine. Trained as a psychologist and emergency physician, his research focuses on neuropsychiatric emergencies and clinician health

Dr. Govindarajan is an associate professor at the Stanford University Emergency Department. Her research goals are to identify best prehospital practices in acute stroke care. AHRQ supports her work, and she is working with the CDC on developing best practices for US ambulance systems.

Dr. Vogel is an associate professor and vice chair for academic affairs in the department of emergency medicine at Stanford University. She currently serves as memberat-large on the SAEM Board of Directors.