Tips for a Successful Award Application

Accueil des nouveaux étudiants et stagiaires CRCHUM

13 mars 2012

Pierrette Gaudreau PhDScientific Advisor

Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé

Full professor, Department of medicine, University of Montreal

Chief, Laboratory of neuroendocrinology of agingCentre hospitalier de l´Université de Montréal Research Center

Objectives

To learn how to prepare a successful award application

To identify common pitfalls in the project description

To know what brings added value to your CV

When do I start ? ASAP… now!

To identify the funding agencies, organizations and foundations to which you want and can apply (e.g. CIHR, FRSQ, Alzheimer Society of Canada) Visit web sites

To have a general idea well in advance of eligibility criteria and required documents General programs versus health professional program Priority announcements Partnerships Canada versus abroad

Your documents Your supervisor’s documents

When do I start ?

ASAP… now! To discuss with your research supervisor and identify where are your best

chances of success Before summer vacations

To know when the description of the various program will be available for the fall competition 2012 Usually June-July One or two competitions per year (e.g. deadlines: October 15 2012 for CIHR and FRSQ doctoral

research awards; October 1st 2012 and February 1st 2012 for CIHR postdoctoral research awards)

To establish a timeline with deliverables If the deadline is October 15, your application should be finished by

September 30 Sufficient time for a final reading (yourself, your supervisor)

Often time needed is underestimated!

The 2012 programs are available…Where do I start?

Read ALL the information/documents needed for your application Description Objectives Eligibility Guidelines Review process and evaluation How to apply Partner/collaborator description

Check carefully to which programs you are eligible

Select final agencies/organizations/foundations

Get familiar with the various tools needed to apply (Research Net, Canadian common CV, FRSQ new electronic submission system, etc.)

Establish a final timeline with deliverables and have a check list

If you have questions about a program AFTER a careful reading, do not hesitate to call or e-mail the identified resource person and/or seek assistance from your supervisor

Maximize your chances of success: Look carefully at the evaluation criteria

FRSQ Doctoral Research Award criteriaSame criteria and weight for health professionals and regular students

Weight

Quality of the applicant 25%

Academic performance (academic transcripts)Awards, prices, honours, distinctions (candidate CV)

15%10%

Research aptitudes and experience 30%

PublicationsLectures, oral and poster presentationsInvolvement in research projects/participation in specific training programs (candidate CV)

15%7%8%

Research project 30%

Clarity and concision of background Clarity and concordance between hypothesesand objectivesAdequacy of methods and analysesFeasibilityOriginality and contribution to the advancementof knowledge (FRSQ form)

6%6%

6%6%6%6%

Training environment 15%

Justification by the candidate (FRSQ form)Quality of supervisor ‘publication record related to student training (supervisor CV)

8%7%

They vary between programs, levels of training and funding agencies

Writing the first draft of your project

DISCUSS WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR FIRST!

Your project must meet the evaluation criteria

Exemple: FRSQ doctoral research award instructions: Expose the research problem (background literature, papers from your supervisor

leading to the research hypothesis) Research hypotheses Research objectives Methods and analysis Feasibility Contributions to the advancement of knowledge A short bibliography Total of two pages

Writing the first draft of your project

Common pitfalls:

Use the two pages wisely

One page for the background, not enough space to develop other sections ¾ page for the list of reference (6 key refs. is enough) ½ empty page – always a bad message to the reviewers Make sections and paragraps

No clear hypothesis

Mismatch between hypotheses and objectives

Methods not developed (e.g. characteristics of your sample, sample size justification, bias/confounders, new technique/expertise)

No justification of analytical methods

No description of statistical analyses

Writing the first draft of your project Common pitfalls

No justification for the techniques used

Originality and contribution to the advancement of knowledge not described or vague

Acronyms are not defined – too many are used

Poor quality of writing – use short sentences, no spelling and syntax errors, no typos

Do not copy-paste the 5-year research project/program of your supervisor You have to tell a good story to keep the reviewers

interested Do not assume that they are specialists in your field

Writing the last version of your project

You think that you wrote your best draft

Wait few days and read it again… Make corrections

SUBMIT IT TO YOUR SUPERVISOR for its feed-back Last reading and corrections

Make the final version Your are done!

Now your CV!

First, update your CV The Canadian Common CV is used by a number of organizations (e.g.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Arthritis Society, University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing)

http://www.commoncv.net/index_e.html Societies and Foundation have also other

CV formats

If it is the first time you are using the Common CV

system, you have to register first (short

process – ID data, e-mail, password)

Access your CV and read ALL the information

in each section (e.g. agencies with special

requirements)

Canadian Common CV:funding

Canadian Common CV:summary of contributions

Report infos clearly

and completely

Canadian Common CV:Contributions – details

Read the instructions for Page set and format

Report info

s clearly

and completely

Canadian Common CV: Contributions – details

Hig

hlig

ht y

ours

elf

Canadian Common CV: Contributions – details

Canadian Common CVContributions: details

SUMMARY10 tips to improve the quality of your application

Start EARLY = as soon as the e-forms are available

Read ALL the informations before starting the application process

Make sure that your SUPERVISOR will be available

Use the SPACE wisely = application must be easy to read and understand

The RESEARCH PROJECT must be original, clear and conciseThe various sections (research problem and hypotheses, objectives, relevant methods and analysis, contribution to the advancement of knowledge) must be balanced and any acronyms defined

Clearly and fully report all information pertaining to your ELIGIBILITY andto the evaluation of your application (illness, parental leave, work-study combination, etc.)

SUMMARY10 tips to improve the quality of your application

If degrees or diplomas were obtained outside of Canada, the grading system must be EXPLAINED

Clearly report ALL awards, prices or distinctions obtained

Provide a clear and concise description of your PARTICIPATION in any research projects (role, abilities developed) and research training INTERNSHIPS (national vs international)

Report ALL information regarding PUBLICATIONS and their status (see PubMed for format) and about invited lectures, oral and poster presentations (authors, title, event, city, country, dates)

Be PROACTIVE throughout the year to improve the quality of your CV  

GIVE THE BEST OF YOURSELVES AND GOOD LUCK!