Q: In these times of volatility with federal agencies, are there strategies I can use to maximize my chances of funding success?
Tip: We are in an era of rapid and unprecedented changes. While you can’t control the funding landscape, you can control how you respond to it.
A: We are in an uncertain and changing funding landscape. There are funding cuts,
changing agency priorities, and a reduction in the scope of opportunities, among myriad other changes. Here are some practical suggestions for how to continue to be responsive to these changes to maximize your chance of funding success:
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Work with your pre-award support office to identify multiple funding sources. In the current volatile landscape, consider diversifying your funding sources. Once an application is written, send it (or parts of it) to multiple funding sources simultaneously. Remember that while you cannot have the same science in review at two different places at NIH at the same time, you can have it in review at the same time at multiple federal agencies and foundations. Work with your pre-award support office to identify appropriate funding sources.
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Stay informed about the rapidly changing agency priorities and rules as they evolve. Easier said than done right now, as sources of information are not always reliable and rules change — and change again — with lightning speed at NIH. We are working hard at Bouvier Grant Group to keep the community aware of the myriad changes at NIH through our live formats, newsletter, and frequent course updates. Agencies may publish information through websites, newsletters, and email distributions. It has always been important to learn about agencies’ mission, goals, funding priorities, what they have funded, their review process, and who the reviewers are — but this is more critical than ever, given the degree of change right now.
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Align your research with this administration’s priorities. It has always been an applicant’s job to align their proposed research with what funders want. More than ever, you must also consider the priorities of the current administration. Read strategic reports issued recently and, whenever possible, cite their goals in your grant application. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to entirely change research direction, but it might mean adjusting your messaging. For example, if you have typically written applications emphasizing outreach to underserved patient populations and DEI, consider pitching the research as reducing societal burden and cost incurred by a patient population that is disproportionately affected by a disorder.
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Write to your new audience: The current administration. Impact has always been the overarching scoring criteria at NIH, and likely always will be. But impact to whom? Typically, it has meant impact to patients, clinicians, or other researchers. Now, it is important to emphasize potential cost savings of your work (e.g., reducing lost workdays for patient and caregiver, lowering cost of treating a disease for insurers including CMS). Point out broad societal benefits, whether that’s public health, economic or innovation benefits, or health resilience. Why would taxpayers/voters care? Why would Congress care about your research?
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Consider that now, some reviewers will not be subject matter experts. Non-expert reviewers are playing a larger role in NIH funding decisions, from approval of Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to funding decisions at Council. You need to keep in mind that some decision makers may not be specialists in your discipline. Try to limit jargon and explain terminologies. Favor plain language (simple declarative sentences, active voice, terms of art explained) so that the writing can be understood by a non-expert and still be technically accurate.
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Offer to work with your university government relations staffer to speak about your research to someone in Congress. More than ever, researchers need to be able to describe the impact of their work to a lay audience in a variety of formats. Try always to be able to describe your research in a few sentences, a few paragraphs, or a few pages. Similarly, be able to speak about it in 30 seconds, a few minutes, or longer to a lay audience. Government relations experts at your university are working hard to ensure that Congress understands the importance of keeping research in the public domain. Reach out to this person and offer to speak with a member of Congress about your work, if you are comfortable doing so.
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It’s more important than ever to establish a relationship with your Program Officer. You’ve heard me say this ad nauseam over the years, but it’s even more important now. During periods of rapid change, maintaining and strengthening strategic engagement and relationships with agency staff is critical.
While these are not groundbreaking suggestions, I hope they offer a few possibilities you might not have considered to help you remain competitive in a shifting funding landscape. My company is eager to help applicants continue to do their important work! We look forward to your questions at our live formats.
