Dr. Scott Filler_Significance & Innovation 2024.pptx

Dr. Scott Filler: How to Craft the "Significance” & "Innovation" Sections of a Grant Application.

1. Significance and Innovation Scott G. Filler, M.D. Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center [email protected]

2. Review Criteria Factor 1 : Importance of the Research Significance, Innovation Scored 1 - 9 Factor 2 : Rigor and Feasibility Approach ( also includes Inclusion and Clinical Trial (CT) Study Timeline  ) * Scored 1 - 9 Factor 3 : Expertise and Resources Investigators, Environment Ev aluated as appropriate or gaps identified; gaps require explanation Considered in overall impact; no individual score *Usuall y drives the overall score

3. Additional Review Criteria that may affect overall score Human Subject Protections (for HS and CT) Vertebrate Animal Protections Biohazards Resubmission/Renewal/Revisions

4. Additional Review Criteria that will NOT affect overall score Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources Budget and Period of Support

5. Significance Why is the research important? Is there a strong premise? Literature Preliminary data What are the deliverables? What will be the overall impact?

6. Goals of Significance Section Emphasize importance of the research and gaps in current knowledge How your proposed research will fill these gaps How knowledge gained can be applied to other systems Provide essential background information for an uninformed reader Must support the premise Get reviewer interested

7. Key Points Don’t assume the reviewer will read every word Reviewer may or may not have expertise in your area of research Make sure that your statements are factually correct Try to describe broad overall impact This is the sale pitch for your grant

8. Things to avoid Jargon and abbreviations Dense, hard to understand writing Potential pitfalls of the proposed research Criticisms of others’ work

9. Strategic Points Do not directly criticize previous work Consider citing the work of potential reviewers and influential researchers in the field Consider a diagram illustrating the system you are studying and the goals of your research Avoid red-green color schemes—use blue and yellow if possible

10. Innovation Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

11. Innovation Two types of innovation: Innovative technology—applying new tools to an old question Innovative hypothesis—applying standard tools to a new question Optimal to have new tools and an innovative hypothesis

12. Caveats Avoid using standard tools to answer well-researched topics: Does the research have the potential to have a broad, sustained impact on the field?

13. Writing the Innovation Section One paragraph Some use bullet points Avoid prolonged rehash of the proposed research Describe overall impact on the field