Write an outstanding NIH R01 application
- in 12 weeks -
Without throwing your laptop out the window.
Get Grant Funding Formula Now
Ready to get started writing your next NIH R grant? Enroll right now.
If you’re an early career researcher pulling your hair out over your first R01 (or other NIH R-series like an R03 or R21), or if you're resubmitting after a meh result on your last application, you know all about sleepless nights worrying about how to get your project funded.
You need to support your lab and you need to make sure your career's on track.
You know that to get within striking distance of funding you need to have a solid research approach AND you need to be able to package your application in a way that will get reviewers to notice.
But how, exactly, do you do that?
Right now it feels like throwing spaghetti against the wall.
HERE'S WHAT YOU
MIGHT NOT KNOW
about writing a successful R01 (or other NIH R grant application)
-
You don't have to wing it
You might *think* that you need to wait until you get your cringe-inducing Summary Statement back to figure out what reviewers want...but I can teach you how to anticipate and address their concerns before you submit your application. -
You don't have to be a great writer to put together a stellar application
Listen: you don't need an English degree or a ton of writing experience to write a captivating grant proposal if you know what you're doing. You just need someone who can show you the ropes and walk you through everything, step by step. -
Writing a grant doesn't have to be stressful
If figuring out how to write an R01 on top of everything else on your plate feels like a chaos tornado, let's make everything more manageable by using an efficient, step-by-step system that covers planning AND writing your grant. I'm not just talking about a writing schedule (which you'll get), I'm talking about having a section-by-section framework (and templates!) for writing your application. No guessing. -
It's easier than you think
Coming up with a genius project is the hard part—and you've already done that. How you package that project is not nearly as difficult—once you know how. It's totally possible to write one of these grants in a way that minimizes stress and maximizes efficiency. Which means that you can get through this without crying in the stairwell even once.
Even though the motivation to write a compelling, competitive R01 application is clear, the path to actually doing it is anything but.
It's not your fault.
Nobody taught you how to do this.
(Even though your career depends on it—which is BONKERS)
"Yeah, of course, I'll start early."
You've heard from a few people (including your superstar colleague who's only a couple years senior but already has like 17 grants) that you need to start writing way earlier than you think. Like, months early.
Sure, you've thought about the project you want to work on while you're walking to a meeting or while you're shampooing your hair in the shower. But every time you think about actually starting to write your R01, something else takes over: like another committee meeting, or a crisis with your grad student, or your sock drawer (come on: it's not gonna organize itself). Or the second season of Fleabag that everyone's been talking about (#hotpriest).
You fill your time with everything but writing, because you have to do something. You'll start once you feel the pressure of the big deadline, right? No big deal.
"Wow. Ok. This is way harder than I thought."
Except when you finally sit down to figure out exactly what you need to do to submit a complete application (on the weekend, because who has time during the week?), you start having heart palpitations. It could be the entire pot of coffee you just drank, or it could be a Holy Sh*t moment where you realize what's ahead of you.
HOW are you supposed to find the time write this thing, on top of everything else going on?
HOW are you supposed to actually write something that gets funded?
HOW is it possible that keeping your job depends on getting these grants, when you have absolutely no clue how to do it well?
"I have no idea what I'm doing."
Of course you have no idea what you're doing. Because if you're like most early career scientists, *at no point* in your training did a research fairy godmother say, "hey, why don't I teach you to write a really strong grant application? It's crucial to your career, so we'd better make sure you know how to do it well."
Nope.
More like, "You're smart. Grant writing isn't rocket science. Figure it out yourself."
And maybe they're right. You're smart, obvs. You definitely could figure it out.
**If you had the time.**
But...do you?
Do you have time to figure out—by yourself—how to write an outstanding R01 in the next couple of months? By reading all the detailed instructions on the NIH website, reading a bunch of successful sample applications, and figuring out how to map all that onto your project idea?
Do you have time to wait for comments on your Summary Statement to see what reviewers are really looking for, and then wait another six months for the results of your resubmission?
Do you have time to trial-and-error this thing?
Maybe.
Or maybe not.
What if you had a roadmap for R01 success? What if you could plug your research idea into a step-by-step framework that you know will work?
What kind of time would that save you? What kind of results would you get?
Three Big Reasons Why Most R01’s Fail
(aside from approaches and methods...I'm assuming that you have that locked down)
Reason 1: Not enough pre-submission feedback
If you don't get feedback on the merit (or funding potential) of your R01 before you submit, you're hooped.
But most people, even if they do get feedback, get the wrong kind at the wrong time.
You need to get the right kind of feedback—before you even start writing your full application—so that you can confidently submit an outstanding R01. And then you need more (different) feedback once you have a full draft of your application.
Reason 2: Not enough time
I mean, you could drop everything and write your R01 application in six weeks, but here's why that's a terrible idea:
You need time to THINK.
And guess what happens when you're scrambling just to make sure you're checking off all the boxes so you submit a full application? No time to think, no time to review, no time to take a step back.
You need to plan your grant writing so it fits in with your schedule. You need to schedule your grant writing so that you won't need to drop everything (or even anything) to get your application out the door on time.
Reason 3: Not enough strategy
One of the most common mistakes that people make on their R01 is assuming the value of their work is obvious or self-evident. They spend all their time working on the Approach section at the expense of the other key parts of the application. (Why? See Reason #2.)
To write an outstanding R01 you need to throw everything at it. And that doesn't mean trying to stuff your application full of everything you know. Nope. It means you need to be strategic. You need to persuade your reviewers that your project is worth funding—using the right information, in the right order, at the right level of detail.
Shh...I'm going to let you in on a little secret
Fixing those mistakes is WAY easier than you think. With the right strategies, a solid and workable plan, and plug-and-play writing templates, writing an outstanding R01—efficiently—is completely do-able.
Praise for Sarah's courses
"The lessons are a treasure trove. At my institution junior faculty get bits and pieces of advice from various mentors. Your course is the most comprehensive grant writing one I have been through. And I have had these courses at Johns Hopkins."
MD, PHD
" It's a clear, focused approach. Sarah provided a framework to do the work that you need to do to get the reviewer/reviewers interested in your project. She makes you do the work, not the reviewer. So many times, the really important information is buried deep in the grant. It's because we don't really know what we're doing, on some level, and it comes out in the grant. She makes us really think through what we want to do."
"Thank you so much for a terrific writing workshop. I appreciate the supportive, non-judgemental, encouraging style that you used with the group of us in the workshop. It is the same style that I experienced when I worked with you one-on-one for my grant proposal. Your insights and clear feedback transformed my grant proposal, and the writing weekend helped me to focus and finish a book chapter that has been hanging over my head for awhile. Thank you."
PHD
- Introducing -
Grant Funding Formula is a step-by-step system to help you write a highly competitive NIH R grant application, from start to finish.
Online course starts on November 4, 2019
Register now to get instant access to your bonus training—Stellar Specific Aims—to build a strong foundation for your full proposal.
Registration for Grant Funding Formula closes in...
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Grant Funding Formula is taught by Sarah Dobson, a grant writing expert who has helped PIs earn millions of dollars in NIH funding (with a 57% success rate with R01-equivalent grants, which is almost 3X the R01 success rate).
Grant Funding Formula is the ONLY program of its kind that…
1. Starts you off on the right track by helping you make sure your R01 gets the right kind of feedback at the right time in the writing process.
2. Shows you how to plan your writing schedule so that you can still meet all your other responsibilities at work and at home.
3. Gives you the persuasive writing skills to tackle key sections of your R01 like Significance and Innovation.
4. Gives you plug-and-play templates for key sections of your application to help you write more easily and efficiently.
5. Shows you how to leverage sections of your application (the ones that most people overlook) to make it more competitive.
So if you’re ready to finally do write your next R01 (or other NIH R grant application) while avoiding feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and scattered...
Here's how I'll help you get there in this online course:
Module 1
Developing your winning strategy
Learn how to make sure you have an exciting research idea that has funding potential—before you even start writing your full application. You won't waste your own time applying for something that doesn't stand a chance, and you'll know exactly what to do to make your proposal more appealing.
Module Highlights:
In this module you'll learn:
- How to choose the right funding opportunity
- How to find the right home for your application
- How to use a key part of your application to get feedback
Module 2
Planning your grant writing timeline
Learn how to map out your writing timeline so that you get to the application deadline feeling confident instead of shattered. This module builds on the strategic steps of the previous module so that you're planning for the right outcome. You'll get templates and other planning tools to help you set everything up.
Module Highlights:
In this module you'll learn
- How to create a grant writing schedule that makes time for your other responsibilities
- How and when to build in time for feedback
- How to adjust your timeline when things don't go as planned
Module 3
Writing each section of your application
This is the most intense of the modules. I walk you through how to write each component of the application, step by step, using grant writing techniques and strategies. You'll get writing prompts and plug-and-play templates for each section so that you can eliminate the guesswork—saving you time, energy, and a LOT of frustration.
Module Highlights:
In this module you'll learn
- How to apply grant writing principles and strategies to every part of your R grant application so that it's more competitive
- How to write about the significance and impact of your research in a way that's appealing to reviewers (and without sounding like a used car salesman)
- How to strategically use sections of the application (the ones that most people overlook) to build an airtight case for grant funding
Module 4
Getting good feedback
Learn how (and when) to ask for feedback from the right people so that you're getting useful, actionable comments. And learn how to take a critical look at your own application to make sure that your application is bulletproof.
Module Highlights:
In this module you'll learn
- How and when and whom to ask for feedback
- How to poke holes in your own application (so that you can fill those holes)
- A key framework to help you identify important areas of your application that you need to work on
Module 5
Revising and refining your application
In this module you'll learn some techniques to help you write a clearer and more compelling grant proposal. Great writing won't save a mediocre idea, but with all the work you've done in the previous modules, you already know you're on solid ground. This module will give you all the tools to take your application up a notch so that it's easy to read, interesting, and exciting. Which can make all the difference in a highly competitive environment.
Module Highlights:
In this module you'll learn
- How to make sure your application is cohesive from beginning to end
- How to edit your own writing
- How to improve the style and clarity of your writing
14-Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Let me say this up front. The Grant Funding Formula is the most comprehensive step-by-step implementation program for early career researchers who are committed to writing a successful NIH R grant (R01, R21, R03, etc.).
When you join you'll be part of an elite group of go-getters who've invested their time, energy, and money in improving their grant writing and advancing their careers.
Now here’s the kicker.
By the end of these 14 days (the guarantee) you’ll have received access to the Stellar Specific Aims bonus training as well as the first two modules.
By then you’ll have had the opportunity to write your Aims page, validate your project idea, and map out your entire grant writing plan before making a final commitment.
If you don’t feel totally confident and motivated about your project's potential and your ability to write an outstanding NIH grant application, just reach out, show us you’ve put in the work, and we’ll refund your investment.
Full details >>
(Personally I think at the end of 14 days you'll be thinking of a different 'R' word: recommendation!)
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll today:
The Grant Funding Formula - $1499 Value
- Bonus 1: Online Community and Weekly Q&As (12 weeks of online support with Sarah) - $2500 Value
- Bonus 2: Stellar Specific Aims (how to strategically use your Aims page to write a successful grant proposal) - $499 Value
- Bonus 3: Pivot (How to revise and resubmit your application to any funding agency) - $499 Value
Total Value of Bonuses: $3498
When you add it all up, that’s a value of $4997
But when you enroll today, you’ll get access to everything for just:
Pay Monthly
3 Monthly Payments of
$349
OR
Pay Upfront
1 Payment of
$897
You might be thinking...
(and you'd be right to ask)
Nope :) I taught you *the basics* this summer in the Edge for Scholars Online Grant Writing Workshop. And look how much that helped your grant writing! This course—Grant Funding Formula—goes much, MUCH deeper into how to write an NIH R grant. We take all those basic principles I taught you this summer and we apply them to every part of your R grant application, so you know exactly how to write a ridiculously great application. Not only that: it's much more structured, much more step-by-step because I give you weekly assignments and we work through the material together. So: if you think you have everything you need from my free workshop this summer, then by all means you can DIY the implementation of those techniques to your next R01. But if you want a roadmap and a system to write the best application of your career, then Grant Funding Formula will get you there.
Grant Funding Formula is for any NIH R-series grant. In other words, if you're writing an application for an NIH Research Grant—any of the grant activity codes starting with R like R03, R21, R15, R01, etc.—this course will help you write a more persuasive and competitive application.
Grant Funding Formula walks you through the process of writing an NIH R series grant, step by step. You'll learn how to strategize, plan, and write a persuasive and competitive application. It takes the guesswork out of writing your grant application so you can get it done efficiently, knowing that at the end you'll have a clear, compelling, and competitive grant proposal. If you're writing an NIH R grant application for the first time, if you've had a disappointing result in the past and you're not sure why, or if you know you need someone to walk you through the process, this course will work for you. Of course—and I'm sure you know this already—I can't guarantee that your application will be successful. If you implement what you learn in the lessons, you'll have a clear and compelling proposal ready to submit to the right IC. But, like anything, you get out of it what you put in.
You're right! It *is* a lot of work. But it's no more work than you're already putting in to writing your grant application the DIY way. In fact, it's probably a lot less work. The course runs for 12 weeks, with weekly 60-minute Q&A sessions that you can watch on your own time.
In fact, the entire online course is designed so that you can watch the lessons and do the work when it's convenient for you.
The video lessons are purposefully short to keep things as efficient as possible—set aside 60 minutes per week to watch and re-watch the video lessons and complete the worksheets.
The only question mark is implementation: how long it'll take you to actually write your proposal. But between the lessons teaching you exactly what you need to know to write your application, and all the templates you get to help you write, I'll venture that it'll take you less time than figuring out how to write it on your own.
Noooooooooo. Definitely not. A study came out recently showing that the score on your Approach section drives your overall score, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing that reviewers look at. (And PS did you know that you need to write for two different types of reviewers?) Your research idea and your approaches and methods are just what get you in the door. If you really want to impress reviewers, if you really want to make sure your project gets funded, you need to knock their socks off. And that takes a lot more than a solid Approach section. That's what I teach you in the course.
Yes. Well, most of it. And if you feel comfortable wading through the NIH website, then there's a mountain of information there to help you write a great application. Go for it.
But let me ask you this: do you really have the time to figure all that out when you're trying to write your application? Are you willing to DIY it and wait six months to see how you did? If so, then definitely take advantage of all the free resources online (including the ones on my website).
But if you want a system, if you want someone to walk you through it step-by-step, if you know you could use an efficiency shortcut, then that's when you need to think about how a course can help you.
Here are the parts you can't find outside the course:
- 12 weeks of access to a grant writing expert (moi) to ask any and every grant writing question you have—and opportunities to get my eyes on your writing
- An online community of other course participants to keep you motivated and on track
- The opportunity to be matched up with another course participant and act as each other's accountability partner and reviewer
No.
(Ok, here's a bit more detail) I don't like to think about it as selling, either. I like to think about it as presenting the most interesting, exciting version of your project in a way that shows empathy for your reviewer. One of the core ideas I teach in the course is to put yourself in your reviewer's shoes. Of course you want them to say 'yes' to funding your research, but not in a way that's icky or slimy. I'm teaching you how to put your best foot forward. And I'm also teaching you to empathize with busy reviewers who are reading hundreds of pages of material. If you think that's gross, then this course isn't for you.
You'll have to ask your department (or whoever's in charge of that). Since this is an online course that you need to buy with a credit card, you may be able to have your department pay for it with, or you may need to pay for it yourself and get reimbursed. Please reach out to [email protected] if you need any special documentation and we'd be happy to provide that for you.
The course officially starts on November 4. But as soon as you register you'll get access to the bonus training called Stellar Specific Aims, so you can get started right away. New modules are released every Monday until you have access to all five. After that, you have them for as long as the course exists (including any updates)! You also have 12 weeks of support from me (Sarah Dobson) in the form of weekly Q&A calls where you can ask me questions and have me look at chunks of your writing. So the course is "officially" 12 weeks long, but you have access to the materials for as long as the course exists. Which means you can use it for all your future R01 applications!
Let me say this up front. Grant Funding Formula is the most comprehensive step-by-step implementation program of its kind for early career researchers who are committed to writing a successful NIH R grant (R01, R21, R03, etc.).
When you join you'll be part of an elite group of go-getters who've invested their time, energy, and money in improving their grant writing and advancing their careers.
You have 14 days to decide whether the course is a good fit for you. If it's not, you can request a full refund.
Now here’s the kicker.
By the end of these 14 days (the guarantee) you’ll have received access to the Stellar Specific Aims bonus training as well as the first two modules.
By then you’ll have had the opportunity to write your Aims page, validate your project idea, and map out your entire grant writing plan before making a final commitment.
If you don’t feel totally confident and motivated about your project's potential and your ability to write an outstanding NIH grant application, just reach out, show us you’ve put in the work, and we’ll refund your investment.
(Personally I think at the end of 14 days you'll be thinking of a different 'R' word: recommendation!)
But of course!
When you sign up today you get all 5 modules of Grant Funding Formula including video lessons, plug-and-play writing templates, and customizable writing plans.
You *also* get three incredible bonuses:
- 12 weeks of community support and live Q&A calls with your instructor, Sarah Dobson (that's me) including super-popular hot seats where Sarah will take a look at your writing and offer advice, live on the call ($2500 value)
- Instant access to a bonus training called Stellar Specific Aims that teaches you exactly how to write your Aims page and get the right kind of feedback on it before you start writing your full application ($499 value)
- Another bonus training called Pivot: how to revise and resubmit your proposal to NIH or any other funding agency ($499 value)
And if you've participated in my free grant writing workshops, you know I love to throw in extra bonuses! So it's fair to assume that there are a few surprises coming your way. 😉
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll today:
The Grant Funding Formula - $1499 Value
- Bonus 1: Online Community and Weekly Q&As (12 weeks of online support with Sarah) - $2500 Value
- Bonus 2: Stellar Specific Aims (how to strategically use your Aims page to write a successful grant proposal) - $499 Value
- Bonus 3: Pivot (How to revise and resubmit your application to any funding agency) - $499 Value
Total Value of Bonuses: $3498
When you add it all up, that’s a value of $4997
But when you enroll today, you’ll get access to everything for just:
Pay Monthly
3 Monthly Payments of
$349
OR
Pay Upfront
1 Payment of
$897
Registration for The Grant Funding Formula closes in...
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DAYS
00
HOURS
00
MINS
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SECS
You’re ready to write a successful application and get all that NIH funding if...
- You start sweating every time you think about writing your first-ever R grant (R03, R21, R01) and you just want to do it right
- Your last R grant got triaged and you have no idea why
- You're an over-extended go-getter and you want to make the writing process go as smoothly as possible
- You already have a K award and you know that writing an R grant is the next big career step for you
- You're worried that your job is on the line if you can't figure out how to write a successful R01
- You don't want to waste your time figuring this out on your own when there's someone who can teach you how to do it
- Ready to dive in, do the work, and commit to the process
If you said “yes” to at least 5 of the above, I can’t wait to meet you inside The Grant Funding Formula!
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll today:
The Grant Funding Formula - $1499 Value
- Bonus 1: Online Community and Weekly Q&As (12 weeks of online support with Sarah) - $2500 Value
- Bonus 2: Stellar Specific Aims (how to strategically use your Aims page to write a successful grant proposal) - $499 Value
- Bonus 3: Pivot (How to revise and resubmit your application to any funding agency) - $499 Value
Total Value of Bonuses: $3498
When you add it all up, that’s a value of $4997
But when you enroll today, you’ll get access to everything for just:
Payment Monthly
3 Monthly Payments of
$349
OR
Payment Upfront
1 Payment of
$897
Online course starts on November 4, 2019
Register now to get instant access to your bonus training—Stellar Specific Aims—to build a strong foundation for your full proposal.
Registration for Grant Funding Formula closes in...
00
DAYS
00
HOURS
00
MINS
00
SECS
