Michaela Kiernan, PhD

One of the hardest parts about being a scientist is obtaining research grants — particularly the very competitive ones from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Michaela Kiernan, PhD, a senior research scholar at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, has received a number of NIH grants throughout her career. She and the Stanford Medicine Office of Faculty Development and Diversity (OFDD) wanted to find an effective way to mentor junior faculty through the daunting application process. For the past decade, Kiernan has directed OFDD’s annual R01 Countdown Program — a 15-week intensive grant writing boot camp that teaches junior faculty how to produce clear, organized, and impactful R01 grant applications.

R01 grants are awarded by the NIH to support a project for up to five years, and it is the oldest, most prestigious grant awarded to independent investigators conducting biomedical research. The program also helps researchers who are applying for an R21 grant, which encourages exploratory research by supporting early and conceptual stages of project development.

Kiernan’s efforts have been widely successful; over the years, the R01 Countdown Program has generated over $152 million in NIH grants across 14 different NIH institutes, as well as other government and foundation grant funding.

“Scientists often struggle to write in a concise and approachable manner. As researchers, we had many research methods and stats courses, but not a lot of graduate programs include formal scientific writing courses,” says Kiernan.

The program’s intimate format makes it compelling for Stanford faculty members, says Magali Fassiotto, PhD, associate dean of OFDD. “This psychosocial support, in addition to the multiple proven techniques and specific skills-building provided by the program, makes for an empowering and safe environment for faculty who are submitting NIH R-series grants as a principal investigator.”

Rather than focus on their own grant, faculty first learn how to look at stellar, already funded grants at a 30,000-foot view to see how they are put together.

— Michaela Kiernan, PhD, senior research scholar at the Stanford Prevention Research Center 

Mastering Science Writing Techniques

Each October to February, nine or 10 junior faculty members are selected to participate in the program. Those who have submitted an R01 in the past but have not yet been awarded a grant are prioritized.

Faculty start by learning basic scientific writing techniques. “Rather than focus on their own grant, faculty first learn how to look at stellar, already funded grants at a 30,000-foot view to see how they are put together,” says Kiernan.

The work includes walking through each of eight elements recommended for writing a concise and compelling “specific aims” page — the most vital part of an NIH grant application designed to hook reviewers’ attention and convince them that the work is worth funding. OFDD has made these eight elements available online to investigators at Stanford and beyond, which has garnered strong interest, with over 5,900 page views in the past two years.

Editing and Presenting Your Grant

Next, each faculty member edits their own specific aims page. “One unique part of this program is we spend a lot of time on innovation,” says Kiernan. This involves distinguishing what is new about your scientific methods by juxtaposing them with the limitations of existing methods in the field. “The fact that something has never been done before doesn’t automatically make it innovative,” Kiernan says. Junior faculty also seek out new collaborations to further push their science.

Once a draft is completed, faculty read peers’ specific aims and provide detailed, constructive feedback in a quick round-robin manner. “We don’t want people dragging on in an oral presentation. It’s about trying to mimic how fast grant reviewers move when they work through a stack of grants,” says Kiernan.

For that reason, writing in a concise way that avoids scientific jargon and niche acronyms is key. “Everyone is from different departments and applying to different NIH institutes, so it’s important to make the writing super accessible,” Kiernan says.

A Collaborative Environment

One of the most exciting aspects of this program is that it creates a collaborative environment for a range of Stanford researchers who would otherwise not have the opportunity to dive into cross-disciplinary science.

“There is wonderful camaraderie in the cohorts. For two hours each week, faculty work with colleagues from other disciplines and talk about really cool science,” says Kiernan. “It is extremely intellectually stimulating and collaborative.”

Along with the joy that comes from teaching others valuable grant writing skills, one of Kiernan’s favorite parts about the R01 Countdown Program is hearing from faculty when they cross the finish line and are awarded their NIH R01.

“Faculty come in with different strengths and areas for growth, and it’s just so wonderful to see them expand on their strengths and succeed,” she says.

Fassiotto emphatically agrees. “Michaela and this incredible course, which she has developed and led, are true gems not only of our Office of Faculty Development and Diversity, but of Stanford Medicine as a whole.”