Seminars & Workshops

What is a collaboration plan, and how can you use it to write a successful grant proposal and build a sustainable research team?

Evidence of a well-founded approach to scientific collaboration and research project management is increasingly required by funders and a focus of reviewer attention.

This two-part workshop, jointly offered by Tufts CTSI and Tufts University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research, is designed to help researchers developing multi-investigator and cross-disciplinary collaborations to structure their funding proposals and set plans for a successful project start. Participants will be introduced to the comprehensive Collaborative Planning Approach developed at the NIH on the basis of research on the key factors that influence the success of a science team. Although geared to NIH applications, the workshop will draw on diverse case studies and prepare participants to apply the techniques and tools presented to craft multi-investigator proposals and build cohesive research teams in any scientific domain.

Topics covered will include:

• Elements of a collaboration plan
• Developing your rationale for a team approach
• Building your team
• Understanding collaboration readiness
• Convergence and cross-disciplinarity in team functioning.

Featured Speakers

Amy Gantt, MA, Director of Research Development, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Tufts University

Susan Lewis, PhD, Associate Director, Team Science & Interdisciplinary Research, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Tufts University

Cheryl London, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and Director of Research Collaborations, Tufts CTSI

Anna Ponzi Dalby, ABD, Senior Research Development Specialist, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Tufts University

Learning Objectives

After attending this event, participants should be able to:

• Describe the elements of a collaboration plan and their intersections with writing a competitive team science proposal
• Explain how the elements of a collaboration plan apply to building a successful and sustainable team
• Differentiate between plans for ‘taskwork’ and ‘teamwork’
• Identify strategies for integrating and co-producing knowledge.

Who should attend

Investigators at all levels, currently working on or hoping to develop multi-investigator research projects, as well as research staff and others responsible for supporting collaborative projects.

Time Commitment and Expectations for Attendees

Participants are expected to attend both 90-minute sessions and actively engage in breakout discussions and practice exercises.

This workshop is provided free of charge and is open to faculty and staff of Tufts University, Tufts Medical Center, and Tufts CTSI partner institutions.

Details

Thursday, January 20 and Thursday, January 27, 2022
10:00-11:30AM
Online via Zoom (a link will be sent to those who register).

Registration

To attend, please enroll here via Tufts CTSI I LEARN by January 6, 2022.

For further information, please email Hannah Santos, MBA.

Seminar Materials

• Seminar video (mp4 Video)
• Seminar slides (PDF)
• Reviewer info (PowerPoint)
• Reviewer templates
• NIH Guidelines (PDF)
• NIH Regional Seminar slides (PowerPoint)
• NIH Training Module (HTML5 Video)

Seminar Description

Do you have questions about recent changes to National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grant applications regarding scientific rigor and transparency? Get the latest information at Expert Feedback on NIH Rigor and Transparency Guidelines, led by John Castellot, PhD, Tufts CTSI Navigator and NIH Study Section Chair, and Amy Gantt, MA, Tufts University Director of Research Development.

Faculty members who participated in recent NIH study sections will provide valuable feedback and advice on how to include scientific rigor and transparency in your next grant.

Susan Blanchard, Vice President, Research Administration, Tufts Medical Center, will also update participants on the new Department of Labor (DoL) overtime pay protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Describe specific feedback from faculty who served on NIH study sections
• State how to apply the new guidelines to their grant proposals
• Discuss how to include scientific rigor and transparency in their grant
• Explain the implications of the Department of Labor overtime pay protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

This event is hosted by Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center. Faculty members from both institutions will participate in the discussion.

Details

Thursday, June 23, noon – 1:30PM
Jaharis Family Center for Biomedical Education and Nutrition Sciences, Behrakis Auditorium, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston MA 02111
Or via live, interactive webcast (a link will be provided to those who register).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register online.

Seminar slides

Seminar handout

Do you know about the planned changes to policies, forms and instructions for National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grant applications submitted in 2016? Beginning in January, these changes will impact how you develop and write your research strategy section. In addition, there are form and format changes to the SF424 application package.

Find out more information and specific details at Planning for NIH/AHRQ Grant Application Changes, led by Tufts University’s Zoya Davis-Hamilton, EdD, CRA, Senior Associate Director of Research Administration and Amy Gantt, MA, the Director of Research Development.

This seminar reviews upcoming changes to rigor and transparency in research, inclusion reporting, data safety monitoring, vertebrate animals, definition of child, research training, appendices, biosketch clarifications, font requirements and post-award changes.

The seminar is split into two sections, the first half will focus on the changes to the research strategy section of the application and the second half will focus on the administrative changes.

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the changes to the NIH/AHRQ policies, instructions and forms
• Explain which changes are required in January 2016 and which changes will be required in May 2016
• State details on each area of change
• Describe how to apply the new guidelines
• Discuss how to include robust and unbiased results factoring.

This event was hosted by Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center.

Overview

Planning to submit a scientific research grant proposal in early 2020? Need useful feedback on your research objectives?

Tufts CTSI invites 10-15 motivated researchers with developed biomedical, clinical,or translational research project ideas to sign up for Developing Your Page One: a Writing Workshop Series for Researchers. This popular four-session grant writing course is designed to help you develop the critically-important Page One (or Specific Aims) section of your grant proposals through peer review, grantsmanship training, and expert support. You will receive feedback and revise your Page One three times during the program.

By the end of the series, you should be able to:

• Apply strategies for developing clear and compelling specific aims
• Practice constructive and effective peer review
• Explain the importance of aligning your Page One with the funding agency’s mission and priorities, and of adapting it for reviewers’ areas of expertise
• Describe the NIH-style grant submission process.

The workshops will be facilitated by Susan Lewis, Associate Director of Tufts University’s Office of Research Development (ORD), and Anna Dalby, Research Development Specialist, Tufts ORD.

Details

All sessions are scheduled for 9:30-11:00AM, except the final session. Session 4 is three hours long and begins at 9AM.

• Session 1 (Thursday, October 10, 2019): Overview of Page One and Funding Agencies
• Session 2 (Thursday, October 17, 2019): Peer Review, Round 1
• Session 3 (Thursday, October 24, 2019): Clarity, Concision, and Coherence in Writing
• Session 4 (Thursday, October 31, 2019; 9AM-noon): Peer Review, Round 2, Next Steps

All sessions will take place at Tufts CTSI, 35 Kneeland Street, 8th Floor, Boston.

Participants must attend all four sessions and must submit a draft of their Page One by September 26, 2019.

Registration

Apply here by September 26, 2019.

The timeline of this program may best serve researchers targeting a proposal submission in early 2020; however, anyone currently writing aims for NIH or a similar grant is welcome to apply.

Priority will be given to faculty from Tufts CTSI partner and collaborator institutions. Once the course is full, additional applicants will be put on a waitlist. We will confirm your enrollment as soon as we finalize the registration list.

Still formulating a research concept? Need some advice? Submit a service request here.

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectation for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Did you miss the payline for funding your NIH Proposal? Need help interpreting reviews and deciding when is best to revise and resubmit?

Join Tufts CTSI and the Tufts University Office of Research Development, part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, for this valuable one-hour seminar and panel discussion focusing on best practices for surviving peer review and successfully resubmitting an NIH proposal. Seasoned PIs will review reasoning and rationale behind changes they have made in response to study section review. Drawing on insights they have gained as applicants, reviewers, and mentors, they will delve into approaches to evaluating Summary Statements, tailoring responses, and rethinking aims. With expertise spanning the basic-to-clinical research spectrum, panelists will bring a wide range of perspectives on using critiques to improve a study whether in the lab or in the clinic. Topics will include:

• Interpreting reviewer comments
• Deciding whether to resubmit
• Understanding what needs to be changed
• Framing the Introduction and responding to specific criticisms
• Avoiding common problems in resubmissions
• Finding resources or collaborators to strengthen the research plan

Panelists will include:

• Marta Gaglia, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Caroline Genco, PhD, Arthur E Spiller Professor & Chair of Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Cheryl London, DVM, PhD, Anne Engen and Dusty Professor in Comparative Oncology, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Details

January 24, 2019, 2:00–3:00 PM
35 Kneeland Street, Boston MA
8th Floor Large Conference Room

Registration

This program is open to all early career investigators, clinical and/or research fellows, and seasoned PIs from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. Any researcher considering their options for a recent unfunded proposal to NIH or similar funding agencies is welcome to attend.

Please register here by January 18, 2019.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants should be able to:

• Interpret common reviewer comments
• Identify key factors to assess when considering a resubmission
• Recognize items reviewers may look for in resubmitted proposals
• Identify Tufts University and Tufts CTSI resources to help strengthen your application

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectation for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Tufts CTSI is sponsoring a group viewing of a live webinar, Specific Aims & Narrative Sections: Grab NIH Reviewers’ Attention, Get Your Grant Funded, on Thursday, February 15, 1:00-2:30PM.

Presented by Principal Investigator (PI) Leader (formally known as PI Association), this 90-minute in-depth lecture will be available for viewing to researchers who join us in-person at the Tufts Boston Health Sciences Campus.

The webinar will include a lecture by Christopher Dant, PhD, an NIH-trained grant writer and former journal editor at JAMA. He worked as a senior writer and managed publications at Stanford’s Medical School and established and built the Clinical Publications Division at Genentech in California. Until recently, Dr. Dant served on the faculty at Dartmouth Medical School and Norris Cotton Cancer Center to deliver lectures on NIH grant writing and manuscript writing.

Details

Thursday, February 15, 2018, 1:00-2:30PM
Tufts CTSI
35 Kneeland Street, 8th Floor
Boston, MA

Registration

Space is limited. To attend, please register here by Friday, February 9.