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Demystifying the NIH Grant Application Process

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Abstract

The process of applying to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for grant funding can be daunting. The objective of this article is to help investigators successfully navigate the NIH grant application process. We focus on the practical aspects of this process, which are commonly learned through trial and error. Our target audience is generalist faculty and fellows who are applying for NIH funding to support their career development or a clinical research project.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank R. Harris for assistance in developing the Figure. Support for Dr. Berg was provided by grants K23 DA 021087 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health, and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholar Award. Dr. Gill is the recipient of a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-oriented Research (K24AG021507) from the National Institute on Aging. Dr. Brown is supported by the Paul D. Beeson Career Development Award, NIH/NIA, K23 AG 026748. Dr. Elmore is supported by a K05 award (NCI CA104699). Dr. Wilson is the recipient of a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-oriented Research (K24 RR020300) from the National Center for Research Resources.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This work was presented as a workshop at the Society of General Internal Medicine 29th Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, April 2006.

Conflicts of Interest

None of the authors disclosed any Conflicts of Interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Internal Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA

    Karina M. Berg MD, MS

  2. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Thomas M. Gill MD

  3. Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Arleen F. Brown MD PhD

  4. Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA

    Judy Zerzan MD, MPH

  5. University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Joann G. Elmore MD MPH

  6. Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Ira B. Wilson MD, MSc

  7. Department of Medicine, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Ira B. Wilson MD, MSc

Authors
  1. Karina M. Berg MD, MS
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  2. Thomas M. Gill MD
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  3. Arleen F. Brown MD PhD
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  4. Judy Zerzan MD, MPH
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  5. Joann G. Elmore MD MPH
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  6. Ira B. Wilson MD, MSc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ira B. Wilson MD, MSc.

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Berg, K.M., Gill, T.M., Brown, A.F. et al. Demystifying the NIH Grant Application Process. J GEN INTERN MED 22, 1587–1595 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0301-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0301-6

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