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Writing a Grant/Obtaining Funding

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Success in Academic Surgery

Abstract

Mentored Career Development Award Grants (also known as “K awards”) are the portals through which the majority of academic investigators take their first step into the world of NIH-funded research. Compared with Research Project Grants (“R awards”), K awards are designed to provide aspiring researchers with a period of structured, protected, and mentored time to build their research skills and portfolio. There is no single formula for drafting a successful K award. There are, however, a series of concepts and tips that can maximize the likelihood of success, including seeking the proper mentorship, crafting an individualized course of didactic study, and working together a mentor to develop an innovative yet feasible research plan. We hope that after reviewing this material young surgeons interested in an academic career will be better-equipped to develop stronger and more attractive K award applications.

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Acknowledgements

Malcolm V. Brock for his work on an earlier version of this chapter.

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Dawes, A.J., Maggard-Gibbons, M. (2017). Writing a Grant/Obtaining Funding. In: Chen, H., Kao, L. (eds) Success in Academic Surgery. Success in Academic Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43952-5_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43952-5_12

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