Teaming Up to Aid Young Researchers
Among the most important yet challenging skills a young scientist must develop are the ability to write research proposals and to obtain funding. Writing a grant seems daunting to most since it involves identifying research questions and developing a flawless written presentation while also finding the right funding agencies.
![Getting a first grant is an important milestone for a young researcher; the OGS and CPD seeks to arm Einstein’s graduate students and postdocs with resources and knowledge for writing a successful grant application]()
Getting a first grant is an important milestone for a young researcher; the OGS and CPD seek to arm Einstein’s graduate students and postdocs with resources and knowledge for writing a successful grant application.
To help young scientists at Einstein write an effective and competitive grant application, the office of grant support (OGS) teamed with the office of career and professional development for graduate students and postdocs (CPD) to host a grant writing workshop for postdoctoral fellows on October 22, 2018. Room 451 in the Price Center/Block Research Pavilion was packed to capacity as Dr. Anindita Mukherjee, assistant director of grant support, talked about the funding agencies that support early career scientists. While she specifically addressed funding mechanisms within the National Institute of Health (NIH), she noted that these techniques and approaches are applicable to crafting proposals for other private funding agencies as well.
Dr. Dhanonjoy Saha, director of the OGS, then offered an overview of the office and the support its staff can provide postdocs who are applying for grants. “We can help you with editing, reviewing, and critiquing applications,” he said, adding “and these measures have led to increased NIH funding for investigators at Einstein and Montefiore during fiscal year 2017.”
To close out the event, a panel of Einstein experts shared their experience, expertise, and insights about identifying grant opportunities and preparing an application. The panelists included faculty members Drs. Margaret Kielian, Vinayaka Prasad, and Esperanza Arias-Perez, each of whom have served as NIH reviewers. They were joined by postdoctoral fellow Dr. Rebecca Brown.
“Through the CPD, we aim to help Einstein graduate students and postdocs develop a professional skill set that supports their efforts to become leaders in whichever field they choose,” said Diane Safer, director of the CPD. “We partnered with the office of grant support to better familiarize junior investigators with the resources available to them, while providing a clearer sense of that office’s infrastructure. We also presented key strategies that postdocs can use for finding and writing grants to support their research endeavors.”
A post-event survey conducted by CPD found that 80 percent of respondents felt they now had more information on finding grants that they could put to use. Respondents also indicated having a better understanding of the services that OGS can offer them.
Posted on: Thursday, January 02, 2020