Participate in a Study Research Systems

GrantSeekers

The GrantSeekers 2.0 program is designed to give investigators the opportunity for an internal and external review process prior to submission of their NIH, VA or other proposals. While the emphasis is on NIH/DoD/VA grants, any grant will be reviewed. Initial reviews are provided via a review of an oral presentation provided by the investigator. The makeup of the review panel is determined by the investigator based on the ability to provide critical reviews for the subject matter and can include an external reviewer. Due to the success of the GrantSeekers 2.0 program over the past few years, we have developed an expanded GrantSeekers program which includes additional mechanisms to support specific experiments geared to improving the likelihood of funding for a revised proposal.

External Review Panel Member Reviews

“This is a wonderful process. It is very useful and I recommended it to our CTSI Director.” Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D. Department Chair and Professor, Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics; Co-Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Florida Health
“One of our faculty members recently participated as an outside expert in reviewing an NIH grant resubmission for one of your faculty members as part of the GrantSeekers program. He [Charles Glabe] was very impressed by the experience and communicated his enthusiasm to me and our Dean. It is clear that you have put together a program that has great value and we will be moving forward here [to develop a similar program] as there is a lot of interest.” David Gardiner, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Developmental & Cell Biology at the University of California Irvine
“The GrantSeekers program you have put together is a terrific process. I was glad to be a part of it.” Nancy Hodgson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN Anthony Buividas Term Chair in Gerontology and Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania
"I appreciate the opportunity to participate. I think the GrantSeekers program is an outstanding resource for your investigators. I have been telling some of the leadership on our campus about it." Paula Roberson, Ph.D. Chair of Department of Biostatistics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
"I have enjoyed my participation in the program. I can’t speak to the value you derive from it, that is told in the success of the grants. My observation is that this process has been quite effective in identifying holes in either the conceptual development or practical integration. This seems particularly useful for programmatic grants. These tend to get bogged down in the day-to-day details that are evident to the local participants, but don’t make sense or aren’t clear to outsiders. This process is very helpful in breaking up group – think. I would like to recreate something like this at Wake if we had the resources.” Stephen Kritchevsky, Ph.D. Deputy Director of Translational Science Institute, Director of Sticht Center on Aging, and Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine Center on Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at Wake Forest School of Medicine
"I am impressed with your process and hope that you have continued success. Thank you for including me in the process.” Thomas Quertermous, MD Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University
“Just wanted to again express how incredibly impressed I was by the system that you set up for the grant review process – just amazing. And you are steering it so well!”. Maxim Artyomov, Alumni Endowed Professor of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis

UT Health San Antonio Faculty Reviews

“GrantSeekers scheduled an expert review panel to review and provide creative feedback. Dr. Ahuja is available to support throughout the process. GrantSeekers is the best resource of our institution for researchers to prepare competitive application.” Muhammad Baig, MD Instructor/Research, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
“Overall, the GS program was both a unique and truly invaluable process that facilitated the refinement of my aims and research strategy. The opportunity to participate in a mock study section and review of my aims by external consultants benefitted my application exponentially, and Dr. Ahuja's commitment to the preparation of my application in advance of the GS program was incredible. Ultimately, the final product submitted to the NIH was one that I was proud of and enjoyed writing - without GS, I don't believe I could have said that!” Lisa Smith Kilpela, PhD Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH) Center Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies
“GrantSeekers has been tremendously helpful in improving my grant writing skills. Dr. Ahuja went above and beyond to help me during the preparation of my grant application. Extremely helpful resource for new faculty.” Neelam Mukherjee, PhD Assistant Professor/Research
“I submitted my R01 application yesterday. I really appreciate your time and efforts in improving my application. Many of the constructive and insightful comments from you and the invited experts have greatly improved my proposal. I really appreciate.” Juli Bai, PhD Assistant Professor/Research, Department of Pharmacology
“I really appreciated your support and help in getting my first R01 funded and I found the advice and guidance I received from you and Grantseekers immeasurably helpful.” David Libich, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology
“I highly appreciate the help from the Grantseekers program, support its continuous institution-wide operation and will seek advice for my next R01/DOD application.” Zhenming Xu, PhD Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
“The renewal application for the Clinical and Translational Science Award has benefited tremendously from the GrantSeekers review. In spite of the length and complexity of this multi-component proposal, the process was highly efficient. The carefully selected outside reviewers all had the required expertise and oversight of the month-long series of meetings by Dr. Ahuja was truly masterful. Candid assessments and meaningful exchanges on strategies and grantsmanship were overarching features. Our post-GrantSeekers proposal was remarkably more competitive for funding.” Robert A. Clark, MD Director, Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science; Professor of Medicine
“I finally got the help I needed. I had my ideas challenged, picked apart, revised and transformed for the better. I received honest, practical, actionable feedback. The experience was intellectually stimulating and liberating.” Gretchel Gealogo Brown, Ph.D., RN, MHR, MSN, CMSRN Assistant Professor, SON, Office of Faculty Excellence
“My experience with GrantSeekers was extremely helpful. Without a doubt, it was the best constructive criticism that I have ever received from my peers on a grant application prior to submission. What I found particularly helpful was the participation of recognized experts from outside the University. It should also be said that both of my outside experts were very impressed with the GrantSeekers concept and process and both wished that their own institutions would develop similar programs.” Michael Berton, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
"My R01 received a good score (4%, 19). Many thanks for your help. The GrantSeekers program really helped me understand the importance of packaging the grant and how to do so." Lily Dong, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy
"Participating in GrantSeekers was a terrific and valuable experience. The review process included both internal and external scientists with strong and clear feedback. I recommend using GrantSeekers for grant applications.” Kenneth Hargreaves, D.D.S., Ph.D. Chair, Department of Endodontics
“GrantSeekers was critical to the success of my proposal. Without the changes I made based on the meetings, especially a second meeting close to the due date, I am fairly certain it would not have been funded. Preparing for a GrantSeekers presentation does not take much time, as the hard work has already been done in the preparation of the proposal itself. I only used a few slides to help the discussion of the aims and aims page argument. Because the program brings together people with a large amount of experience reviewing grants and being in study section meetings, it can only help to have them look at your grant with a reviewer’s eyes and give you that feedback before the actual meeting. It’s like gaining an extra round of review at the NIH!” Rene Renteria, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Ophthalmology
"I would like to thank you for allowing me to present at GrantSeekers and for being able to get these outstanding senior investigators to help with the review. I believe the discussions and recommendations were very helpful and will go a long way towards improving the proposal for our next submission.” Joseph Agyin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology
“Thank you for moderating and keeping us on track- that was a lot to process but the most helpful conversation I have ever had about my grant writing”. Elizabeth Leadbetter, Assoc. Professor, Micro Immunology & Molecular Genetics