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Getting Funded

What the Heck Is “Training Potential,” Anyway?

As a newly-minted PhD, I began my postdoc with wild fellowship dreams. I set a schedule, applying to 1-2 fellowships a month. Research experience and broader impacts were a breeze. Research strategy and specific aims, with help from my new PI, solidified quickly. For weeks, however, my “training potential” document remained empty. At first, I…

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Early Career Stage Funding – Advice for Graduate Students and Post-Docs

Are you stressing about applying for grant funding early on in your career? Are you worrying about lack of preliminary data or lack of experience in your current field? Here are some tips that can help. Why Apply at an Early Stage of Your Career? All of your experiences build upon each other to strengthen…

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Writing a Successful Graduate Fellowship Application

The most obvious benefit of a graduate fellowship is the generous monetary support that pays for your stipend, tuition, and/or travel expenses. The not-so-obvious benefits of writing a graduate fellowship application come from being forced to analyze your research project and set realistic goals. This activity alone will make you reflect about who you are…

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What I Learned as a Grant Reviewer

A few years ago, when I was working for a biotechnology company, I got a special letter in the mail.  The NIH asked me to be an ad-hoc grant reviewer for small business grants. Although I drew these lessons from the NIH grant review process, they can probably be applied to many granting agencies.  If…

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I Got An NIH Grant, And You Can Too

Obtaining external funding for your project through an NIH grant is a coup at any career stage. However, obtaining one of these grants is much easier said than done. Here is some advice from someone who has been through it and lived to tell the tale.

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Your Supervisor Wants You to Apply for Funding

Whether you’re a grad student or a post-doc, the decision to apply for external funding should be a no-brainer. It is in both your boss’s and your own interests to do this and will undeniably help you in future career pursuits. But before you even sit down to write, it’s important to do your research…

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