Grant Writing Workshop: Get your reviewers "hooked" on your specific aims page

A Pre-Conference Program; additional registration was required

*This program was organized by members of SITC’s Early Career Scientist Committee.

This two-and-a-half hour program featured two sessions. The first session opened with an overview of
the grant submission process, briefly outlining funding opportunities and the principles of grant writing.
The session addressed K Awards and R01 Grants, in addition to discussing how to best write a Specific
Aims page. The second session consisted of a “mock study section,” allowing attendees to experience
how a study section evaluates a grant proposal, which helped attendees identify points that determine
the success or failure of a grant proposal and helped them optimize the process of grant re-submission.

Read the Mock Study Section's Specific Aims page here.

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020^*
9–11:45 a.m. EST

*Dates and times subject to change. 

Workshop Organizers

• Chair: Claire Vanpouille-Box, PhD – Weill Cornell Medical College
• David Aggen, MD, PhD –  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Rongze "Olivia" Lu, PhD –  University of Texas at Austin
• Grey Wilkinson, PhD – Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
• Robyn Gartrell, MD – Columbia University/New York Presbyterian
  

Program Schedule^* 

*Program schedule subject to change. 

Session I: Grant Writing Overview
9–9:05 a.m. Welcome Remarks
Claire Vanpouille-Box, PhD – Weill Medical College of Cornell University

9:05–9:30 a.m. Overview of Grant Opportunities and Principles of Grant Writing
Pawel Kalinski, MD, PhD – Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

9:30–9:55 a.m. K Awards and R01 Grants
William Matsui, MD – University of Texas at Austin

9:55–10:30 a.m. How to Write a Specific Aims Page
Thomas Gajewski, MD, PhD – University of Chicago

10:30–10:45 a.m. Panel Discussion
Moderator:
David Aggen, MD, PhD – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Panelists:
William Matsui, MD – University of Texas at Austin
Thomas Gajewski, MD, PhD – University of Chicago
Pawel Kalinski, MD, PhD – Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center 
Malgorzata Klauzinska, PhD – National Institute of Health

Session II: You submitted Your Grant: Now What Happens?
10:45–11:10 a.m. Mock Study Section
Moderator:
Zhang-Zhi Hu, MD – National Institute of Health
Panelists:                            
Scientific Review Officer - Zhang-Zhi Hu, MD – National Institute of Health
Chair - Thomas Gajewski, PhD – University of Chicago
Primary Reviewer - Pawel Kalinski, MD, PhD – Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Secondary Reviewer - William Matsui, MD – University of Texas at Austin
Third Reviewer – Robyn Gartrell, MD – Columbia University/New York Presbyterian
Reader - Olivia Rongze Lu, PhD – University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School

11:10–11:30 a.m. What Happens After the Study Section?
Malgorzata Klauzinska, PhD – National Institutes of Health

11:30–11:40 a.m. Panel Discussion
Moderator:                       
Grey Wilkinson, PhD – Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
Panelists:                          
William Matsui, MD – University of Texas at Austin
Thomas Gajewski, PhD – University of Chicago
Pawel Kalinski, PhD – Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Malgorzata Klauzinska, PhD – National Institutes of Health
Zhang-Zhi Hu, MD – National Institute of Health

11:40–11:45 a.m. Closing Remarks
Rongze "Olivia" Lu – University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School

Target Audience

The target audience for this educational program includes graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior to mid-level faculty, which encompasses instructors and assistant professors who wish to solidify their understanding of grant writing.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Evaluate funding opportunities
• Write a high-quality specific aims page
• Identify critical strengths and fatal flaws of a grant proposal
• Optimize the process of grant re-submission

Continuing Education