Project Development handles the details so researchers can focus on their science

The proposal process can take two to three months, so the earlier the conversation about a potential project happens, the more strategic the process can be. Becca Killen, grant coordinator, said that PIs should contact a grant coordinator, even if they don’t have everything figured out.

"We don't expect researchers to have the answer to every question when they reach out to us,” Killen said. “There's not an internal form they have to fill out right away. We’ll get things started internally and streamlined.”

Grant coordinators in the Life Span Institute Project Development team can assist by evaluating requirements and looking ahead.

“We will take the lead on helping them put together a budget and check all the compliances and the pieces needed — in collaboration with the researcher — to make sure that we are meeting the requirements,” Killen said.

The Project Development team can work with researchers at whatever level they need — from getting things started and streamlined, to finalizing the proposal. Killen said some investigators are surprised at the level of support available from Project Development staff.

“What’s great about our team is that we are going to be flexible with whatever level of support they do need,” said Jamie Jones, director of Project Development.

The grant coordinators always start with an internal checklist of every requirement, along with a timeline for each step and when to apply. This lets investigators focus on the research components instead of details such as page margins, for example.

The Project Development team can review the complexity of the request for application (RFA) requirements and watch for things that might disqualify the application.

This includes studying the RFA and related instructions and making an internal checklist of everything required.

“We make sure that we're not missing anything, and that we and the PI understand what's required for an opportunity,” said Jamie Jones, associate director of Project Development.

Jones said the team can watch for issues with timing and sequencing. For example, they help avoid underestimating how long subawards, biosketches, and approvals may take to complete, and ensure meeting small details such as correct font size, number of pages, or margin width.

“Our investigators are really good at what they do,” Jones said. “We make sure that the little details are taken care of, so they can focus on the science.”