by Parisa Kaliush, University of Utah
If you’re like me, you entered your clinical psychology doctoral program with serious doubts about your potential as a researcher. As a woman-identified graduate student, I was acutely aware of longstanding wage and status disparities between men and women psychologists. I convinced myself that I would earn my Ph.D., become a full-time clinician, and only read about research. This self-proclaimed academic journey stemmed not from a belief that clinical work is easy, but that I was not “smart enough” for research.
Still, at the behest of my brilliant advisor, I applied for a Ruth L. Kirschstein predoctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA)—a quintessential marker of one’s desire to become a researcher. In the early stages of writing, I was lying. I could not envision myself earning this award nor conducting independent research beyond graduate school. At some point, though, my self-perceptions began to shift, and I found myself enjoying working on my application.
Fast forward 7 months, and I earned the award with high remarks after only the first round of reviews. After popping a cheap, delicious bottle of champagne and sharing an excited phone call with my advisor, I reflected on my first-ever grant writing journey. I learned a lot and am eager to share some of those lessons with you.
- Start with a nonjudgmental, “dream big” brain dump. I wrote single words on a page in a web-like format that related to my research interests. After filling the page, I looked for new and interesting connections—for instance, “sleep,” “suicide,” and “perinatal period.” Your brainstorming session can be fun and will help you feel excited about researching something that is meaningful to you. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed working on my application when I realized that I felt so passionately about my topic that I would dedicate my career to it regardless of earning an NRSA. Let that passion shine through your writing and into the reviewers’ hearts!
- Educate yourself on what the NIH wants to fund. Search the internet for NIH high-priority areas for research. Reference relevant notices in your application in order to communicate to reviewers that your work is important and of interest to the NIH. Also, remember those key words that emerged from your brainstorming session? Search for them in NIH RePORTER (https://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm). Review F, K, and R grants that relate to your interests, and note how the language and research questions differ. It is likely that F grant abstracts are simpler and more attainable in short timeframes. Begin thinking about how your NRSA could lay a foundation for future K and R grants. Mention these ideas throughout your application in order to excite reviewers about your long-term potential as an independent researcher.
- Remember, the NRSA is a training grant. It’s important to propose novel, high-priority research questions; however, the most vital components of your application are your training goals and mentorship team. What kind of scientific training do you need to become an independent researcher, and can be attained only if you earn an NRSA? Communicate a cohesive training story, including the training you have already received and how it leads naturally to your training goals. Form a mentorship team with expertise that relate directly to those goals. Ideally, some of these mentors—especially your primary sponsor—will have successfully supervised NRSA projects and/or conducted their own NIH-funded research. Nesting your project within an already funded study is even better because that improves the feasibility of your project.
- Reach out to former NRSA applicants. Referencing others’ applications exposed me to the application sections and grant-specific language. It was especially helpful for me to review the application of a female NRSA awardee. I struggle to “sell” myself in award applications and my advisor often encourages me to use bolder language, so it was empowering to see this awardee do just that with no apologies.
- Describe your project to someone in a different field of study. For me, that was my partner. Constantly talking through my project allowed me to hone my “elevator pitch” and communicate my ideas more clearly. Your reviewers likely will not share your expertise, so your story must be succinct, informative, and intriguing.
- Balance your work with self-care that makes you feel competent. Your imposter syndrome will fight for the driver’s seat during this application process. Acknowledge its presence, allow it to foster some humility, and then guide it to the backseat while practicing self-care that makes you feel competent and worthy. I created a playlist of motivating, women’s empowerment songs and listened to that playlist every. single. day.
Of course, these tips are not exhaustive. Please reach out to me or other NRSA applicants for additional guidance. You are not alone in this process! You got this.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS).