Navigating the Research Enterprise
“Navigating the Research Enterprise” is an annual seminar series for early-career faculty and postdoctoral fellows at Northwestern University who have protected research time. It’s designed to provide them with the support they need to focus on developing the key skills young scientists require in order to progress beyond just doing good research. Attendees will be introduced to issues such as finding sources for research funds, writing effective grants and building a network of professional colleagues.
Please contact NUCATS at nucats-ed@northwestern.edu with any questions.
Faculty directors and staff include Rick McGee, PhD, associate dean for Professional Development and professor of Medical Education; Bill Lowe, MD, vice dean for Academic Affairs and professor of Medicine-Endocrinology; and Jaime Ziegler, NUCATS Center for Education and Career Development program coordinator.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our fall seminar series was held online via Zoom. The schedule and materials from each seminar are listed below.
| DATE/TIME | LOCATION | TITLE | OBJECTIVES | PRESENTER(S) | MATERIALS (most recent seminar materials available) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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10/5/20
|
Online via Zoom |
Introduction to the Series, Important Resources of NUCATS, & Constructing Your Individual Career Advancement Plan |
•Access the research related resources available at Northwestern University for junior faculty •Develop a strategy for a successful career in research •Define the elements and value of an Individual Career Advancement Plan and learn how to use it to guide your professional development with guidance from mentors and senior faculty |
Rick McGee, PhD, and Keith Herzog, MPPA |
Seminar Zoom Recording from 10/5/20
|
|
10/12/20 |
Online via Zoom
|
NIH Funding Opportunities |
•Understand the abbreviations and acronyms of NIH jargon •Access important information from the NIH website regarding currently funded grants and funding opportunities •Utilize strategies for obtaining guidance from NIH Program and Review Officers in a grant submission and review process
|
Rick McGee, PhD, and Bill Lowe, MD |
|
|
10/19/20 |
Online via Zoom
|
The NIH Grant Review Process |
•Utilize an understanding of the NIH grant review process to help guide grant writing strategies •Incorporate review considerations in writing in response to specific requests in applications (RFAs) |
Rick McGee, PhD, and Bill Lowe, MD |
|
|
10/26/20 |
Online via Zoom |
Strategies for Writing an Effective NIH 'R' and 'K' Proposal: Part 1 |
•Understand the critical flow of logic and writing styles of effective NIH Grants •Begin to incorporate the patterns and strategies of grant writing video tools when writing NIH K or R proposals •Write in a way that reviewers expect •Become skilled in getting useful feedback |
Rick McGee, PhD, and Bill Lowe, MD |
|
|
11/2/20 |
Online via Zoom |
Strategies for Writing an Effective NIH 'R' and 'K' Proposal: Part 2 |
•Writing non-research sections of proposals •Crafting an effective Biosketch •Understanding the role of each part of K application and what has to be accomplished in them |
Rick McGee, PhD, and Bill Lowe, MD | |
|
11/9/20 |
Online via Zoom |
Clinical Research Resources at Northwestern - The Center for Clinical Research (CCR) |
NUCATS Resources for: •Training and Equipping the Translational Research Workforce •Career Development •Clinical Research Support
|
Michael G. Ison, MD, MS | |
| 11/16/20 | Online via Zoom | Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Office of Research Development (ORD) and The Enterprise Data Warehouse at Northwestern Medicine |
•Access desired information from the Office of Research Development •Utilize the Office of Research Development to enhance your research •Describe how the EDW supports research at Northwestern University •Utilize the process for accessing EDW |
Rebecca McNaughton, Assistant Director, Office of Research Development Prasanth Nannapaneni, Data Architect |
|
| 11/23/20 | Online via Zoom | Working with the Northwestern Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) |
•Recognize how to best work with the Office of Sponsored Research •Discuss the OSR requirements for a successful grant submission |
Andrea Zakrzewski, Bryan Runkel, and Kathy Mustea |
|
| 11/30/20 | No Seminar |
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| 12/7/20 | Online via Zoom | For Clinician Scientists: Deciding on and Designing a Strategy to Achieve the Level of Research That Fits Your Career - Consultant, Collaborator, Co-Investigator, or PI |
•Articulate your desired mix of research and clinical care and devise a plan to accomplish it at Northwestern •Consciously consider various roles in research from PI to Co-I to effective collaborator •Re-assess what you have learned from the series into a revised ICDP |
Rick McGee, PhD, and Bill Lowe, MD | |
| 12/14/20 | Online via Zoom | Preparing a Resubmission to an NIH Proposal |
•The complicated art and science of reading Summary Statements •Deciding on whether to resubmit, submit a new proposal, or think carefully about research direction •Crafting the Introduction to a resubmission – as important as Specific Aims in an initial submission •Other topics – e.g. changing study sections, communicating with the Program Official, etc. •The dreaded Not Discussed – Not necessarily as bad as it sounds •Q & A – anything you are wondering about… |
Rick McGee, PhD, and Bill Lowe, MD |
