my research proposal duke

myRESEARCHhome (MRH)

myRESEARCHhome is Duke's personalized portal that allows members of the research community to manage their research projects and compliance requirements in one place.

Access user guidance

Myresearchhome provides:.

Consolidation

• Financial and administrative information from multiple systems alongside links to important research tools and request forms provides a single point of access in a user-friendly interface.

Transparency

• Track project statuses during proposal development and study start-up along with the completion statuses of institutional requirements for conducting research
• Find relevant funding opportunities, locate key resources via  myRESEARCHpath , and get help from the  myRESEARCHnavigators .

For more information or to schedule a demonstration, contact  [email protected] .

myRESEARCHhome is supported by the Duke Office of Research Initiatives and built by  OASIS  with funding provided by the  Duke CTSA  grant UL1TR002553, the  Duke School of Medicine , and the  Duke Office for Research & Innovation

Proposal Development

Proposal development is a team effort and can benefit from the early involvement of the Grants and Contracts Administrator (GCA), potential collaborators, and guidance from a mentor or seasoned investigator.

To get started, the Principal Investigator (PI) will need to:

• Identify a research idea, funding opportunity and confirm eligibility
• Review the funding announcement (with the GCA)
• Establish a timeline
• Create proposal components (research strategy, budget, etc.)

Duke uses Sponsored Projects System (SPS) to prepare, route and manage all proposal submissions and awards. For each proposal, an SPS record is created by the GCA and routed for institutional review. Before the SPS record can be generated, the PI needs to provide the following:

• Funding Announcement
• Budget Justification
• Project Title
• Draft Abstract
• Protocol Information (IRB, IACUC, IBC)
• Key Personnel List

To ensure the proposal routes smoothly, the PI will need to work with the GCA to ensure all required elements have been addressed.

When in doubt about how to proceed, reach out to the GCA for assistance. Duke is committed to supporting research and the Department of Medicine has access to the many resources at Duke, as well as staff with many years of experience to support this mission.

In order to apply for a grant through Duke University, an individual must hold PI status.  The status of PI is granted to all individuals with faculty appointments. For employees that need to acquire PI status for an application, please refer to the Procedure for Requesting Eligibility To Serve as Principal Investigator .

Sponsors communicate the purpose, criteria and guidelines of a funding opportunity through a funding announcement. A funding announcement specifies the:

• Type of funding mechanism (grant, contract, cooperative agreement or gift)
• Sponsor agency
• Application due date
• Maximum project period
• Eligibility criteria and application guidelines
• Conditions or restrictions to consider prior to preparing an application 

Eligibility or other sponsor criteria can impact the viability of an application, so it is important to uncover these factors as soon as possible.  Include the GCA in the review of the funding announcement to identify application components and non-standard aspects of the announcement.

Developing a timeline for the preparation of an application can help the PI successfully meet the  internal and sponsor deadlines  for a submission.  It also allows the GCA and the PI to coordinate efforts in the creation of application materials and ensure consistency throughout each section. It is recommended that the PI:

• Begin the research strategy and budget 2 months prior to sponsor deadline
• Notify the GCA of intent to submit at least 30 days prior to sponsor deadline
• Provide the GCA with final budget and budget justification, as well as other designated administrative sections, 20 days prior to sponsor deadline
• Submit proposal to Office of Research Administration (ORA) for review at least 7 business days before sponsor due date

To develop a timeline start with the sponsor due date and work backwards, as is shown in this example for an R01 submission due June 5.  

Regardless of the sponsor, an application typically requires a research strategy and a budget for the proposal.  Other proposal sections may be identified in the funding announcement.   

Research Strategy The research strategy typically describes the significance, innovation and approach of the research.  The PI’s approach and the experiments that will be done to accomplish the aims should be explained, as well as the context for the research, including preliminary data, literary citations, and anticipated results and implications.  For consistency, the research strategy and budget creation should be developed simultaneously.

The  Office of Research Development  provides services to teams of investigators and individual investigators to help ensure submission of high quality grant applications.  Services are available on a first come, first serve basis.  They also offer writing workshops. 

Budget A budget outlines the expenses required to successfully complete the proposed research.  The amounts listed should be a reasonable estimation of the actual costs and should be consistent with the application narrative.  Inconsistencies can put the proposal at risk.  It is not recommended to match the budget to the sponsor’s maximum funding level.  If the budget total is below the minimum funding level consider additional experiments or sub-aims that would strengthen the proposed research.

As a starting point, the GCA will provide the PI with a proposal tool to identify the application sections where funds are requested. When creating the budget there are six main budget categories:

• Personnel (Salary and Fringe Benefits)
• Patient Care Costs
• Other Expenses
• Indirect Costs
• Subcontractors/Collaborators

Personnel Personnel costs support the professional effort necessary to satisfactorily complete the goals and aims of the project.  Proposed effort should be a reasonable estimation of the time it takes for the identified personnel to complete their roles on the project, and should be determined using the institutional base salary for each individual.  This applies to all personnel, from the PI, to collaborators, research technicians, postdoctoral associates and other personnel. If certain personnel are needed, but named individuals are not yet known, the GCA can help determine a salary range based on the anticipated level of experience.

Supplies, Patient Care Costs and Other Expenses When budgeting for supplies, patient care costs, and other expenses (such as facility user fees) use a reasonable estimation as to what items are needed to complete the proposed research project and the costs associated. 

Equipment Any item that is necessary to complete the work of the proposed research, exceeds $5,000, has a useful life of more than 1 year and is not currently available through Duke is considered equipment and can be requested in a project budget. It is important to note that indirect costs are generally not applied to equipment expenses, which can affect the total budget for the project. When budgeting for equipment, it is best to discuss the needs with your GCA and a faculty mentor (if available), who can determine if it is appropriate to include in the budget.

Indirect Costs Indirect Costs, also known as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, are expenses incurred for a shared or common objective and cannot readily be associated with a specific project, such as administration. These rates are set by Duke via the negotiated rate established with DHHS.  It is necessary to consider these costs when funding announcements restrict the total funding limit for a project.  Otherwise, if the funding limit is direct cost based, the indirect costs do not need to be considered when establishing the budget.

Collaborators When collaborators are necessary to successfully execute the research, the PI should have discussions early on to better understand that relationship. There are three types of external collaborators:

• Subrecipient/Subawardee/Subcontractor : A third-party entity that receives funding from the Duke University to carry out activities related to the project’s scope of work. The subrecipient plays an integral role in the project and is involved in programmatic decision-making.
• Contractor :  A dealer, distributor, merchant or other entity (which may include an outside institution or university) that provides goods or services required for the conduct of the project.  These goods or services may be for Duke’s own use or for the beneficiaries of the project.
• Consultant :  An individual or firm that provides professional advice or services for a fee, but not normally as an employee of the prime organization.  In very rare circumstances, an individual may be both a consultant and an employee of the prime organization.

Contact the GCA if unsure which best categorizes the project’s external collaborator. Determining the type of collaborator will help establish a budget for the subcontracted work.  For example, indirect costs are charged on a portion of a subcontractor’s expense, but are charged on the full expense of a consultant.  The GCA should be notified of subcontractor involvement in the proposed research well in advance of the budget due date.  As with all budget requests, the subcontractor’s budget should be based on actual needs to complete the proposed work or services.

Other Proposal Sections Additional sections of the proposal are identified in the funding announcement and often include:

• Specific Aims
• Responsible Conduct in Research
• Human Subjects Protections with IRB protocols/clinical research
• Vertebrate Animals for research with IACUC protocols/research
• Letters of Support
• Biographical Sketches

Each item is an additional section and requires separate documentation to be attached in the proposal. Communicating with the GCA early in the proposal development process and thorough review of the funding announcement will help to make sure all required sections are completed. The GCA can provide examples of sections, if needed.

Biographical sketches need to be completed in the correct format. Different funding agencies have different formats, specifically DOD, NIH and NASA, even though they are all federal sponsors.   NIH biographical sketches   can be created using existing Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae ( SciENcv ) profiles.  For assistance in determining the correct format, contact a GCA.

Develop and Submit Your Proposal with myRESEARCHsuite

August 24, 2021 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm ET

[email protected]

• Duke Events

Explore how the myRESEARCHsuite of services and applications can support you in developing and submitting a high-quality, compliant funding application, including:

my RESEARCH home: A portal to find funding, search for collaborators, and initiate your proposal

my RESEARCH path: A project lifecycle roadmap with consolidated resources & guidance

my RESEARCH navigators: A team of research experts here to help

This webinar will include live demonstrations of these applications and delve into utilizing the suite for proposal development and submission.

Fulfills the Faculty & Staff Collaborative RCR-200 requirement.

REGISTER: http://duke.is/W5zCDL

Speaker(s) : Jamie Wylie, Derek Jones

Duke Event Series : Research Town Hall Series

Duke Event Co-Sponsor(s) : Duke Office of Scientific Integrity (DOSI), Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), Nicholas School of the Environment, Pratt School of Engineering, School of Medicine (SOM), School of Nursing (SON)

Duke Event Type(s) : Research, Technology

Develop and Submit Your Proposal with myRESEARCHsuite

Event sponsored by:

Return to Grants & Projects

Proposal Resources

Duke Research Computing provides information on Duke resources (compute, storage, facilities) that can be used for grant proposals.  View or download current resources on Box .

Duke Research Computing staff will gladly help you tailor these documents to fit the circumstances of your proposal .  Contact us  for questions, or if you need additional materials:

• Quotes and assistance with budget justifications
• Letters of support
• Customization of Duke compute or storage resources
• Inclusion of RC staff as other personnel for support such as: programming, data management and analytics, customized compute resource design, or emerging technologies (VR, 3D, etc)
• Campus CI Plan (required for some NSF proposals)

For general proposal development guidance and support, visit My Research Path  which is maintained by the Duke Office of Research Initiatives and participating research support offices across the institution.

Useful Links

• DCC Documentation and Support
• Open OnDemand Documentation
• Research Toolkits
• Virtual Computing Manager (Virtual Computers and Software Packages for all Duke Users)
• OIT Service Desk
• Research Computing Virtual Office Hours
• Innovation Co-Lab Training

© 2024 Research Computing & Support Services.

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NSF system enhancements to support the revised PAPPG

Effective May 20, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) made a number of system updates in accordance with implementation of the revised Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) ( NSF 24-1 ) for proposals submitted or due on or after May 20, 2024. Please see the Summary of Changes to the PAPPG (NSF 24-1) and view the NSF Proposal & Award Policy Updates​ (NSF 24-1) webinar .

System Enhancements include:

• NSF Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support websites
• NSTC Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support
• Implementing the Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support (April 25, 2024 webinar)
• Synergistic Activities This section has been removed from the Biographical Sketch. This information must now be uploaded as a separate one-page document by individuals designated as senior/key persons as part of the required senior/key personnel documents in Research.gov and Grants.gov. See PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h(iv) for additional information.
• Duke Investigators: Please make sure your COI disclosure form is up-to-date with all required disclosures, including participation in foreign talent recruitment programs.
• The Mentoring Plan requirement has been expanded to include graduate students. Refer to PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.i(i) .
• A new Tribal Nations checkbox has been added on the proposal Cover Sheet to indicate if there are “Potential Impacts on Tribal Nations." Please see PAPPG Chapter II.E.10. for documentation requirements.
• A new Individual Development Plan certification has been added as part of the annual reporting process to certify that each graduate student or postdoctoral scholar has an Individual Development Plan.

From The National Science Foundation (NSF)

How does the Faculty Book Manuscript Program help first-time authors?

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Every fall and spring semester, the Franklin Humanities Institute issues a call for proposals for Faculty Book Manuscript Workshops . Funded by the Duke University Strategic Plan, “Together Duke,” this program allows regular rank faculty in the humanities, arts, and interpretive social sciences who have recently completed a book-length manuscript to invite two experts in their field, an academic press editor, and a group of local faculty to discuss its strengths and weaknesses in a half-day workshop.

“It feels like a seminar where your work is the assigned topic,” said Sarah Wilbur, Assistant Professor of the Practice in Dance and Director of Graduate Studies of the Master of Fine Arts in Dance Program. “And it’s not just about the work, but about the methodology.”

Wilbur received a workshop in 2019. Her book, “ Funding Bodies: Five Decades of Dance Making at the National Endowment for the Arts ” (Wesleyan University Press, 2021) examines how NEA funding policies have actively recruited and rewarded different aesthetic and organizational practices in dance from 1965 to 2016.

“Not all universities have this kind of thing,” said Jessica Namakkal, Associate Professor of the Practice in International Comparative Studies. “People don’t get this level of feedback.” 

Namakkal went through the workshop program in 2017. Her book,  “ Unsettling Utopia: The Making and Unmaking of French India ” (Columbia University Press, 2021) argues that colonial projects in India persisted through a period of formal decolonization, through a process she calls “settler utopianism.”

What makes a book manuscript workshop so helpful, especially to junior faculty? We spoke with these two recently published authors to learn more.

1. It gives you a deadline

“I was at a point where I needed the final push to get the manuscript completely done,” said Namakkal. “When you're just so busy with teaching and [other research], it can be hard to dedicate time to putting the finishing touches on it. Especially as a first book author, you really don't know when it's done. So it gave me the first deadline, since my dissertation, to be like ‘Okay, I need this to be in good shape.’”

“Knowing that the accountability structure [of the workshop] is in place is super important,” Wilbur agreed.

2. It helps first-time authors understand the process of publishing an academic book

“There’s an unspoken idea that we've done this before, or that we have instincts about turning a dissertation into a book,” Wilbur said.

Namakkal pointed out that a book manuscript workshop can help a first-time book author to connect with an editor, and to begin to understand how the publishing process works. “If you don't really know how the system works, or you're just trying to figure out what an editor is looking for in a book, or what a book series is, all of the things they don't teach you in graduate school…it’s incredibly useful for that reason.”

3. It helps authors to identify a book’s audience and choose participants accordingly

“You get to choose who’s invited and that’s really important,” said Namakkal. Before her workshop, she was in touch with one of the editors of the book series at Columbia University Press, who teaches at UNC. She invited him to attend the workshop, along with the editor from Columbia University Press. “It was wonderful to have someone I trusted, who was guiding the series, to help me think through [the book].”

Wilbur invited a frequent collaborator with numerous publications on institutional policy and arts labor, and a distinguished professor and leading institutional critic in performance studies who had served on her dissertation committee. For her local invitees, she chose a diverse group of faculty and artists.

“Think of…your dream scenario for the audience for your work,” she said. “I'm a really social person, so the idea of [asking] ‘Who is this in conversation with?’ has helped me, at a point when I had really been looking at a Word document for way too long.”

4. It can help hone a book’s argument

Often participants in a workshop disagree about aspects of the book. “That’s actually super useful, I think, when it comes to standing your ground for what you are doing, and maybe not what someone else wants you to be doing,” said Wilbur. For her, it was a chance to “practice doing what I hope a book should do, which is to incite debate.”

Namakkal chose to retain a section of her book that was disputed during her workshop. The resulting chapter was recently commended in a New York Times book review of a memoir of the “utopian” Auroville in former French India. 

5. It gives authors support during what can be an isolated writing process

“One of the best parts of the workshop was [having] internal support,” said Namakkal. For her, receiving thoughtful and encouraging feedback from other faculty helped build a sense of “not being completely isolated and expected to produce this on your own.”

“After the workshop, I had tons of renewed energy,” Wilbur said.

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Deepasri prasad awarded national science foundation graduate research fellowship, posted on may 21, 2024 by lisa d. aubrey.

Second-year PBS graduate student Deepasri Prasad was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The NSF GRFP grant is in recognition of Deepasri's high achieving scientific potential, and her winning project proposal, "Understanding the behavioral and neural effects of multisensory context on scene memory." This five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support as Deepasri works on her PhD in Caroline Robertson's Perception, Memory, and Neurodiversity Lab.

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