American Urological Association 2023 Early Career Investigator Workshop

American Urological Association, Linthicum MD

Investigators

Abstract

2023 AUA EARLY-CAREER INVESTIGATORS WORKSHOP PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The 2023 American Urological Association (AUA) Early-Career Investigators Workshop (ECIW) will be held October 19-21, 2023 at the AUA Headquarters in Linthicum, Maryland. The workshop will provide intense, individualized instruction for a group of approximately 30 early-career investigators and late-stage trainees on how to prepare innovative and competitive research grant applications, primarily to the NIH with emphasis on grants in benign urology and researchers from diverse perspectives and backgrounds. The program provides dual-track instruction, both one-on-one and in small-groups by NIH-funded senior scientists. This advising is customized to best fit the needs of the individual applicants and the range of their proposed research applications. This workshop serves as a catalyst to increase the quality of urologic research grant proposals submitted to the NIH and continues the long-range strategic vision of the AUA to provide a series of workshops that are devoted to successful grant writing, strengthening of scientific careers, and developing an integrated and diverse community of urologic investigators to support interdisciplinary research. The Principal Investigator (PI), Christine Riordan, PhD, LCSW-C, is AUA Director of Research. The Steering Committee consists of wide array of leaders in urologic research and research training. All faculty possess exemplary records in NIH research funding, mentoring trainees, and planning urology research education. During the 2.5-day ECIW, faculty advisors will meet with participants to conduct evaluations of their in-progress specific aims or grant applications. Advisors are matched to participants based on scientific area to customize feedback on specific aims and methodologies. The program includes presentations on key facets of grant writing, including, “Composing a Successful Research Grant Proposal,” “Common Grant Writing Pitfalls,” “Transitioning from a K grant to an R01 as an Early-Stage Investigator,” and “Selling Yourself Through Your NIH Biosketch.” There will also be presentations on grant funding mechanisms, starting a lab, social networks, mentoring, and career development from successful investigators. Advisors with experience on NIH study sections conduct mock critiques on previously NIH-reviewed grant applications during a Mock Review Panel. The ECIW Advanced Grant Development track, which provides support to investigators submitting K- or R-type grant applications within nine months after the workshop, is the most appropriate target for evaluating the impact of the ECIW on funding success. According to a recent outcomes analysis, those who participated in this track between 2015 and 2018 have gone on to earn over $10 million in major grant funding from the NIH, DoD, and other organizations.