Prerequisites:  This course is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in laboratory based biomedical sciences.  Some background in molecular and cell biology is required to understand the grant proposals that will be discussed. 

Following completion of this course, students will have an understanding of:

• Types of grants
• Considerations in framing and preparing a proposal
• Typical criticisms of grant proposals and how to avoid them
• The NIH scientific review process
• How to respond to a critique

By the end of the course, students should have a good start on a dissertation, fellowship, or grant proposal.  As with any proposal though, more drafts will likely be essential! 

This course is graded, but I recommend enrolling pass/fail.

Grades will be based on:  writing critiques of student proposal (25%)writing and revising a mini-proposal for a coherent research project (50%)Class participation (25%)

Since students will be providing input to others on their research proposals, attendance at those sessions is essential.