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Resources & Help

Resources found on this page:

Individual & Writing Assistance

The Grants Editing & Manuscripts Core offers 30-minute virtual appointments for Buchter and Warshaw applicants. These appoints incude general writing questions, as well as specific application sections. Appointments are only available between February 1st and March 31st.  For individual assistance with your application, please make an appointment with Dr. Julie Hawk or Dr. Megan Vallowe via the Booking page linked below. 

Click Here to schedule an appointment

Helpful Presentations & Websites

Biosketch Resources

 

Budget

What to Include in Your Budget

You may include whatever is necessary to accomplish your research EXCEPT the items listed in the "What to Exclude" section below. Common expenses to include in a research project budget include but are not limited to:

  • Personnel (e.g. research coordinator time, data entry assistance)
  • Laboratory supplies
  • Clinical research costs (e.g. patient engagement fees)
  • Core services
  • Instrument fees (e.g. fees associated with using a validated scale)
  • Publication costs

What to Exclude from Your Budget

You may NOT include the following items in your budget:

  • ​Travel. These are not travel awards. Funds may not be used for travel, including travel to present the research results at conferences.
  • Conference registration fees
  • Workshops, classes, or other education or training for the PI, except in very specific cases where there is strong justification that the activity is directly related to the specific research aims.
  • Computers
  • General lab equipment (small equipment or technologies used exclusively for the proposed research project may be considered with strong justification)

It is critical that each budget component be well-justified. A good budget justification clearly explains how the funds will be used in the proposed research project and why they are necessary to complete the project.

Required Budget Templates

All Warshaw Fellow and Buchter Resident Research applications must use the below budget templates. 

Do not delete a section of the budget template just because you are not requesting funding for that section.

It is strongly recommended that a financial analyst review and approve your budget prior to submission. If your budget includes the Pediatric Biostatistics Core, it is strongly recommended that you consult with the core prior to preparing your budget to get an official estimate of the time needed to complete your project.

Pediatric Cores 

Use of a pediatric core is strongly encouraged. Please visit this link for information about available resources and costs.

Budget Related Questions

All residents should contact Margie Varnado.

Fellows should contact the financial analyst for their division:

  • Allergy, Cystic Fibrosis, Pulmonology, Sleep: Lynnessa Snodgrass and Donna Pinkney

  • LOBP: Bill Ollinger 

  • Lynessa Snodgrass has Sorscher Only

  • Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Neurology, Nephrology, and Palliative Care: Kimille Miller

  • ENT: Amelia Randall

  • Critical Care, Hospital Medicine, Sedation, Cardiology: Shantisa Fulgham

  • Marcus, Neonatology, Infectious Disease: Margie Varnado

  • Leukemia Lymphoma, Neuro-Oncology, BMT, Gene Therapy, Hematology, HemThrom, Sickle Cell, Solid Tumor, Survivor: Melissa Maxwell and Ashley Crawley

  • Gastroenterology, General Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine: Preethi Reddy-Veluri

IRB

How to Determine if Your Project Needs IRB Review

​All projects must meet the following definition of research, whether it requires IRB approval or not: 

  • Research means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. 

The following question may help you determine whether a research project needs to be reviewed by IRB:

  • Does your research involve a living individual about whom you are obtaining identifiable information or biospecimens? The Office for Human Research Protections issues multiple decision charts to help researchers with this question. You can find those decision charts here. 
    • If yes or uncertain, submit to the IRB. If no, no submission is required to the IRB.

If you are unsure whether your project is human subjects research, we recommend that you request an official determination from the IRB.

Potential IRB determinations may include:

  • The project does not require IRB review because it does not meet the definition of research with human subjects or clinical investigations.
  • The project is human subjects research, but is exempt from further IRB review and approval because it meets the criteria for exemption under 45 CFR 46.101(b). Explanations of exempt categories are available here. An example of a project that may result in this determination is a retrospective chart review using data previously collected for research purposes. Only an IRB can determine if a project meets the criteria for exemption.
  • The project qualifies for expedited IRB review. Explanations of expedited categories are available here. Only an IRB can determine if a project meets the criteria for expedited review.
  • The project requires full IRB review.
  • ​The HHS Office for Human Research Protections' decision chart provides a helpful visual.

When to Obtain IRB Approval

You do NOT need to obtain IRB approval prior to submitting your application. You may wait until after you receive notice of being selected for award prior to submitting your request for IRB approval.

However, if your project involves human subjects, you must:

  • Submit the Protections for Human Subjects Section with your application regardless of IRB status.
  • Obtain and submit IRB approval in order to release funds if your application is approved. Official Notices of Award are NOT released to financial offices until IRB approval is recieved. 
    • Some people prefer to submit their IRB application as soon as possible to avoid any potential delays in starting their project, since decision notices are not typically sent until late May/early June and the awards start July 1. IRB turnaround time can vary depending on the project and specific IRB determination. 

Templates & Examples

Examples & Boilerplates

  • Budget Justification Categories
  • Biosketch ​Format page found here
  • Biosketch Instructions found here
  • Biosketch Sample found here
    • Scholastic Performance (section D) is NOT required for this application
  • Example Warshaw Award (note - required components have changed from previous cycles)
  • Example Buchter Award (note - required components have changed from previous cycles)

Points of Contact

General Application Questions
Megan Vallowe, PhD
Assistant Director of Programs

Grant Writing Questions
Julie Lollar Hawk, PhD
Proposal Development Associate

Megan Vallowe, PhD
Assistant Director of Programs

Stacy Heilman, PhD
Director, Pediatric Research Operations 

Clinical Research Questions

Sarah Marie Huban, MA, CIP, CHRC
Director, Clinical Research Services

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1) For what types of research may these grants be used?

  • Funds may be used for any type of child health-related research, including basic, clinical, translational, and outcomes research.
  • Proposed research must be hypothesis driven and should describe a discrete project that can be accomplished in the time and budget allotted.
  • Proposed research must be realistic and achievable within a one year project period and the requested budget. The most common issues with proposals from new scientists is overstating the deliverables; your project must be realistic and achievable. You may include a section on future research directions if you wish.
  • PLEASE NOTE: These are not travel awards. Funds may not be used for travel, including travel to present the results of the research at conferences.

2) Can I use a core located at another institution?

  • Yes. While we encourage you to use cores in the Emory Department of Pediatrics or other departments at Emory, you may include cores from other institutions.

3) Does this application require institutional sign-off and do I need to notify RAS of my intent to submit an application?

  • Institutional signoff is not required and you do not need to notify RAS of your application, but you do need to work with your assigned departmental financial analyst on the budget (as specified above).

4) Do I need an an eRA Commons ID to apply for a Fellow or Resident Research Fund award?

  • No, you do not need an eRA Commons ID. You may leave that section of the biosketch blank.

5) If I received a previous Fellow or Resident Research Award, am I eligible to receive another one?

  • Yes, previous awardees are eligible to apply for another award, either for a second year of funding for your original project or for an entirely new and different research project. 
  • If you are applying for a second year of funding for your original project, there is space in the application to upload a one page progress report. Please be sure to specifically address how a second year of funding would enhance your project.

6) Are any other funds available to help with publication costs?

  • Yes. Emory University's Open Access Publishing Fund provides funds to make it easier for Emory authors to publish in open access (OA) journals and books when no alternative funding is available. The goal is to foster the exploration of new and innovative publishing models across research communities. Please click here for more information.

7) May I submit more than one application?

  • Yes, but if both applications are deemed meritorious, you may only select one to be funded.

1) My project involves human subjects research that is covered under a pre-existing approved IRB protocol for a larger study. What IRB information should I submit?

  • Complete all IRB questions on the application.
  • Upload a copy of the approved IRB protocol and highlight the content related to your project.

2) My project uses human specimens collected under a protocol for a different study that included a statement in the consent form that gave permission for the specimens to be used for future research. Is my project still considered human subjects research?

  • Yes, your project is still considered human subjects research.
  • Answer yes to the human subjects question and complete all IRB fields on the application.
  • Highlight the portion of the IRB protocol that specifically relates to your project, including the statement in the consent form that gives permission for the specimens to be used for future research.

3) How do I know if I need to include a Protections for Human Subjects Section and Target Enrollment Table?

  • If the IRB states that a Protections for Human Subjects Section and Target Enrollment Table are required, then you need to include these documents with your application *even if* you have not yet submitted them to the IRB.
  • Applications that are missing these two documents will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
  • Regarding the Target Enrollment Table:
    • ​You must use the NIH template for this table.
    • Ensure your total planned enrollment equals the total of all subjects.
    • If your project uses a convenience sample or existing deidentified data, you should estimate enrollment based on the characteristics of the population you're recruiting from.
    • It is not sufficient to state, "We will enroll male and female patients from all ethnic and racial categories." Most populations do not include equal representation of all racial categories (i.e. there are not typically equal numbers of whites and American Indian/Alaska Natives in most populations).

4) Do I need a Protections for Human Subjects Section if I am only conducting a chart review?

  • Yes, you must include a Protections for Human Subjects Section even if your project is a retrospective chart review.
  • This section should detail the following points:
    • The project entails no more than minimal risks to patients, the data was already collected for clinical care, any sensitive data being collected, minimized personal identifiers, how data will be stored, steps to minimize the risk of breach of confidentiality, etc.
    • Waiving consent; is the data being collected from procedures that would occur regardless of the research study, will there be findings that could impact their ongoing care, will the results from the study be placed in the patient’s medical record, will there be any contact with the patients whose records are being accessed for the study, etc.

1) What is the difference between a mentor and co-mentor?  

  • The mentor is your primary sponsor for research.
  • A co-mentor provides knowledge and resources instrumental to completion of your research project.

2) What should be included in the abstract?

  • Include: the project’s broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, and a description of the research design and method.
  • Approach it as a brief summary of what you are planning, why it is important, and if your hypothesis is correct, what you will be able to conclude at the end of the grant and possible next steps.
  • Keep in mind that when a grant gets funded, it is usually the abstract that gets posted for public consumption so that people can get a general idea for what you’ve proposed and why it is a good use of funds (i.e. the potential impact of the findings).
  • More information is available on this NIH webpage.

3) Is there someone who can review and provide feedback on my application before I submit it?

  • Yes, the Department of Pediatrics Grant Editing and Manuscript Support (GEMS) Core can review and assist with editing your application. Requests received at least 2 weeks before the grant application deadline are guaranteed to be reviewed and edited. You may submit a request less than two weeks before the grant application deadline, but staff may not have time to review your request and the amount of editing will be less than if you submitted it earlier.
  • You may also sign-up for a 1-on-1 writing appointment with Dr. Julie Hawk or Dr. Megan Vallowe. Individual writing appointments are only available from February 1st through March 31st. To book an appointment, please use this booking page.