Page 32 - Dare to Make an Impact

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How to come back after a rejection letter:
• Carefully read the reviewers’ summary statement.
It will summarize the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal, and give you nuances of what happened during the peer review discussion. Remember, reviewer feedback may be vague or contradictory. Consult an experienced colleague or mentor to help you translate the feedback into useable advice.
• Analyze reviewer feedback with a critical eye.
Are the weaknesses minor and easily fixable? Did you get a fairly good score, but didn’t quite make the cut? Then consider resubmitting the proposal quickly. This will increase your odds of targeting the same reviewers who were receptive to your proposal.
• Don’t recycle the same flawed proposal.
In some peer review sessions (such as NIH) proposals are triaged. Those with higher scores get discussed for possible funding, while those with lower scores are “not discussed.” If your proposal is “not discussed,” don’t rush to resubmit right away. Take a step back and immerse yourself in your field for a while. Get a fresh infusion of new ideas. Get feedback from trusted advisors. This will allow you to reinvent and revise your proposal in a way far more compelling than you originally planned!
Learning the art of grant writing is an investment that will pay off. While writing grants is only one aspect of your life as a successful scholar, it is crucial if you want to forge your path and grow as a researcher. We hope that this book helps you become more confident and comfortable at launching and growing your research career, and that you feel equipped to begin crafting the academic career of your dreams, one grant proposal at a time.