NIGMS Postdoctoral Research Associate Training (PRAT .

NIGMS Postdoctoral ResearchAssociate Training (PRAT) ProgramApplicant WebinarProgram Overview and ApplicationWebinar – June 22, 2021

Today’s Webinar - ParticipantsPRAT Program Leadership Desirée Salazar, Ph.D., PRAT DirectorEdgardo Falcon, Ph.D., PRAT Co-DirectorPRAT Fellows and Alumni 2Philip Adams, Ph.D., NICHDSofia Beas, Ph.D., NIMHSofiya Hupalo, Ph.D., NINDSTommy Vo, Ph.D., NCI

Tweet us!Follow us @NIGMSTrainingUse #NIGMSPRAT3

Today’s Webinar - Format4 PRAT program PRAT application process & review Hearing from PRAT fellows! Your questions

PRAT Program5

NIGMS PRAT Program Competitive three-year postdoctoral fellowship program thatprovides high quality research training in the basic biomedicalsciences in NIH intramural research laboratories, andprepares fellows for leadership positions in biomedicalcareers Provides stipend, health insurance, and travel/trainingallowance Access to extensive NIH resources – facilities, expertise,collaborations, and office of intramural training and education Structured postdoctoral program with defined ing/Pages/PRAT.aspx

PRAT Curriculum ionMentorshipServiceBiomedicalEcosystemKnowledge

Sample of PRAT Training Activities Seminar series (twice per month)o UT Southwestern, University of Arizona, Children’s National HealthSystem, MBL, CSU Long Beach, UC Davis, NIAID Professional skills development & communications trainingo Three Minute Talkso DISC Workshop – Understanding your Behavioral Styleo NIH Funding PanelAnnual Symposium – “Diversity, Equity and ScientificExcellence”o8Keynote speakers: Namandjé Bumpus (Hopkins); Gina Poe (UCLA)

Sample of PRAT Training ActivitiesEstablished & Early Career Scientific LeadersJulie FunkUniversity of Arizona Arturo ZavalaCalifornia State University,Long BeachAnnual Scientific SymposiumNamandjé BumpusJohns Hopkins University9Gina PoeUCLAMichael D.L. JohnsonUniversity of Arizona2020 NIGMS Director’s EarlyCareer Investigator Lecturer

Recent PRAT Alumni – Career OutcomesSample of Post-PRAT Institutions10%38%21%31%10Academia (n 29)Government (n 24)Industry (n 16)Other (n 8)N 77 PRAT alumni (2005 – /prat-alumni.aspx

PRAT Application Process & Review11

NIGMS PRAT Program - Eligibility Citizenship - US citizens and permanent residents Scientific focus – All research areas supported by NIGMS Career stageo Current NIH postdocs must have started no earlier than June 1, 2020o Graduate students who intend to begin postdoc experience at NIH byfall 2022We are especially interested in ensuring the applicant poolreflects the diversity of the biomedical Ph.D. talent pool.12

NIGMS Research Areas 13Biological chemistryBiophysicsBioinformaticsCell & molecular biologyComputationalbiosciencesDevelopmental biology gyTechnology development

Currently 23 PRAT Fellows at 11 g/prat/pages/prat-fellows.aspxNHGRI (n 3)NIAMS (n 3)NICHD (n 3)NIDA (n 3)NCI (n 2)NIAID (n 2)NIDDK (n 2)NINDS (n 2)CC (n 1)NCCIH (n 1)NIEHS (n 1)

Identifying a Mentor15 The NIH Intramural Program has approximately 1200investigators who can be identified by scientific focusarea or by name OITE webpage of postdoc positions (career services tab)Intramural Training Directors can also be extremelyhelpful in understanding training opportunities andmentors in their institutes

PRAT Application Process Competitive application process - Fi2 (i intramural)mechanism with applications submitted via grants.govo 9-286.htmlRead everything thoroughly Specific guidance for each part of the application (e.g. length,content, due date) 16Begin or continue record of independent s/PAR-19-286.html

NIH Application application-guide.html

NIGMS PRAT Program – R-19-286.html18FOA Funding Opportunity Announcement

Important Dates:Due Date – October 4, 2021 (work with Institute Signing Official early)Review timeframe- Feb/March 2022Selection – May/June 2022Starting Date – September /PAR-19-286.html

Interacting with Institute AOR Application needs to be submitted by Institute where proposed work will beconducted. Each Institute has one or more designated AORs. Make sure you contact your AOR early in the process Many can be found here: faq.aspx#q7Contact desiree.salazar@nih.gov or edgardo.falcon@nih.gov if you need help identifyingwho this is The AOR will submit the application on your behalf and has importantinformation you need. The AOR needs to create an eRA Commons account for PI and Sponsor(s) You will need to schedule a time to upload your grant with your AOR.Respect the AOR’s deadlines.20AOR Authorized Organization Representative

Application 101 Terminology The institute where you perform the work (e.g. NIMH) is the applicantYou, the postdoc, are the PI (no multi-PIs)Your preceptor is the sponsor (you can have multiple) Ensure all requirements of the FOA are met –incomplete applications are returned without review Demonstrate integration of research and trainingcomponents, and additional training potential Contact AOR early in the process21AOR Authorized Organization Representative

Leadership Statement (1 page) 22Past leadership and service activities in the scientificcommunity, or to enhance public engagement orunderstanding of scientific researchCommitment to diversity in the biomedical sciences, andyour leadership, mentoring and outreach activities toenhance diversity – especially involving groupsunderrepresented in the biomedical research enterprisePlanned activities during the fellowship to develop orenhance leadership skillsThe leadership statement is a required component ofthe PRAT application. Applications without aleadership statement will not be reviewed.

PRAT Application – Tips for Successful ReviewFellowship Applicanto Tell your storyo Clearly articulate career goalSponsors, Collaborators and Consultantso Important to provide a detailed and tailored plan for you (e.g.,mentorship, career advancement)o Robust training plan, mentoring and training record (as applicable)o If multiple mentors, explain how they’ll work together for your trainingo Use current NIH biosketcho Collaborators should provide letters of support (different fromreference letter)23

PRAT Application – Tips for Successful ReviewResearch Training Plano Rationale Significance – literature/preliminary data supporting feasibility Central hypothesis (in addition to aim specific hypotheses)o Approach Ambitious but not unrealistic Aims should be related but not interdependent Discuss expected outcomes, potential challenges, and alternative strategiesStatistical analysis (e.g., sample size, power analysis) andattention to relevant biological variableso Avoid jargon, and don’t “oversell” proposal24

PRAT Application – Tips for Successful Review Training Potentialo Clarify training benefit (e.g., new system, techniques, or skills)o Can include OITE programs, FAES Courses, conferences, etc.o Should include PRAT program activitiesInstitutional Environment and Commitment to Trainingo Why this is the best environment to conduct the proposed researchtrainingThe entire application is reviewed — a rigorous researchproposal is necessary but not sufficient25

Criteria for Application Withdrawal For any application due date, multipleapplications have the same primary sponsor. Missing biosketch for any key personnel (PI orsponsors) or leadership statement. Inappropriate or incomplete letters of reference.o Three letters of reference are requiredo Key personnel on the application (e.g. your sponsor andcollaborators) cannot provide reference letters.26

Reference Letters Electronic submission of a letter of reference is a separateprocess from application submission.Reference letters are submitted directly through the eRACommons and do not use Grants.govThis process requires that the referee be provided:o The PI’s (candidate’s) eRA Commons user name,o The PI’s first and last name as they appear on the PI’s eRACommons account, ando The number assigned to this Funding Opportunity Announcement 27(PAR-19-286).Letters can be submitted well in advance of applicationbeing submitted—ask early.Letters are due 5 PM on due date. NO GRACE PERIOD

Common Mistakes – Big Picture Not giving yourself enough time to:o Identify a mentor in the NIH Intramural Research Programo Work on the proposalo Work with the AOR on logistics of submission28 Incomplete application – letters of reference,biosketch, or leadership statement Forgetting to send an update if a paper isaccepted between submission and review of rat/pages/prat-timeline.aspx

Hearing from PRAT Fellows29

Philip Adams (NICHD) “Discovering RNA regulators in theLyme disease pathogen”Sofia Beas (NIMH) “A thalamo-striatal pathway mediatingadaptive behaviors following homeostatic challenges”Sofiya Hupalo (NINDS) “Prefrontal-hippocampal-thalamiccircuit function in a SETD1A-deficient model ofschizophrenia risk”Tommy Vo (NCI) "Investigating the traffic-controlmechanisms directing epigenetic gene regulation"30

NIGMS PRAT Program – 2022 Recruitment 31Timelineo October 4, 2021 – Application deadlineo February/March 2022 – Peer reviewo May/June 2022 – Notificationo September 2022 – PRAT startPRAT home pagePRAT Funding Opportunity AnnouncementFor more information – desiree.salazar@nih.gov andedgardo.falcon@nih.gov & follow us @NIGMSTraining

Extramural NIH Training Opportunities forPostdocsNIGMS Division of Training Workforce Development andDiversity F32IRACDAResearch Supplements to Promote DiversityNIH Extramural Research Training Website32

Questions?33

Thank you for listening & goodluck with your application!

PRAT Fellows and Alumni . Provides stipend, health insurance, and travel/training . Johns Hopkins University. Gina Poe. UCLA. Michael D.L. Johnson. University of Arizona. 2020 NIGMS Director’s Early. Career