This LibGuide is the current incarnation of the Virtual Research Library, "...an electronic collection of research-related resources created as a collaboration between the Nepalese Association of Palliative Care (NAPCare) and the University of Virginia Sc
After a grant is awarded, successful project management is important to ensure all objectives are met on the established timeline.
It is very important to decide on a consistent system to manage and store documents, track project progress, and record research decisions (often called an ‘audit trail’).
Depending on your needs and institutional resources, online project management tools (for example, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Trello) and/or shared document programs (e.g., Box, Google Docs) can be very useful. Many tools/programs have a free option, although often with fewer features.
Budget tracking and monitoring are especially important. Accurate and complete financial records must be kept in accordance with institutional and funder requirements.
Every funder is different and will have different reporting and financial requirements. Be sure you understand the expectations and adhere to all requirements!
Complete and submit all required funder reports and updates on time.
The Principal Investigator (PI) should schedule regular meetings with all team members and establish a clear plan to communicate project responsibilities and progress. It is important to set clear expectations about who is responsible for doing what and when.
This resource is from a private company selling software solutions to help with grant management, but it provides helpful general information that is clear and well-written.
This is a good, general overview of grants administration and management, especially regarding financial reporting. It is not clinical research/health-specific, but more focused on charities and non-profit organizations. However, many key principles still apply.
This comprehensive document from the World Health Organization offers the experiences and practices of grants management and/or research costing in institutions within Africa, Asia, and Latin America, including how indirect costs are applied to project budgets, how indirect cost recovery rates (ICRR) are calculated and how recovered indirect costs are distributed and used. Full of practical and relevant tips to manage research budgets in the context of low and middle-income countries.
This is a helpful article about health science grant management and describes lessons learned in post-award management. Unfortunately, it is not available as open-access but you can order it through the publisher, request it through your institution if applicable, or try through an open-access research database.
Financial support for research can help buy supplies and materials, pay staff and faculty for their time, support institutional overhead, and compensate research participants.
Financial support for clinical health research typically comes through grants, which can be extramural (larger grants from outside of your home institution) or intramural (smaller grants from inside your own institution).
The most common types of extramural grants include: 1) federal or government grants; 2) foundation/philanthropic grants; or 3) private industry grants, such as from pharmaceutical companies.
Different funding sources have different application requirements. Sometimes these can be very complex. It is important to apply to grants that are a good match with the project goals and objectives.
This is a link to a very helpful overview paper that is part of an excellent 8-part ‘how-to’ series commissioned by the International Federation of Emergency Medicine. The content applies to many types of healthcare research in low and middle-income countries.
This is an outstanding video from a physician in Africa who provides many practical suggestions for beginning researchers in low and middle-income countries, including how to find funding for research projects.
This website is fairly technical, but it describes the types of grants available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest funder of biomedical research in the U.S.
This website provides a summary of different clinical research funding options, with a helpful section on ‘disease specific private grants,’ however some of the options may only apply to researchers in the U.S. (Note: this resource is from a private lab company.)
This link describes a new funding program through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in the United Kingdom to strengthen research capacity in low and middle-income countries, with a focus on establishing Global Health Research Centers in Non-Communicable Diseases.
A nice and clear summary of different grant funding options. It is from the University of Michigan in the U.S., but it includes links to global funding directories.
Note: this resource is a bit older (2008), but it is from the World Health Organization and lists international funding agencies and interviewed key members of the organizations for advice and suggestions. The tables are particularly helpful.
This topic includes the key elements to a successful grant proposal to help potential applicants navigate the complex pathways of the grant application process.
Preparing and submitting grant proposals requires time and attention to detail.
Requirements for grant proposals can be very specific and complex, depending on the funder/sponsor. It is essential to understand what is required for your specific proposal. Failure to follow the directions or meet the deadline(s) will typically disqualify your proposal.
Grant proposals are often not funded on the first submission. Often, you must take feedback from reviewers, revise the grant proposal and resubmit it for consideration. Don’t give up – perseverance is important!
This article provides an excellent, clear, and brief overview of general grant writing principles, with a slight focus on National Institute of Health (NIH) grant proposals.
This 40-page PDF describes the planning and researching a funding proposal before you write it; how to write the proposal; and the follow-up required once it is written and sent off. An example proposal is provided at the end.
This resource is from the Fogarty International Center of the NIH, which tends to fund the most global research. The page has many helpful embedded links and webinars. There are many training programs available to clinicians and researchers in LMICs.
These real-world examples are from the NIH National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Control & Population Sciences. There is also a funding webinar on the same page.
A very nice, clear, brief evidence-based article about writing successful grant proposals. Has a slant towards NIH proposals, but includes general principles that can apply broadly.