The SERCC provides several types of grant-writing resources. Use these accordions to navigate to those of interest.

SERCC Templates and Embedded Examples

SERCC Boilerplate Text and Examples

SERCC Presentations

Developed in collaboration with the University of Iowa Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)

  • What's in an Aims Page? (PDF | Recording*)
  • Achieving Clarity in Scientific Writing (PDF | Recording*)
  • Addressing Rigor and Reproducibility in the Research Strategy (Significance & Approach) (PDF | Recording*)
  • Considerations for the Research Training Plan (PDF | Recording*)
  • Writing an NIH Biosketch and Obtaining Letters of Recommendation, SERCC Staff, Presentation (PDF | Recording*)

Other

  • Writing for Success, SERCC Staff (PDF available on request: Contact us)

  • Thinking Like a Reviewer: Strategies to Improve Grant Success, Deborah J. Frank, Seminar (PDF | Recording*)

  • Rigor and Reproducibility in NIH Grants, Panel Discussion (Recording*)

  • Advice on Rigor and Reproducibility, Deborah J. Frank (PDF)

  • Rigor and Reproducibility in NIH Grants, SERCC Staff, Presentation (PDF | Recording*)

  • Grants, Grantsmanship, and Peer Review – NIH Career (K) and Research (R) Grants, SERCC Staff, Presentation (PDF)

  • Writing an NIH Biosketch and Obtaining Letters of Recommendation, SERCC Staff, Presentation (PDF)

* If you are outside the University of Iowa, please Contact us to access videos.

Timetable for Preparing a Grant

Resources Specific to Graduate Students

Sources for Example Proposals

  • UI Research Development Office (RDO) Proposal Library (HawkID required)
    • Graduate Student Proposals
      • Includes examples of funded proposals for NIH NRSA, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and others
      • From the Grant Writing Resources folder, click on Sample Proposals and Supporting Documents and then Graduate Student Proposals
    • Career Development (K) awards
      • The following K awards can be found in the indicated subfolders
        • K01 – NHLBI subfolder, funded | NIA subfolder, funded
        • K08 – NIDCR subfolder, funded
        • K22 – NCI subfolder, funded | NIAID subfolder, funded 
        • K99 – NHLBI subfolder, funded | NIAID subfolder, funded | NIAMS subfolder, not funded
      • From the Grant Writing Resources folder, click on Sample Proposals and Supporting Documents and then NIH Proposals; navigate to the institute to identify one of the examples listed above.
      • Note: K awards differ from fellowships in that they are geared toward individuals who are further along in their training (e.g., postdocs and fellows), but they are similar in that they emphasize training as well as research.
  • UI Graduate Student Professional Development Resources: Sample Fellowship Applications (HawkID required)
  • NIAID website (scroll down the page to get to the training grants).
  • OpenGrants: Grants by Program. 
  • NSF Fellowship Examples (advice and examples collated by Alex Lang)
  • NIH RePORTER 
    • Search for fellowship proposals that were recently awarded to trainees at the University of Iowa. 
    • Once you identify some funded applications, you could reach out and explain that you are looking for examples and ask if they would be willing to share the proposal with you. 

Offices and Centers that Provide Support for Scientific Writing 

Other UI Resources

From Funding Agencies
  • NIH

​      Note: NIH to replace funding opportunity announcement (FOA) with notice of funding opportunity (NOFO)

Example Reviewer Forms

Articles/Blogs on Grant Writing

Books on Grant Writing

Other

NIH Data Management Plans
Upcoming changes at NIH