Research

Research Career Consultation Guidelines

Career consultations at CON are conducted to provide consultations by senior faculty on junior faculty research career trajectory.
It is highly recommended for all new faculty in professorial ranks .

Format: Each faculty member will present information on

• Area of study
• Relevant prior work/outcomes
  • Publications
  • Grants
• Future plans and sources of funding
  

The remaining will focus on feedback from the consultants and discussion of future plans.
Please call or email Ann Pach to reserve your consultation session:
6-7826 or annepach@uic.edu

 

Think Tanks

Think tanks can be held as a strategic planning sessions at any stage of research development. They can be held to brainstorm about the directions of a proposal or how to respond to an RFP. They can be held in stages so that more that one think tank is held, leading to a proposal. It is recommended that novices in grant writing hold think tanks after drafting the introduction and specific aims prior to mock reviews. Think tanks also can be held to review data and develop plans for publications and presentations. Two to three faculty members, generally who are active researchers, will act as a creative team to brainstorm directions or review background and aims or discuss dissemination.

• Think tanks are scheduled on the first and third Wednesday of the month from 12 to 2 pm in Room 611. However, additional times will be added if the demand is high.
• You are encouraged to use a tape recorder or have an additional note taker available.
• As PI, you are encouraged to invite key co-investigators.
• Schedule the think tank at least 4-6 months prior to submission if the study is in the formative stage.
• Schedule a think tank 2 - 3 months prior to submission if the introduction and aims are drafted.
• A draft of the introduction and aims should be sent to the reviewers 2-5 days prior to the think tank.
• Pre and post doctoral students and faculty are invited unless the investigator requests a closed session.
  

Mock Reviews

Mock reviews are designed to put a grant proposal through a process that represents the actual review process at a funding agency, most particularly the NIH. The purpose is to identify areas for strengthening the aims, background, and methods, and packaging the proposal to be successful/competitive at the outside review. The author(s) should not think of it as a defense of a proposal but rather an intellectual interchange to strengthen it scientifically. Two to three faculty members, who have experience participating on NIH review panels, become the reviewers for the grant proposal. Typically, these review sessions take two hours. Limited space is made available for faculty, predoc and post doctoral students to observe the process and learn from scientific critique.

• Mock reviews are scheduled on the first and third Wednesday of the month from 2 to 4 pm in Room 611. However, additional times will be added if the demand is high.
• As PI, you are encouraged to invite key co-investigators.
• You are encouraged to use a tape recorder or have an additional note taker available.
• Schedule the mock review at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to submission.
• A completed or near completed draft should be emailed to the reviewers 3-5 working days prior to the meeting.
• Pre and post doctoral students and faculty are invited unless the investigator requests a closed session.

Please call or email Anne Pach to reserve your think tank/mock review session:
annepach@uic.edu , 312-996-7826