MiNaG@VNIT

Research Grants
Rajendra M. Patrikar

Department of Electronics Engineering

VISVESVARAYA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,NAGPUR

Industrial Revolutions

Industrial Revolutions

First Revolution
(17801840)
Based in United Kingdom
Steam Engine
Textile Industry
Mechanical Engineering

Industrial Revolutions

Second Revolution
(18401900)
Based in Europe
England, France, Germany
Railways
Steel Industry

Industrial Revolutions

Third Revolution
(19001950)
Based in United States
Electric Engine
Heavy Chemicals
Automobiles
Consumer Durables

Industrial Revolutions

Fourth Revolution
(1950Present)
Based in Pacific Basin
California, Japan
Synthetics
Microelectronics
Computers

The Next Industrial Revolution

Fifth Revolution
(2010? ??)
Based in Developing World?
China? Thialand? Brazil?
Nanotechnology
Molecular Manufacturing

Industrial Revolution
Revolution
(17801840)
Based in United Kingdom
Steam Engine
Textile Industry
Mechanical Engineering

What happened at the end of the eighteenth

century, with the first industrial revolution, is that
the reciprocal of this equation was discovered:
No technology without wealth, and no wealth
without technology.
A technical apparatus requires an investment; but
since it optimizes the efficiency of the task to
which it is applied, it also optimizes the surplusvalue to be realized, in other words, for the product
of the task preformed to be sold.

And the system can be sealed in the following

way:
a portion of the sale is recycled into a research
fund dedicated to further performance
improvement.
It is at this precise moment science becomes a
force of production, in other words, a moment in
the circulation of capital.

188

The British
Empire, People
thought, will

Industrial Revolution

Increased automation and information technology

means:
Low-skilled jobs are disappearing
540 man-days to unload a cargo ship now 8 mandays
Labour costs now 12-15% in the car industry
compared with 30% of 40 years ago
.

Industrial Revolution
Social consequences are:
Dramatic increase in casual and part-time jobs
Disappearance of the middle class
Knowledge workers receive premium rewards
Accentuated polarisation of income distribution
Very high degree of social polarisation
Socio-economic divide of capital cities

THE NEW ECONOMY challenge

Technology drives over 80% of economic

growth
Knowledge is the key factor input to technology
OECD coined knowledge-based economy

Exponential Growth
#1
1 grain of rice

d
#18
small wastebasket

d
d

#27
large table

d
d

d
d

#37
entire room

#64
1019 grains
surface of Earth

Exponential Growth

#1
First transistor
(1947)

d
d

d
d

d
34

d
d

d
d

Rising Inequities

Inequities are rising within and between

countries
Assets of worlds 3 richest people exceed
combined GDP of poorest 48 countries
1.2 billion people living on less than $1 a day
and 2.6 billion on less than $2 a day.

Asymmetry in scientific spending vs incomes

Income

Research =
(OECD:LIE)

60 times (OECD:LIE)
250 times

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

OECD countries contribute 94% of scientific literature

OECD Countries account for 85% of total R & D
expenditure

Research

Research
No person ever said on his death bed: I only
wish I had earned more money in my life, he
said.
When it gets to the end one wants to look
back and have the feeling that one was
important in the lives of others, perhaps to
have changed them positively. He said it was
his blessing to be a scientist.
-Dr Bischofberger

Underlying Models: Classic Systemic

Models
MARKET
PULL
Applied
R&D

Performance
or Production
Problems

Product
Enhancement

Need
Changes

Pure
Science

Applied
Science

Technology
Development

Commercial
Application

SCIENCE
PUSH

Research
1. Choose a (guide) / Topic
2. Literature Search
3. Experiments
4. Paper Publications
(http://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php)
5. Report Writing, Data Collection &
Presentation.
6. Statistical Analysis of Data and Sampling
7. Making a Presentation
Copyright: David Thiel 2009

Research Topic

Identify Technology Battle

Conformal vs. Non conformal
(Always start with conformal but go for )

Avoid Low lying fruits

Thinking Outside the Box:

An informal discussion of research

methodology, which is not necessarily
contained to only engineering topics or
other typical areas or only to phd work, but
mostly with that perspective.

Thinking

Research is not easy!

Try to get rid off the Einsteins syndrom as soon as
possible.
Arrogance will lead to disaster.
Be ready to spend more than 40 hours a week
working (whether you are in industry, in a
government lab, or in academia.
probably more so for the latter) for the rest of your life!
Serendipity is the exception rather than the rule!

The worst pitfall of them all!

The more important the subject is to the researcher the
more he or she needs to be on guard to avoid getting so
caught up in it as to become a crusader rather than a
detached enquirer.
The more important the subject, the more necessary it is
that the conclusions be subjected to the most rigorous
testing. One has to play devils advocate to ones own
research findings. (P. Raimond, p.55, management
projects, Chapman & Hall, 1993)

Results

By playing the devils advocate to your own work, you

will identify in advance where the attack may come
from, and where there are weaknesses in the defense.
This is never a justification for falsifying the evidence or
for overstating a case.
Once that sin is committed and discovered the research
and the researcher have lost all credibility FOR EVER.

Dont be afraid to change the problem or question.

Dont be afraid to solve trivial problems first.
Invent toy problems to get understanding:
Try to find the simplest possible non-trivial
instance of your problem, and see if you can
solve it!

Ask good questions

Dont Put Arbitrary Constraints on Yourself

Everyone does this, sometimes unintentionally

Especially New Students
Even Faculty
Including Me =)

The Intuitive Linear View

Chang
e
Time
The problem is human perspective, what Ray Kurzweil calls the
Intuitive Linear View. When we see something that looks like
a straight line, we naturally assume that it is. Although change
occurs around us every day, unless we look closely we may not
notice it. So, we logically think that last week, last month, and last
year were like today, and that next year and a few years after
that wont be much different either.

1885:
No such thing as automobiles or
airplanes.

1926

192

No such thing
as television or

195
7:

No such thing
as
communications
satellites

196

No such thing as
desktop computers or

"It will be years,

not in my time,
before a woman
will become
Prime Minister.
Margaret

1974

Thatcher

198
6:

No such thing as
the World Wide
Web.

Good Practice: Literature Survey

DAILY!!!!!!!!!
Use the web! http://www.libraries.***.edu
Use Institute for Scientific Information!
You can search by authors, subject index,
Journal, year of publication, ..
Bottom line: READ, READ, and READ
Know the work of others or you will never be an expert
It is good to walk to a library.
DONT JUST CLICK!... Sitting at your desk!
Also, check the IEEE ACM Los Alamos websites

Good Practice (contd)

Use a logbook (even if your are a theoretician)

Crosscheck results at LEAST 3 times.
Have derivations or experimental data
checked by peers.
Immediately summarize what you have read.
If it going part of a paper or thesis.
Never cite a paper without reading it!

Results

(Journal Paper, Conference Presentation, Seminar,

Thesis defense,).
(1) Honesty is the KEY.
(2) Before presenting them, YOU must spend much
time trying to prove them wrong.
(3) Have papers read by peers, rehearse in front of
friends, memorize your first talk (it will get easier
with age.)
(4) Never write an abstract the day before it is due.

Why Funding?

Enables research
Attracts Ph.D. students
Can build collaborations, increase exposure
Measure of quality
Helps school -- overhead and student support,
which provides growth
Can help in promotion

Funding Cautions
Develop coherent research program
Do not distract from publications or other
creative endeavors
Continuity of support
Effort should not be overwhelming
Better to pass an opportunity, than to embark
on one with little chance of success
Be prepared for rejection

Creating the Strategy

Set your own vision: what do you want to
be known for 5 years from now
Assess your own capabilities and passions for
research
Identify capabilities that you can leverage here
at USC -- do not become isolated
Create milestones needed for tenure

More Strategy
Assess the Market
Identify agencies and programs that fund
related research
Determine how your vision can be crafted to
match funding priorities
Create a proposal writing schedule

Exercise
Imagine you are writing your personal
statement for promotion, five years for now:
describe your area of research and
accomplishments as though you have
already achieved them
Assess: how critical is funding in fulfilling
your vision

Next Steps in Securing Funding

1. Identify relevant funding agencies

2. Research the programs
3. Get to know the program officer
4. Write a responsive proposal
5. Get feedback and revise

1. Identify relevant agencies

Goal: find the sources of funding
Contact your peers, mentors, and elsewhere
Find out where other universities get
funding in your area
Attend relevant conferences
Search the web

2. Research the programs

Goal: determine priorities and selection process
Read material on the web
Program priorities, who has been funded and for what, review
process; who decides and how peer review is conducted; total
dollars; size and duration of awards; success rate

Contact program officer

What is the real story on funding; obtain suggestions on how to
structure proposal; volunteer to be on review panel

Contact other people who have been funded

What did it take for them to get funded; get example of a funded
proposal

3. Write a Responsive Proposal

Goal: Be responsive, innovative and
communicate well
Parse the RFP; make sure that you have
addressed all requirements
Write the proposal for the audience
(understand who are the reviewers)
Create an appropriate budget and plan
Excel in all categories

4. Develop Concept

Understand literature and needs

Build from your strengths
Identify/develop partners
Reaction from colleagues and peers

4a. Writing
Follow section format exactly
Clear statement of benefits and significance: in
abstract, introduction, conclusions
Complete review of relevant literature
Include clear schedule, and describe the
deliverables
Justify budget expenditures
Present your qualification

5. Get Feedback and Revise

Goal: Make sure you got it right
Complete proposal at least 3 weeks before
deadline
Show proposal to a peer who knows your
area of work well
Show proposal to a peer who is not a
specialist in your area
Show proposal to a non-researcher

Proposal Writing
A good research proposal demonstrates
innovation and significance within its field
of study

Myths of Proposal Writing

Technical and scientific merits alone
determine winners
Proposals should always be written for the
top experts in your field
Only peers pick proposals
Dont ask your colleagues to review your
proposal -- they wont appreciate it anyway

More Myths
Its a good idea to submit the same proposal
to several agencies
Follow your own writing style -- reviewers
dont care about the guidelines
Dont worry about schedules and
deliverables -- this is research

Reality
Reviewers often do not read proposals
carefully, and they frequently look for the
big idea
Reviewers also look for reasons to deny
proposals -- there should be no holes
Reviewers are not always experts
Managers make the final decision, and
influence the process

What Peers Want

Innovation and significance

Responsiveness to program
Care in writing proposal
Capability to accomplish objectives

What Managers Want

Proposals that fulfill programmatic
priorities
Complementary work (no duplication)
Investigators who are good to work with
No black marks (always deliver on
promises)

Summary
Begin with innovation and significance
Treat programs like customers -- you need
to be responsive
Get as much feedback as possible -- avoid
risks -- you can raise the probability of
being picked

Summary Should do Exactly What is Asked

Project Summary:
Summarize the integrated education and
research activities of the proposed
CAREER project. Note that the Project
Summary must clearly address in separate
statements how the proposal meets both the
Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact
review criteria.

Project Description
Well-argued and specific proposal for activities that will, over
a 5-year period, build a firm foundation for a lifetime of
contributions to integrated research and educational activities
in the context of the PI's organization.
Note that the Project Description may not exceed 15 pages.
Should Include:
A description of the proposed research project, including
preliminary supporting data where appropriate, specific
objectives, methods and procedures to be used, and expected
significance of the results;
A description of the proposed educational activities, including
plans to evaluate their impact;
A description of how the research and educational activities
are integrated with one another; and results of prior support,
if applicable.

Grant Writing Process

Begins with a good idea

Review the components of a successful grant
Apply the model
Evaluate and discuss the plan
Literature review
Analysis of current research/activity in the field
Develop team

Basic Components
The Proposal
Summary
Introduction
Problem Statement
(or Needs
Assessment)
Project Objectives

Project Methods or
Design

Project Evaluation

Project Budget

Future Funding

Traits of a Successful Grant Getter

Research skills
Salesmanship skills
Communication skills
Ingenuity skills
Administrative skills
Human relations

Persistence, dedication,
patience

Ability to work hard

Political awareness and

action

Integrity

SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS

Direct, concise, compelling, convincing, capable

and resourceful
Addresses a significant/important problem
Explicit goals, measurable objectives
Comprehensive but succinct background review
Methodology fits problem
Appropriate funding mechanism

Unsuccessful Applications
Failure to follow directions
Lack of new or original ideas
Diffuse, superficial, or

unfocused research
Lacks clearly stated hypothesis
and rationale
Lack of an overall research
goal; uncertainty about future

directions

Lack of knowledge about

relevant literature
Questionable reasoning in
research design
Lack of demonstrated
experience in selected
methodology (lacks detail)
Format issues
Over-ambitious

Proposal Outline

Summary
Intellectual Merit
Broader Impact
Project Description
Introduction
Research Plan
Objectives
Review of prior research
Supporting data
Methods and procedures
Expected results
Education Plan
Activities
Assessment
Integration or Research and Education
Budget and Schedule
Conclusions

Title of Research Project

Good
Concise title that gives reviewer a general sense
of what you are investigating.
For example:
Understanding the role anti-cell death protein
BNIP3 plays in brain cancers.

Title of Research Project

Reject
Too long and technical of a title will not gain
the reviewers attention or interest.
Too short and broad a title will make the
reviewer too critical of grant.
Example:
Determining the mechanism of action of Bcl-2
family members in regulating apoptotic signaling
complexes within the mitochondria leading to a cure
in cancers.

Broader Impacts
How well does the activity advance discovery and
understanding while promoting teaching, training, and
learning?
How well does the proposed activity broaden the
participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender,
ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?
To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for
research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation,
networks, and partnerships?
Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance
scientific and technological understanding?
What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to
society?

Integration of Research and Education

One of the principal strategies in support, goals is to foster
integration of research and education through the
programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic
and research institutions.
These institutions provide abundant opportunities where
individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as
researchers, educators, and students and where all can
engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the
excitement of discovery and enrich research through the
diversity of learning perspectives.

General Tips and Comments

Take sufficient time to prepare a good abstract,
LOI, or a concept paper
Avoid the use of jargon and acronyms
Always include a budget and budget justification
Be careful when/where you cut and paste: assure
uniformity of font size and type
ALWAYS use a reader and get editorial
assistance

The Task You Face

Clearly Identify the Need

Make sure the needs are those of the target
population

Define the Solution

Use a Problem/Needs approach

Carefully Design the Project

How a problem is defined often determines an
approach to develop a solution

Co-applicants
Good
This could be strength if you are a junior investigator with
a limited track record.
If the investigator lack specific skills, a co-applicant can
bring these skills to the research project.

Reject
It is a weakness to add a co-applicant if they just give you a
reagent
Co-applicant will do most of the project in their
laboratories.

Budget:
Good
Give a detailed account of where you will be spending the
money.
Approximately one third of the budget should go to supplies.

Reject
Graduate students should not be used in budget support since
it is an easy target for reduction due to alternative funding
sources.
Do not justify spending all the budget on personnel.

All other Operating Grants

Good
Declare all operating grants.
Declare 0% or 100% overlap.
In this granting environment it is reasonable to apply
from multiple sources to get funding.

Reject
Do not state 25-50% overlap with other grant.
The review committee going to treat this grant as 100%
overlap.

Non-Scientific Summary
Good

This is used for press releases.

Avoid acronyms
Clearly state why this project is important.
Declare the impact this research
Give it to a non-research friend to read.

Reject
Using technical language is a negative.
Do not use acronyms even if you define them.

Summary of Research Proposal

Good
give a short but informative background to justify the research hypothesis
and objectives.
Clearly state the hypothesis.
State the objectives and/or aims of this proposal.
State the impact, significance and innovation in this proposal.
Define acronyms as much as possible.

Reject
Technical and condensed phrasing of the project.
No clear statement of what is the purpose of this study.

Details of Research Proposal

Goals and/or Objectives of Research
Good
This is usually one paragraph telling the reviewer everything
they need to know about this research proposal.
This provides the opportunity to gain the reviewers interest
and excitement about this proposal.
It should contain the background on why this research is
important, hypothesis, and objectives.
Should state the innovation of this proposal.
Finally it should in a clear statement demonstrate why this
project is significant and what impact it will have.

Details of Research Proposal

Reject
No goal or objective statement at the start of the
proposal.
Too technical and condensed will make it hard to read
and understand.
Too short will not give the reviewer the needed
information to understand the proposal.
Too long will make the reviewer skip to the background
and makes the reviewer search for what is important.

Details of Research Proposal

Background:
Good
Give the reviewer the needed information to
understand the objectives and approaches in this
proposal.
Structure the background to go from broad
information such as cancer kills Canadians to
specific information such as my protein is
increased in solid tumors.
Build up the background towards answering a
specific question that is unknown.

Details of Research Proposal

Background:
Good
There should be section within the background to
discuss preliminary data.
Connect preliminary data to background.
If limited preliminary data, spend time on the
innovation such as using unique resources at CCMB
for this proposal.

Details of Research Proposal

Background
Reject
Do not expand background to unnecessary information
that does not support the hypothesis.
Background should not exceed one third to one half of
proposal.
No preliminary data generally negatively impacts the
proposal in two ways.
No indication that the proposal will feasible.
No indication the applicant can do the proposed work.

Details of Research Proposal

Rationale and Hypothesis.
Good
Clearly state the hypothesis or number of hypotheses that will
be addressed in the proposal.
Give a rationale why this hypothesis is important to investigate.

Reject
Avoid combining the two together. It could be confusing to the
reviewer.
Too long of a hypothesis makes it hard to understand the aim of
the research.

Details of Research Proposal

Specific Aims
Good

Limit specific aims to 2-3.

Make sure controls are added to approaches taken.
Always give what your expected results will be.
Always give alternative approaches since pitfalls
happen.
Address feasibility if you have not demonstrated
that you can do the experiments proposed.

Details of Research Proposal

Specific Aims:
Address innovation wherever possible.
Justify the use of specific reagents or animal
models.
For example:
If you use a cell line why that cell line
If you use an animal model why that animal model.

Confirm results with multiple approaches.

Make aim 1 less risky compared to other aims.

Details of Research Proposal

Specific Aims
Reject
Many specific aims is bad. This is a two year proposal and if
it is too ambitious, will negatively impact on reviewers.
Avoid to many specifics on experiments.
Structure aims so that aim 2 is not dependent on aim 1.
Do not avoid issues within the field of research
Using cell lines for genetic studies is not the same as primary cancer
cells and might yield misleading information. Tell the review you
understand the limitations and how to address it.

Details of Research Proposal

Significance and Impact:
Good
Last chance to impress the reviewer on the importance of what you
are proposing.
Give a sense of future directions for this research.
Why is this proposal innovative?
Impact on the field and/or on the disease being studied should be
stated.

Reject
No significance statement.
Superficial such as this will cure cancer.

Applicants CV details:
Good
List all awards especially awards directly related to your research.
List all publications in the last five years.
Abstracts are an easy why to show productivity.
Give impact factors for publications and citations if any.
Give ranking of journal in your field of research if possible.

Reject
No evidence of research activity or track record.
All middle authors for publications.

General Thoughts
Reviewers will not be experts in your field of
research. Make the proposal accessible to them.

Get your proposal read by a colleague or

someone in your area of research. They might
find problems that reviewers will find.

General Tips and Comments

Take sufficient time to prepare a good abstract,
LOI, or a concept paper
Avoid the use of jargon and acronyms
Always include s budget and budget justification
Be careful when/where you cut and paste: assure
uniformity of font size and type
ALWAYS use a reader and get editorial
assistance

Conclusions
You have at least 30-40 years of work ahead of you until
retirement!
Be ready to read faster than your shadow!
Be ready to work in team!
Be ready to change topics of research quickly!
Keep good records of whatever you do!
Develop good habits quickly!
Teach them to your peers, especially team members!
GOOD LUCK!

There is nothing permanent except change.

Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca. 525-475 B.C.)

http://ece.vnit.ac.in/MiNaG/mng.html

Acknowledgement: Project staff and Students at VNIT

Internet Resources