Editing & Advising
My goal with a grantee is not to improve a single submission, but to improve my client’s skill as a grantee, reviewer, and mentor on all grant submissions going forward. I advise administrators on strategies to increase NIH funding, thereby generating revenue via indirect costs.
GRANTEE ADVISING
I work directly with faculty members as they prepare and write specific NIH submissions.
1. NIH grantsmanship training
In the context of NIH agency expertise, I teach grantees pragmatic techniques including how to:
- Use information in Appropriations Reports, NIH 5-Year Plan, and other NIH communications to inform project planning and to write grant applications strategically
- Shop project idea to different program officers before they write, and teach them what a valuable asset an enthusiastic PO can be to their NIH funding career
- Identify optimal study section and encourage them to learn all they can about the expertise represented there, and adjust project and writing accordingly
- Hone strengths of application and highlight the impact and significance of their work
- Ensure they are addressing scoring criteria and FOA
- Avoid common pitfalls I have seen recently across a wide range of study sections and topics
- Counsel on resubmission strategies and help decipher reviewers’ comments
2. NIH submission editing
I review grant application drafts, providing specific editorial advice. Commonly, I:
- Suggest tables or figures that would clarify content for reviewers
- Format to facilitate skimming so that harried reviewers do not miss key points
- Copyedit text for style and grammar to make it streamlined and comprehensible
- Tighten wording and utilize formatting tricks to maximize page limit constraints
Limited Availability for New Clients At this time, Meg Bouvier Medical Writing LLC is not establishing new contracts for 1:1 consulting for a single grant application. If you are interested in establishing a contract for a group of NIH applications, please contact us.
ONE-ON-ONE GRANTEE PROCESS
- Initial call: I speak with the grantee to discuss their needs, their history in applying to NIH, previous Summary Statements, and how I might help them.
- Edit Aims: I edit their draft Aims.
- Shop Aims: Grantee and I develop a strategy to shop their revised Aims to appropriate program officers in order to help select optimal IC, study section, and FOA; ascertain fit with funding priorities; and obtain feedback on project design. Grantee drafts submission based on this feedback.
- Edit to early draft: My objective with the first edit is to identify any major problems while there is still time to fix them. I focus on an early draft of the Aims, Significance, and Innovation, and an outline of the Approach, emphasizing compliance with the scoring criteria and lessons learned from recent successful submissions.
- Edit to near-final draft: I edit a near-final draft of the Aims, Research Plan, and biosketch. I provide a line-by-line edit, format to highlight key points and compress space, identify red flags for reviewers, make suggestions for figures, etc. I will also write your Project Summary and Project Narrative.I return the draft to you within 1-2 business days.
- Follow-up on our work together: We will review your Summary Statements together when you receive them.
ADMINISTRATOR CONSULTING
I consult with administrators on strategies to increase NIH funding, thereby generating much-needed revenue via indirect costs.
1. SHORT-TERM STRATEGIES
- Identify the best and most cost-effective strategies to provide grantwriting support for your faculty, either through on-site trainings, webinars, or individual consulting
- Implement organizational grantwriting best practices, such as chalk talks, mock study sections, and improved biostatistics support for grantees
- Review faculty submissions with a mock study section (red team review) panel
2. LONG-TERM STRATEGIES
- Position your organization to prepare a strong center grant application to make your group competitive
- Strategize for growth and faculty hires to align with future NIH priorities
- Transition your teaching organization to a research orientation
HOW CAN I HELP? Let’s have a conversation about how I can help your faculty improve their NIH grantsmanship skills. CONTACT ME 
