PRS Young Investigators Grants Workshop

Abstract The Perinatal Research Society (PRS) Young Investigator Training Workshop held the two days prior to the PRS main-meeting, provides an opportunity for young investigators to engage with senior, established investigators in an active learning environment. Young investigators attending the workshop receive protected time for immersion in active writing and oral presentation, accompanied by immediate one-on-one discussion with established investigators who have track-records of NIH funding and mentoring. The current competitiveness of the extramural funding environment magnifies the importance of training young investigators in the art of writing successful grant proposals and effectively communicating their research and its impact. Each workshop is attended by 18-21 young investigators and 6-8 faculty-mentors drawn primarily from the PRS membership. This young investigator-to-faculty mentor ratio ensures substantial interactions. Young investigators arrive for the Workshop already having identified a project, drafted a Specific Aims page, and identified their research mentor and funding agency. An innovative strength of our Workshop is its immersive, active-writing and oral presentation design. Active writing is by an iterative writing process during which each young investigator’s grant section is critiqued one-on-one by a faculty-mentor, followed by revision and new one-on-one critique by a different faculty-mentor. Didactic instruction is used, but minimally to introduce the functions of the sections of an NIH grant. In parallel, the elements of clear writing are applied to oral presentations that are practiced and critiqued to improve clarity that is targeted for a diverse audience. Impact of our Workshop is evidenced by quantitative outcomes measures (Joss-Moore et al, 2022, Reprod. Sci.). During the current funding period, 2019-2022, 43% of workshop participants received funding following Workshop attendance, with 19% receiving funding from NIH. Funded NIH awards include 9 K-series awards, and 11 R-series awards. An additional 6 K-series and 11 R-series applications are pending. Another important impact is recruitment of URM participants to the Workshop. During our current funding period, 75% of young investigators are women and 27% of young investigators are URM. Because the Workshop is associated with the annual PRS main-meeting, the young investigators are immersed in the PRS membership for further networking. Outcomes show that the Workshop is impacting grant award success. This impact harmonizes with the mission of the PRS to foster the development of the next generation of clinical, translational, and basic scientists in the field of perinatal medicine and biology for the betterment of public health in the US.