ID doc (MGH), PI (Broad Institute), antibiotic resistance resister, sepsis immune profiler, COVID doc, husband, dad. Coffee, tennis, kindness, science, & sleep enthusiast. Here to learn, as that other place devolves. Views mine. | bhattacharyyalab.org
Roby Bhattacharyya
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Roughly even mix of R01 and R21, with a few U19/P01 type grants. Also roughly even number of non-NIH apps (foundations, internal opportunities, etc), with roughly similar success (7/26 NIH, 8/27 non-NIH). No NSF for me, too applied/translational.
No idea how these funding rates will change going forward. I asked a PO at a nat'l meeting if they had any strategic advice in this climate, bc I feel like I'm playing the same game even though the rules are changing. Answer was no, keep trying (and succeeding less often?). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(first hint should come in 4 months after study section)
Funding payline at my primary institute (NIAID) was 14% when I started, down to ~8% at last check. So 7/26 = 27% is decent in my view.
As a sports fan, I view grant success like a batting average: .300 is all-star level. I see myself as a utility infielder; batting .269 has kept me on the field.
A bit disappointing to see non-NIH funding has been no more successful than NIH funding, but that's how it's been for me. I've not found a ton of non-federal opportunities in ID, even though I work in translationally important areas (AMR & sepsis); ID has its economic challenges. Guess we all do.
And none of this is to say that's how it "should" be done; I'm not sure if I'm doing it "right", and I'm sure not optimally. But this is where I've ended up, looking back at my "grant tracking" spreadsheet. Figured I'd share in the hopes it helps someone.
This is especially true for soft-money positions (ask me how I know): can't support 75-100% salary on 3 grants if 2 of them are ≤5% MPI R21s. R03? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Btw, posting this mainly as transparency for other (esp young) PI's. Looks like I've submitted a little over one app per funding cycle, though overload during COVID was part of this - I have definitely had cycles where I don't apply. And for ones where I'm the "driver" (PI/MPI), it's 1-2 per yr tops
Submitted an R01 last week on a project my lab's worked on for 4+ yrs, & I've debated proposing for 3+ yrs.
This was my 26th NIH app (as PI, MPI, or Co-I) over 7 yrs (5 ND, 1 ND-C, 18 scored, 7 funded, 2 pndg), and this may be the proposal I'm most proud of going in.
Will it matter? Stay tuned...
