R01 Boot Camp

R01 Boot Camp Logo

The R01 Boot Camp, now in its third year, is a 9-month team-science and mentorship-focused program designed to help College of Medicine faculty members receive R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senior faculty with strong track records of NIH funding guide groups of mentees through the proposal development process, while the team structure encourages peer support and feedback.

The Boot Camp has a dual purpose: to improve the College of Medicine’s R01 success rates and to cultivate a cohesive community of peers and mentors with strong relationships between faculty members. To promote these aims, we group participants into small teams of mentees and coaches and include team science training throughout the process.

THE R01 BOOT CAMP IS A NINE-MONTH PROGRAM THAT OFFERS:

  1. Specialized training, guidance, and camaraderie for all mentee participants. Mentees may pursue new single Principal Investigator projects or Multiple Principal Investigator projects, resubmissions, or renewals.
  2. Faculty Coaches with an established track record of external funding and a commitment to mentoring, who will meet with and advise their assigned mentee peer group. Coaches communicate with mentees’ Department Chairs and the COM Office of Research.
  3. Activities and resources to provide mentees with the tools and knowledge they need to write a successful R01 application (e.g., proposal writing seminar, mock review). Major large-group activities are listed in the timeline below. In addition, mentees meet regularly with their coaching group (approximately once per month). In coaching groups, mentees share and review proposal sections, provide constructive feedback to one another, and address problems and needs of mutual interest.
  4. Internal Subject Matter Experts who counsel mentees on their research plans, help them prepare and present a Chalk Talk, and review proposal drafts.
  5. External Subject Matter Experts who review mentees’ final proposals.

2024-2025 PROGRAM DIRECTORS:

Elias Sayour
Department: MD-NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY

Elias Sayour MD, PhD

Stop Children's Cancer/Bonnie R. Freeman Professor For Pediatric Oncology Research; Assistant Dean
Dan Wesson
Department: MD-PHARMACOLOGY / THERAPEUTICS

Dan Wesson Ph.D.

Chair And Associate Professor

TIMELINE FOR THE 2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR

  • March 2024 – Confirm that current coaches will coach the incoming cohort
  • April 1, 2024– Applications open
  • May 15, 2024– Applications Due
  • June 2024– Mentee selection  
  • Early September 2024– Program Kick-Off Celebration
  • September 2024– Team Science Workshop
  • October 2024Grant Writer’s Workshop
  • January 2025– Human Design Study Studio
  • Early May 2025– Mock Review
  • June 2025 – NIH submission deadline
  • June 2025 – Closing Ceremony
  • Throughout the year– Self-directed interdisciplinary coaching group activities

IN ADDITION TO THESE ACTIVITIES, EACH MENTEE WILL:

  • Present a Chalk Talk. A 1-hour presentation developed in consultation with the mentee’s department and the Internal Subject Matter Expert to obtain critical feedback from experienced researchers to help shape the aims of the mentee’s R01. These need to be presented early in the program to hone Specific Aims for further proposal development (ideally in September or October).
  • Consult with an Internal Subject Matter Expert. An Internal Subject Matter Expert with specialized insight into the mentee’s scientific field of study will provide counsel on mentee’s research plans, help them prepare and present a Chalk Talk, and review proposal drafts.
  • Participate in an external review. The R01 Boot Camp will pay for an External Subject Matter Expert to review full drafts of proposals at least six weeks before the NIH deadline. 
  • Participate in a mock study section following their proposal’s external review.  Senior UF faculty review mentee proposals in a mock NIH study section mentees attend, enabling them to receive feedback, ask questions, and learn about the process.

2023-24 r01 boot camp

2023 – 2024 R01 Boot Camp (In Progress)

The 2023-24 R01 Boot Camp is currently in progress. Apply above for the 2024-25 cohort!