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Ad Hoc Committee for the Enhancement of Neurosurgical Research (CENR) MissionUniversity Home >>>

The Ad Hoc Committee for the Enhancement of Neurosurgical Research has been put in place by the Executive Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons charged with generating and implementing a number of initiatives. The goal of the Ad Hoc Committee is to generate a number of concrete resources that will aid interested members of the broad neurosurgical community in the ability to successfully embark on a research career. Overall strategic efforts are being developed to enhance the chances and opportunities for neurosurgeons to secure funding, particularly federal, for research support. One initiative is to provide assistance in the preparation of grants for submission for federal funding. Concretely, a number of the members of the committee (see below) are willing to provide advice on the process of applying to the NIH for funding. Furthermore, we are providing copies of successful NIH grant application, as well as the comments and summary statements in the Grantsmanship section.

Given the limited number of Neurosurgeons with experience with the process of academic research and/or successful grantsmanship, obtaining help and mentorship in the process can be challenging. Members of this committee have volunteered to be available to answer questions and provide guidance to neurosurgeons in need of such assistance. Below find their contact information.

We wish you success in your academic pursuits.

Robert M. Friedlander, M.D., M.A.

Would you like to serve as a reviewer on an NIH Study Section?

Look inside an NIH Study Section - A Video on Peer Review at NIH

Neurosurgeons willing to provide advice on career related research matters, and grantsmanship:

NAME CLINICAL SPECIALTY RESEARCH INTEREST
P. David Adelson Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Nicholas M. Boulis Functional/Peripheral Nerve Gene Therapy/ALS/Spasticity
E Antonio Chiocca Oncology Gene Therapy/Neuro-oncology/Cerebral Ischemia
Robert J. Dempsey Vascular Cerebral Ischemia
Richard G. Ellenbogen Pediatric Chiari/Hydrocephalus
Robert M. Friedlander Vascular Ischemia/Neurodegeneration/Apoptosis
David M. Frim Pediatric Hydrocephalus
Julian T. Hoff Spine/Acoustic Neuroma Intracerebral Hemorrhage/Brain Edema
Peter D. LeRoux Vascular Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Linda M. Liau Oncology Immunotherapy/Gliomas
R. Loch Macdonald Vascular Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/Electrophysiology
Guy M. McKhann Epilepsy/Oncology/Stereotactic Epilepsy Neurophysiology;
Functional Imaging of Brain Recovery
Donald M. O'Rourke Oncology Growth Factors/Gliomas/Signaling
Nelson M. Oyesiku Oncology/Pituitary Pituitary Ademona
Ali R. Rezai Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Functional Brain Imaging
Imaged Guided Surgical Localization
Gary K. Steinberg Vascular Ischemia/Apoptosis
Vincent C. Traynelis Spine Biomechanics/Spine

Grantsmanship

The future of neurosurgery depends on a progressively deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying neurosurgical disease, as well as innovation in the ways that we approach these diseases. Moreover, the expansion of neurosurgery will follow the development of neurosurgical techniques and tools to address diseases that have not previously been considered neurosurgical in character. In particular, the development of new technology begs neurosurgical approaches to a vast array of genetic, degenerative, and inflammatory, and ischemic afflictions that are currently beyond our reach.

Research lies at the heart of this endeavor. Much of neurosurgical research occurs in the sphere of industry, which in many cases allows the advancement of our field to be driven by non-neurosurgeons. Peer reviewed extramural funding provides an alternative avenue for neurosurgeons to drive the process of innovation and understanding. Nonetheless, funded basic science research within our field remains scarce. Procuring funding as a neurosurgeon poses unique challenges. Our dedication to clinical work leaves limited time to manage creative basic science research. Moreover, we are not trained in the process of constructing fundable grants. “Grantsmanship” is the skill of writing grant applications that reviewers can easily understand and value. In the current climate of limited NIH funding, grantsmanship has become a critical skill for the translational academic neurosurgeon.

There are two important funding vehicles available; the R01 and K08 awards. R01 grants are aimed at funding projects with a high chance of success, and with high impact aims. RO1’s are intended for individuals capable of generating independent research, and with an established tract record. In contrast, the K08 is a career award designed to provide salary support and a supply budget to young clinician- investigators in order to secure protected, mentored basic science research time. Program Project Grants and a variety of alternative career awards appear in the landscape of funded neurosurgical research. Program Projects exist to fund the development of collaborative research teams. Other “K” type career awards exist to support clinician-investigators pursuing projects with a more clinical focus.

We have compiled samples of funded NIH grants written by practicing neurosurgeons who actively serve as the Principle Investigators for each project. We have also included the “pink sheets” that accompanied some of these grants in order to give readers an idea of the review process which occurs in the NIH Study Section as well as the scope of the proposed budgets. Finally, it is common for grants to require revision prior to funding. Thus, we have included the revisions of initial grants that were ultimately funded. These documents may be downloaded as compressed pdf files. We hope that this page will provide a resource for neurosurgeons beginning to learn the art of grantsmanship.

Robert M. Friedlander, M.D., M.A. Nicholas Boulis, M.D.

RO1
Annotated R01 – NIAID, This is a RO1 application that has explanatory references for the different sections

E Antonio Chiocca: Herpes Amplicon Delivery of eNOS for Protection from Cerebral Ischemia: Initial Application
E Antonio Chiocca: Herpes Amplicon Delivery of eNOS for Protection from Cerebral Ischemia: Revised Application

Robert M. Friedlander: Mechanisms and Modulation of Disease Progression in ALS Robert Friedlander: Mechanisms and Modulation of Disease Progression in ALS: Pink Sheets
Robert M. Friedlander: Mechanisms and Modulation of Disease Progression in ALS: Revised Application
Robert M. Friedlander: Mechanisms and Modulation of Disease Progression in ALS: Pink Sheets for the revised application

David M. Frim: Cognitive Impact of Elevated ICP in Hydrocephalus: Revised Application

Julian T. Hoff: 20 year competitive renewal pink sheets
Julian T. Hoff: Mechanisms of Brain Edema After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: 25 year competitive renewal
Julian T. Hoff: 25 year competitive renewal pink sheets

R. Loch Macdonald: NO Mechanisms of Vasospasm:  Revised Application
R. Loch Macdonald: NO Mechanisms of Vasospasm:  Pink Sheets for the Revised Application: Rejection

Nelson M. Oyesiku: Molecular Targeting and Imaging of Pituitary Adenomas
Nelson M. Oyesiku: Molecular Targeting and Imaging of Pituitary Adenomas: Pink Sheets

Gary K. Steinberg: Mild Hypothermic Neuroprotection for Cerebral Ischemia Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Gary K. Steinberg: Mild Hypothermic Neuroprotection Pink Sheets

K08
Nicholas M. Boulis: Targeted Motor Neuron Gene Delivery for Spasticity: Initial Application
Nicholas M. Boulis: Targeted Motor Neuron Gene Delivery for Spasticity: Pink Sheets

Dong H. Kim: The Genetic Basis of Cerebral Aneurysms: Application

Alexandra J. Golby: Brain basis of memory studied by fMRI & intracranial EEG: Application

Nelson M. Oyesiku: G Proteins in Pituitary Adenomas


Adelson, P. David, MD FACS
Children's Hosp. of Pittsburgh
3705 5th Ave/Neurosurgery
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583
Phone: (412)692-6347
Fax: (412)692-5921
Email: david.adelson@chp.edu
Active Member 1992
Boulis, Nicholas M., MD
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
9500 Euclid Ave. S80
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: (216)444-5189
Fax: (216)444-1015
Email: boulisn@ccf.org
Active Provisional Member 2000
 
Chiocca, Ennio Antonio, MD PhD
Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery
Dardinger Family Professor of Oncologic Neurosurgery
Director of Neurosurgical Services
The Ohio State University Medical Center
James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
N-1017 Doan Hall
410 W. 10th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
Email: chiocca-1@medctr.osu.edu
Active Member 2001
Dempsey, Robert J., MD
University of Wisconsin - Madison
600 Highland Ave. K4/818 CSC
Madison, WI 53792-0001
Phone: (608)263-9585
Fax: (608)263-1728
Email: dempsey@neurosurg.wisc.edu
Active Member 1986
 
Ellenbogen, Richard G., MD
Children's Hospital & Medical Center
4800 Sand Pint Way N.E. CH-50
Seattle, WA 98105-3901
Phone: (206)987-4525
Fax: (206)987-3925
Email: rich.ellenbogen@seattlechildrens.org
Active Member 1993
Friedlander, Robert M., MD
Brigham & Womens Hospital
75 Francis St./Neurosurgery
Boston, MA 02115-6110
Phone: (617)525-7775
Fax: (617)734-8342
Email: rfriedlander@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Active Member 1996
 
Frim, David M., MD
University of Chicago
5841 S. Maryland Ave. MC 4066
Chicago, IL 60637-1463
Phone: (773)702-2475
Fax: (773)702-5234
Email: dfrim@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu
http://www.davidfrim.yourmd.com
Active Member 1996
Hoff, Julian T., MD
 
LeRoux, Peter D., MD
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215)829-7072
Fax: (215)829-6645
Email: lerouxp@uphs.upenn.edu
Active Member 1999
Liau, Linda M., MD PhD
University of California - Los Angeles
10833 LeConte Ave. CHS 74-144
Los Angeles, CA 90095-6901
Phone: (310)267-2621
Fax: (310)825-7245
Email: lliau@mednet.uda.edu
www.lliau.yourmd.com
Active Member 1994
 
Macdonald, Robert L., MD
University of Chicago
5841 S. Maryland Ave. MC 3026
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: (773)702-2123
Fax: (773)702-3518
Email: rlmacdon@uchicago.edu
Active Member 1994
McKhann, Guy M., M.D.
Columbia University
Neurological Institute
710 W. 168th Street, Room 428, NI-42
New York, NY 10032-2603
Phone: (212) 305-0052
Fax: (212) 305-3629
Email: gm317@columbia.edu
Active Member 2002
 
O’Rourke, Donald M.
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
502 Stemmler Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Email: orourked@mail.med.upenn.edu
Active Member 2003
Oyesiku, Nelson M. MD, PhD, FACS
The Emory Clinic
Department of Neurosurgery
1365-B Clifton Road, NE, Suite B-6400
Atlanta, GA 30322-1013
Phone: (404)778-4737
Fax: (404)778-5121
Email: noyesik@emory.edu
Active Member 1996
 
Rezai, Ali R., MD
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Center for Neurological Restoration
9500 Euclid Ave, S31
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: (216)444-8001
Fax: (216)444-1015
Email: rezaia@ccf.org
Active Member 2001
Steinberg, Gary K., MD PhD
Stanford University Medical Center
300 Pasteur Dr. R281
Sanford, CA 94305
Phone: (650)723-5575
Fax: (650)723-2815
Email: gsteinberg@sanford.edu
Active Member 1990
 
Traynelis, Vincent C., MD
University of Iowa Hospitals
200 Hawkins Dr./Neurosurgery
Iowa City, IA 52242-1009
Phone: (319)356-2774
Fax: (319)353-6605
Email: vincent-traynelis@uiowa.edu
www.surgery.uiowa.edu/surgery/neurovtraynelis.html
Active Member 1988
 
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