NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp

Federal grants, particularly from the NIH, provide a critical means of support for academic research programs. Despite the importance of this support in advancing both research and researchers’ careers, training in how to obtain grants is uneven at best. This training gap leaves many researchers struggling to learn as they go, which can introduce significant stress, delay the time to a successful application, and impact their overall productivity. The good news is that training and hands-on practice can enable you to conquer grant writing, increase your chances of receiving funding, and devote more time to moving your scientific goals forward.

The 2-day NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp: Building a Strong Foundation for Funding Success will provide comprehensive training that supplies researchers with the tools to write persuasive, effective grant proposals. Through a combination of seminars, discussions, examples, and hands-on activities, with a particular focus on navigating between-the-lines on how to tailor your proposals to grant reviewers, this training will orient you to all aspects of the academic funding process (i.e., grant writing and grant strategizing), including:

• How to identify and apply for the right funding opportunities with the NIH (and beyond);
• How to position your research and yourself to make reviewers your research advocates;
• How to target your application to the right place at the right time; and
• How to write clearly, effectively, and persuasively when telling your scientific story.

The workshop will begin with a live online seminar 3-4 weeks before the 2-day boot camp to introduce the fundamentals of drafting the Specific Aims page— that oh-so-important project overview that can ‘make or break’ the reviewers’ perception of the application.

The 2-day portion of the boot camp will cover critical topics that help you package your proposal for maximum impact:

• What the Aims page captures, why it’s so important to get it right, and how to tackle it
• A comprehensive introduction to NIH funding announcements and award mechanisms: What to apply for and how to apply
• Merit review: Understanding who, what, why, and how enables you to frame your application
• Principles of good communication: How to ‘sell’ yourself and your science
• Psychology of grant review
• Tackling resubmissions for ultimate success

One round of written feedback for a Specific Aims page will be made available to all attendees for 3 months after the boot camp, at no additional cost, further solidifying the boot camp concepts into practical skills.

Attendees will leave the boot camp with:

• A foundational understanding of the NIH granting process and how it pertains to public health research
• Hard-copy reference materials for information retention & review
• A refined Aims page
• A refined NIH Biosketch using the New Common Form 

One round of written feedback for a Specific Aims page will be made available to all attendees for 3 months after the boot camp, at no additional cost, further solidifying the boot camp concepts into practical skills.

Fall 2026: The NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp will be a livestream, remote training that takes place over live, online video on November 18-19, 2026 from 10am ET - ~5pm ET. Please note this training is not a self-paced, pre-recorded online training.

Investigators from any institution and from all career stages are welcome to attend, and we particularly encourage trainees and early-stage investigators to participate. No prior experience in preparing or submitting NIH grant applications is necessary. However, each participant should be prepared to share* and work on an NIH Specific Aims page and an NIH biosketch. Participants who have not previously written an NIH-style Aims page and/or biosketch will have an opportunity to draft their page and receive initial feedback ahead of the virtual, livestream workshop. There are no other requirements to attend the NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp.

*Hands-on activities will use participant aims pages, and we therefore request that all participants respect the confidentiality of other attendees. Any participant who prefers not to share their research ideas may create a mock aims page to use during the boot camp.

Jessica K. Lerch, PhD, Co-Founder, CareerVolt; Founder, Significance, Innovation, Impact. Dr. Lerch earned her PhD in Neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University. She then completed postdoctoral training at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami and went to a Research Assistant and then a tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Neuroscience at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. In late 2017, Jessica moved to a science consulting role with Eva Garland Consulting, helping small biotechnology companies and researchers across the world strategize their science to achieve non-dilutive funding for their R&D and early-phase clinical trial projects. Jessica started her first company, Significance, Innovation, Impact, in 2019 as a grant-writing consultant. In 2019, Jessica joined with long-time friend and colleague Dr. Sheila Cherry to launch CareerVolt, born of their shared desire to help scientists succeed in their career paths by filling skills gaps and supporting attainment of professional goals.Since moving into consulting in 2018, Jessica has helped individuals and small and large biotech raise over $70 million in grant funding.

Sheila M. Cherry, PhD, Co-Founder, CareerVolt. Sheila earned her PhD in Genetics at Case Western Reserve University. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in 2009 she founded Fresh Eyes Editing to provide editing and writing support for scientists around the globe. During its 13 years in operation, Fresh Eyes helped investigators worldwide to secure hundreds of millions in research funding--tallying more than $275 million just in US federal funding. Recognizing some common skills gaps, particularly with respect to writing grant proposals and applying for funding, Sheila began offering workshops, online training, and individual career development programs in 2016. Sheila is a Certified Editor in the Life Sciences as well as a Certified Executive Coach. She is passionate about helping researchers achieve their career goals.

Sarah Bronson, PhD, Research Leadership and Success Consultant, CareerVolt. Dr. Bronson received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri, and was a postdoctoral trainee with Oliver Smithies, DPhil at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Sarah spent her entire faculty career at the Penn State College of Medicine where she was a researcher, educator, and administrator. She is now an Emeritus Associate Professor and Associate Dean. She was the Co-Director (2010-2020) of the nationally recognized Junior Faculty Development Program where she developed a holistic program that teased out the steps to scholarly project development as well as the path toward a sustainable and rewarding career. She was also a Co-Director for the Grants Academy, with a more specific focus on grant proposal development. As Director of Research Development (2014-2023) she implemented the internal awards program and the limited submission process.

Lyn Jakeman, PhD, Research Leadership and Success Consultant, CareerVolt. Lyn received her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Florida, did postdoctoral training at Genetech, Inc, and worked at Syntex Research in Palo Alto, California as a Staff Researcher in the Pharmacology Division. She then went on to pursue an academic career in the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, gaining experience as a Research Scientist followed by 13 years as tenure track faculty where she secured sustained NIH R01 and private funding for a research lab studying axonal regeneration in spinal cord injury models. In 2013, Lyn joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH as a Program Director. She went on to become the inaugural Director of the Division of Neuroscience at NINDS, where she oversaw the NINDS’ extramural basic research programs. Lyn enjoys helping individuals and teams succeed in pursuit of scientific discovery and personal growth. In 2024, Lyn completed training as a workplace and career coach. She received Accreditation as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation in May of 2025.

Josh Trapani, PhD, Research Leadership and Success Consultant, CareerVolt. Josh earned his PhD in earth and environmental sciences from the University of Michigan, where he was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. After postdoctoral research in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, Josh received science policy fellowships from the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Following these fellowships, he spent six years at the Association of American Universities as Associate Vice President for Research and Policy Analysis. He also served as senior editor for Issues in Science and Technology, guiding authors to make their ideas broadly understandable and compelling. At the National Science Foundation, Josh was lead author for congressionally mandated Science & Engineering Indicators reports on higher education and academic research and development. He served as the program officer for NSF's Science of Science program before transitioning to the Directorate for Geoscience as data and analytics officer, promoting evidence-based decision making for program officers and leadership. Josh believes deeply in the importance of academic science and education, and is committed to helping researchers navigate their careers and communicate their work to funding agencies and beyond.

Training scholarships are available for the summer NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp.

"This was a fantastic course with a high-energy team that emphasized high-yield points for writing grants of all levels. I learned a TON, and I've already had a funded society grant." - Radiology Resident at the University of California, San Francisco, 2026

"The training was brilliantly delivered, and the host did a great job of incorporating activities to keep us all engaged. I walk away feeling confident in my understanding of waht to address as a grant writer and how to effectively deliver my research." - Faculty Member at Mississippi State University, 2026

"An excellent and highly practical training that provides a comprehensive overview of the NIH grant writing process. The instructors were knowledgeable, engaging, and offered valuable insights from both applicant and reviewer perspectives." - Clinical Epidemiologist at Fundación Valle del Lili, 2026 

"The NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp and instructing team were simply awesome! The information was presented clearly, questions were answered respectfully and with grace, active participation was encouraged using answers given to demonstrate the skills that were being taught clearly. Overall, I gained a clear sense of what I need to do to improve my grant writing skills, such as presenting facts, clearly stating the gaps, and presenting how the proposed study will contribute to the solution." - Faculty Member at Duke University School of Medicine, 2025

"The instructing team is deeply knowledgeable and experienced in writing, editing, and reviewing successful NIH grants, and it shows in this training. The individual feedback on my Aims, extensive materials, and interactive workshop all equipped me with tools that will help me prepare a stronger grant." - Postdoc at Baylor College of Medicine, 2025

"I enjoyed the grant workshop. I have attended similar workshops in the past and this workshop provided unique and valuable information that I have not heard previously." - Faculty Member at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 2025

"The boot camp was extremely helpful in highlighting strategies for crafting successful proposals. The instructors were knowledgeable and flexible in considering/responding to attendees from different backgrounds (with different research interests)." - Staff Member at Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention, 2024

"The NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp was useful in providing both technical and practical knowledge in searching and applying for grants, with a focus on how to tailor your proposal to the NIH institution most suited to your study." - Student at Case Western Reserve University, 2024

"I found the NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp was excellent and provided me with the foundation to write a strong application. I came into the workshop feeling apprehensive about the grant-writing process and whether I would be able qualify for a K award. My interactions with the three presenters was amazing. They made me feel proud of my work and accomplishments and I'm excited to apply." - Faculty Member at Columbia University, 2024

Registration Fee is based on your category and includes course material, which will be made available to all participants both during and after the conclusion of the training. This fee also includes one round of professional written feedback for a Specific Aims page for 3 months after the boot camp, at no additional cost.

2026 Registration Category Rates: 

• Student/Postdoc/Trainee: 
  • Early-bird rate: $995 
  • Regular rate: $1,195 
• Faculty/Academic Staff/Non-Profit Organizations/Government Agencies: 
  • Early-bird rate: $1,195 
  • Regular rate: $1,395 
• Corporate/For-Profit Organizations: 
  • Early-bird rate: $1,395 
  • Regular rate: $1,595 

$200 early-bird discount is automatically applied if you register before the October 9 deadline.  

• $200 Early-bird Discount: This is automatically applied if you register before the October 9 early-bird deadline.  
• 10% Columbia Discount: This is valid for any active student, postdoc, staff, or faculty at Columbia University. If paying by credit card, use your Columbia email address during the registration process to automatically have the discount applied. If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, see below.  
• 10% Mailman Alumni Discount: This is valid for any individual who graduated from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. To access the Mailman Alumni discount and receive a registration code, please email sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu your graduation year and degree.  
• Group discounts are available for organizations sending 5+ participants. Please contact us directly at sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu for more information.  

If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, submit this Columbia Internal Transfer Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

If you would prefer to pay by invoice/check, please submit this Invoice Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

Cancellation notices must be received via email at least 30 days prior to the training start date in order to receive a full refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellation notices received via email 14-29 days prior to the training will receive a 75% refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Please email your cancellation notice to Columbia.GrantWriting@gmail.com. Due to workshop capacity and preparation, we regret that we are unable to refund registration fees for cancellations less than 14 days prior to the training.

If you are unable to attend the training, we encourage you to send a substitute within the same registration category. Please inform us of the substitute via email at least one week prior to the training so we can include them on attendee communications, gather registration details, and provide materials.Should the substitute fall within a different registration category (e.g., you are a faculty member and they are a postdoc), the credit card on file will be credited/charged respectively. Please email substitute inquiries to Columbia.GrantWriting@gmail.com. In the event Columbia must cancel the event, your registration fee will be fully refunded.