Research Support & Development Biostatistical Resources Grant Support & Review Services NIH K and F Submissions Guide Training Grant Support NIH Resubmission Program NIH Resources NIH Boot Camp Chalk Talks Research Roadmap Frequently Asked Questions Physician Scientist Resources Guidance for Proposal Submissions Grant Incentive Programs and Pilot Awards Researcher Pipeline NIH Boot Camp Home Research Office of Research Research > NIH Boot Camp Program Details Boot Camp 2025 Applications are no longer being accepted. UCI NIH Boot Camp UCI's National Institutes of Health (NIH) Boot Camp is a comprehensive, multifaceted mentoring program designed to help university faculty researchers successfully apply for their first research grants from NIH. Frequently Asked Questions Chalk Talk Contact Us Research Roadmap About the Program Our NIH Boot Camp is a campus-sponsored program supported by UCI's Office of Research and several schools across campus, including the Schools of Medicine, Biological Science, Engineering, Information and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Social Ecology, Public Health, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The program is organized through the UCI School of Medicine Office of Research. This comprehensive, multi-tiered mentorship program is comprised of large group events and workshops designed to provide mentees with the tools and knowledge they need to write a successful NIH research grant application (e.g., proposal writing seminar, faculty and staff presentation). The UCI NIH Boot Camp has proven highly effective, with 75% of its participants securing grant funding following completion of the program. Boot Camp Participants Mentees Self-directed interdisciplinary peer group activities of three to six faculty mentees and one or two established faculty coaches Coaches Faculty coaches with established track records of external funding and a commitment to mentoring meet with and advise their assigned mentee peer group ISMEs Internal subject matter experts (ISME) provide counsel on mentees’ research plans and help mentees prepare, present, review and critique proposal drafts Boot Camp Goals for Mentees Under the guidance of the coaches, mentees write and review proposal sections, provide constructive feedback to one another, and address problems and needs of mutual interest Map your research career strategy Along with your peers, you will develop a strategic path to build a national reputation and become a leader in your field of science. Sample research roadmap topics include: How crowded is the field? Given the competition, can I build a national reputation in this area? Are my research questions significant? Innovative? Fundable? What further skills/knowledge/abilities do I need to acquire? How many people will I need in my lab? What qualities/expertise will they need? Where will I get them from? What UCI research services/cores will be needed for this project? What research collaborations at UCI or elsewhere do I need to develop to conduct this project? How much will it cost to conduct this project? Are multiple grants necessary? Who can give me advice and critical feedback on each of the above questions? Learn to present a well-conceptualized grant idea persuasively This is usually a combination of “offense” and “defense”. What are reviewers looking for when they evaluate an NIH proposal? Know what to expect and be prepared! Anticipate weaknesses/criticisms and learn to deflect with well-prepared justifications. Identify the best study section to review your proposal. With the help of your coach and peers, prepare for a dialogue with your program officer. Become a reviewer of your peers’ proposals to role-play the perspective of the reviewers. Prepare and present a “Chalk Talk” to get expert feedback on your specific aims. In one of the large group events, widely acclaimed experts will deep dive into grant writing. Meet investigators from other departments and fields Participating in small groups of scientists fosters camaraderie, stimulates research ideas and encourages transdisciplinary and translational research. Mentee FAQs Role of Faculty Coaches For the NIH Boot Camp, one or two UC Irvine faculty coaches work with a group consisting of four to eight mentees. Volunteer coaches guide their group through a research roadmap, which helps mentees identify and confirm a specific scientific field, determine the skills and resources necessary to become an expert in the research topic, and develop an NIH grant application. In much the same way that an athletic coach is not an expert at all team positions, a boot camp coach is not necessarily an expert on the scientific expertise needed for each mentee’s grant proposal. Rather, the coach is a process expert. Each mentee also is required to work with an internal subject matter expert, or 1:1 scientific mentor, who is contracted to consult with the mentee on the scientific content of the proposal. Small group activities include helping to determine a realistic deadline for each mentee, advising them on developing sections of a proposal, and reviewing proposals in the group. Coaches help the group find answers to other issues that may surface, such as questions about NIH policy or how to engage NIH program officers. The boot camp manager serves as a resource for the coaches and can arrange for additional support when requested by the group. Each team is self-governing. Coaches will have a hosting budget ($900/team) to support meetings and — together with the group members — determine when the group will meet (e.g., breakfast meetings, pizza after work, etc.). The boot camp manager provides a dedicated team folder for team members to upload and share proposal sections for review. Why should you apply to be a coach? How does the role of coach benefit the program and the mentees? Share the knowledge you have gained Guide and encourage new researchers Learn about new technologies and discoveries Work in an interdisciplinary/translational group Contribute to the research mission of UC Irvine Have fun! Receive $5,000 in discretionary funds per coach, plus $900 for hosting expenses per team Individuals interested in serving as faculty coaches should email a statement of interest and a recent version of their NIH biosketch to: somrd@hs.uci.edu. Faculty Coaches FAQs UCI NIH Grant-Writing Boot Camp Coach's Award Conferred in June 2023, this inaugural award recognizes five years of extraordinary service. Congratulations to our awardees: Kyoko Yokomori, PhD, Department of Biological ChemistryPeter Donovan, PhD, Department of Biological Chemistry Internal Subject Matter Experts (ISME) Internal subject matter experts (ISME) serve as 1:1 scientific mentors for mentees. ISMEs should be selected by the mentee in consultation with coaches, department chairs and other leadership as appropriate. ISMEs provide counsel on mentee research roadmaps, help them prepare and present “Chalk Talks,” and review proposal drafts. If you are interested in becoming an ISME, contracts must be completed prior to the start of the NIH Boot Camp. Contracts ensure ISME commitment to their mentees and facilitate compensation at the end of the program. View FAQs Have Questions? This program is administered by the Research Development Unit in the School of Medicine, Office of Research. Email us