Most of the scientific research conducted at universities is funded through the National Institutes of Health. We recently interviewed a professor at a major medical school who is internationally recognized for her research in physiology and behavior. She agreed to talk about the NIH grant-application process, but because she is a recipient of such grants, she requested anonymity.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
A: One prepares a grant application, and then it goes into a study section that consists of about 12 members. There will be people who are in one’s major field and others who are in closely related fields. They compare the application to other grants submitted at the time and decide, based on the budget they have available, what the priorities are for funding, and then give priority ratings to those grant applications.
Q: Is this process inherently political?
Q: So if you’re trying to get a grant from NIH, and there’s no literature on women, is it going to be more difficult to get the grant?
