Second edition of grant-writing textbook published

Lisa Chasan-Taber, UMass Amherst Professor and Chair of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, has updated her seminal textbook Writing Grant Proposals in Epidemiology Preventive Medicine, and Biostatistics. The book’s 2^nd edition is now available from publisher Chapman and Hall.

Competition for research funds in epidemiology, preventive medicine and biostatistics is highly competitive, notes Chasan-Taber. 

“The first edition of this book was published in 2014, eight years ago,” she says. “Since that time, there have been substantive changes to NIH grant submission guidelines and review criteria. Writing Grant Proposals in Epidemiology Preventive Medicine, and Biostatistics targets effective grant proposal writing in this highly competitive and evolving environment.”

The textbook covers all aspects of the proposal writing process including:

•          Step-by-step guidelines for grant structure and style alongside broader strategies for developing a research funding portfolio.

•          How to avoid common errors and pitfalls, supplying critical dos and don’ts that aid in writing solid grant proposals.

•          Key concepts illustrated with extensive examples from successfully funded proposals.

The 2^nd edition updates the original text with a new chapter on significance and innovation that provides strategies to highlight the “overall impact” of the grant, one of the most important aspects determining NIH funding. It also includes new chapters with contributions from Rebecca Spencer, professor of psychological and brain sciences at UMass Amherst, on fellowship grants and career development awards designed for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty.

“It has become clear in these competitive times that graduate students, medical students/residents, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty need additional support launching their careers,” says Chasan-Taber. “The text is not only relevant for early-stage investigators, but also valuable for more experienced faculty, clinicians, epidemiologists, and other health professionals who cannot seem to break the barrier to obtain NIH-funded research.”

Chasan-Taber is an established NIH reviewer with an impressive track record of funding, including more than $12 million as principal investigator of NIH-funded research grants. She has taught proposal and grant writing for over 20 years, during which time she has published over 125 peer-reviewed journal articles. Among her many honors, Chasan-Taber has been recognized for her research through the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition bestowed to faculty by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.