Allan Zajac, Ph.D.A new initiative in the UAB Department of Microbiology aims to bring faculty together each month to strengthen grant applications through collaborative feedback, idea sharing, and peer support.
The monthly Grants Club has started meeting at 3 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month in BBRB 263.
“The overarching goal of the Grants Club is to provide constructive feedback to the faculty regarding their grant applications,” said Allan Zajac, Ph.D., professor and Vice Chair for Strategic Planning, Finance and Research. “It also provides a great forum to exchange ideas, solicit feedback about current grant policies, and interact and discuss science."
Zajac expands on the inspiration to start the Grants Club and how he hopes it will benefit faculty in the department.
What events led up to the establishment of the grants club?
Zajac: We all recognize that it is increasingly competitive to secure scientific grants, so we want, as a department, to ensure that the best resources possible are available to help our faculty flourish. The department already offers assistance with grant applications, including arranging small group or one-on-one grant review sessions and providing access to external consultants and professional writers, but we wanted to further enhance these options. From listening to faculty, one suggestion was to arrange a Grants Club, where the faculty come together to provide input and comments on each other’s grant applications.
How will the meetings be structured?
Zajac: The format of the meeting is very flexible and can be structured in a manner that is most helpful for the presenter. The Grants Club can be tailored to solicit feedback on fully prepared applications that are almost ready for submission, provide input on a set of specific aims, or discuss concepts and ideas about a proposal that is in the planning stage. The goal is for the Grants Club to help the applicant as much as possible, so the exact format can be adapted to meet their needs.
Who can attend?
Zajac: All of the faculty in the Department are encouraged to attend. For each meeting, we also invite individuals from outside of the Department who have been identified by the presenter as likely to be especially useful for providing feedback about their application.
How do you hope the club will benefit members of the department?
Zajac: The hope is that the Grants Club enhances faculty success with grant applications. It is more competitive than ever to get grant awards, so if we can help each other, share ideas, and learn from each other’s experiences then we should be better positioned to succeed. It also provides a great opportunity to come together as a group to share ideas and build collaborations.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Zajac: Grants Club convenes at 3 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in BBRB 263. The current schedule is:
March 11: Michael Gray, Ph.D.
April 11: Sunnie Thompson, Ph.D.
May 13: Nick Lennemann, Ph.D.
June 13: Open: Please let Allan know if you would like to present.