R01 Immersion Program
The R01 Immersion Program is a nine-month program designed to help School of Medicine research-intensive junior faculty and new investigators receive R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senior faculty with strong NIH funding records mentor groups of investigators through the grant proposal development process. The team-based structure fosters peer support and constructive feedback. Within this structured, mentorship-driven environment, participants gain the knowledge and guidance needed to successfully prepare and submit competitive grant applications.
The R01 Immersion Program has a dual purpose: to improve the School of Medicine’s R01 success rates and to cultivate a cohesive community of peers and mentors with strong relationships between faculty and members. To promote these aims, participants are grouped into small teams of mentees and coaches and include team science training throughout the process.
Participants are required to submit a grant within one year of the end of the program. There are timed metrics to meet and multiple checks, including a mid-program progress report, which is sent to Department Chairs.
A complete program guide is available here.
How to Apply
Program Application
Apply by June 11, 2025Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a junior faculty member or new investigator at the UVA School of Medicine (tenure-track or non-tenure-track).
- Be preparing their first major NIH proposal or have submitted a previous NIH proposal that was not selected for funding.
- Be aware of and prepared to adhere to all the time commitments, responsibilities, and deadlines.
Researchers who already have been awarded a K-series award are eligible to participate in this program if they are now writing an R-series proposal. Individuals who have already been awarded R01-level funding are not eligible.
Program Application
Apply by June 11, 2025Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of senior faculty and program leadership to assess each applicant’s readiness to develop and submit an R01 or equivalent grant within one year of completing the program..
Program Timeline 2025-26 Academic Year
Below is the proposed timeline for the 2025-2026 R01 Immersion Program. Please note that some dates/times could change prior to the start of the program.
Prior to the start of the program, Coaches and Mentees must prepare as noted below:
- Mentees must select an internal subject matter expert (ISME) and schedule monthly meetings that will continue throughout the program.
- Coaches determine dates/times for monthly Peer Group Meetings and inform Advisors/Mentees.
| September 2 | R01 Immersion Program Kick Off
Required Participants: Mentees and Team Coaches (Advisors – optional) Agenda: mixer, introductions |
| September 8 | WORKSHOP #1: Building a Sustainable Writing Practice
Monique Dufour, Ph.D., Director of Faculty Development, UVA School of Medicine Required Participants: Mentees (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) |
| September 15 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees should be prepared to present an elevator pitch. Topics for Discussion: 1. Set ground rules on how to operate as a group. 2. Discuss outline of scientific approach/models. 3. Discuss tips and tricks using own experiences/lessons. 4. What is role of ESME and how to identify your ESME. |
| As scheduled | Mentees begin individual sessions with internal subject matter experts (ISMEs) |
| October 14 | WORKSHOP #2: Writing Winning NIH Grant Proposals 8:30am – 4:30pm
John Robertson, Ph.D., Managing Member of Grant Writers’ Seminars & Workshops Required Participants: Mentees (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must present a draft of their specific aims. Topics for Discussion: 1. Proposal progress, ISME updates, and peer reviews. 2. Discuss Grant Writing Workshop. 3. Dissect an aims page from a funded R01 chosen by the Team Coach. To Do: • Mentees must send invitations to external subject matter experts (ESMEs). • Mentees must work with their department administrator to finalize plans for the November Chalk Talk (can be via Zoom). |
| October 27 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled | Chalk Talks
Required Participants: Mentees and their ISMEs (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) Mentees to present Chalk Talks within their own departments. |
| November 17 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled
|
Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must present Significance and Innovation sections of their proposals. Mentees must provide the dates of their Chalk Talks. Topics of Discussion: 1. Proposal progress, ISME updates, and peer reviews. 2. How to contact NIH Program Officers. 3. How to choose Study Sections. |
| December 1 | WORKSHOP #3: Biostatistics
Matthew Gurka, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, UVA School of Medicine Required Participants: Mentees (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) |
| December 8 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must provide a bulleted summary of their Chalk Talk feedback. Mentees must present a draft of their approach, with preliminary data, potential pitfalls, alternate approaches, etc. Topics for Discussion: 1. Proposal progress, ISME updates, and peer reviews. 2. Discuss Biostatistics workshop, identify collaborating biostatistician/statistical support. |
| January 12 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| January 12 | Mid-Program Progress Reports
Attendance and participation reports sent to Department Chairs. |
| January 19 | WORKSHOP #4 – Team Science and Graphics
Required Participants: Mentees (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees should present a list of proposed collaborators and co-investigators, and any other person who will be providing a Letter of Support. Topics for Discussion: 1. Proposal progress, ISME updates, and peer reviews. 2. Discuss Team Science/Graphics workshop. 3. Discuss how to establish collaborations. 4. What happens on a study section?
To Do: Mentees must finalize ESME selections by the end of January. |
| February 16 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must present a draft of 1) a biosketch that conforms to new NIH standards (SciENcv) and 2) a Facilities and Other Resources Document. Topics for Discussion: 1. Proposal progress, ISME updates, and peer reviews. |
| March 2 | WORKSHOP #5 – Budget Preparation and Proposal Submission
Required Participants: Mentees (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) Break-out: Basic Research: Steve Lichtenstein, Asst. Dean for School of Medicine/Director, Grants and Contracts, UVA SOM Lauren Armstrong, Assistant Director, Grants and Contracts, UVA SOM Break-out: Clinical Research: TBD |
| March 16 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must present a Budget along with a Budget Justification. Topics for Discussion: 1. Discuss ESME proposal submissions (to be submitted by March 30). 2. Discuss Budget Preparation and Proposal Submission workshop. 3. Facilities and other resources. 4. Biological/select agents’ research.
To Do: Mentees must send their proposals to ESMEs by March 30. |
| April 13 | ESMEs’ deadline to return reviews to Mentees |
| April 13 | Writing Accountability Group
Required Participants: Mentees Agenda: Supervised writing session |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meetings (schedule meetings after April 13th)
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must submit ESME reviews for discussion. Topics for Discussion: 1. Refining drafts of proposals, peer feedback. 2. How to respond to reviewers’ comments. |
| May 4 | Mock NIH Study Section
Section Coaches and reviewers will convene as a mock NIH Study Section to score proposals from selected mentees. Required Participants: Mentees (Team Coaches and Advisors – optional) |
| As scheduled | Peer Group Meeting
Required Participants: Team coaches and mentees in assigned teams. (Advisors – optional) Deliverable: Mentees must be prepared to discuss how the mock study section changed their approach to their application. Topics for Discussion: 1. Final drafting of proposals, provide peer feedback. 2. Interpreting your score from the sponsor. 3. Discuss final steps of submission. |
| May 26 | UVA Internal Deadline for new R01 proposals |
| June 5 | NIH Deadline for new R01 proposals |
| June 19 | Program Evaluation
Mentees complete evaluation of program experience. |
| June 22 | Final Progress Reports
Final Progress Reports sent to Department Chairs. |