Grants 102 Outline
In person sessions every 2nd Wednesday from February - July 2026 at MSB G100.
Session 1: Specific Aims/Abstract, Innovation, & Significance (MSB G. 100)
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Speaker: Kevin Morano, PhD, Professor, SVP
Reading: The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook, Chapters 1-4, 6
Assignment: Identify a mentor, Generate Specific Aims, Generate Lay abstract
Session 2: Research Design & Methods (Laboratory-based Studies) (MSB G.100)
Wednesday March 11, 2026
Speaker: Dr. Zheng (Jake) Chen, PhD, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, McGovern Medical School
Reading: The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook, Chapters 7-10
Assignment: Lay Abstract critique, Specific Aims Critique, Revise Specific Aims page, Revise Innovation and Significance, Generate Research Design and Methods
Session 3: Research Design & Methods (Population-based Studies) (MSB G.100)
Wednesday April 8, 2026
Speaker: Ross Shegog, PhD. Professor, School of Public Health
Reading: The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook, Chapters 11-15
Assignment: Specific Aims Critique, Revise Specific Aims page, Revise Innovation and Significance, Generate Research Design and Methods
Session 4: Research Design & Methods (Clinical Studies) (MSB G.100)
Wednesday May 13, 2026
Speaker: Martin Blakely, MD, MS, MMHC, FACS, FAAP, Department of Pediatric Surgery Center for Clinical Research and Evidence Based Medicine, McGovern Medical School
Reading: The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook, Chapters 11-15
Assignment: Revise Research Design and Methods
Session 5: Research Design & Methods (Data Science) (MSB G.100)
Wednesday May 20, 2026
Speaker: Dr Hongfang Liu, PhD, Professor & Bradley McWilliams Chair & Vice President of Learning Health Systems, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics
Assignment: Revise and compile grant
Session 6: Review & Response (MSB G.100)
Wednesday June 10, 2026
Speaker: Michael Lorenz, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School
Assignment: Revise and compile grant
Session 7: Executing the Research and Planning for the Next Grant (MSB G.100)
Wednesday July 08, 2026 (11am-12:00 pm followed by luncheon)
Speaker: Cindy Farach-Carson, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Dentistry
Reading: The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook, Chapters 16-21
Assignment: Revise and compile grant
Completion Luncheon: After Session 7/July 8, 2026-(MSB-G.100) (12:00pm-1:30pm)
Mentor/participant appreciation, group discussion
