Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study
Abstract Introduction: External funding is a critical metric in research career advancement, particularly in biomedical fields. Grant-writing coaching emerges as a strategy in biomedical workforce development. Recognizing disparities in grant success among early-career investigators from underrepr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125100800/type/journal_article |
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| author | Yulia A. Levites Strekalova Selin Kavak Vanessa Caridad Rodriguez Sara Midence Lee S. Caplan Winston Thompson Muhammed Y. Idris Jonathan Stiles Priscilla Pemu Alexander Quarshie Adriana Baez Maritza Salazar Campo Elizabeth Ofili |
| author_facet | Yulia A. Levites Strekalova Selin Kavak Vanessa Caridad Rodriguez Sara Midence Lee S. Caplan Winston Thompson Muhammed Y. Idris Jonathan Stiles Priscilla Pemu Alexander Quarshie Adriana Baez Maritza Salazar Campo Elizabeth Ofili |
| author_sort | Yulia A. Levites Strekalova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Introduction:
External funding is a critical metric in research career advancement, particularly in biomedical fields. Grant-writing coaching emerges as a strategy in biomedical workforce development. Recognizing disparities in grant success among early-career investigators from underrepresented groups, the National Research Mentoring Network Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators (NRMN-SETH) provides grant-writing coaching to support these scholars. This study explores the roles of NRMN-SETH grant-writing coaches in fostering technical skills and social support in a group setting.
Methods:
This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 16 NIH-funded investigators who served as coaches within the NRMN-SETH program. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using the Framework Method, identifying key roles related to coaching practices.
Results:
Findings reveal that grant-writing coaching involved personalized guidance, confidence-building, and structured group interactions. Coaches emphasized individualized feedback on grant components and provided iterative guidance. The group-based coaching environment fostered peer support and normalized challenges, creating a collaborative atmosphere conducive to skill-building. Coaches noted the importance of institutional support in enabling participants to engage in the program, though challenges arose in managing participants with varying grant-writing experience.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the potential of grant-writing coaching to enhance research capacity among underrepresented scholars, offering a structured, supportive approach that complements traditional mentorship. Integrating tailored coaching programs within biomedical workforce development, particularly at minority-serving and low-resourced institutions, may reduce disparities in grant success. Future research could expand on these findings by investigating the long-term career impacts of coaching and testing the effectiveness of peer-led, group-based components in grant-writing success.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6910e49bac1845cbb163f81d5ff7b30e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-8661 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-6910e49bac1845cbb163f81d5ff7b30e2025-08-20T12:00:45ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612025-01-01910.1017/cts.2025.10080Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative studyYulia A. Levites Strekalova0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6060-1233Selin Kavak1Vanessa Caridad Rodriguez2Sara Midence3Lee S. Caplan4Winston Thompson5Muhammed Y. Idris6Jonathan Stiles7Priscilla Pemu8Alexander Quarshie9Adriana Baez10Maritza Salazar Campo11Elizabeth Ofili12University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Gainesville, FL, USA Department of Health Services Research Management and Policy College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USADepartment of Health Services Research Management and Policy College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USADepartment of Health Services Research Management and Policy College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USADepartment of Health Services Research Management and Policy College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USADepartment of Pharmacology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USAPaul Merage School of Business, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USAMorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA Abstract Introduction: External funding is a critical metric in research career advancement, particularly in biomedical fields. Grant-writing coaching emerges as a strategy in biomedical workforce development. Recognizing disparities in grant success among early-career investigators from underrepresented groups, the National Research Mentoring Network Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators (NRMN-SETH) provides grant-writing coaching to support these scholars. This study explores the roles of NRMN-SETH grant-writing coaches in fostering technical skills and social support in a group setting. Methods: This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 16 NIH-funded investigators who served as coaches within the NRMN-SETH program. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using the Framework Method, identifying key roles related to coaching practices. Results: Findings reveal that grant-writing coaching involved personalized guidance, confidence-building, and structured group interactions. Coaches emphasized individualized feedback on grant components and provided iterative guidance. The group-based coaching environment fostered peer support and normalized challenges, creating a collaborative atmosphere conducive to skill-building. Coaches noted the importance of institutional support in enabling participants to engage in the program, though challenges arose in managing participants with varying grant-writing experience. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of grant-writing coaching to enhance research capacity among underrepresented scholars, offering a structured, supportive approach that complements traditional mentorship. Integrating tailored coaching programs within biomedical workforce development, particularly at minority-serving and low-resourced institutions, may reduce disparities in grant success. Future research could expand on these findings by investigating the long-term career impacts of coaching and testing the effectiveness of peer-led, group-based components in grant-writing success. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125100800/type/journal_articleCoachinggrant writingmentoringsocial supportworkforce development |
| spellingShingle | Yulia A. Levites Strekalova Selin Kavak Vanessa Caridad Rodriguez Sara Midence Lee S. Caplan Winston Thompson Muhammed Y. Idris Jonathan Stiles Priscilla Pemu Alexander Quarshie Adriana Baez Maritza Salazar Campo Elizabeth Ofili Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study Journal of Clinical and Translational Science Coaching grant writing mentoring social support workforce development |
| title | Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study |
| title_full | Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study |
| title_short | Exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators: A qualitative study |
| title_sort | exploring grant writing coaching and its role in professional development of health equity investigators a qualitative study |
| topic | Coaching grant writing mentoring social support workforce development |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125100800/type/journal_article |
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