Abstract
Background: National emphasis on interdisciplinary and translational research as research priorities has created new challenges in grantsmanship. The Office of Scientific Writing and Publication at Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation utilized an informatics approach to create a comprehensive educational resource to assist new and established investigators engaged in research design. An interactive website accessible on the institutional intranet was designed to provide links to information, resources and support personnel to assist with navigating the central and peripheral processes required for successful procurement of institutional and external grants.
Methods: Research Mentor was designed to provide comprehensive guidance to research fundamentals in a conveniently accessible interactive, user-friendly, online format. The website included resources and links to guidelines for grant development including feasibility analysis and study design planning, biostatistical considerations, peer review, grantsmanship, intellectual property protection, regulatory policies, computer-based training, institutional and national policies governing research, and access to funding agencies, forms, and appropriate support staff. The website was beta-tested by 25 physicians and scientists with varying degrees of research experience and refined based on user comments before the website was launched in spring of 2008.
Results: Research Mentor proved to be an effective orientation tool for researchers by enhancing grantsmanship skills and providing access to research resources. Research Mentor has been effective in linking the researchers with appropriate support personnel who offer further assistance to researchers in producing competitive proposals. Tools custom-designed for Research Mentor to assist in project planning and design have been frequently accessed by investigators and reduce time spent by support staff on assisting with project planning.
Conclusions: Informatics venues such as interactive user-friendly online educational websites can offer step-by-step guidance to research design and processes by providing a comprehensive cross-disciplinary research resource that offers value to new and established investigators alike. These tools promote networking with experienced support personnel to facilitate production of competitive grants.
