Turning point: Jim Hoch

http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7402-283a?WT.ec_id=NATUREjobs-20120621

Molecular biologist describes how he has held onto a grant for more than 30 years.

In April, Jim Hoch, a molecular biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California, celebrated the ninth renewal of the grant supporting his study of bacterial signalling proteins. Here, he reflects on how his efforts to unravel sporulation led to a three-decade US National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant — one of the longest-running at Scripps.

How have NIH requirements changed?

Proposals used to be more than 20 pages long, and the study sections that review grants lasted for three days. Now, proposals are 12 pages, study sections last one day and half of the applications, the less-impressive ones, are not even discussed. There is a lesson here. Applications of 12 pages need to be clear and concise to make them understandable outside the field. Most importantly, they need to be exciting to read. A proposal needs to have clearly articulated goals that transmit your excitement.