We’re pleased to reblog this Strategic Grantsmanship post by Kelly Byram. It is a follow-up to a four-part series of posts about the new NIH biosketch format, which is required for grant applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2015. That series was reblogged here over the past few weeks.
“A Gap in the Hedge” photo by floato via Flickr. “Mind the Gap” photo by Lisa via Flickr. Both used under Creative Commons license.
You have the opportunity in the NIH biosketch to explain any gaps in your research productivity. Military service, family obligations, illness, and disability are the main reasons for gaps that quickly come to mind, but those are not the only reasons one may have for a gap. Explanation of any gap is not required, and many female researchers with whom I have discussed this topic have viscerally negative reactions to this part of the Personal Statement (PS) section of the biosketch. Usually the question is, will saying I took time off for family obligations affect the perception of me? The answer is it shouldn’t, but it might. Here’s how you handle it.
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