CRDF Global Implements Fiocruz-NIAID Grant Writing Workshop in Brazil

In late 2022, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Office of Global Research (OGR) hosted a successful grant writing workshop in Brazil in tandem with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). This initiative provided a valuable learning opportunity for Brazilian principal investigators, to improve their grant writing skills, so that they may submit eligible, quality proposals and receive funding for future projects. Such projects improve grant writing quality, international research collaborations, and global research capacity. 

The first part of this initiative was a virtual component, including three different presentations hosted by expert grant writing mentors. Those participants who attended all three prior presentations were then invited to apply for a chance to convene in person with esteemed grant writing mentors in Rio de Janeiro. In person, the mentors aided participants with their own proposals.  

The OGR saw significant improvement in later submitted proposals. This workshop serves as a fantastic template for similar workshops in the future. Similar programs can be modeled in the likeness of this to improve grant writing capabilities and increase the number of fundable proposals that come out of countries and regions where this workshop is enacted. Having successfully conducted this workshop and seeing the capacity building opportunity which it has provided, CRDF Global hopes to replicate this workshop model for other cohorts looking to strengthen their ability to be competitive for research funding.