This could be a tough funding year for all of us

Last week, NIH released a notice explaining its operation plan in the event of sequestration.  The brief memo explains that, in the event of a sequestration, funding will be significantly cut.  However, even if the sequestration does not happen, we are looking at cuts in funding across the board.  Does this mean you should give up on your plan to become a successful, federally-funded researcher?  Should you practice saying "do you want fries with that?"  No, if anything, you should try even harder.  Funding is about to get even more competitive than it has become in recent years, but if you are putting together an exemplary proposal with great potential for significance and innovation, you should have no reason to despair.

Sample Project Leadership Plans for Multiple PIs

Are you sharing the PI responsibility with another scientist?  Having 2 Principal Investigators can be a benefit to certain types of projects.  Given other responsibilities such as teaching and other research projects, it can also be helpful to have another person to share the workload.  NIH provides some examples of Multiple PI Project Leadership Plans here.  Why is this a necessary component of the application?  I believe it is in part because department heads and NIH personnel became frustrated with the messy divorces that can happen between PIs sharing equal responsibility for a project.  I have seen disagreements in approach, methods, and even interpretation of findings turn into all-out battles for control of projects.  Keep this in mind as you draft your leadership plan.  Be sure that one PI will have final say over certain types of matters and, if possible, designate an impartial third party or faculty committee to help make decisions when no agreement can be reached.  You will not regret it!