R01

R01.

Three simple characters.

However, there is nothing simple about securing an R01, which is an independent investigator grant from the NIH. I know this first hand. That is why I was so grateful to hear last week that my R01 grant was funded.This type of award means several things that I will attempt to describe below.

First, it means that one has surmounted an incredibly high academic bar. The NIH receives thousands of R01 grants each year, but less than 10% of these grants are funded. That is not to say that the other 90% are terrible. Indeed, investigators spend years generating a body of work to support the central idea for their R01 grant, and it is not uncommon to spend one year writing this 12 page document.

Second, an R01 means that one has some measure of security. This is because an R01 is generally a five year award as opposed to most other grants that are only one to three years. The dollar amount for an R01 is also generally higher than most other grants, so one is better equipped to pay for one's own salary, staffs' salaries, and supplies. An R01 also means that one can temporarily take a breather from continuously writing grant proposal after grant proposal. Whew! I should have been an English major.

Finally, an R01 comes with the obligation to do meaningful science that will impact human health in a positive way. My project focuses on figuring out how a key protein called lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) promotes progression of the lethal form of prostate cancer. Importantly, we have identified a drug that blocks LSD1's function, and we have designed experiments to determine how blocking LSD1 leads to prostate cancer control. We have high hopes that we will be able to move this drug to the clinic very soon.

So, tonight I raise a glass. I do not celebrate myself. Rather, I toast all of those who made this award possible. I am indebted to my family more than anyone else. They have tolerated me working six to seven days per week and missing summer vacations because of the need to work on proposals such as this one. I could not do what I do without their understanding. and support. I am also grateful to my lab staff who work tirelessly to generate the data that makes our arguments strong in grants like this one and in our manuscripts. Finally, I am also grateful to my mentors and colleagues at work who have helped facilitate my success and provided me so much guidance.

You see it takes a village to secure an R01. Tonight, I am one happy villager!