MATRIX Mentoring Program

Mentees are grouped into small teams (pods) where specialized training, guidance, and camaraderie aid in the development of a competitive NIH R01 or equivalent proposal over this 9-month program. Participation is limited to faculty members who have not yet been a Principal Investigator (PI) on an R01 project (or equivalent).

The course will include Coaches (senior UW-Madison faculty with established track records of external funding) and a paid Internal Subject Matter Expert (ISME) for each mentee to consult on the scientific content of the proposals. Mentees, with assistance from their departments and/or coaches, as well as information gleaned from the Research Insight website at UW, will generate names of potential ISMEs.

The goal is for mentees to recruit an ISME within the first three months of the program. ISMEs will counsel mentees on their research plans, help them prepare and present Chalk Talks, and provide guidance on grant proposal drafts. During the program, ISMEs will also help mentees identify a paid External Subject Matter Expert (ESME), who will provide a critical NIH-style review on mentees’ near-final proposals before the grant application deadline.

Once an ISME and EMSE has agreed, the mentee should send their names and contact information to the MATRIX Program email: matrixmentoring@med.wisc.edu, so that a signed agreement can be obtained for future payment.

• Mentees must be ready to submit within one year of finishing the program and will actively participate in group meetings and activities. One coach will be assigned to a group of two to four mentees (a pod). All pods will meet in two monthly meetings (or frequency determined by pod/team), September through May (in addition to a mid-term and closing ceremony).
• Coaches will guide the group through NIH policies and practices and development of an R01 equivalent grant application. In much the same way that a head coach is not an expert on all the positions, a MATRIX coach is not necessarily an expert on the scientific expertise needed for each mentee’s grant proposal. Rather, the coach is a process expert.
• Small group (pod) activities include helping to determine a realistic deadline for each mentee, advising them on developing sections of a proposal, and reviewing proposals in the group. Coaches will help the group find answers to other issues that may surface, such as how to contact NIH Program Officers or how to select a study section.
• Each pod is self-governing. Coaches will arrange meetings and, together with the pod members, determine when the pod will meet. We will provide a dedicated team folder in Box for pod members to upload and share proposal sections for review.
• Several large group events and/or workshops for all participants will provide mentees with additional tools and knowledge needed to successfully develop and write a high-quality NIH R01 (or equivalent) proposal, such as grant writing, budgets, biostatistics, time management, and more.

• Learn how to present a well-conceptualized research project/grant idea persuasively.
• Gain insight about what grant reviewers are looking.
• Learn how to identify and request the best study section for reviewing your proposal.
• Learn how to communicate with your program officer.
• Become a peer reviewer within your own pod.
• Prepare and present a Chalk Talk to receive feedback on your Specific Aims.
• Pick up best practices from widely-acclaimed experts at Grant Writers’ Seminars about how to “Write Winning Grant Proposals” with a focus on NIH.
• Create a cross-disciplinary, supportive network with other new investigators at UW-Madison.

Applicants must:

• Be UW-Madison faculty members: Scientists, or assistant or associate professors. Mentees can be from any department, school, or college on the UW campus.
• Have not been a PI on an NIH R01 grant proposal.
• Have demonstrated interest in obtaining extramural funding and have the data and idea ready to submit within one year of completing the MATRIX program.
• Be willing to seek out and enlist the participation of an Internal Subject Matter Expert (ISME) and External Subject Matter Expert (ESME). Once identified, mentees should send names and contact information to the MATRIX Program email: matrixmentoring@med.wisc.edu.
• Have a draft, however rudimentary, of an Aims page.
• Gain approval from department chair (or division head) documented via cover letter attached to application.

Selection Process: Applications will be 1) vetted by an admissions committee to determine readiness to prepare an R01 equivalent grant, and 2) sent to Chairs or Division Heads to confirm consent for the mentee’s participation in the program and their support during its duration.

The timeline for the MATRIX program is shifting. Applications will now open June 1-July 31 and the program will run September-May.

Please submit the following in the MATRIX application portal:

(1) Cover letter co-signed by applicant and Department Chair (or Division Head). Applicants should download and use the appropriate template provided below (SMPH vs non-SMPH applicants):
               • SMPH mentee applicants, please use this cover letter template: SMPH Mentee Cover Letter

               • Non-SMPH applicants, please use this cover letter template: Non SMPH Mentee Cover Letter

NIH Biosketch (5 pages maximum). You may use the “A. Personal Statement” to describe how the MATRIX program will benefit you.
(3) Draft Aims Page

In addition, mentees are required to attend the following events:

• Opening Ceremony
• Monthly Team Meetings
• Mid-Point Event and NIH style Mock Review
• Closing Ceremony

The cost to the SMPH department per mentee is estimated to be about $2,000 due to the financial support of SMPH Dean Ahuja. For departments outside of SMPH, please see next link below.

The cost to departments/units outside of SMPH is estimated to be about $10,000 per non-SMPH mentee. This commitment needs to be articulated in the mentee application cover letter, which is co-signed by the applicant and Department Chair (or Division Head). MATRIX recognizes the current challenging situation we are facing. We have managed to lower the cost to $8K for mentees not affiliated with SMPH for the time being. Like SMPH, we encourage your department chair and dean to contribute towards the expenses of this important mentoring program.

Please contact the MATRIX Program for more information: matrixmentoring@med.wisc.edu.

Yes. The mentee applicant must obtain Department Chair (or Division Head) approval to apply. This must be documented in a cover letter attached to the application that is co-signed by both the applicant and Chair/Head.  This will be part of the selection process.

While the goal of the MATRIX Program is to develop an R01 application, we also will consider other “equivalent” research grant proposals.

MATRIX is open to scientists, but they must discuss it with the department chair first. In the discussion, the scientist and chair should be clear on expectations in case the R01 gets funded. The chair is expected to provide $2,000 towards enrollment for SMPH mentees, or $8,000 towards enrollment for non-SMPH mentees, and support the mentee all the way until submission of the proposal (protecting time for writing, etc).

A scientist who has not been a PI on an R01 is qualified to apply. The scientist will need a cover letter signed by their current employer and department chair. The employer’s signature will ensure that they get the protected time needed to write an R01, or equivalent, proposal.

The junior investigator would be eligible since they have yet been a PI on an R01.