CORE spotlights
The CORE grants program has had a tremendous impact on my career as a surgeon-scientist. As a second-year resident, I received my first CORE grant from the American Rhinologic Society (ARS).
Murugappan Ramanathan, Jr., MD
Director, National Capital Region, Johns Hopkins University Outpatient Center
“The CORE grants program has had a tremendous impact on my career as a surgeon-scientist. As a second-year resident, I received my first CORE grant from the American Rhinologic Society (ARS). This early experience not only provided me funding to perform my research, but it taught me how to put together an NIH-style grant application. As a first-year faculty member, I received the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) Foundation Career Development award, which provided substantial funding to collect preliminary data and ultimately helped me receive an NIH K23 Career Development Award. Over the past eight years, I have been a reviewer for the CORE grants program. Critiquing and, more importantly, discussing grant proposals and networking with funded investigators definitely improved my ‘grantsmanship.’ Earlier this year, I was fortunate to receive my first NIH R01 grant. I feel that the overall experience in writing and reviewing grants for CORE was instrumental in helping me successfully prepare this larger grant application, forcing me to be more critical of myself every step of the way. The CORE grants program offers otolaryngologists a unique chance to receive funding for studies that otherwise may not be funded. There is no better resource for anyone seeking a career as an investigative otolaryngologist.”
Lamont Jones, MD, MBA
Vice Chair, Henry Ford Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology HNS, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Clinical Associate Professor, Wayne State University School of Medicine
“I was the recipient of the 2015 American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) Research Scholar Award administered through the CORE grants program. I also have had the pleasure of serving as a CORE grant reviewer. In an era where many departments can’t use money from clinical operations to support research, the CORE grant was invaluable to support the acquisition of vital preliminary data necessary to compete for more substantial funding. Moreover, participating in the CORE grants program, as an applicant and as a reviewer, gave me the experience to better understand the overall grant process. When I applied for the CORE grants award, I was at a point in my research career where I almost had what was necessary to competitively compete for NIH funding. However, I needed a grant that would demonstrate to my home institution that my project had merit and one that would provide bridging funds as I obtained the last critical components to successfully compete for NIH funding. The CORE grants award provided the needed support, and in 2018, I received a five-year $900,000 K08 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Science. The CORE grants program provides practical experience and seed funding to prepare the next generation of otolaryngology physician scientists who will help solve the problems that our patients face now and in the future. Additionally, the program demonstrates to the world our profession’s dedication and commitment to patient care and quality outcomes by investing resources to support research.”
