Lessons for Success Program

Lessons for Success is part of ASHA's Research Mentoring (ARM) Network. Other programs in the Network include Pathways and the Clinical Practice Research Institute (CPRI). Each ARM Network program serves a distinct role in fostering the development of researchers in communication sciences and disorders at different career stages.

Purpose

Lessons for Success aims to provide intensive training to a promising group of early career scientists in the areas of (a) grant preparation and funding opportunities, (b) development and management of a successful program of research, and (c) advancement of professional competencies. With participants completing assignments prior to and during the conference, this grant-writing "boot camp" provides invaluable advice and guidance from senior faculty with strong histories of research funding.

Participants

Attendance is limited to approximately 30 participants who show promise for a productive research career and who are selected through an application process. The following eligibility requirements apply (Please note, as of 2019, grant-writing eligibility requirements have been modified.):

• PhD students at the level of candidacy, postdoctoral fellows, or junior-level faculty (below the level of associate professor) who either:
  • have been awarded extramural research funding* (e.g., a foundation research grant; a small research grant, fellowship, career-development award, or minority supplement from a federal or state funding agency), or
  • applied for federal research funding* (awarding of federal funding not required)
• Individuals who hold a clinical doctorate or MD and who meet the grant-writing requirements listed above are eligible to apply. These applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis for their plans to develop an independent research career.

*Eligible funding does not include loan repayment awards, scholarships, personnel preparation grants, small business innovation research grants (e.g., SBIR), or community service grants.

For current PhD students, priority is given to those who have been awarded F31 funding. Current PhD students at the level of candidacy who have not yet been awarded F31 funding are strongly encouraged to apply to the Pathways program instead of Lessons for Success.

Individuals who have already been awarded an R01 and/or obtained tenure are considered too advanced for the purposes of Lessons for Success and are encouraged to consider applying for the Clinical Practice Research Institute instead.

Past Participants

Format

Lessons for Success consists of a combination of lectures, mock reviews, and small-group sessions. Each participant is assigned a Lessons for Success faculty member. This is a working conference in which each participant prepares materials in advance and then refines those materials on site with guidance from the assigned faculty member.

View a typical agenda.

ASHA may seek periodic updates on the scholarly achievements of Lessons for Success participants in the years following the program (e.g., publications, grant submissions). Participants are expected to provide these data, as they are critical to ensuring the continuation of this program.

How to Attend

The Lessons for Success application period opens in October and closes in December.

Applicants must complete the online application form, upload several PDF documents through the online application system, and submit the entire application package by the established deadline. See the application instructions for details, including deadlines and conference dates.

There is no registration fee. Funds are provided for participant travel, hotel, and meals, in accordance with ASHA travel policies.

For more information, please view the frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please contact ASHA's Academic Affairs and Research Education team at research@asha.org.

Lessons for Success is supported by an R13 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and is co-sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation). It is planned and coordinated by the Research and Scientific Affairs Committee, the Lessons for Success Advisory Committee, and ASHA's Academic Affairs and Research Education team.