The Ochsner Grant Writing Team works alongside physicians and researchers to prepare and submit competitive applications for local, state, federal, and philanthropic funding. Please use the tabs above to learn more about our team and the services offered. Ready to get started? Contact a Grant Writer or submit an Application Initiation Form.
Our Team
Sarah Boyd, PhD is a Senior Grants Writer for Research and innovationOchsner (iO). She has more than 10 years of successful grant writing experience to a broad range of funding agencies including SAMHSA, HRSA, HUD, DOJ, CDC, NIH, DoEd, and more. She enjoys working on multidisciplinary projects, data visualization challenges, and modernizing science communication. Dr. Boyd’s PhD is in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Her dissertation research involved the creation and large-scale production of a novel flagellin monomer and antigen co-expression platform for increased vaccine efficacy. Dr. Boyd lives in the Northern suburbs of Atlanta, GA. In her free time, she enjoys baking and the slow art of traditional flower pressing.
Contact: sarah.boyd1@ochsner.org
Priya received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she studied the molecular underpinnings of gastrointestinal cancers. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she served as a Scientific Consultant and Grant Writing Specialist at Eva Garland Consulting, LLC. Her experience spans the fields of Biotechnology, Diagnostics/Assays, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Medical Devices, having worked on over 70 grants and contracts submitted to federal and private funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), and National Science Foundation (NSF). Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and birdwatching.
Contact: priya.pai@ochsner.org
Concierge/Full-Service
The Ochsner Grant Writing Team offers two levels of support depending on grant budget, timeline to submission, and available resources.
Concierge/Full-Service Grant Writing is reserved for high priority projects including federally funded work with a budget of at least $100k per year, provisionally approved by RMD and DCR for concierge service with a concept/aims page reviewed at system level using NIH Simplified Peer Review Framework.
You must begin working with a Grant Writer at least 3 months ahead of the submission deadline to receive Concierge/Full-Service support.
Assembling a compelling proposal for on-time submission is a daunting task. Our team offers effective project management to ensure we have plenty of time for narrative revisions and budget redrafts. Consider us your friendly accountability partner, working with you to submit your very best work.
Soliciting input from a PO can be a valuable exercise in obtaining feedback on your application’s appropriateness for a specific funding opportunity. The Ochsner Grant Writing Team can facilitate these meetings and recommend specific POs based on your project and specific funding opportunity.
A compelling Specific Aims page is a crucial element of a successful grant. The Aims page is also the first step in delineating your scope of work, budget, and team. The Ochsner Grant Writing Team can help draft your Aims page. We ensure that your Aims page is compliant with agency guidelines and covers all the essential review criteria. We also help draft LOIs based on guidelines from the specific agency and funding opportunity.
A well-structured budget is crucial for grant success. We provide comprehensive budget development support, ensuring alignment with funding agency guidelines and institutional policies.
Our team provides expert grant writing and editing services to help research scientists and physician researchers craft competitive proposals. Whether you need assistance developing a full grant application from scratch or refining an existing draft, we offer:
- Strategic Grant Writing – Tailoring proposals to align with funding agency priorities and requirements.
- Content Development – Assisting with the articulation of research aims, significance, innovation, and approach.
- Scientific Editing and Review – Enhancing clarity, coherence, and persuasiveness while ensuring compliance with formatting and submission guidelines.
- Resubmission Support – Addressing reviewer feedback to strengthen revised applications.
The Ochsner Grant Writing Team consults with biostatisticians at the Research Information Analytics Department. Should you require analysis of patient data, you can use the available Epic tools (e.g. Slicer Dicer) to find your target population by applying your inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Research Information Analytics team can assist you with the analysis after you submit this custom REDCap survey. Please remember to verify that the selected patients and variables are IRB approved.
Strong letters of commitment and support can enhance the credibility of a grant proposal. We assist in crafting letters that:
- Demonstrate Institutional Support – Securing endorsements from within Ochsner and its broad partner network.
- Highlight Collaborations – Defining the roles of project partners, co-investigators, and community stakeholders.
- Address Resource Availability – Confirming access to facilities, equipment, personnel, or matching funds.
Find Funding
Identifying Grant Opportunities
The Ochsner Grant Writing Team meets with researchers and conducts a tailored grant opportunity search that considers your research team’s:
- Immediate and long-term funding goals
- Immediate and long-term research objectives
- Stage of research program
- PI’s career stage and goals
We also provide general advice on overall grant strategy, including leveraging your network, filling gaps in expertise, and grant application timing.
Basic Editing
The Ochsner Grant Writing Team offers two levels of support depending on grant budget, timeline to submission, and available resources.
We offer basic editing and proofreading services to any Ochsner researcher including:
- Review of narrative segments including introduction, summary, broader impacts, specific aims, significance, and innovation
- Review supporting documents such as biosketches, partner letters, facilities and equipment documentation, etc.
Please allow one week for basic editing and proofreading ahead of your deadline to the Grants Office for submission.
