Spotlight on NIH S10 Grants: New Equipment Driving Collaborative Research at Drexel
Drexel University continues to strengthen its research infrastructure thanks to two newly awarded NIH S10 grants, which have brought state-of-the-art technology to campus: a BD FACSymphony A5 SE Flow Cytometer and a Leica Stellaris Confocal Imaging System. These grants, part of the NIH's Instrumentation Grant Programs, enable institutions to acquire shared instruments, fostering cost-efficiency, collaboration, and advancing NIH-funded research across universities, hospitals, and research organizations.
Dr. Jenna Hope and Dr. Elias El Haddad led the initiative to bring the new flow cytometer to Drexel, while Dr. Peter Baas spearheaded the acquisition of the confocal imaging system. Both grants represent collaborative efforts that will support a broad range of research disciplines, offering new opportunities for faculty and students alike. The Office of Research & Innovation interviewed the three College of Medicine researchers to learn more about their advice for securing S10 grants, the immense potential these advanced tools offer for expanding Drexel's research capabilities, and the collaborative spirit driving their success.
The S10 Grant Application: A Collaborative Path to Success
Applying for an NIH S10 grant is no small feat. The process is highly competitive and requires careful planning, collaboration, and coordination across multiple stakeholders. To be eligible for an S10 grant, institutions must identify at least three principal investigators with active NIH research awards who demonstrate a substantial need for the requested equipment.
For many, applying for an S10 grant can seem daunting. However, Dr. Hope noted that the process went smoothly due to a shared vision among the team and enthusiastic support from other faculty members. “We had such a good team because we were all aligned in the goal,” Dr. Hope said, highlighting the collaborative spirit that helped overcome challenges.
Tips and Insights for Future S10 Grant Applicants
Drawing from their collective experience, all three grant recipients specifically emphasized the importance of early preparation and teamwork throughout the application process. Drs. Hope, Haddad, and Baas offered a few key strategies for a successful S10 application:
- Consult applicants: While reflecting on their journeys, a consistent piece of advice emerged – leverage the experience of colleagues who previously applied for S10 grants. The researchers strongly advised speaking with faculty who had gone through the application process. “My advice to anyone at Drexel wishing to apply for an S10 grant is to contact those of us who've already done it – myself, Dr. Hope, Dr. Haddad, Dr. Veronica Tom, Dr. Noreen Robertson, and others,” Dr. Baas encouraged. “Set up a Zoom meeting or an in-person meeting and we'll provide guidance for you.”
“Learning from other people's mistakes is critical and that’s what we did,” said Dr. Haddad. “Really talk to people that have applied for S10 grants because it's a unique kind of proposal with specific requirements that you might not expect.” The team reached out to several faculty members who had gone through the process before, which was invaluable. He noted that understanding the nuances of the application process can significantly strengthen your submission.
Dr. Hope emphasized the same, “The only advice I would give is, even if you've submitted other grant proposals before, to talk to somebody who submitted an S10. Even within the NIH, this is a different kind of grant proposal. So, chatting, reaching out – anybody can look at ours as a road map.”
- Start planning early: The applicants all underscored the importance of early preparation. It’s crucial to start well in advance of the deadline – they suggested beginning to prepare nearly a year ahead, gathering data, building a strong case, and building a strong faculty team.“You don't want to start that conversation in April for a June 1st deadline. So that early preparedness, getting everybody on board early really helps everything else go smoothly,” said Dr. Hope.
Dr. Baas agreed, sharing his own experience with the application process and stressing that planning ahead and engaging all stakeholders early on is crucial.
- Show a demonstrated need: Dr. Hope mentioned that one of the key factors in a successful S10 application is demonstrating not only a crucial need for the equipment among the named major and minor users on the proposal, but also a broad need across multiple departments or disciplines. “The more departments, colleges, and campuses you can include in your application, the better,” she said, “It carries a lot of weight for the review committee to demonstrate that this is a real need rather than just a want for a particular department.”
She explained how they presented a clear case by emphasizing that Drexel’s current capacity was outdated and inadequate. “We’re 10 years behind,” she commented, outlining how their proposal detailed both the University’s and the broader Philadelphia region's limited access to such cutting-edge technology. “You have to demonstrate not only that access doesn’t exist here at Drexel, but that access also doesn’t exist through any of our local surrounding institutions. We had to know what was going on in the Philadelphia region as a whole, which strengthened our case. Not only does that create an opportunity for us here but potentially for other people to come here and use our shared resource and potentially help to offset the cost then too. We have a long-term business plan associated with this that we're hoping will create a really successful shared resource facility.”
Dr. Haddad discussed how prior conversations with faculty revealed widespread interest in using a flow cytometer, particularly from fields outside of immunology. Regarding their old machine, “We started training students from biomedical engineering, chemistry, neuroscience,” he said, observing how this interdisciplinary interest and need across departments supported their application.
Dr. Baas echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the importance of drafting a comprehensive equipment justification, particularly the need to demonstrate how the equipment will benefit not just one lab but the broader research community. His overall suggestion is to consider how the technology will be shared across departments and the impact it will have on future discoveries.
Reflecting on the review process, Dr. Baas observed that the NIH’s critiques were often heavily focused on small details. However, he emphasized the importance of addressing every element in the proposal thoroughly. “I think that that's the lesson to be learned that when you ask for a piece of equipment – if you're asking for a certain add-on or a certain optional component such as a software module, and you don't say why you want that specifically, who's going to use it and for what, then they’re going to downgrade you for neglecting that, even though that may seem nitpicky. That's their job. That's what they do,” he advised.
- Collaborate with other researchers: One of the hallmarks of both grant applications was the emphasis on collaboration, which was central to both grant applications and will continue to be key for future efforts.
Dr. Haddad highlighted the importance of strong teamwork, with benefits that promote synergies across academic units at the university. He remarked that the committee involved in drafting the proposal focused heavily on interdepartmental usage. By contrast, all of the major and minor users on Dr. Baas’ proposal were from the same department, but efforts at demonstrating the broad impact of the instrument extended even beyond Drexel to include collaborating nearby HBCUs. Having these resources encourages collaboration and innovation at a level previously unseen. It’s about breaking down silos and getting more eyes on the same data. Dr. Hope pointed out that it’s not the science; it's the technical and collaborative aspects that really matter.
For the S10 proposals, both teams underwent a phase of gathering opinions and consensus on the appropriate equipment that would serve best. “The first step is getting potential users in a room together,” said Dr. Baas, explaining that while it's a process of getting there through multiple meetings and discussions, over time the collaboration grows stronger.
Another key to success is working closely with institutional support. All three researchers emphasized the pivotal role of Dr. Noreen Robertson, Associate Vice Dean for Research at Drexel University College of Medicine. Drs. Hope and Haddad shared that Dr. Robertson was instrumental in navigating the process, offering guidance on submission details, and ensuring everything was on track. Dr. Baas added that Dr. Robertson's help was critical, with her being a tremendous asset to the Drexel research community as a whole. Her support provided confidence when pushing through the more challenging parts of the process.
Collaboration was central to both grants and will continue to be so for future applications. Dr. Haddad and Dr. Baas discussed the recent formation of the Programmatic Funding Committee, a Drexel initiative designed to encourage more collaborative grant proposals going forward. Dr. Haddad explained that they started thinking about how to get people with similar research interests together organically, adding that this committee aims to increase the number of large, programmatic grants submitted from Drexel.
Expanding Research Horizons with New Technology
At Drexel, the newly acquired equipment is integrated into core facilities, promoting shared access among researchers. This approach not only maximizes the utilization of the instruments but also fosters interdisciplinary research collaborations. The addition of a state-of-the-art flow cytometer and confocal imaging system marks a transformative moment for Drexel’s research infrastructure.
The flow cytometer and confocal imaging system will not be limited to individual labs but will be made accessible to researchers across the entire Drexel research community. These grants aren’t just about advancing individual projects but are meant to be available to researchers in different fields, sparking new ideas and partnerships.
- BD FACSymphony A5 SE Flow Cytometer
The new flow cytometer is a game-changer for Drexel, and it is truly remarkable that Dr. Hope and Dr. Haddad were able to be awarded the S10 grant for the equipment on their first attempt at applying.
“This machine increases our capacity for what we can analyze,” Dr. Hope explained. It is capable of analyzing up to 48 parameters simultaneously, more than double Drexel’s previous capacity and introduces a new technological approach to flow cytometry. “It’s very, very cool,” said Dr. Hope, as she described how the flow cytometer allows for greater resolution, which is crucial for analyzing complex samples in immunology and beyond.
The machine’s applications span disciplines, from counting parasites to sorting nanoparticles, and offer the ability to isolate specific cell populations for further study. She noted, “Dr. Haddad and I have the opinion that flow cytometry can be applicable to anything. Most people tend to put it into the box of that it has to be immunology associated and that's just not true. It can be applicable to really anything – huge, huge applicability to any of the basic or translational sciences.”
Dr. Haddad emphasized the significance of this machine for Drexel’s researchers. “It's a resource for the whole Drexel community… It's critical for immunology, but it's also applicable to cancer, neuroscience, and general biology. The new sorter can even give back a pure population of selected cells for further research, making it useful for anyone working with cells, bacteria, or parasites.”
- Leica Stellaris Confocal Imaging System
The advanced high-end confocal imaging system, secured through Dr. Baas’ grant, provides unparalleled imaging capabilities. “This instrument is going to be important for visualizing many anatomical and subcellular structures, such as, for example, the tracks in the spinal cord that undergo degeneration and hopefully regeneration or sprouting upon experimental therapies,” Dr. Baas explained. This technology offers unprecedented insights, which is especially important in fields like neuroscience, where researchers are studying complex structures. This is critical for visualizing the fine structure of dendritic arbors and synapses, which is invaluable in understanding brain structure, disease and injury.
“Whether it's at the sub cellular level with studies on microtubules or mitochondria or whether it's a bit higher level where you're looking at things like synapses, this is critically important much of what we do in neuroscience as well as other disciplines at Drexel,” explained Dr. Baas. He also pointed out the broad applicability of the system. From studying in vivo structures to brain organoids in 3D culture, this equipment will support a wide range of research projects.
Dr. Baas also explained that the confocal imaging system will benefit researchers across disciplines, with its enormous power benefiting more and more research programs as the Drexel community becomes aware of its capabilities. This technology will drive forward important work in multiple fields: “I think the instrument will be broadly useful for all of us.” In the near term, projects studying autism, Alzheimer’s disease, hereditary spastic paraplegia, addiction, and neuropsychiatric disorders like ADHD and schizophrenia will all benefit from this advanced imaging capability.
Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Research at Drexel
Both the flow cytometer and confocal imaging system are expected to facilitate breakthroughs in fields ranging from immunology to neuroscience. Dr. Hope sees immense potential in applying flow cytometry to diverse research areas, while Dr. Baas envisions the confocal system playing a key role in advancing neuroscience (and beyond) at Drexel. The availability of this equipment will foster greater collaboration across departments, creating exciting opportunities for new discoveries and innovations.
For researchers interested in using the flow cytometer, training and access will be available starting in early 2025. Dr. Hope and Dr. Haddad are organizing a symposium to provide detailed information on how to access the equipment. Dr. Baas and his team are currently establishing a system for using the confocal imaging system.
By bringing these cutting-edge tools to Drexel, the S10 grants not only elevate the University’s research capabilities via advanced technology but also foster teamwork across departments, laying the groundwork for even greater scientific discovery in the years to come. These awards serve as a reminder of the power of collaboration, planning, and community support in driving research forward.