research-grants

An NIH Specific Aims page is a one-page document with an opening paragraph on the knowledge gap, a central hypothesis, 2-4 specific aims with rationale and expected outcomes, and a payoff paragraph. The skill provides a detailed guide and template for structuring each element.

NSF broader impacts are societal benefits of research, weighted equally with intellectual merit in review. Effective statements include specific activities, timelines, measurable outcomes, and budget allocation across areas like education, broadening participation, and public engagement.

NSF uses two equally weighted criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. NIH scores five criteria on a 1-9 scale: Significance, Investigator, Innovation, Approach, and Environment. NSF emphasizes education and societal benefit; NIH emphasizes health relevance and preliminary data.

DARPA proposals must answer the Heilmeier Catechism, propose 10x rather than 10% improvements, include quantitative milestones, and show a technology transition path. Contacting the Program Manager before submitting and attending Proposers Day are strongly recommended.

A budget justification explains every line item in terms of the research plan, including personnel effort calculations, equipment necessity, travel purposes, and supply breakdowns. The skill provides a template with worked examples for NIH modular budgets, NSF, DOE, and DARPA formats.

Resubmit as an A1 application when reviewer criticisms are addressable through added preliminary data, clarified methods, or strengthened significance. Avoid resubmission when flaws are conceptual or fundamental; a new application may be better in those cases.