Proposal FAQ
Have a question? Email us at grantwritingacademy AT stanford.edu.
How can I use the Grant Writing Academy to augment my grant writing?
The Grant Writing Academy’s (https://grantwriting.stanford.edu) mission is support YOU in creating innovative research proposals that tackle important scientific questions. Our website hosts a number of on-demand resources (Tips for Planning Your Proposal, All About the NIH K Award Workbook, Science & Art of Grant Writing Symposium, etc). We also offer regular 1-2 hour workshops or seminars, see Events. When you are ready to write your proposal and the deadline is less than 6 months away, join one of our award-winning Proposal Bootcamps (Autumn, Spring, Mini). Proposal Bootcamp participants have nearly double the proposal success rates as non-Bootcamp participants (PLOS ONE, 2020).
When should I seek feedback on my proposal?
Writing is an iterative process of seeking feedback and revising so it’s important to seek feedback at all stages between outlining to get ideas down on paper to proofreading right before submitting. Feedback will let you know how much progress you have made towards addressing the review criteria and what else you still need to do to meet them. Revising based on feedback will ensure that your proposal’s ideas are clear, compelling, and coherent. Seek feedback from a broad audience – mentors, advisory committee members, labmates, peers and colleagues, writing specialists, and program officers – to ensure that your plans are compelling to diverse reviewers. When asking for feedback also communicate the writing stage you are in so the experience is most productive. For example, if you are in the early rough draft stage, request feedback on your logic and flow of ideas instead of spelling or grammatical errors.The Grant Writing Academy’s Proposal Bootcamps (Autumn, Spring, Mini) provide multi-level opportunities for peer and faculty feedback.
What funding opportunities are available at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)?
The Ruth L. Kirschstein predoctoral individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) provide research training leading towards the research doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D.) and are referred to as F31 Fellowships. The F32 Fellowship is similar but available to provide postdoctoral research training to broaden the postdoc’s scientific background and extend their potential for research in specified health-related areas. Postdocs or early faculty may apply for career development awards, or K Awards. Faculty typically apply to grants and at NIH the oldest grant mechanism is the R01 (pronounced R-oh-1), which supports health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) has a couple of useful timelines that show NIH’s available funding support by career stage.
Who is the PI for the funding opportunity?
PI or Principal Investigator is the individual responsible for the preparation, conduct, and administration of a research grant. The PI for a fellowship or career development award is generally the applicant. Your faculty advisor / mentor might be referred to as your sponsor, which is the case for the NIH F31 Fellowship.
What is the NIH Biosketch and how is it used?
The NIH Biographical Sketch (or Biosketch) is a specially formatted document, generally limited to 5 pages, that highlights your relevant research skills and experiences. Reviewers use it to assess if your prior experiences are appropriate to lead the proposed research. NIH applications typically require either the fellowship Biosketch (needed for F31 or F32 applications) or non-fellowship Biosketch (needed for K Awards or R01 or other applications). NIH requirements change frequently so it is important to follow the most current instructions and download new templates: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm.
What is the NIH 1-page Specific Aims document?
The 1-page Specific Aims document is your executive summary of your entire research proposal and should entice reviewers to want to read more of the proposals. These are NIH instructions for the Specific Aims: “State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will have on the research field(s) involved. List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed (e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology.” Tips & resources for writing your Specific Aims: https://grantwriting.stanford.edu/students/tips-for-planning-your-proposal/#tip03
What are internal deadlines?
Stanford University, as well as many other universities, require internal review of proposals for fellowships and grants which necessitates internal deadlines BEFORE the proposal is due to the funding agency, like NIH. Stanford School of Medicine has a 5-business day internal deadline. Learn More: https://med.stanford.edu/rmg/fellowships/proposal-preparation—submission.html
Should I include my faculty mentor as one of my letters of reference?
It is critical to read all instructions carefully because this may be ok for some funding opportunities and not others. At NIH, your faculty mentor (or called Sponsor for NIH Fellowships) may NOT write a reference letter. Learn more about NIH reference letters: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/submission-process/reference-letters.htm
What courses do you recommend for improving my written communication skills?
The online Writing in the Sciences course, which is taught by Stanford Professor Dr. Kristin Sainani is fantastic!