Specific Aims/Project Overview Checklist

I'm happy to report that this week we concluded a great virtual Grant Writing Symposium focused on strategies and tips in writing your proposal. We walked through such things as how to craft the narrative in your grant proposal and tips to keep your writing clear and concise. We ended with a Specific Aims checklist, which I've shared below.

Offer a hook in the first paragraph – why is your project important/urgent:

Be sure to hook your reviewers right at the getgo of your proposal. Show your reviewers how dire your problem is and build a sense of urgency for your research to be done.

State your project goal/what your project’s about in the first couple sentences:

As you're showing them how big and bad the problem is that you're solving, don't forget to include a sentence that describes what your project is about.

Give an overview of cutting edge research in your field:

Describe the latest findings related to your project and be sure to position yourself as a leading thinker in the area.

Identify the gap in current research and justify why this gap needs to be filled now:

After stating the cutting edge, identify the gap in the research and explain the importance of focusing on this particular gap now.

State your hypothesis clearly:

Make sure that your hypothesis is succinct and testable.

State your aims clearly (make sure they’re interrelated but not dependent on one another):

State your aims in short and succinct statements as well. They should fit together and each work to test your hypothesis.

Include a conceptual diagram (visual):

Including a visual that gives an overview of your project is a great aide to reviewers who are trying to understand what it is your project is about and quickly.

Close with the vision/impact of your research:

Be sure not to end your Specific Aims with a statement on logistics. Seize the opportunity to highlight the importance of your research into the future to cement the excitement you've built with your reviewers.

Write in an active, first-person voice:

Saying "We will do the research" instead of "The research will be done by the research team" is easier to read and it is a much shorter sentence. The former is in active, first-person voice.

Offer visual breaks in your text (particularly between paragraphs):

Make sure that you keep space between paragraphs and do not justify the right edge of your aims (a jagged edge doesn't look as clean, but it's easier to read).

Provide a MEAL in each paragraph and keep sentences short:

Make sure in each paragraph that you include a Main (topic) sentence, Evidence to support it, Analysis of that evidence, and a Linking sentence to your next paragraph or a Last paragraph.

In case you missed any of the 2020 Symposium, they're all recorded, and we encourage you to check them out for yourself!

2020 ORDE Grant Writing Symposium

Part 1: The Grant Development Process

Part 2: What Reviewers Want

Part 3: Honing Your Grant Writing