research-grants

What this skill does

# Research Grant Writing

## Overview

Research grant writing is the process of developing competitive funding proposals for federal agencies and foundations. Master agency-specific requirements, review criteria, narrative structure, budget preparation, and compliance for NSF (National Science Foundation), NIH (National Institutes of Health), DOE (Department of Energy), and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) submissions.

**Critical Principle: Grants are persuasive documents that must simultaneously demonstrate scientific rigor, innovation, feasibility, and broader impact.** Each agency has distinct priorities, review criteria, formatting requirements, and strategic goals that must be addressed.

## When to Use This Skill

This skill should be used when:
- Writing research proposals for NSF, NIH, DOE, or DARPA programs
- Preparing project descriptions, specific aims, or technical narratives
- Developing broader impacts or significance statements
- Creating research timelines and milestone plans
- Preparing budget justifications and personnel allocation plans
- Responding to program solicitations or funding announcements
- Addressing reviewer comments in resubmissions
- Planning multi-institutional collaborative proposals
- Writing preliminary data or feasibility sections
- Preparing biosketches, CVs, or facilities descriptions

## Visual Enhancement with Scientific Schematics

**⚠️ MANDATORY: Every research grant proposal MUST include at least 1-2 AI-generated figures using the scientific-schematics skill.**

This is not optional. Grant proposals without visual elements are incomplete and less competitive. Before finalizing any document:
1. Generate at minimum ONE schematic or diagram (e.g., project timeline, methodology flowchart, or conceptual framework)
2. Prefer 2-3 figures for comprehensive proposals (research workflow, Gantt chart, preliminary data visualization)

**How to generate figures:**
- Use the **scientific-schematics** skill to generate AI-powered publication-quality diagrams
- Simply describe your desired diagram in natural language
- Nano Banana Pro will automatically generate, review, and refine the schematic

**How to generate schematics:**
```bash
python scripts/generate_schematic.py "your diagram description" -o figures/output.png
```

The AI will automatically:
- Create publication-quality images with proper formatting
- Review and refine through multiple iterations
- Ensure accessibility (colorblind-friendly, high contrast)
- Save outputs in the figures/ directory

**When to add schematics:**
- Research methodology and workflow diagrams
- Project timeline Gantt charts
- Conceptual framework illustrations
- System architecture diagrams (for technical proposals)
- Experimental design flowcharts
- Broader impacts activity diagrams
- Collaboration network diagrams
- Any complex concept that benefits from visualization

For detailed guidance on creating schematics, refer to the scientific-schematics skill documentation.

---

## Agency-Specific Overview

### NSF (National Science Foundation)
**Mission**: Promote the progress of science and advance national health, prosperity, and welfare

**Key Features**:
- Intellectual Merit + Broader Impacts (equally weighted)
- 15-page project description limit (most programs)
- Emphasis on education, diversity, and societal benefit
- Collaborative research encouraged
- Open data and open science emphasis
- Merit review process with panel + ad hoc reviewers

### NIH (National Institutes of Health)
**Mission**: Enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability

**Key Features**:
- Specific Aims (1 page) + Research Strategy (12 pages for R01)
- Significance, Innovation, Approach as core review criteria
- Preliminary data typically required for R01s
- Emphasis on rigor, reproducibility, and clinical relevance
- Modular budgets ($250K increments) for most R01s
- Multiple resubmission opportunities

### DOE (Department of Energy)
**Mission**: Ensure America's security and prosperity through energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges

**Key Features**:
- Focus on energy, climate, computational science, basic energy sciences
- Often requires cost sharing or industry partnerships
- Emphasis on national laboratory collaboration
- Strong computational and experimental integration
- Energy innovation and commercialization pathways
- Varies by office (ARPA-E, Office of Science, EERE, etc.)

### DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
**Mission**: Make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security

**Key Features**:
- High-risk, high-reward transformative research
- Focus on "DARPA-hard" problems (what if true, who cares)
- Emphasis on prototypes, demonstrations, and transition paths
- Often requires multiple phases (feasibility, development, demonstration)
- Strong project management and milestone tracking
- Teaming and collaboration often required
- Varies dramatically by program manager and BAA (Broad Agency Announcement)

## Core Components of Research Proposals

### 1. Executive Summary / Project Summary / Abstract

Every proposal needs a concise overview that communicates the essential elements of the research to both technical reviewers and program officers.

**Purpose**: Provide a standalone summary that captures the research vision, significance, and approach

**Length**: 
- NSF: 1 page (Project Summary with separate Overview, Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts)
- NIH: 30 lines (Project Summary/Abstract)
- DOE: Varies (typically 1 page)
- DARPA: Varies (often 1-2 pages)

**Essential Elements**:
- Clear statement of the problem or research question
- Why this problem matters (significance, urgency, impact)
- Novel approach or innovation
- Expected outcomes and deliverables
- Qualifications of the team
- Broader impacts or translational pathway

**Writing Strategy**:
- Open with a compelling hook that establishes importance
- Use accessible language (avoid jargon in opening sentences)
- State specific, measurable objectives
- Convey enthusiasm and confidence
- Ensure every sentence adds value (no filler)
- End with transformative vision or impact statement

**Common Mistakes to Avoid**:
- Being too technical or detailed (save for project description)
- Failing to articulate "why now" or "why this team"
- Vague objectives or outcomes
- Neglecting broader impacts or significance
- Generic statements that could apply to any proposal

### 2. Project Description / Research Strategy

The core technical narrative that presents the research plan in detail.

**Structure Varies by Agency:**

**NSF Project Description** (typically 15 pages):
- Introduction and background
- Research objectives and questions
- Preliminary results (if applicable)
- Research plan and methodology
- Timeline and milestones
- Broader impacts (integrated throughout or separate section)
- Prior NSF support (if applicable)

**NIH Research Strategy** (12 pages for R01):
- Significance (why the problem matters)
- Innovation (what's novel and transformative)
- Approach (detailed research plan)
  - Preliminary data
  - Research design and methods
  - Expected outcomes
  - Potential problems and alternative approaches

**DOE Project Narrative** (varies):
- Background and significance
- Technical approach and innovation
- Qualifications and experience
- Facilities and resources
- Project management and timeline

**DARPA Technical Volume** (varies):
- Technical challenge and innovation
- Approach and methodology
- Schedule and milestones
- Deliverables and metrics
- Team qualifications
- Risk assessment and mitigation

For detailed agency-specific guidance, refer to:
- `references/nsf_guidelines.md`
- `references/nih_guidelines.md`
- `references/doe_guidelines.md`
- `references/darpa_guidelines.md`

### 3. Specific Aims (NIH) or Objectives (NSF/DOE/DARPA)

Clear, testable goals that structure the research plan.

**NIH Specific Aims Page** (1 page):
- Opening paragraph: Gap i