How to Draft Your Specific Aims Page
The specific aims page is the most important part of your proposal—and the most difficult to write. In only a single page, you need to describe the goals, objectives, rationale, and outcomes of the studies you propose. And you need to explain these facets in a compelling way that persuades your reviewers to select your project for funding.
Despite the challenge, the specific aims page is the best section to write first. Doing so will help you to assess the scope of your project, align your research priorities, and see what you may still need to learn. You can also use this section to get feedback from your colleagues and the program officer. This assessment and feedback will help you refine your project before you submit it for consideration by the funding agency.
While drafting the specific aims page may feel daunting, you can ease the process by starting with an outline. Below is a basic structure that will help you to write your first draft and ensure that you include the important details that the funding agency wants to know.
Introductory Paragraph
The purpose of this first paragraph is to frame the subject of your proposal as an important problem that urgently needs to be addressed. In it, you need to accomplish four goals.
Capture attention
The first thing you need to do is hook your reader and highlight how your project will address the area or topic that the agency is funding. The best way to do this is to use a concise, active statement that introduces the topic of the proposal.
Describe what is known
The next step is to inform and educate the reviewer by explaining the background of the project. What is already known about this area? There are two ways to describe the background: logical and chronological.
Logical
In this approach, you will start with the big picture and then lead your reader through narrowing facts as you home in on your specific area of interest. For example, if you will study a gene involved in a congenital heart defect, you might mention the prevalence of the defect, then move into how the defect forms during development, and then discuss how the gene you study might regulate that process.
Chronological
With this style, you will build from the oldest known facts to the most current findings. For example, if you will expand a clinical program for the underserved, you might chronologically explain what has been done in the past, what is currently being done, and how your project will improve or expand on that effort.
Highlight the gap in knowledge or thing that is missing
This statement is where you tell your reviewers the purpose of your project. What unknown information is needed? What technology or tool is missing that could advance the field? What gap in care will your program fill?
State the critical need
Describe what could happen if the gap or need you described in the previous statement is not met. For example, you could state that this work is needed to help find a treatment or cure for a disease. Often, you can simply state that the field may not advance.
Objectives Paragraph
The purpose of this paragraph is to convince your reviewers that the results of your project will meet the gap or need you described in the introductory paragraph.
Define the long-term goal or overall objective
Describe the overall objective of your proposal. What do you hope to accomplish with this project? This goal must meet the need that you outlined in the introductory paragraph. It could also point to future work or advancements that could result from your project. When you explain this goal, focus on the product (e.g., to collect data that supports the development of a drug) rather than the process (e.g., to study how a small molecule regulates a gene).
Outline the central hypothesis and proposal objectives
Following the overall objective, you want to state your central hypothesis and your proposal objectives. Remember to link them back to your overall objective and the gap in knowledge or critical need you will address.
Provide rationale
You need to explain how you arrived at your central hypothesis. Provide an overview of preliminary and published data that support your hypothesis. Also, what will become possible after your research is completed? This explanation must link back to the need and consequence described in the introductory paragraph.
Approach Paragraphs
The purpose of these paragraphs is to tell the reviewers how you will test the parts of your central hypothesis, or how you will carry out the tasks needed to achieve your overall objective. You may have one to four aims (or more), depending on your proposal. Your aims should be related to each other, but not dependent on each other. Also, make sure they are not too ambitious for the funding and timeline covered by the agency.
State the aim
Start by stating each aim with a short, descriptive title. Avoid using vague verbs, such as study or assess. Instead, use concrete verbs, such as determine or identify. Strong verbs will give your aim more power by showing it is focused and giving it a compelling tone.
Describe the working hypothesis
Explain your working hypothesis for this aim. If you have space, add a few words that describe your rationale for this hypothesis. If you don’t have room in this section, remember to add these details to your main proposal.
Explain the experimental approach
You want to briefly describe the experimental approach you will use to test your working hypothesis. Remember to link how this approach will help to answer your central hypothesis.
Significance Paragraph
The purpose of this paragraph is to inform the reviewers of what they could expect if your proposal is selected for funding. This paragraph is an important part of inspiring your reviewers and leaving them with a positive outlook on your project (and you!)
Highlight the innovation
State what is innovative about your project. What will the results of your project bring to the field?
Describe the expected outcomes
Explain what products your project will produce for each aim. Be sure to link them to your overall objective.
Emphasize the impact
This final sentence is where you leave your reviewers with a positive impression. Describe what impact your products will have on the field. How will your project help to address the critical need you outlined in the first paragraph?
Assessment and Feedback
After you finish your first draft, you can critically assess your project goals and approach. Is the scope of the project feasible? Does it align with your research priorities? Do you have the right number of aims? Are the aims independent of each other?
Get feedback on your project. Share your specific aims page with collaborators, advisors, and trusted colleagues. Send the draft to the program officer for feedback on whether your project fits within the scope and direction of the funding opportunity. The more feedback you get, the better your specific aims—and project—will be.
Are you struggling to develop you specific aims page? Download our free worksheet and checklist to ensure you include all the essential elements.
