Key Questions to Ask When Reviewing Your Grant Proposal

Constructive feedback is a valuable part of writing a grant. By seeking this feedback before you submit your grant application, you can learn how to improve your project and refine your writing. This process of improving and refining will help you write a strong proposal with an increased likelihood of funding.

Many researchers seek constructive feedback from their lab members or collaborators. Some also seek feedback from a professional editor. And some seek feedback from their colleagues, whether one-on-one, in a writing group, or through a department or institution committee.

Often when asking a colleague to review their grant, researchers will simply ask, “Will you let me know what you think?” This question is a great first step. But this question is vague, which is not always the best way to get the specific feedback you need to write a strong grant proposal.

When you ask a vague question, the answer you get is often equally as vague. You might hear “Great work! Aim 3 could use a little more detail in the methods.” Or “The specific aims page is well done, but the approach doesn’t seem very innovative.” Or “The aims are focused, but the writing is unclear.”

Although this feedback offers some guidance, you need specific feedback to write a strong grant proposal. To get this specific feedback, you need to ask your colleagues specific questions. Specific questions lead to specific answers. And specific answers will help you know exactly what you need to do to refine your grant proposal.

To help you get the specific, constructive feedback you need to write a strong grant proposal, ask your colleague reviewers to answer the following questions. You can also use these questions as a checklist to ensure you include all the key components when writing your proposal.

Background

Does the project align with the funding agency’s area of interest (eg, mission, scope, funding call)?

Does the proposal have a winning grant title?

Does the proposal include a compelling detail that will capture the reviewers’ attention?

Does the proposal describe previous accomplishments related to the project?

Does the proposal include sufficient preliminary data (published and/or unpublished) to support the project?

Are the figures and tables clear, and do they support the proposed project?

Do you think any background information needs to be added or could be removed?

Significance

Does the proposal clearly describe an important problem or need (eg, gap in knowledge, better treatment, new tool) that must be filled?

Does the proposal clearly describe why that need must be filled?

Does the project create a solution or progress toward a solution to the problem or need?

Does the proposal describe how the project will strengthen the research environment and expose students to research (if applicable)?

Innovation

Does the proposal describe how the project will advance, improve, or shift the field?

Does the project use or create a new concept, approach, instrument, or intervention? Or does the project refine or improve an existing concept, approach, instrument, or intervention? 

Objectives

Does the proposal clearly state the long-term goal that the project aims to help accomplish?

Are the aims focused and concrete?

Are the aims related but independent of each other (eg, the outcomes of one aim do not influence the outcomes of other aims)?

Does the proposal clearly explain how the aims will help to achieve the long-term goal?

Does the proposal clearly describe how the aims and long-term goal will help to address the need?

Hypotheses

Does the proposal clearly state a central hypothesis or multiple hypotheses?

Does each aim offer a hypothesis that will be tested in the project? 

Are the hypotheses focused and testable?

Approach

Does the proposal describe how the approach is appropriate (ie, the right approach) for addressing the problem or need and/or testing the hypotheses?

Does the proposal explain how the approach is adequate (ie, the best approach) for addressing the problem or need and/or testing the hypotheses?

Does the proposal clearly outline the approach and experimental details (eg, methodology, reagents, control and experimental groups, inclusion/exclusion criteria)?

Can the approach be feasibly carried out?

Outcomes

Does the proposal outline the specific outcomes that will be measured (eg, primary, secondary)?

Does the proposal explain how the outcomes will be measured and analyzed?

Does the proposal state what outcomes are expected?

Does the proposal describe how the outcomes will support the aims and long-term goal?

Does the proposal outline what product(s) the project will produce (eg, manuscripts, preliminary data, drug products)?

Obstacles

Does the proposal describe potential problems or what could happen unexpectedly?

Does the proposal outline how the approach or project could be adapted if those obstacles occurred?

Evaluation

Does the proposal describe how progress and success will be evaluated and tracked (eg, progress reports, weekly lab meetings)? 

Resources

Does the application describe the resources available to support the project (eg, facilities, equipment, staff)?

Does the application outline the resources needed to support the project (eg, what the funding award would help cover)?

Does the application describe how trainees (eg, postdocs, students) will be involved in the project (if applicable)?

Does the application describe the expertise of the research team (eg, principal investigator, collaborators, trainees) related to the project?

If expertise is needed, does the proposal describe how that expertise will be obtained (eg, training, collaborations)?

Is the project feasible given the available and requested resources?

Timeline

Does the proposal outline how much time is needed to complete the overall project?

Does the proposal outline how much time is needed to complete each aim or milestone?

Does the timeline seem feasible given the project’s goals and resources?

Does the timeline align with the length of the funding agency’s support?

Budget 

Will the budget fully support the project?

Does the proposed budget fit within the funding award offered by the agency? 

Writing

Is the proposal clearly written?

Is the writing concise and the text fits within the word or page limit?

Is the proposal written in a compelling and persuasive way? 

Other

In what other ways can the proposal be improved?