Here is some recommend guidance about the Specific Aims:

• Specific Aims should provide the conceptual framework, a partnership, between you and the assigned reviewer who advocates for your proposal. Rest of reviewers will be reviewing your proposal likely in “real time” focusing on Title, Summary/Abstract, Specific Aims, Significance and Innovation sections

• The Aims becomes a template for the rest of the Research Plan

• Include everything about proposal that is exciting and compelling but without the detail

• Logic must be clear and compelling and must readily flow from each component

• Recommend starting with an outline to ensure flow and eliminate unnecessary detail.

• Have an interest-grabbing opening sentence that establishes the relevance of the proposal, helps accomplish NIH goals, is not obvious

• Current knowledge component brings less knowledgeable reviewers up to speed on your topic and sets up the gab in knowledge or unmet need. Only key citations should be included

• The Gap in Knowledge/Unmet need critical to the downstream flow of logic, must tie back to the current knowledge

• The “What, Why, Who” paragraph takes reviewer from broadest to narrowest focus of application; has a credible long-term goal (big picture); has an objective that describes product of research and fills in the knowledge gap/meets the need

• Central hypothesis links to objective, provides focus to your research, sets up the specific aims

• Describe how the central hypothesis was formulated (preliminary research results?)

• Rationale describes what is now possible after the research is conducted; this is the part that should excite the reviewers because it will clearly advance the field

• Specific Aims paragraph for hypothesis-driven application describes specific aims tied to the central hypothesis; aims should be brief, informative, attention-getting “headlines”; should convey why not what is to be done; global, encompassing alternatives if hypothesis tests invalid

• Specific Aims paragraph for needs-driven application different than hypothesis driven; should be descriptive, describe tasks to accomplish objective, what will be done

• “Payoff Paragraph” is expected results of research; should be at least one important outcome for each aim

• Final part of the Specific Aims section summarizes general impact of expected outcomes; segues to the Significance and Innovations subsections

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/draft-specific-aims
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cfar@jhmi.edu

Most departments have a Specific Aims boot camp or seminar. Check with your department administrator

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