PRC Research Proposal & Grant Writing 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In proposal writing, 'specific aims' (as used in NIH applications) are best described as:
- Broad aspirational goals stated without measurable targets
- Concise, numbered objectives that define what the study will accomplish (Correct answer)
- Ethical safeguards to protect human subjects
- Administrative milestones for budget reporting
Correct answer: Concise, numbered objectives that define what the study will accomplish
Specific aims are clear, concise objectives that tell reviewers exactly what the research will achieve and how success will be measured.
Question 2: A researcher discovers midway through a funded project that the originally proposed methodology is not feasible. The appropriate first step is to:
- Quietly adopt a new method without notifying the sponsor
- Contact the program officer to discuss a formal scope-of-work modification (Correct answer)
- Return all remaining funds immediately
- Terminate the project and reapply next cycle
Correct answer: Contact the program officer to discuss a formal scope-of-work modification
Most funders require prior approval for significant scope changes; contacting the program officer ensures compliance and maintains the grant relationship.
Question 3: A Gantt chart included in a research proposal is used to:
- Justify indirect cost rates
- Display the project timeline with tasks and milestones mapped over time (Correct answer)
- Summarize the budget by category
- List team members and their credentials
Correct answer: Display the project timeline with tasks and milestones mapped over time
A Gantt chart visually communicates the project schedule, helping reviewers assess whether the plan is realistic and well-organized.
Question 4: Which element distinguishes a research proposal from a project proposal?
- Research proposals include a budget; project proposals do not
- Research proposals seek to generate new knowledge through systematic inquiry, not just implement a program (Correct answer)
- Research proposals are shorter in length
- Research proposals do not require an evaluation plan
Correct answer: Research proposals seek to generate new knowledge through systematic inquiry, not just implement a program
Research proposals focus on knowledge generation using rigorous methods, while project proposals typically describe service delivery or implementation activities.
Question 5: A co-investigator listed on a federal grant proposal is typically expected to:
- Have no responsibility for scientific direction
- Contribute meaningfully to project design, execution, or analysis and appear in the budget (Correct answer)
- Sign the grant agreement on behalf of the institution
- Serve only in an advisory capacity without salary support
Correct answer: Contribute meaningfully to project design, execution, or analysis and appear in the budget
Co-investigators share intellectual responsibility for the project and generally have effort and salary budgeted in the proposal.
Question 6: When writing a proposal for a mixed-methods study, the researcher should explain:
- Only the quantitative component, since it provides stronger evidence
- How the qualitative and quantitative strands will be integrated and what added value integration provides (Correct answer)
- Why qualitative data collection is cheaper
- How to avoid IRB oversight for the qualitative phase
Correct answer: How the qualitative and quantitative strands will be integrated and what added value integration provides
Reviewers expect a rationale for integration that shows each method compensates for the other's limitations and the combination yields richer insight.
Question 7: The primary purpose of a subcontract (subaward) in a multi-site grant is to:
- Transfer grant oversight to a partner institution that performs a substantive portion of the work (Correct answer)
- Pay consultants for advisory services only
- Reduce the prime institution's indirect cost burden
- Satisfy a funder requirement for geographic diversity
Correct answer: Transfer grant oversight to a partner institution that performs a substantive portion of the work
A subaward passes a portion of the work scope and associated funding to a partner institution that has programmatic responsibility for its component.
PRC Research Proposal & Grant Writing 3
In proposal writing, 'specific aims' (as used in NIH applications) are best described as: