RA RA Grant Writing and Research Funding 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the 'specific aims' section in an NIH grant proposal?
- To describe the full methodology in detail
- To state the research objectives and expected outcomes (Correct answer)
- To list the project team members
- To provide a literature review
Correct answer: To state the research objectives and expected outcomes
The specific aims section concisely states the research objectives, hypotheses, and expected outcomes, and is often the first section reviewers read.
Question 2: Which federal agency is the primary funder of biomedical research in the United States?
- NSF
- DOE
- NIH (Correct answer)
- CDC
Correct answer: NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Question 3: What does F&A stand for in research grant budgets?
- Faculty and Administration
- Facilities and Administrative costs (Correct answer)
- Funding and Accounting
- Federal and Agency requirements
Correct answer: Facilities and Administrative costs
F&A costs, also called indirect costs or overhead, are Facilities and Administrative costs that institutions charge to grants to cover shared infrastructure and services.
Question 4: Which section of a grant proposal demonstrates the researcher's qualifications to complete the project?
- Background and significance
- Budget justification
- Biographical sketch or CV (Correct answer)
- Specific aims
Correct answer: Biographical sketch or CV
The biographical sketch or CV section documents the researcher's education, publications, and prior experience, establishing their credibility and capacity to conduct the research.
Question 5: What is a letter of intent (LOI) in the grant application process?
- A formal contract with the funder
- A preliminary document indicating interest in submitting a full proposal (Correct answer)
- A letter from an institutional official
- A final project report
Correct answer: A preliminary document indicating interest in submitting a full proposal
A letter of intent is a brief preliminary document submitted to a funder to signal the researcher's plans to apply, helping the funder anticipate review workload.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a research abstract in a grant proposal?
- To list all references
- To provide a concise summary of the proposed research (Correct answer)
- To describe the researcher's background
- To outline the project budget
Correct answer: To provide a concise summary of the proposed research
The abstract provides a brief, standalone summary of the proposed research including objectives, methods, and significance, often used in public databases if funded.
