Are you struggling with formulating a great specific aims page?
The specific aims are one of your keys to success. If a reviewer encounters your aims, and gets confused or lost, then it is likely game over for your grant. Do not collect $200, do not pass go.
In both my advising and consulting work with my younger colleagues, I focus first and foremost on the specific aims. I won’t look at the rest of a proposal until the aims are water tight, rock solid, and exciting as well.
It is amazing how much complexity can go into formulating just this single page. Perhaps that’s why so many people don’t do it very well.
I often see half-cocked aims pages. But a half-cocked aims page is the start to a half-cocked proposal. Why bother, if you aren’t going to do it right?
Just say “no” to half cocked aims
I was once helping a consulting client with an aims page, and there was an aim which was half-cocked.
By that I mean that it was a good thing to do, but the plan for doing it wasn’t well thought out.
I suggested to the client to either firm up the plan, or get rid of the aim.
His response was, “But then I’ll only have 3 aims”.
“So what?” I said.
In my ensuing explanation, I firmed up something that was vague before.
Your aims page is a main “public face” of your proposal.
Think about your first date with someone. Don’t you usually make sure that you look nice, before you walk out the door? Your aims should be that same way. They should put your best foot forward.
Sure, you may have flaws (all of us do), like a little too much flab around the waist (or whatever), but in all likelihood, you’re going to wear clothes that minimize that flaw on the first date.
Your aims should be like the first date.
A half-cocked aim is like letting the flawed parts shine out right away, saying “look at me”. Some reviewers might overlook that. Others will not. All it takes is one reviewer who doesn’t like your proposal to sink its chances.
Your goal is to show strength, confidence, and logical thinking about your research, with each aim well thought out and accomplishing a critical mission within the context of your proposal.
If you put an aim on your aims page, that says, “this is one of the central things that I will focus my time and attention on during this research.”
So, if you list something, then you proceed to have a not-so-great plan for how you will do that “critical thing”, reviewers will wonder – has this person really thought out this work? You don’t want reviewers holding any doubts, whatsoever. When pay lines are 1 in 8 or 1 in 10 proposals funded – one doubt can burn your funding chances to the ground.
The bottom line is that for each aim in the proposal, have a well-thought-out plan. If you are struggling with figuring that plan out, then it shouldn’t be an aim! You may still propose to do that work as a part of another aim (within the text of the proposal) – but something that is not solidly formulated should never go on the aims page.
Free template to help you with your specific aims
To learn more about how to develop your specific aims, get your copy of my specific aims template by signing up in the box below.
7 replies to "Specific aims example"
Specific aims template?
@gdubf: The specific aims template is one of the many benefits I send to people who subscribe to my email list. You can subscribe using the box in the upper left hand corner.
Thank you – Sometimes the invention is the easy part and the funding is the conundrum.
Hi,
This page is great! It’s extremely helpful. I signed up to be on your email list because I would like to see your example of a specific aims page. I am “rusty” on how to write specific aims and I am looking for a little assistance.
Thanks,
Ramonica
Hi
Sorry about the problem – I’ve been reconfiguring my email systems to provide a smoother experience for everyone, and this fell through the cracks.
I’ll get this fixed so that you can get a copy, asap!
Morgan
thank you
I can’t get at the Spec Aims Template. I only get links for the 8 Concepts and Writing Clearly documents.
Thanks