Research Grant Concept Paper
NIH-Supported Research
A Concept Paper may address any or all of these topics depending on how far the project has been
developed. The more information provided, the better the advice you will receive in developing the
application.
Grant Purpose
Briefly list institution/agency, funding period, description of grant purpose, and the cost/level of
effort.
Problem/Background
Explain why the problem/research needs study.
Significance
Explain what the payoff is to science and public health.
Question
Derived from the background literature, explain what model will guide the hypotheses and what
hypotheses will be tested. If the project is a qualitative or mixed methods project, describe the
overall research question.
Design
Explain the study design that will enable testing the research question and/or hypotheses.
Sample/Power (N, age range, gender, race, selective characteristics), intervention, controls,
measures, etc.
Analysis
Explain the statistical approach that will ensure a fair test based on the hypotheses.
Team
List the key participants (co-investigators and organizations) on the project. Include organizations
whose cooperation is needed to access subjects/data, and indicate if any have agreed in writing to
participate.
Miscellaneous
 Personal Qualifications
Demonstrate career stage & expertise appropriate to the size, scope, & technology of the
project.
 Population Access
Demonstrate access to the organizations and target respondent population.
 Logistics
Demonstrate willingness to grant access to needed equipment, and laboratory and field sites.
 Overlap
Check CRISP and the refereed literature to minimize overlap with similar studies.