Emerging Scholars Grants Application
Scholarship of Discovery Proposal Narrative
I. SPECIFIC AIMS (1 page)
The Specific Aims page should:
 Introduce the problem, knowledge gap, or critical need
 State the overall project goal to address the identified problem, gap, or need
 Present a central hypothesis (or, alternatively, a statement of need)
 Provide a brief overview of the methodology
 Delineate specific aims in a bulleted list
 Identify the project’s innovation, e.g., a unique approach or technology
 Delineate the project’s expected outcomes
 Summarize the project’s significance to public health and to GW Health
Sciences
II. RESEARCH STRATEGY (8 pages)
(a) Significance
 Using current literature, explain the importance of the problem, gap, or critical
need that the proposed project addresses, and to GWU Health Sciences.
 Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical
capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.
 Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or
preventative interventions that drive this field or will be changed if the proposed
aims are achieved.
 Discuss how the proposed project meets any of the established funding priorities
to promote mentor/protégé relationships, collaboration across disciplines, or
translational focus.
(b) Innovation
 Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research,
administration, or clinical practice paradigms.
 Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies,
instrumentation or intervention(s) to be developed or used, and any advantage
over existing methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s).
 Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical
concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions.
(c) Approach
 Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to
accomplish the specific aims of the project.
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Describe specifically how the data will be collected, managed, analyzed, and
interpreted.
Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success
anticipated to achieve the aims.
Describe the strategy you will use to establish feasibility, and address the
management of any high risk aspects of the proposed work.
Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to
personnel and precautions to be exercised.
(d) Translation
 Describe how this information will be disseminated to other professionals and
GW Health Sciences colleagues.
 Discuss how the effects of this project be leveraged to obtain further funding.
III. PRELIMINARY WORK (not required – if included, should be no more than 1 page).
IV. MONTH-BY-MONTH PROJECT TIMELINE (1 page) – include the following
headings:
Project
Month:
Task
Potential Barrier(s) to
Accomplishing Task
Plan for Overcoming
Potential Barrier(s)
Note: In addition to the timeline for your proposed project, include tasks and target
dates for writing an externally-funded proposal to conduct a follow-up study.
V. REFERENCES (not counted in the page limit)
VI. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S) BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT (not counted in
page limit)
 Describe your long-term research or career goal(s).
 Explain your rationale for pursuing the project.
o Indicate what will be possible to accomplish when your research is
complete.
 Describe your qualifications and research environment.
o How you are better prepared than other, equally qualified researchers.
o Identify special training, expertise, experience, and, most importantly,
relevant preliminary data.
o Identify access to human and animal subject pools; to unique equipment
and instrumentation; and to collaborations and partnerships.