Location: Monadnock Room

A clear and well-structured set of specific aims is an essential part of a complete grant application package and provides the foundation for a convincing structure and flow of the remaining sections of the document. Postdocs may receive training on writing a manuscript or journal article, but are rarely asked to develop a comprehensive grant application until they apply for faculty positions. This workshop will guide participants through the process of refining the first draft of a typical grant proposal with a focus on the specific aims developed on the basis of preliminary data, previous publications and research interests. The goal of this workshop is to understand how setting clear aims provides a solid backbone for all sections of a grant application. Participants will be asked to upload a draft of their specific aims prior to the workshop. Following a brief overview describing the structure and best practices for writing specific aims, participants will work in groups of three to apply the best practices discussed and feedback from their peers to their own writing.