Glossary

Grant Writing Glossary

Essential grant writing terms and definitions — from Specific Aims to F&A rates

Terms

NIH Terms

NSF Terms

Nonprofit Terms

All Terms

NIH

NSF

Nonprofit

Budgeting

General

Biographical Sketch (Biosketch)

A structured CV alternative in NIH and NSF applications that highlights an investigator's qualifications and contributions relevant to the project.

NSF

Broader Impacts

A required criterion in NSF proposals that describes how the proposed research will benefit society beyond the immediate scientific community.

Budgeting

Budget Justification

A narrative document that explains and defends each line item in a grant budget, showing reviewers why each cost is necessary, reasonable, and allowable.

Budgeting

Indirect Cost Rate (F&A Rate)

The negotiated percentage rate applied to grant budgets to cover institutional overhead, like facilities and administration, not tied to one project.

General

Letter of Intent (LOI)

A brief preliminary document sent to a funder before a full proposal, expressing interest in the opportunity and summarizing the proposed project.

Nonprofit

Logic Model

A visual framework mapping a program's resources, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes, often required in nonprofit and federal grant proposals.

General

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

A federal agency's official announcement describing a grant program's purpose, eligibility, application instructions, review criteria, and deadlines.

NSF

NSF CAREER Award

NSF's most prestigious award for early-career faculty, providing 5 years of funding to integrate research and education in one proposal.

NIH

R01 Grant

The NIH's most common research grant mechanism, funding a defined research project for 3 to 5 years with budgets typically up to $500,000 annually.

NIH

Specific Aims

A one-page document that outlines the goals, hypotheses, and objectives of a research grant proposal, serving as the roadmap for the entire application.

General

Unique Entity ID (UEI)

The 12-character identifier issued through SAM.gov that every organization needs before applying for federal grants. It replaced the DUNS number in April 2022.

Put these concepts into practice

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