During my time at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), I have seen hundreds of grant applications and talked with many investigators about their research ideas. I am often asked what advice I have for developing an application. These are my top five recommendations:

1. Identify your research question.
   You need a clear, testable hypothesis. Don’t try to do too much. Be realistic about the scope of the research you can do with the available time and funds. Your hypothesis will shape your research design. Pick a topic you are passionate about; if you get funded, you will spend many hours of your life conducting the research. 
2. Develop a strong set of specific aims.
   Succinctly summarize your research idea, specific aims, and hypotheses in a single page. While only two to four reviewers will be assigned to read your entire application, nearly all the reviewers will read your specific aims. You should provide a clear idea of the research proposed. Be careful not to create confusion or leave out key elements of your research design. The aims set the stage for review; you want reviewers to be excited to read the rest of your application.
3. Find the right Institute or Center and program official.
   Next, figure out which Institute or Center (IC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the best fit for your research. NIH has a great tool called Matchmaker that allows you to search the RePORTER database of all funded research. You can insert your specific aims or project summary, find similar projects, and see which ICs funded them, which study sections reviewed the applications, and who served as program official for each award. This post by NIH describes how to use the Matchmaker tool. 
4. Share your specific aims with a program official to identify the best funding opportunity. 
   Once you have identified the best IC, review its website to identify the available notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs). For example, NCCIH has a page that lists all of our funding opportunities and a specific page that lists our clinical trial funding opportunities. Your application must be submitted electronically via an open NOFO. Reach out to the program official with awards most closely aligned with your proposed research. Email your specific aims to the program official and ask 1) if your aims are a good fit with their IC’s priorities and the NOFO you’ve identified; 2) whether you can set up a call to discuss your aims and application; and 3) if they are not the best contact, to whom you should reach out to at their IC. 
5. Prepare your full application and make sure it is complete and responsive.
   As you put all the pieces together, be sure you include everything the NOFO requires and don’t include anything that is not allowed. This video by Dr. Jessica McKlveen, director of NCCIH’s Office of Scientific Review, can help ensure your application is reviewed. 

Follow these steps and you are well on your way to putting together a strong application!

For More information

• Make a Perfect Pair with NIH Matchmaker
• Tips for Making Sure Your Application Is Reviewed
• Video Library for Researchers