The Jewel in the Crown: Specific Aims Section of Investigator-Initiated Grant Proposals

The specific aims section of National Institutes of Health and other grants is the most important component, as it summarizes the scientific premise, gap in current knowledge, hypotheses, methods, and expected results of the project proposed. The reviewer usually reads this section first and forms an immediate opinion, usually confirmed on reading the entire grant. This treatise reviews the philosophical background underlying generation of hypotheses, emphasizes the important characteristics of the specific aims section, and offers a point-by-point roadmap for writing. This perspective arose out of a new Endocrine Society initiative in which senior investigators review the specific aims of next-generation members.