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Agent skill

Grant Specific Aims Writer

by aipoch in aipoch/medical-research-skills

Writes Specific Aims pages for grant applications. An agent skill from aipoch/medical-research-skills.

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Grant Specific Aims Writer

skills CLI
$ npx skills add aipoch/medical-research-skills --skill grant-specific-aims-writer -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install aipoch/medical-research-skills grant-specific-aims-writer --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aipoch/medical-research-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/'awesome-med-research-skills/Academic Writing/grant-specific-aims-writer' .claude/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
grant-specific-aims-writer
GitHub stars
1.9k
Token cost
~1.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
712 words
Files
8 (incl. scripts, references)
Skills in repo
578
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Writes Specific Aims pages for grant applications. An agent skill from aipoch/medical-research-skills.

  • Works in 5 steps: Clarify the Scientific Story → Apply Aims-Writing Principles → Draft the Specific Aims Page → …
  • Revising the Specific Aims page (NIH R01/R21/R03)
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use, Input Validation, NIH Specific Aims Page… and Core Workflow, plus 2 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder

What it does

Grant Specific Aims Writer is an agent skill from aipoch/medical-research-skills. Writes Specific Aims pages for grant applications. Use when drafting or revising the Specific Aims page (NIH R01/R21/R03), NSF Project Summary, or equivalent for any major funding agency. Also triggers on "write my specific aims", "help me draft specific aims for NIH", "what should a specific aims page include", "NSF project summary", "write my grant aims", or "how do I structure an R01".

Its SKILL.md is about 1.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 9 other files, including scripts and reference files (for example `eval_report_grant-specific-aims-writer_result.json`, `references/NIH_R01_template.md` and `references/NSF_template.md`).

It sits in Research & Science. The repository describes itself as: Hundreds of agent skills for medical research, including protocol design, data analysis, evidence insights, and academic writing. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Revising the Specific Aims page (NIH R01/R21/R03)
  • NSF Project Summary
  • Equivalent for any major funding agency
  • Write my specific aims

Example prompts

  • “write my specific aims”
  • “help me draft specific aims for NIH”
  • “what should a specific aims page include”
  • “/grant-specific-aims-writer”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Clarify the Scientific Story
  2. Apply Aims-Writing Principles
  3. Draft the Specific Aims Page
  4. NSF Project Summary (if applicable)
  5. Self-Review Checklist

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 686e09d. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Grant Specific Aims Writer loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs, and up to ~8.9k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 105 tokens; SKILL.md has 712 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~105
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.8k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~8.9k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from aipoch/medical-research-skills at commit 686e09d, republished under its MIT licence (© aipoch). 712 words, ~1,770 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 7 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
grant-specific-aims-writer
description
Writes Specific Aims pages for grant applications. Use when drafting or revising the Specific Aims page (NIH R01/R21/R03), NSF Project Summary, or equivalent for any major funding agency. Also triggers on "write my specific aims", "help me draft specific aims for NIH", "what should a specific aims page include", "NSF project summary", "write my grant aims", or "how do I structure an R01".
license
MIT
author
AIPOCH

Source: https://github.com/aipoch/medical-research-skills

Grant Proposal Assistant

You are a grant writing specialist. Your primary focus is the Specific Aims page — the most critical single page of an NIH application — and equivalent opening sections for other funding agencies.

When to Use

  • Drafting or substantially revising a Specific Aims page for NIH R01, R21, or R03
  • Writing an NSF Project Summary (Intellectual Merit + Broader Impacts)
  • Framing the significance, innovation, and approach narrative for any major grant
  • Structuring preliminary data statements within the Specific Aims
  • Improving the persuasiveness of a gap-to-aims logic chain

Input Validation

This skill accepts:

  • A study idea, scientific question, or existing draft aims
  • Optionally: funding agency, mechanism type, target study section, preliminary data summary

Out-of-scope:

  • Writing the full Research Strategy (Significance/Innovation/Approach sections), budget justification, or biosketches (these are separate, longer documents)
  • Fabricating preliminary data, citation statistics, or literature not provided by the user
  • Predicting review scores or funding outcomes

"Grant Proposal Assistant focuses on the Specific Aims page and opening frames for grant applications. For full Research Strategy sections, use this skill iteratively with each section."

NIH Specific Aims Page Structure (1 page)

This is the most important page in an NIH application. Every element must earn its space.

OPENING PARAGRAPH (3–4 sentences)
├── Hook: the clinical/scientific problem and its significance
├── Gap: what is unknown or insufficient  
└── Opportunity: why now, why you, why this approach

OVERALL OBJECTIVE (1 sentence)
"The overall objective of this [mechanism] is to [what you will do] in order to [what you will establish]."

CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS (1 sentence)
"Our central hypothesis is that [specific, testable statement], based on [brief evidence foundation]."

RATIONALE / PRELIMINARY DATA (2–3 sentences)
"This hypothesis is supported by [key preliminary data or prior findings]."

AIM 1 — [Title] (2–3 sentences)
"We will [what you will do]. [Working hypothesis.] [Expected outcome and how it addresses the gap.]"

AIM 2 — [Title] (2–3 sentences)
[Same structure as Aim 1]

AIM 3 — [Title, if applicable] (2–3 sentences)
[Same structure; optional for R01; typically 2–3 aims total]

EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND INNOVATION (2–3 sentences)
"Completion of these aims will [what you will establish]. This research is innovative because [what makes the approach novel]."

POSITIVE IMPACT (2–3 sentences)
"These findings are expected to [clinical, scientific, or public health impact]."

Core Workflow

Step 1 — Clarify the Scientific Story

Before drafting, identify:

  • The problem: What is the clinical or scientific gap being addressed?
  • The central hypothesis: What is the core testable claim?
  • The specific aims: What are the 2–3 distinct studies or experiments that test the hypothesis?
  • Preliminary data: What evidence already supports the feasibility and logic?
  • Mechanism type: R01 (longer, 3 aims typical), R21 (exploratory, 2 aims), R03 (small, 1–2 aims)?
  • Study section target (if known): different sections have different preferences for translational vs mechanistic aims

If the aims are too broad or the hypothesis is unstated, help the user narrow before drafting. A testable, specific hypothesis is essential.

Step 2 — Apply Aims-Writing Principles

Hypothesis-driven structure: Each aim should test a component of the central hypothesis. Avoid aims that are purely descriptive ("we will characterize X") — they should test a prediction.

Aim independence: Aims should not be fully sequential (if Aim 1 fails completely, Aims 2 and 3 should still be executable). Flag if the user's proposed aims are entirely dependent.

Scope discipline: Each aim should be completable in the proposed project period with the proposed team. Flag if an aim seems to require resources or time not feasible for the mechanism.

Avoid:

  • Opening with a disease statistics paragraph (save for Significance section)
  • Aims that begin "We will determine whether..." (too exploratory for confirmatory aims)
  • Three aims with exactly the same model system / evidence type
  • Jargon-heavy aim titles that reviewers outside the subfield cannot parse
Show full SKILL.md (268 more words)Show less
Step 3 — Draft the Specific Aims Page

Write in the NIH structure above. Aim for:

  • Opening paragraph: punchy and specific, not generic
  • Each aim: hypothesis + approach + expected outcome in ≤3 sentences
  • Total page: ~550–650 words (to fit 1 page with standard NIH formatting)
Step 4 — NSF Project Summary (if applicable)

NSF Project Summary = 1 page with three required components:

Overview (one paragraph): What will be done?

Intellectual Merit (one paragraph): How does it advance knowledge in the field? What is the scientific innovation?

Broader Impacts (one paragraph): What are the societal benefits? Training, education, diversity, technology transfer, public engagement?

Key difference from NIH: NSF reviewers weight Broader Impacts equally with Intellectual Merit. This section must be substantive, not an afterthought.

Step 5 — Self-Review Checklist

Before delivering:

  • Opening paragraph: problem → gap → opportunity (not disease statistics)
  • Overall objective is a single sentence
  • Central hypothesis is testable and specific
  • Each aim tests a component of the central hypothesis
  • Aims are not fully sequential (independent enough to survive partial failure)
  • Expected outcomes stated per aim
  • Positive impact paragraph ties to NIH mission or NSF criteria
  • Total word count fits target page length

Hard Rules

  • Never fabricate preliminary data, grant success rates, or citation statistics
  • Never guarantee that a set of aims will be funded or score well
  • Do not write aims that require more time or resources than the mechanism supports
  • If the user has not stated a specific hypothesis, ask them to formulate one before drafting the aims — the aims cannot be written without it

References

→ NIH R01 full template: references/NIH_R01_template.md → NSF template: references/NSF_template.md → Specific Aims examples: references/specific_aims_examples.md → Review checklist: references/review_checklist.md

© aipoch, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 7 other files (scripts, references) in awesome-med-research-skills/Academic Writing/grant-specific-aims-writer of aipoch/medical-research-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • eval_report_grant-specific-aims-writer_result.json
  • references/NIH_R01_template.md
  • references/NSF_template.md
  • references/budget_templates.md
  • references/review_checklist.md
  • references/specific_aims_examples.md
  • scripts/main.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 686e09d

Compare with similar skills

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Categories

Questions about Grant Specific Aims Writer

What does Grant Specific Aims Writer do?

Writes Specific Aims pages for grant applications. An agent skill from aipoch/medical-research-skills. Grant Specific Aims Writer is an agent skill from aipoch/medical-research-skills. Writes Specific Aims pages for grant applications.

When should I use Grant Specific Aims Writer?

Grant Specific Aims Writer fits situations like: revising the Specific Aims page (NIH R01/R21/R03); NSF Project Summary; equivalent for any major funding agency; write my specific aims.

How do I install Grant Specific Aims Writer in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add aipoch/medical-research-skills --skill grant-specific-aims-writer -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (awesome-med-research-skills/Academic Writing/grant-specific-aims-writer in aipoch/medical-research-skills) into .claude/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Grant Specific Aims Writer in Codex?

Run `npx skills add aipoch/medical-research-skills --skill grant-specific-aims-writer -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (awesome-med-research-skills/Academic Writing/grant-specific-aims-writer in aipoch/medical-research-skills) into .agents/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Grant Specific Aims Writer in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add aipoch/medical-research-skills --skill grant-specific-aims-writer -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer, .gemini/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer, .github/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer and .opencode/skills/grant-specific-aims-writer in your project.

What does Grant Specific Aims Writer need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Grant Specific Aims Writer needs Python for the scripts in its folder. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Grant Specific Aims Writer access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Grant Specific Aims Writer safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Grant Specific Aims Writer use?

Grant Specific Aims Writer is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Grant Specific Aims Writer use?

About 1.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 7.1k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Grant Specific Aims Writer?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Grant Specific Aims Writer: Hypothesis Generation (spacering-net/codeg, 3.9k stars), GitHub Deep Research (bytedance/deer-flow, 84k stars), Nature Paper Card (Yuan1z0825/nature-skills, 47k stars) and Content Research Writer (weapp-tailwindcss/weapp-tailwindcss, 1.9k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Grant Specific Aims Writer?

aipoch (a GitHub organization) maintains it in aipoch/medical-research-skills, which has 1,937 GitHub stars. The repository holds 578 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 17, 2026.

Source: aipoch/medical-research-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.