Agent skill

Grant Writing Guide

by wentorai in wentorai/research-plugins

Write competitive research proposals with clear objectives and budgets

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Grant Writing Guide

skills CLI
$ npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill grant-writing-guide -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install wentorai/research-plugins grant-writing-guide --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/wentorai/research-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/research/funding/grant-writing-guide .claude/skills/grant-writing-guide && 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-writing-guide
GitHub stars
298
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
247 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
405
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Write competitive research proposals with clear objectives and budgets

  • Works in 7 steps: Overly ambitious scope: Reviewers can… → Weak preliminary data: Show feasibility… → Vague methods: Specify exact techniques,… → …
  • Tasks that involve Grant writing
  • SKILL.md covers Proposal Structure, Writing the Specific Aims, Budget Preparation and Evaluation Criteria by Agency, plus 2 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Grant Writing Guide is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins. Write competitive research proposals with clear objectives and budgets

Its SKILL.md is about 1.9k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Research & Science, covering Grant writing, Proposals and quotes and Project management. The repository describes itself as: 350+ academic research skills, MCP configs, and plugins for Research-Claw and AI agents. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Grant writing
  • Tasks that involve Proposals and quotes
  • Tasks that involve Project management

Example prompts

  • “/grant-writing-guide”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

7 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Overly ambitious scope: Reviewers can tell when 3 years of funding is covering 10 years of work
  2. Weak preliminary data: Show feasibility with pilot results
  3. Vague methods: Specify exact techniques, sample sizes, and analysis plans
  4. Missing contingency plans: Address "what if" scenarios for risky approaches
  5. Budget-narrative mismatch: Every budget item must connect to the research plan
  6. Late submission: Submit at least 24 hours before the deadline to avoid system crashes
  7. Ignoring reviewer feedback: If resubmitting, address every prior critique explicitly

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bf44b3c. 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

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are python).

    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 Writing Guide loads about 1.9k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 23 tokens; SKILL.md has 247 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~23
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.9k

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); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from wentorai/research-plugins at commit bf44b3c, republished under its MIT licence (© wentorai). 247 words, ~1,898 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/grant-writing-guide/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
grant-writing-guide
description
Write competitive research proposals with clear objectives and budgets

Grant Writing Guide

A skill for preparing competitive research grant proposals. Covers proposal structure, writing strategies, budget preparation, and common evaluation criteria used by major funding agencies (NSF, NIH, ERC, NSFC).

Proposal Structure

Generic Proposal Template

Most funding agencies require these core components:

1. Cover Page / Project Summary (1 page)
   - Title (concise, descriptive, no jargon)
   - PI name, institution, co-PIs
   - Total budget and duration
   - Abstract (250 words)
   - Keywords (5-8)

2. Project Description / Research Plan (10-15 pages typically)
   a. Introduction and Background
   b. Specific Aims / Research Questions
   c. Research Design and Methods
   d. Timeline and Milestones
   e. Expected Outcomes and Significance
   f. Broader Impacts (NSF) / Societal Relevance

3. Literature Cited / References

4. Budget and Budget Justification

5. Biographical Sketches / CVs

6. Data Management Plan

7. Facilities and Equipment

8. Supplementary Materials (letters of support, etc.)

Writing the Specific Aims

The Critical First Page

The specific aims page is the most important page of any NIH-style proposal. Reviewers often form their opinion based on this page alone.

python
def specific_aims_template(project_info: dict) -> str:
    """
    Generate a specific aims page structure.

    Args:
        project_info: Dict with 'problem', 'gap', 'approach', 'aims', 'impact'
    """
    template = f"""
SPECIFIC AIMS

[Opening paragraph: The big picture problem]
{project_info['problem']}

[Gap paragraph: What is unknown/unsolved]
{project_info['gap']}

[Approach paragraph: What will you do and why]
{project_info['approach']}

The long-term goal of this research is [long-term vision].
The objective of this proposal is [specific objective].
The central hypothesis is [testable hypothesis],
based on [preliminary data / rationale].

The following specific aims will test this hypothesis:

Aim 1: {project_info['aims'][0]['title']}
  {project_info['aims'][0]['description']}
  Hypothesis: {project_info['aims'][0]['hypothesis']}

Aim 2: {project_info['aims'][1]['title']}
  {project_info['aims'][1]['description']}
  Hypothesis: {project_info['aims'][1]['hypothesis']}

[Impact paragraph]
{project_info['impact']}
"""
    return template

Budget Preparation

Common Budget Categories
python
def create_budget(personnel: list[dict], equipment: list[dict],
                   travel: list[dict], other: list[dict],
                   indirect_rate: float = 0.55,
                   years: int = 3) -> dict:
    """
    Create a research budget with indirect costs.

    Args:
        personnel: List of {'role', 'salary', 'effort_pct', 'fringe_rate'}
        equipment: List of {'item', 'cost'}
        travel: List of {'purpose', 'cost_per_year'}
        other: List of {'item', 'cost_per_year'}
        indirect_rate: F&A rate (decimal)
        years: Project duration in years
    """
    budget = {'years': {}}

    for year in range(1, years + 1):
        year_budget = {'categories': {}}

        # Personnel (with annual salary increases of 3%)
        personnel_total = 0
        for person in personnel:
            salary = person['salary'] * (1.03 ** (year - 1))
            cost = salary * person['effort_pct'] / 100
            fringe = cost * person['fringe_rate']
            personnel_total += cost + fringe

        year_budget['categories']['personnel'] = round(personnel_total)

        # Equipment (Year 1 only for major items)
        equip_total = sum(e['cost'] for e in equipment) if year == 1 else 0
        year_budget['categories']['equipment'] = equip_total

        # Travel
        travel_total = sum(t['cost_per_year'] for t in travel)
        year_budget['categories']['travel'] = travel_total

        # Other direct costs
        other_total = sum(o['cost_per_year'] for o in other)
        year_budget['categories']['other'] = other_total

        # Modified total direct costs (MTDC excludes equipment >$5000)
        mtdc = personnel_total + travel_total + other_total
        if equip_total < 5000:
            mtdc += equip_total

        # Indirect costs
        indirect = mtdc * indirect_rate
        year_budget['categories']['indirect'] = round(indirect)

        year_budget['direct_total'] = round(
            personnel_total + equip_total + travel_total + other_total
        )
        year_budget['total'] = round(
            year_budget['direct_total'] + indirect
        )

        budget['years'][year] = year_budget

    budget['grand_total'] = sum(y['total'] for y in budget['years'].values())
    return budget

# Example budget
budget = create_budget(
    personnel=[
        {'role': 'PI', 'salary': 120000, 'effort_pct': 20, 'fringe_rate': 0.30},
        {'role': 'Postdoc', 'salary': 56000, 'effort_pct': 100, 'fringe_rate': 0.25},
        {'role': 'PhD Student', 'salary': 34000, 'effort_pct': 50, 'fringe_rate': 0.10}
    ],
    equipment=[{'item': 'GPU server', 'cost': 15000}],
    travel=[{'purpose': 'Conference attendance', 'cost_per_year': 3000}],
    other=[
        {'item': 'Publication charges', 'cost_per_year': 2000},
        {'item': 'Cloud computing', 'cost_per_year': 5000}
    ],
    indirect_rate=0.55,
    years=3
)

Evaluation Criteria by Agency

NSF Review Criteria
CriterionWeightKey Questions
Intellectual Merit~50%Does it advance knowledge? Is the approach sound?
Broader Impacts~50%Societal benefit? Education? Diversity? Infrastructure?
NIH Review Criteria (Scored 1-9)
CriterionKey Questions
SignificanceDoes it address an important problem?
Investigator(s)Are PI and team qualified?
InnovationNovel approaches or concepts?
ApproachIs the strategy well-reasoned and feasible?
EnvironmentDoes the institution support the work?

Timeline and Milestones

Gantt Chart Data Structure
python
def create_project_timeline(aims: list[dict], total_months: int = 36) -> list[dict]:
    """Create a project timeline for a grant proposal."""
    timeline = []
    for aim in aims:
        for task in aim['tasks']:
            timeline.append({
                'aim': aim['name'],
                'task': task['name'],
                'start_month': task['start'],
                'end_month': task['end'],
                'milestone': task.get('milestone', ''),
                'deliverable': task.get('deliverable', '')
            })
    return timeline

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Overly ambitious scope: Reviewers can tell when 3 years of funding is covering 10 years of work
  2. Weak preliminary data: Show feasibility with pilot results
  3. Vague methods: Specify exact techniques, sample sizes, and analysis plans
  4. Missing contingency plans: Address "what if" scenarios for risky approaches
  5. Budget-narrative mismatch: Every budget item must connect to the research plan
  6. Late submission: Submit at least 24 hours before the deadline to avoid system crashes
  7. Ignoring reviewer feedback: If resubmitting, address every prior critique explicitly

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

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/research/funding/grant-writing-guide of wentorai/research-plugins.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bf44b3c

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in wentorai/research-plugins, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

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Questions about Grant Writing Guide

What does Grant Writing Guide do?

Write competitive research proposals with clear objectives and budgets. Grant Writing Guide is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins.

When should I use Grant Writing Guide?

Grant Writing Guide fits situations like: tasks that involve Grant writing; tasks that involve Proposals and quotes; tasks that involve Project management.

How do I install Grant Writing Guide in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill grant-writing-guide -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/research/funding/grant-writing-guide in wentorai/research-plugins) into .claude/skills/grant-writing-guide in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Grant Writing Guide in Codex?

Run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill grant-writing-guide -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/research/funding/grant-writing-guide in wentorai/research-plugins) into .agents/skills/grant-writing-guide in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Grant Writing Guide 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 wentorai/research-plugins --skill grant-writing-guide -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-writing-guide, .gemini/skills/grant-writing-guide, .github/skills/grant-writing-guide and .opencode/skills/grant-writing-guide in your project.

What does Grant Writing Guide need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Grant Writing Guide is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Grant Writing Guide 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 Writing Guide 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. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Grant Writing Guide use?

Grant Writing Guide is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Grant Writing Guide use?

About 1.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Grant Writing Guide?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Grant Writing Guide: Research Grants (aipoch/medical-research-skills, 1.9k stars), Research Grants (K-Dense-AI/claude-scientific-writer, 2.4k stars), HTML Ppt Zhangzara Monochrome (nexu-io/open-design, 100k stars) and Grants (borghei/Claude-Skills, 891 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Grant Writing Guide?

wentorai (a GitHub user) maintains it in wentorai/research-plugins, which has 298 GitHub stars. The repository holds 405 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 19, 2026.

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