AI Grant Proposal Writer
Grant proposals must tell a compelling research story while meeting funder-specific formatting and content requirements. Vespper helps you draft proposals that connect your research narrative to supporting data and preliminary results.
1. Federal Grant Requirements
Federal grant proposals must conform to agency-specific format, content, and submission requirements.
NIH SF424 (R&R) Application
- Application format requirements including page limits, font, and margin specifications
- Specific Aims page structure — significance, innovation, and approach
- Biosketch format (NIH-approved format) with personal statement and contributions
NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)
- Project summary and project description formatting and content requirements
- Data management plan requirements for research data sharing
- Broader impacts section requirements beyond intellectual merit
- Proposals not conforming to agency formatting requirements are returned without review
- Missing or non-compliant data management plans result in proposal rejection at administrative review
2. Budget & Financial Documentation
Grant budgets must comply with federal cost principles and agency-specific budget requirements.
OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200)
- Cost principles defining allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs
- Indirect cost rate agreement documentation and application
- Cost-sharing and matching requirements with documentation standards
Budget Justification Standards
- Personnel effort justification with salary cap compliance (NIH salary cap)
- Equipment and supply cost justification with vendor quotes where required
- Travel and consultant cost justification with rate documentation
- Budget items not meeting OMB cost principles are disallowed during post-award audit
- Missing budget justification narratives result in budget cuts or proposal return for revision
3. Research Compliance Requirements
Proposals involving human subjects, animals, or biohazards must document compliance approvals.
Human Subjects and Animal Research
- IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval or exemption documentation for human subjects research
- IACUC protocol approval for vertebrate animal research
- Informed consent procedures and documentation requirements
Biosafety and Conflict of Interest
- IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee) approval for recombinant DNA and biohazard research
- Dual use research of concern (DURC) assessment and mitigation plans
- Conflict of interest disclosure requirements under 42 CFR Part 50 for all senior personnel
- Awards cannot be activated without documented compliance approvals — delays can forfeit funding
- Unreported conflicts of interest can result in funding termination and debarment from future awards
4. Scientific Merit & Review Criteria
Grant proposals must explicitly address the specific review criteria used by the funding agency to evaluate applications.
Agency Review Criteria
- NIH five review criteria: significance, investigator(s), innovation, approach, and environment
- NSF two merit review criteria: intellectual merit and broader impacts
- DOD SBIR/STTR evaluation criteria including military application and commercialization potential
- Proposals that do not explicitly address each review criterion score poorly regardless of scientific merit
- Broader impacts sections that lack specificity are a leading cause of NSF proposal decline
What happens when documentation falls short
- Grant application rejection from formatting non-compliance at administrative review
- Budget disallowance from costs not meeting OMB Uniform Guidance principles
- Research compliance violations delaying or halting funded work
- Loss of future funding eligibility from reporting failures or compliance violations
- Institutional sanctions from unreported conflicts of interest by senior personnel
What this means for your team
How Vespper helps with grant proposals
Research data integration
Upload preliminary results, published papers, datasets, and prior proposals. Vespper connects your narrative to supporting evidence.
Funder-aligned structure
Generate proposals following specific funder formats (NIH R01, NSF, ERC) with proper section organization and page management.
Evidence-backed claims
Every research claim and preliminary result in your proposal cites the specific dataset, paper, or experiment it draws from.
Revision management
Incorporate reviewer feedback with AI assistance, track every change, and maintain a complete revision history.
Draft your grant proposal in 3 steps
Upload research materials
Connect preliminary data, published papers, prior proposals, funder guidelines, and supporting datasets.
Generate proposal draft
Vespper drafts your proposal following funder requirements, with research claims traced to preliminary results and publications.
Review and submit
Review the narrative, verify data citations, incorporate internal feedback, and finalize for submission.
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