grant-proposal

Override for Codex users who want Gemini, not a second Codex agent, to act as the reviewer. Install this package after skills/skills-codex/*.

Grant Proposal: From Research Ideas to Fundable Application

Draft a grant proposal based on: $ARGUMENTS

Overview

This skill turns validated research ideas into a structured, reviewer-ready grant proposal. It chains sub-skills into a grant-specific pipeline:

/research-lit → /novelty-check → [structure design] → [draft] → /research-review → [revise] → GRANT_PROPOSAL.md
  (survey)      (verify gap)     (aims + matrix)     (prose)    (panel review)     (fix)      (done!)

This is a parallel branch, not part of the linear Workflow 1→1.5→2→3 pipeline. After /idea-discovery produces validated ideas, the user can either:

• Go to /experiment-bridge → /auto-review-loop → /paper-writing (implement & publish)
• Go to /grant-proposal (write funding application first, then implement after funding)

                    ┌→ /experiment-bridge → /auto-review-loop → /paper-writing  (publish track)
/idea-discovery ────┤
                    └→ /grant-proposal → [get funded] → /experiment-bridge → ...  (funding track)

Grant proposals argue for future work (feasibility + potential), not completed work (results + claims). This skill handles the unique requirements of grant writing: narrative arc design, reviewer-facing structure, budget justification, timeline planning, and agency-specific formatting.

Constants

• GRANT_TYPE = KAKENHI — Default grant type. Supported: KAKENHI, NSF, NSFC, ERC, DFG, SNSF, ARC, NWO, GENERIC. Override via argument (e.g., /grant-proposal "topic — NSF").
• GRANT_SUBTYPE = auto — Sub-type within the grant agency. Examples: KAKENHI Start-up/Wakate/Kiban-B; NSFC Youth/Excellent-Youth/Distinguished/Overseas/Key; NSF CAREER/CRII/Standard. Auto-detected from argument or defaults to the most common sub-type.
• REVIEWER_MODEL = gemini-review — Gemini reviewer invoked through the local gemini-review MCP bridge for proposal review. Set GEMINI_REVIEW_MODEL if you need a specific Gemini model override.
• OUTPUT_FORMAT = markdown — Output format. Supported: markdown, latex. LaTeX uses grant-specific templates when available.
• MAX_REVIEW_ROUNDS = 2 — Maximum external review-revise cycles before finalizing.
• OUTPUT_DIR = grant-proposal/ — Directory for generated proposal files.
• LANGUAGE = auto — Output language. Auto-detected from grant type: KAKENHI→Japanese, NSF→English, NSFC→Chinese, ERC→English, DFG→English (or German), SNSF→English, ARC→English, NWO→English. Override explicitly if needed.
• AUTO_PROCEED = false — At each checkpoint, always wait for explicit user confirmation before proceeding. Grant proposals require PI-specific judgment at every stage. Set true only if user explicitly requests fully autonomous mode.

💡 These are defaults. Override by telling the skill, e.g., /grant-proposal "topic — NSF CAREER, latex output" or /grant-proposal "topic — NSFC Youth, language: English".

Grant Type Specifications

KAKENHI (Japan — JSPS)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | 研究目的 (Research Objective), 研究計画・方法 (Plan & Methods), 準備状況 (Preparation Status), 人権の保護 (Ethics, if applicable) | | Sub-types | 基盤研究 A/B/C (Kiban), 若手研究 (Wakate), 研究活動スタート支援 (Start-up), 国際共同研究 (International), 学術変革領域 (Transformative), 挑戦的研究 (Challenging), DC1/DC2 (doctoral) | | Language | Japanese (English technical terms acceptable) | | Review criteria | 学術的重要性 (academic significance), 独創性 (originality), 研究計画の妥当性 (plan feasibility), 研究遂行能力 (PI capability) | | Cultural norms | Explicit yearly milestones (Year 1 / Year 2), budget justification integrated into plan, emphasize 社会的意義 (societal significance), concrete expected outputs (papers, datasets), reference KAKEN database for related funded projects |

NSF (US)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | Project Summary (1p), Project Description (15p max), References Cited, Biographical Sketch, Budget Justification, Data Management Plan | | Sub-types | Standard Grant, CAREER (early career), CRII (research initiation), RAPID, EAGER | | Language | English | | Review criteria | Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts | | Cultural norms | Aim-based structure (Aim 1/2/3), preliminary data strongly expected, broader impacts must be concrete and specific (not generic "benefit society"), Results from Prior Support section |

NSFC (China — 国家自然科学基金)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | 立项依据 (Rationale & Significance), 研究内容 (Content), 研究目标 (Objectives), 研究方案 (Plan & Methods), 可行性分析 (Feasibility), 创新性 (Innovation Points), 预期成果 (Expected Outcomes), 研究基础 (PI Foundation & Track Record) | | Sub-types | 面上项目 (General Program) — emphasis on scientific problem and research accumulation; 青年基金 (Young Scientists Fund) — age ≤35, emphasis on independence and growth potential; 优秀青年基金/优青 (Excellent Young Scientists) — age ≤38, emphasis on outstanding achievements; 杰出青年基金/杰青 (Distinguished Young Scientists) — age ≤45, emphasis on international-leading level; 海外优青 (Overseas Excellent Young Scientists) — emphasis on overseas experience and return contribution plan; 重点项目 (Key Program) — emphasis on systematic in-depth research | | Language | Chinese | | Review criteria | 科学意义 (scientific significance), 创新性 (innovation), 可行性 (feasibility), 研究队伍 (team qualification) | | Cultural norms | Heavy emphasis on 国际前沿 (international frontier) positioning, detailed feasibility analysis, explicit citation of applicant's prior publications, 研究基础 section is critical for demonstrating PI capability |

ERC (EU — European Research Council)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | Extended Synopsis (5p), Scientific Proposal Part B2 (15p) | | Sub-types | Starting Grant (2-7 years post-PhD), Consolidator Grant (7-12 years), Advanced Grant (established leaders) | | Language | English | | Review criteria | Ground-breaking nature, Methodology, PI track record | | Cultural norms | Emphasis on "high-risk/high-gain", methodology table with WP/deliverables/milestones, Gantt chart expected, strong PI narrative |

DFG (Germany — Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | State of the Art, Objectives, Work Programme, Bibliography, CV | | Language | English or German | | Review criteria | Scientific quality, Originality, Feasibility, PI qualification |

SNSF (Switzerland — Swiss National Science Foundation)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | Summary, Research Plan, Timetable, Budget | | Language | English | | Review criteria | Scientific relevance, Originality, Feasibility, Track record |

ARC (Australia — Australian Research Council)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | Project Description, Feasibility, Benefit, Budget | | Language | English | | Review criteria | Research quality, Feasibility, Benefit to Australia |

NWO (Netherlands — Dutch Research Council)

| Field | Detail | |-------|--------| | Sections | Summary, Proposed Research, Knowledge Utilisation | | Language | English | | Review criteria | Scientific quality, Innovative character, Knowledge utilisation |

GENERIC

For any grant not listed above. User provides section names, page limits, and review criteria via argument:

/grant-proposal "topic — GENERIC, sections: Background|Methods|Impact, language: English"

State Persistence (Compact Recovery)

Grant proposal drafting is a long task that may trigger context compaction. Persist state to grant-proposal/GRANT_STATE.json after each phase:

{
  "phase": 2,
  "grant_type": "KAKENHI",
  "grant_subtype": "Start-up",
  "language": "Japanese",
  "thread_id": "019cfcf4-...",