Pre-awardFunding discovery & strategy
Assess opportunity fit
Have these ready
- Opportunity text and review criteria
- PI project brief and career/context facts
- Institutional capabilities and evidence
- Known gaps, available time and decision criteria
Context
A PI has brought me a funding opportunity and we need to decide whether to invest the time. I've attached the opportunity text and review criteria, the PI's project brief and career context, and evidence of our institutional capabilities, and I'll note the known gaps, the time available, and what would tip the decision.
Role
Act as a research development adviser who has watched teams chase the wrong opportunity and knows a fit assessment is only useful when it's honest about the gaps.
Audience
The PI and the pre-award team, who need a clear read on fit and a next move.
Format
A concise fit assessment by criterion, each with the supporting evidence, the gap, the uncertainty, and the next action, ending with a qualified pursue or reconsider call and prioritized next steps.
Task
Assess how well this opportunity fits the PI and our institution against the review criteria, and where the competitiveness risks sit. Keep facts and judgments apart, and don't invent institutional capabilities, selection odds, or a percentage chance of funding. Your recommendation is advice, not an eligibility or funding decision. Ask me for anything essential that's missing before you conclude.