| name | grant-proposal |
| description | Draft a structured grant proposal from research ideas and literature. Supports KAKENHI (Japan), NSF (US), NSFC (China, including ้ขไธ/้ๅนด/ไผ้/ๆฐ้/ๆตทๅคไผ้/้็น), ERC (EU), DFG (Germany), SNSF (Switzerland), ARC (Australia), NWO (Netherlands), and generic formats. Use when user says "write grant", "grant proposal", "็ณ่ซๆธ", "write KAKENHI", "็ง็ ่ฒป", "ๅบ้็ณ่ฏท", "ๅๅบ้", "NSF proposal", or wants to turn research ideas into a funding application. |
| argument-hint | [research-direction โ grant-type] [โ style-ref: <source>] |
| allowed-tools | Bash(*), Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, WebSearch, WebFetch, Skill, mcp__codex__codex, mcp__codex__codex-reply |
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 โ /novelty-check โ [structure design] โ [draft] โ /research-review โ [revise] โ GRANT_PROPOSAL.md
(survey) (verify gap) (aims + matrix) (prose) (panel review) (fix) (done!)
This is a parallel branch, not part of the linear Workflow 1โ1.5โ2โ3 pipeline. After /idea-discovery produces validated ideas, the user can either:
- Go to
/experiment-bridge โ /auto-review-loop โ /paper-writing (implement & publish)
- Go to
/grant-proposal (write funding application first, then implement after funding)
โโ /experiment-bridge โ /auto-review-loop โ /paper-writing (publish track)
/idea-discovery โโโโโค
โโ /grant-proposal โ [get funded] โ /experiment-bridge โ ... (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 โ Default grant type. Supported: KAKENHI, NSF, NSFC, ERC, DFG, SNSF, ARC, NWO, GENERIC. Override via argument (e.g., /grant-proposal "topic โ NSF").
- GRANT_SUBTYPE =
auto โ 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 =
gpt-5.5 โ Model used via Codex MCP for proposal review. Must be an OpenAI model (e.g., gpt-5.5, o3, gpt-4o).
- OUTPUT_FORMAT =
markdown โ Output format. Supported: markdown, latex. LaTeX uses grant-specific templates when available.
- MAX_REVIEW_ROUNDS = 2 โ Maximum external review-revise cycles before finalizing.
- OUTPUT_DIR =
grant-proposal/ โ Directory for generated proposal files.
- LANGUAGE =
auto โ Output language. Auto-detected from grant type: KAKENHIโJapanese, NSFโEnglish, NSFCโChinese, ERCโEnglish, DFGโEnglish (or German), SNSFโEnglish, ARCโEnglish, NWOโEnglish. Override explicitly if needed.
- AUTO_PROCEED = false โ 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.
๐ก These are defaults. Override by telling the skill, e.g., /grant-proposal "topic โ NSF CAREER, latex output" or /grant-proposal "topic โ NSFC Youth, language: English".
Optional: Style reference (โ style-ref: <source>, opt-in)
Lets the PI steer the proposal's structural layout (section order tendency, paragraph length, figure density, citation style) toward a successful past proposal or paper they'd like to mirror. Default OFF โ when the user does not pass โ style-ref, do nothing differently from before.
Only when โ style-ref: <source> appears in $ARGUMENTS, run the helper FIRST, before drafting:
cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)" || exit 1
if [ -z "${ARIS_REPO:-}" ] && [ -f .aris/installed-skills.txt ]; then
ARIS_REPO=$(awk -F'\t' '$1=="repo_root"{print $2; exit}' .aris/installed-skills.txt 2>/dev/null) || true
fi
STYLE_HELPER=".aris/tools/extract_paper_style.py"
[ -f "$STYLE_HELPER" ] || STYLE_HELPER="tools/extract_paper_style.py"
[ -f "$STYLE_HELPER" ] || { [ -n "${ARIS_REPO:-}" ] && STYLE_HELPER="$ARIS_REPO/tools/extract_paper_style.py"; }
[ -f "$STYLE_HELPER" ] || {
echo "ERROR: extract_paper_style.py not resolved at .aris/tools/, tools/, or \$ARIS_REPO/tools/." >&2
echo " Fix: rerun bash tools/install_aris.sh, export ARIS_REPO, or copy the helper to tools/." >&2
echo " --style-ref cannot be satisfied; aborting." >&2
exit 1
}
STYLE_STATUS=0
CACHE=$(python3 "$STYLE_HELPER" --source "<source>") || STYLE_STATUS=$?
case "$STYLE_STATUS" in
0) ;;
2) echo "warning: style-ref skipped (missing optional dep)" >&2 ;;
3) echo "error: --style-ref source failed; aborting proposal" >&2 ; exit 1 ;;
*) echo "error: helper failed unexpectedly; aborting proposal" >&2 ; exit 1 ;;
esac
Sources accepted: local TeX dir / file, local PDF, arXiv id, http(s) URL. Overleaf URLs/IDs are rejected โ clone the project locally first and pass the local path.
Strict rules (full contract in tools/extract_paper_style.py docstring):
- Use
style_profile.md to align paragraph length tendency, figure budget, and citation density. Grant-type-mandated section order (KAKENHI ็ ็ฉถ็ฎ็ โ ็ ็ฉถ่จ็ปใปๆนๆณ โ ๆบๅ็ถๆณ, NSF Intellectual Merit โ Broader Impacts, etc.) always takes precedence โ the agency template wins, the style ref only refines secondary structure.
- Never copy proposal prose, claims, vision statements, or budget items from anything reachable through the cache. The reference might be someone else's funded proposal; reproducing language risks plagiarism.
- Never pass
โ style-ref (or the cache contents) to the GPT-5.5 reviewer sub-agent when it scores the draft โ the proposal must be judged on its own merits.
Grant Type Specifications
KAKENHI (Japan โ JSPS)
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Sections | ็ ็ฉถ็ฎ็ (Research Objective), ็ ็ฉถ่จ็ปใปๆนๆณ (Plan & Methods), ๆบๅ็ถๆณ (Preparation Status), ไบบๆจฉใฎไฟ่ญท (Ethics, if applicable) |
| Sub-types | ๅบ็ค็ ็ฉถ A/B/C (Kiban), ่ฅๆ็ ็ฉถ (Wakate), ็ ็ฉถๆดปๅในใฟใผใๆฏๆด (Start-up), ๅฝ้ๅ
ฑๅ็ ็ฉถ (International), ๅญฆ่กๅค้ฉ้ ๅ (Transformative), ๆๆฆ็็ ็ฉถ (Challenging), DC1/DC2 (doctoral) |
| Language | Japanese (English technical terms acceptable) |
| Review criteria | ๅญฆ่ก็้่ฆๆง (academic significance), ็ฌๅตๆง (originality), ็ ็ฉถ่จ็ปใฎๅฆฅๅฝๆง (plan feasibility), ็ ็ฉถ้่ก่ฝๅ (PI capability) |
| Cultural norms | Explicit yearly milestones (Year 1 / Year 2), budget justification integrated into plan, emphasize ็คพไผ็ๆ็พฉ (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 โ ๅฝๅฎถ่ช็ถ็งๅญฆๅบ้)
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Sections | ็ซ้กนไพๆฎ (Rationale & Significance), ็ ็ฉถๅ
ๅฎน (Content), ็ ็ฉถ็ฎๆ (Objectives), ็ ็ฉถๆนๆก (Plan & Methods), ๅฏ่กๆงๅๆ (Feasibility), ๅๆฐๆง (Innovation Points), ้ขๆๆๆ (Expected Outcomes), ็ ็ฉถๅบ็ก (PI Foundation & Track Record) |
| Sub-types | ้ขไธ้กน็ฎ (General Program) โ emphasis on scientific problem and research accumulation; ้ๅนดๅบ้ (Young Scientists Fund) โ age โค35, emphasis on independence and growth potential; ไผ็ง้ๅนดๅบ้/ไผ้ (Excellent Young Scientists) โ age โค38, emphasis on outstanding achievements; ๆฐๅบ้ๅนดๅบ้/ๆฐ้ (Distinguished Young Scientists) โ age โค45, emphasis on international-leading level; ๆตทๅคไผ้ (Overseas Excellent Young Scientists) โ emphasis on overseas experience and return contribution plan; ้็น้กน็ฎ (Key Program) โ emphasis on systematic in-depth research |
| Language | Chinese |
| Review criteria | ็งๅญฆๆไน (scientific significance), ๅๆฐๆง (innovation), ๅฏ่กๆง (feasibility), ็ ็ฉถ้ไผ (team qualification) |
| Cultural norms | Heavy emphasis on ๅฝ้
ๅๆฒฟ (international frontier) positioning, detailed feasibility analysis, explicit citation of applicant's prior publications, ็ ็ฉถๅบ็ก section is critical for demonstrating PI capability |
ERC (EU โ 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 โ 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 โ Swiss National Science Foundation)
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Sections | Summary, Research Plan, Timetable, Budget |
| Language | English |
| Review criteria | Scientific relevance, Originality, Feasibility, Track record |
ARC (Australia โ Australian Research Council)
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Sections | Project Description, Feasibility, Benefit, Budget |
| Language | English |
| Review criteria | Research quality, Feasibility, Benefit to Australia |
NWO (Netherlands โ 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 โ 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",
"codex_thread_id": "019cfcf4-...",
"gap_statement": "...",
"aims_count": 3,
"status": "in_progress",
"timestamp": "2026-03-18T15:00:00"
}
Write this file at the end of every phase. On invocation, check for this file:
- If absent or
status: "completed" โ fresh start
- If
status: "in_progress" and within 24h โ resume from saved phase (read GRANT_PROPOSAL.md and GRANT_REVIEW.md to restore context)
- If older than 24h โ fresh start (stale state)
On completion, set "status": "completed".
Workflow
Phase 0: Input Parsing & Context Gathering
Parse $ARGUMENTS to extract:
- Research direction/idea โ may reference existing files or be a freeform description
- Grant type โ detect from keywords (e.g., "็ง็ ่ฒป"โKAKENHI, "NSF"โNSF, "ๅฝ่ช็ถ"โNSFC, "ๅบ้"โNSFC)
- Grant sub-type โ detect from keywords (e.g., "Start-up", "่ฅๆ", "้ๅนด", "CAREER", "ไผ้", "ๆตทๅคไผ้")
- Overrides โ output format, language, review rounds
Then gather context from the project directory:
- Read
idea-stage/IDEA_REPORT.md if it exists (from /idea-discovery); fall back to ./IDEA_REPORT.md if not found
- Read
refine-logs/FINAL_PROPOSAL.md if it exists (from /research-refine)
- Read
refine-logs/EXPERIMENT_PLAN.md if it exists (from /experiment-plan)
- Read
review-stage/AUTO_REVIEW.md if it exists (from /auto-review-loop โ prior review feedback is gold for grants); fall back to ./AUTO_REVIEW.md if not found
- Read
NARRATIVE_REPORT.md or STORY.md if they exist
- Read any existing literature notes or survey documents
- Scan for the user's publication list (e.g.,
publications.md, cv.md, bio.md, CV.pdf)
- Check for
grant-proposal/GRANT_STATE.json (resume from prior interrupted run)
If insufficient context exists:
- No research idea at all โ suggest running
/idea-discovery first
- No literature survey โ will invoke
/research-lit inline in Phase 1
- No publication list โ leave PI qualification section with
[TODO: Add publications] placeholders
- Has review-stage/AUTO_REVIEW.md โ extract reviewer feedback and use it to strengthen the feasibility narrative
Phase 1: Literature & Landscape Positioning
Invoke /research-lit to ground the proposal in real literature, then search for competing funded projects:
/research-lit "$ARGUMENTS"
What this does:
- Reuse existing surveys if
/research-lit was already run and notes exist
- Otherwise invoke
/research-lit for multi-source literature search (arXiv, Scholar, Zotero, local PDFs)
- Search for funded projects in the same area via WebSearch:
- Identify competing groups and their recent publications
- Run
/novelty-check on the proposed research direction to verify the gap is real:
/novelty-check "[proposed gap statement]"
- Build the gap statement โ the single most important sentence in the proposal:
"Despite progress in [X], [specific gap] remains unaddressed because [reason].
This proposal addresses this by [approach], which will [expected impact]."
๐ฆ Checkpoint: Present the landscape summary and gap statement to the user:
๐ Literature & landscape analysis complete:
- [key findings from literature]
- [competing funded projects found]
- Gap statement: "[the gap statement]"
Does this accurately capture the positioning? Should I adjust before designing the proposal structure?
โ STOP HERE and wait for user response. Do NOT auto-proceed unless AUTO_PROCEED=true was explicitly set by the user.
Options for the user:
- Reply "go" or "ok" โ proceed to Phase 2 with current positioning
- Reply with adjustments (e.g., "focus more on X", "the gap should emphasize Y") โ refine and re-present
- Reply "stop" โ end the skill, save current progress to
grant-proposal/DRAFT_NOTES.md
State: Write GRANT_STATE.json with phase: 1 and the gap statement.
Phase 2: Narrative Structure & Aims Design
Design the proposal's logical architecture before writing any prose.
2.1 Define Specific Aims (2-4)
Each aim must satisfy:
- Independently valuable โ if one aim fails, others still produce publishable results
- Logically connected โ Aim 1 enables Aim 2, Aim 2 informs Aim 3
- Concrete deliverables โ each aim maps to specific outputs (papers, datasets, tools, benchmarks)
- Feasible within budget and timeline
2.2 Build Claims-Aims-Evidence Matrix
| Aim | Key Claim | Preliminary Evidence | Proposed Validation | Risk Level | Deliverable |
|-----|-----------|---------------------|--------------------|-----------:|-------------|
| Aim 1 | [claim] | [pilot data, prior work] | [experiments] | LOW | [paper, dataset] |
| Aim 2 | [claim] | [theoretical basis] | [experiments] | MEDIUM | [paper, tool] |
2.3 Design the Narrative Arc
Grant proposals follow a fundamentally different arc from papers:
Problem โ Why Now โ What We Propose โ Why It Will Work โ What We Will Deliver
(not: Problem โ Method โ Results โ Implications)
- Problem: What gap exists and why it matters (scientific + societal)
- Why Now: What recent developments make this the right time (new data, new methods, new need)
- What We Propose: The specific aims and approach
- Why It Will Work: Preliminary data, PI track record, team expertise, feasibility arguments
- What We Will Deliver: Concrete outputs, timeline, expected publications
2.4 Timeline & Milestones
Design year-by-year (or quarter-by-quarter) plan:
### Year 1
- Q1-Q2: [Aim 1 tasks]
- Q3-Q4: [Aim 1 completion + Aim 2 start]
- Expected outputs: [papers, datasets]
### Year 2
- Q1-Q2: [Aim 2 completion + Aim 3]
- Q3-Q4: [Aim 3 completion + synthesis]
- Expected outputs: [papers, tools, final report]
2.5 Structural Review
Invoke /research-review to get critical feedback on the proposal structure before drafting:
/research-review "[GRANT_TYPE] [GRANT_SUBTYPE] proposal structure:
Gap: [gap statement]
Aims: [aims list with claims-evidence matrix]
Timeline: [timeline]
โ reviewer persona: [GRANT_TYPE] review panelist"
What this does:
- GPT-5.5 xhigh acts as a grant review panelist (not a paper reviewer)
- Evaluates aims independence, narrative arc, risk identification, timeline realism
- Identifies the single biggest reviewer concern
- Provides actionable fixes ranked by severity
Apply structural feedback before proceeding to drafting.
๐ฆ Checkpoint: Present the proposal structure to the user:
๐๏ธ Proposal structure designed:
- Gap: [gap statement]
- Aim 1: [title] โ Risk: LOW
- Aim 2: [title] โ Risk: MEDIUM
- Aim 3: [title] โ Risk: LOW
- Timeline: [summary]
- Reviewer feedback: [key points from GPT-5.5]
Proceed to section drafting? Or adjust the structure?
โ STOP HERE. This is the most critical checkpoint โ the proposal structure determines everything downstream.
Options for the user:
- Reply "go" or "ok" โ proceed to Phase 3 (section drafting)
- Reply with structural changes (e.g., "merge Aim 2 and 3", "add an aim about X", "reduce to 2 aims") โ redesign and re-present
- Reply "back" โ return to Phase 1 to adjust the gap/positioning
- Reply "stop" โ save current structure to
grant-proposal/DRAFT_NOTES.md
State: Write GRANT_STATE.json with phase: 2, aims summary, and Codex threadId.
Phase 3: Section Drafting
Draft each section according to the grant type template. Write complete prose, not outlines or placeholders.
What this does:
- Writes all required sections in the agency-specific language and tone
- Pulls content from idea-stage/IDEA_REPORT.md, FINAL_PROPOSAL.md, and literature notes
- Uses
/paper-illustration for figure generation (if user requests)
- Leaves
[TODO] only for PI-specific information, [AMOUNT] for budget figures
- Outputs
grant-proposal/GRANT_PROPOSAL.md
Drafting Order (optimized for narrative coherence)
- Specific Aims / Research Objective โ the "abstract" of the grant. Write first, refine last.
- Background / Significance / State of the Art โ establish the problem and gap.
- Research Plan / Methods โ per aim, with feasibility arguments.
- Figures โ generate key diagrams (see below).
- Timeline & Milestones โ year-by-year deliverables.
- PI Qualification / Preparation Status โ track record, team, infrastructure.
- Budget Justification โ narrative only (leave dollar/yen amounts as
[AMOUNT] placeholders).
- Broader Impacts / Societal Significance โ if required by the grant type.
Figure Generation
Grant proposals benefit greatly from clear diagrams. Generate the following figures using SVG or matplotlib (save to grant-proposal/figures/):
- ๅ
จไฝๆงๆๅณ / Overview Diagram โ Show the relationship between aims (Aim 1 โ Aim 2 โ Aim 3), shared resources (participants, stimuli, pipeline), and outputs. This is the single most important figure.
- ๅฎ้จใใฉใใคใ ๅณ / Experimental Paradigm โ Visual schematic of each paradigm (stimulus timing, conditions, EEG recording).
- ๅนดๆฌก่จ็ป / Timeline Gantt Chart โ Year-by-year (or H1/H2) milestones with deliverables.
For AI-generated publication-quality figures, invoke /paper-illustration:
/paper-illustration "Overview diagram showing [aims relationship + shared resources] for grant proposal"
For simpler diagrams (flowcharts, Gantt charts), generate clean SVG or matplotlib directly via code.
๐ฆ Figure Checkpoint: Before generating, ask which figures the user wants:
๐จ The following figures would strengthen this proposal:
1. ๅ
จไฝๆงๆๅณ / Overview โ aims relationship + shared resources
2. ๅฎ้จใใฉใใคใ ๅณ / Paradigm โ stimulus timing + conditions
3. ๅนดๆฌก่จ็ป / Gantt โ timeline with milestones
Which should I generate? (e.g., "1 and 3", "all", "skip")
โ Wait for user response. Generate only the requested figures.
Grant-Specific Drafting Guidelines
KAKENHI:
- Write in formal Japanese academic style (ใงใใ่ชฟ, not ใงใ/ใพใ่ชฟ)
- Use ใใfor Japanese quotations, bold for emphasis
- Structure: ็ ็ฉถใฎๅญฆ่ก็่ๆฏ โ ็ ็ฉถๆ้ๅ
ใซไฝใใฉใใพใงๆใใใซใใใ โ ๆฌ็ ็ฉถใฎๅญฆ่ก็ใช็น่ฒใป็ฌๅตๆง
- Include explicit ๅนดๆฌก่จ็ป (yearly plan) with concrete milestones
- Emphasize ็คพไผ็ๆ็พฉ (societal significance)
- Reference related KAKEN-funded projects to show awareness of the field
NSF:
- Write in clear, direct English
- Use Aim-based structure with bold headings
- Preliminary data paragraphs for each Aim (with figure references)
- Broader Impacts must be concrete: specific outreach activities, broadening participation plans
- Include Results from Prior Support (if PI has prior NSF funding)
NSFC:
- Write in formal Chinese academic style
- ็ซ้กนไพๆฎ must position work at ๅฝ้
ๅๆฒฟ (international frontier)
- ๅๆฐๆง section must list numbered innovation points (ๅๆฐ็น)
- ็ ็ฉถๅบ็ก must cite PI's own publications (with IF and citations if possible)
- ๅฏ่กๆงๅๆ must address: technical feasibility, team capability, time feasibility, equipment/conditions
ERC:
- Write a compelling "high-risk/high-gain" narrative
- Extended Synopsis must be self-contained and compelling
- Include Work Package table with deliverables and milestones
- Gantt chart (describe in text, or generate as figure)
For Each Section
- Pull relevant content from idea-stage/IDEA_REPORT.md, FINAL_PROPOSAL.md, literature notes
- Write complete prose โ no
[TODO] except for PI-specific information
- Include figure/table placeholders where appropriate (e.g.,
[Figure 1: System architecture])
- Cite references properly โ use citation keys, will build bibliography later
- Match the agency's tone and style โ formal Japanese for KAKENHI, direct English for NSF, etc.
Phase 4: External Review
Invoke /research-review on the complete draft for grant-type-specific evaluation:
/research-review "Read the grant review bundle at grant-proposal/codex_panel_review_bundle_round_1.md and evaluate it as a [GRANT_TYPE] [GRANT_SUBTYPE] review panelist using the official criteria."
What this does:
- GPT-5.5 xhigh acts as a grant review panelist
- Scores each section 1-5 using agency-specific criteria
- Identifies fatal flaws and recommends funding/revisions/rejection
- Provides ranked action items for improvement
- All feedback saved to
grant-proposal/GRANT_REVIEW.md
โ ๏ธ Codex MCP fallback: If mcp__codex__codex is not available (no OpenAI API key), skip external review. Note "External review skipped โ no Codex MCP available. Consider running /auto-review-loop-llm separately." in GRANT_REVIEW.md. The proposal is still usable without external review.
If /research-review is invoked (preferred), it handles the Codex call internally. If calling Codex directly (e.g., to maintain thread context from Phase 2):
Round 1 (full draft review):
Write grant-proposal/codex_panel_review_bundle_round_1.md containing the
criteria below plus the absolute path to grant-proposal/GRANT_PROPOSAL.md,
then keep the Codex MCP prompt short:
mcp__codex__codex-reply:
threadId: [from Phase 2]
config: {"model_reasoning_effort": "xhigh"}
prompt: |
Read the grant review bundle at <absolute path to
grant-proposal/codex_panel_review_bundle_round_1.md> and follow all
instructions in it.
Bundle contents:
Review this complete [GRANT_TYPE] [GRANT_SUBTYPE] proposal draft.
Act as a [GRANT_TYPE] review panelist. Evaluate using the official criteria:
[INSERT GRANT-TYPE-SPECIFIC CRITERIA โ see Grant Type Specifications above]
For each section:
1. Score 1-5 (5 = excellent)
2. Strongest aspect
3. Most critical weakness
4. Specific fix suggestion (actionable, not vague)
Overall assessment:
- Would you recommend funding? (Yes / Yes with revisions / No)
- Single most impactful change to improve funding chances?
- Any fatal flaws?
Proposal draft path (read this file yourself): <absolute path to
grant-proposal/GRANT_PROPOSAL.md>
Round 2+ (after revisions):
If MAX_REVIEW_ROUNDS > 1 and revisions were applied:
Write grant-proposal/codex_panel_review_bundle_round_N.md containing the
change log, any raw diff / changed-file paths worth inspecting, and the
absolute path to the current grant-proposal/GRANT_PROPOSAL.md, then reuse the
same short MCP prompt pattern:
mcp__codex__codex-reply:
threadId: [saved from Round 1]
config: {"model_reasoning_effort": "xhigh"}
prompt: |
Read the grant review bundle at <absolute path to
grant-proposal/codex_panel_review_bundle_round_N.md> and follow all
instructions in it.
Bundle contents:
[Round N review of revised [GRANT_TYPE] [GRANT_SUBTYPE] proposal]
Since your last review, I have applied the following changes:
1. [Change 1]: [what was done]
2. [Change 2]: [what was done]
3. [Change 3]: [what was done]
Please re-evaluate. Same format: section scores, overall assessment, remaining weaknesses.
Focus on whether the CRITICAL and MAJOR issues from Round 1 have been adequately addressed.
Revised proposal path (read this file yourself): <absolute path to
grant-proposal/GRANT_PROPOSAL.md>
Phase 5: Revision & Output
5.1 Apply Reviewer Feedback
Parse reviewer feedback into severity levels:
- CRITICAL โ fatal flaws that would lead to rejection. Fix immediately.
- MAJOR โ significant weaknesses. Fix before submission.
- MINOR โ suggestions for improvement. Fix if time allows.
Implement CRITICAL and MAJOR fixes. If MAX_REVIEW_ROUNDS > 1, re-submit for another round via mcp__codex__codex-reply.
5.2 Generate Output
Markdown output (default):
grant-proposal/
โโโ GRANT_PROPOSAL.md # Complete proposal, all sections
โโโ GRANT_REVIEW.md # Review history and reviewer feedback
โโโ GRANT_STATE.json # State persistence file
โโโ figures/ # Generated diagrams (if any)
โโโ references.bib # Bibliography (if citations were used)
LaTeX output (when OUTPUT_FORMAT = latex):
grant-proposal/
โโโ main.tex # Master file
โโโ sections/
โ โโโ aims.tex # Specific Aims / Research Objective
โ โโโ background.tex # Background / Significance
โ โโโ research_plan.tex # Research Plan / Methods
โ โโโ timeline.tex # Timeline & Milestones
โ โโโ pi_qualification.tex # PI Qualification / Track Record
โ โโโ budget.tex # Budget Justification (if applicable)
โโโ references.bib
โโโ figures/ # Any generated diagrams
5.3 Final Checks
Before declaring done:
๐ฆ Final Checkpoint: Present the completed proposal summary:
๐ Grant proposal draft complete:
- Type: [GRANT_TYPE] [GRANT_SUBTYPE]
- Language: [language]
- Aims: [N] aims covering [summary]
- Timeline: [N] years
- Review score: [summary from GPT-5.5]
- Output: grant-proposal/GRANT_PROPOSAL.md
Files saved to grant-proposal/. Please review and customize:
1. PI qualification section (add your publications and track record)
2. Budget amounts (replace [AMOUNT] placeholders)
3. Any [TODO] markers for personal information
What would you like to do next?
- "figures" โ generate proposal diagrams
- "review again" โ run another round of external review
- "latex" โ convert to LaTeX format
- "done" โ finalize
Key Rules
-
Large file handling: If the Write tool fails due to file size, immediately retry using Bash (cat << 'EOF' > file) to write in chunks. Do NOT ask the user for permission โ just do it silently.
-
Do NOT fabricate budget amounts. Generate narrative budget justification only. Leave specific dollar/yen/yuan/euro amounts as [AMOUNT] placeholders for the user to fill in.
-
Do NOT fabricate PI information. If no publication list is available, leave [TODO: Add publications] placeholders. Never invent papers, grants, or credentials.
-
Do NOT hallucinate citations. Use references from literature survey. Mark uncertain citations with [VERIFY].
-
Grant โ paper. A grant argues for future work (feasibility + potential). A paper argues for completed work (results + claims). Write accordingly โ emphasize "what we will do" and "why it will work", not "what we found."
-
Aims must be independently valuable. If Aim 2 fails, Aim 1 and Aim 3 should still produce publishable results.
-
Preliminary data de-risks. Include any pilot results, existing datasets, or prior publications that demonstrate feasibility.
-
Reviewer-facing structure. Bold key sentences. Use numbered lists for clarity. Make the reviewer's job easy.
-
Cultural norms matter. KAKENHI expects ็คพไผ็ๆ็พฉ; NSF expects Broader Impacts; NSFC expects ๅฝ้
ๅๆฒฟ positioning. Missing these is a red flag for reviewers.
-
Feishu notifications are optional. If ~/.claude/feishu.json exists, send checkpoint at each phase transition and pipeline_done at final output. If absent, skip silently.
Parameter Pass-Through
Parameters can be passed inline with โ separator. They flow to sub-skills when invoked:
/grant-proposal "topic โ KAKENHI Start-up, sources: zotero, arxiv download: true"
| Parameter | Default | Description | Passed to |
|---|
grant type | KAKENHI | Agency (KAKENHI/NSF/NSFC/ERC/DFG/SNSF/ARC/NWO/GENERIC) | โ |
grant subtype | auto | Sub-type (Start-up/Wakate/CAREER/Youth/etc.) | โ |
output format | markdown | markdown or latex | โ |
language | auto | Output language override | โ |
max review rounds | 2 | External review cycles | โ |
sources | all | Literature sources | โ /research-lit |
arxiv download | false | Download arXiv PDFs | โ /research-lit |
reviewer model | gpt-5.5 | Codex review model | โ Codex MCP |
auto proceed | false | Skip checkpoints | โ |
Composing with Other Skills
Sub-skills used by this skill
| Sub-skill | Phase | Purpose |
|---|
/research-lit | 1 | Literature survey (if not already done) |
/novelty-check | 1 | Verify the gap is real |
/research-review | 2, 4 | Structural review + full draft review |
/paper-illustration | 3 | Generate proposal figures (optional) |
Funding Track (this skill's primary use case)
/idea-discovery "direction" โ Workflow 1: find validated ideas
/research-refine "idea" โ sharpen the method
/grant-proposal "idea โ KAKENHI" โ this skill: write the grant proposal
โ [submit & get funded]
/experiment-bridge โ implement experiments with funding
/auto-review-loop "results" โ Workflow 2: iterate until submission-ready
/paper-writing โ Workflow 3: write the paper
Publish Track (skip this skill)
/idea-discovery โ /experiment-bridge โ /auto-review-loop โ /paper-writing โ submit
Output Protocols
Follow these shared protocols for all output files: