Note that the abstract and hypothesis/goals each have a 250-word maximum.

 Abstract

Abstract

An abstract is optional for a Small GLAS application, but required for a Standard GLAS application.

First impressions count! The abstract is where the reviewers will first assess your proposal. Keep the abstract short, precise, and focused. Be grammatically correct and avoid jargon.

See the hyperlinked example for a well-constructed abstract. (Note: Please remove your browser's pop-up blockers.) 

Example Abstract

Note the author’s skill in organizing and summarizing the proposal in 246 words (meeting the 250-word limit). The first sentence identifies the problem, which is explained in the next three sentences. The author proceeds to note the lack of supporting information in the scientific literature, summarize preliminary data on the proposed method, and describe the research aims clearly and concisely. The high impact likely for this research makes a compelling argument to support this proposal.

 Hypothesis

Hypothesis/Goals

The hypothesis is the idea you will test to achieve your aim. Think of it as a question you would like to answer through your study. Then frame it as a statement to be proven true by your study, such as:

"We hypothesize that delivery of isoflurane in 21% oxygen will not impact select physiological parameters in rodents but will reduce atelectasis compared to delivery in 100% oxygen."

Please note that a proposal’s hypothesis is not the same as the null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is a statistical inference on the lack of a treatment effect or a relationship between measurements. When the null hypothesis is disproven in statistical testing, the research results are shown to have yielded a positive effect.

A hypothesis may not be relevant to a Small Grant application, e.g., in methods development. If this is the case in your proposal, please provide the goal(s) for your study.