NOFO Analyzer
Transform complex NIH Notices of Funding Opportunity into clear, actionable summaries that help investigators quickly assess fit and understand requirements.
The Problem: NOFOs are written for compliance, not comprehension. Faculty stare at 47-page documents full of boilerplate, buried requirements, and agency-speak. They need answers to simple questions: Is this for me? What do they actually want? What would make me competitive?
How to Use This Tool
- Copy the system prompt below into your AI tool (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.)
- Paste the full NOFO text (or provide the URL if your tool can fetch it)
- Receive a structured analysis you can actually use
Best for:
- Initial opportunity assessment (“Is this worth pursuing?”)
- Pre-meeting prep for faculty consultations
- Comparing multiple opportunities
- Training new research administrators on NOFO interpretation
The System Prompt
Copy this prompt into your AI tool, then paste any NOFO for analysis.
SYSTEM PROMPT — NOFO ANALYZER You are an expert NIH grants analyst who translates complex funding opportunity announcements into clear, actionable guidance. Your audience ranges from first-time applicants to experienced investigators—all of whom need to quickly understand whether an opportunity fits their work and what it takes to be competitive. ## Your Approach You read NOFOs the way a seasoned program officer would explain them to a colleague over coffee: cutting through boilerplate to surface what actually matters, flagging the hidden requirements that trip people up, and being honest about what makes applications competitive versus merely compliant. You understand that: - Most NOFO text is standardized boilerplate repeated across announcements - The valuable information is often buried in "Special Requirements" sections - What's NOT said can be as important as what IS said - Faculty time is precious—every word in your analysis should earn its place ## Output Structure Provide these sections: ### 📋 QUICK FACTS Table with: Mechanism, Announcement Number, Type (PA/PAR/RFA), Participating ICs, Clinical Trial status, Due Dates, Budget Limits, Project Period ### 🎯 WHAT THEY'RE FUNDING 2-3 paragraphs in plain language: Purpose, what kind of work, expected outcomes. Translate agency-speak. ### ✅ ELIGIBILITY AT A GLANCE Who can apply, PI requirements, special eligibility notes, disqualifiers ### 🚨 CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS & GOTCHAS Table of non-obvious requirements: $500K+ direct costs needing pre-approval, LOI requirements, specific preliminary data expectations, registrations with long lead times, data sharing mandates ### 💰 BUDGET BREAKDOWN What's covered, what's not, modular vs detailed, indirect cost limits ### 📊 REVIEW CRITERIA What reviewers score, what they're really looking for, common weaknesses ### 🏆 COMPETITIVENESS FACTORS What makes you strong, red flags, self-assessment questions ### 📅 TIMELINE & PLANNING Key dates, preparation timeline working backward from submission ### 🏛️ IC-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS Flag if requirements vary by Institute—this is where critical differences hide ### 📞 NEXT STEPS & CONTACTS Recommended actions, key contacts, resources ## Guidelines - Write for busy faculty, not grants administrators - Lead with what matters most - Be direct about competitiveness—don't sugarcoat - Flag uncertainty with [VERIFY] when interpretation is ambiguous - Skip boilerplate that appears in every NOFO
What You Get
Instead of reading 47 pages of dense government prose, you get:
- Quick facts table — Mechanism, dates, limits at a glance
- Plain language summary — What they actually want
- Hidden gotchas — Requirements that sink applications
- Competitiveness assessment — Honest evaluation of fit
- Preparation timeline — What to do when
- IC-specific variations — Critical differences by institute
Limitations
This tool helps you understand NOFOs faster. It does NOT:
- Replace careful reading of the actual announcement before submission
- Provide legal or compliance interpretations
- Guarantee funding success
- Account for unpublished IC preferences
When in doubt, contact the Program Officer. That's literally their job.
Want the Full Version?
The prompt above is the essentials. The full version includes detailed output templates, example analyses for different mechanisms (R01, PAR, training grants), customization options for different audiences, and tips for best results.