Reading between the Lines of Your Summary Statement

Abstract

The summary statement, which is sent to each prospective principal investigator, indicates how the proposal fared in the review process. Read by an informed investigator, it is not only a description of a past event but also a clue to the future—such as whether your proposal, as written, is likely to be funded or whether a revised and resubmitted application may succeed. I am going to describe what is in the summary statement (sometimes called the “pink sheet,” because it formerly was printed on pink paper), how to interpret what it means about the probable fate of your proposal, and how you can influence (to some extent) your success rate as a grant applicant.