The specific aims page is the most critical page in your SBIR/STTR application 

It’s the executive summary of the proposed research and is often the first page many reviewers will read. 

Here’s why it matters so much to have a near perfect specific aims page, leaving a lasting impression on the reviewers.

👉 Most reviewers won’t read the full application. Each application is assigned a number of reviewers. Typically, these reviewers are selected by Program Directors. Each application is assigned to at least 3 primary reviewers who read it in its entirety and present their findings to the review panel. However, the remaining 20+ peer reviewers in the room would usually rely on the specific aims page to form their opinions during the review panel discussion.

👉 It’s central to the scoring process. While the primary reviewers provide scores based on the full application, the final score is determined after a group discussion. Peer reviewers often read or re-read the specific aims page during this time, making it the focal point of their evaluation.

👉 It must make your case for funding. The aims page needs to concisely explain why your project is innovative, feasible, and impactful, all within a single page. It should stand alone, clearly conveying the problem, the proposed solution, and its significance without requiring context from the rest of the application.

Your specific aims page is your chance to hook the reviewer and communicate your project’s potential. It should not just summarize your project, it needs to convince the reviewer why your product is important, how it will succeed, and why it deserves funding. 

One way to structure the specific aims is by organizing it as a narrative or story-line,

start with a background on the problem clearly outlining the gap → the significance of the unmet need → the innovation and how it addresses the unmet need → your plan/methods for completing the work → future directions

Start writing the specific aims page by dedicating the first two thirds to cover key background information. 

There are three areas that should be strongly and clearly presented:

👉 Introduction. Start the page by introducing your company and the overarching goal of the proposed research. 

👉 The significance. In this section, establish the problem your project addresses, and clearly define the impact and magnitude of the unmet need. I highly recommend applicants to provide sufficient information and details to help the reader fully grasp the unmet need. Also, describe the gap in the market or the unmet need your project will solve. If you're tackling a specific healthcare challenge, don’t hesitate to emphasize its urgency. The significance should immediately answer the question: Why does this matter? Use a clear problem/solution framework to help reviewers grasp the scope, importance, and urgency of your work, assuming they will rely on your description to evaluate its significance.

👉 The innovation. Now that the unmet need has been clearly defined, shift the focus to what you're developing. This is where you need to define your product. SBIR/STTR applications are about turning innovative ideas into real, marketable solutions, so make sure your product takes center stage here. Use this section to explain how your product will improve existing solutions (for example transform the current standard of care). Highlight your product’s innovation in a way that demonstrates why it matters and how it will impact the field. Preliminary data, if available, should be used to support the product’s feasibility. Don't just talk about what you’re doing, but also why this is the right time for this innovation.

Here are a few questions to guide your writing: 

1. • How will the product solve the problem outlined earlier?

   • What makes the product unique?

   • What’s the breakthrough that sets your product apart?

   • How will the product address the unmet need once it hits the market?

👉 The Specific Aims. This next section is where you define your project’s scope of work, methods and milestones. Typically, an SBIR/STTR phase I project comprises three aims, each comprising a hypothesis, methods, and milestones. Together, the specific aims support the proof of concept and yield a product that addresses the unmet need. 

When writing the specific aim, keep it clear and measurable. Start the aim with a hypothesis using an action verb which describes the heart of what you’re trying to accomplish. Then, briefly describe how you’ll achieve the aim. Don’t over-complicate it; keep it focused. Next, define your milestone and success criteria. Use numbers where you can; it gives your project more credibility. If you need to use qualitative measures, keep them clear and precise. Here is an example for a specific aim. Notice the hypothesis stated in bold, followed by a brief description of the major methods employed to achieve the aim. Finally, the aim is wrapped up with a quantitative milestone, supporting the hypothesis. 

Aim 1. Develop a CNN for multi-class brain tumor segmentation using annotated MRI datasets. Segmentations of glioma cases will be obtained from publicly available MRI datasets (e.g., BraTS). We will ensure the data spans multiple scanners and tumor grades. Segmentation and labeling will be performed by an expert medical professional using a standardized protocol. A training set (200 cases), validation set (200 cases), and a test set (100 cases) will be used to develop and validate the CNN model. Milestone: Achieve ≥0.85 Dice score for tumor segmentation on the independent test set.

👉 Finally, add a "Future Work" section. This is where you give the reviewers a glimpse of what’s next. You want them to see the path forward. This section shows you’re not just focused on this project but also you’ve got a vision for the future. Write a brief paragraph starting with the phrase: “Successful completion of this project will provide critical data to...”, and then, briefly describe the activities and objectives planned for the subsequent phase (i.e., Phase II).