External Review, Editing, and Graphic Design Services

ORSD assists Harvard Chan School faculty with coordinating external expert reviews, editorial assistance, and graphic design support for NIH grant proposals. In order to be eligible for these services, you must have a primary Harvard Chan School Assistant or Associate Professor appointment and have your research operation based at the School.

  • External Review Services: Harvard Chan faculty identify an external content expert to review their NIH grant proposal. ORSD hires an expert to complete a full review of the proposal using NIH review criteria. Reviewers are asked to provide a detailed analysis of the proposal’s strengths and weaknesses; identify opportunities to improve the scientific design; and assess the impact and overall significance of the proposal. ORSD compensates the reviewer for a day of consulting.
  • Editing Services: ORSD maintains a pool of experienced scientific editors who have been trained in NIH grant writing & editing. We will retain and pay for an editor to review your grant proposal prior to submission to the NIH. Our editors have a wealth of experience and, in addition to copy editing, can assist in reducing length of proposal sections and strengthening the clarity and organization of ideas.
  • Graphic Design Services: ORSD coordinates partnerships between faculty and internal designers/external consultants to develop graphics to illustrate key points and concepts in proposals. 

Please note that advance notice is critical in securing external review, editing, and/or graphic design assistance. If you are developing or planning to develop a proposal and you are interested in utilizing any of these services, please contact ORSD as soon as possible.

We have developed a Proposal Development Services Timeline to assist you with your proposal development planning.  However, if you are working on a shortened timeline, ORSD will work with you to determine if and how services can be staged to facilitate your proposal development efforts.

To aid in your planning, please see ORSD’s Proposal Development Timeline Example.