What should you check before using AI?
- Read the current opportunity notice, application instructions, and funder-wide AI policy. Record the URL, date checked, and any restrictions on drafting or editing.
- Check your institution's and client's confidentiality and authorship requirements. An available software feature does not establish permission to use it.
- Identify whether disclosure is required, encouraged, or unspecified, and where it belongs.
- If a material rule is unclear, ask the funder through its published inquiry process before sending private material to an AI service.
What does NIH say about AI-written applications?
NIH's July 2025 notice says applications, or sections, substantially developed by AI are not considered the applicant's original ideas. The policy applies from the September 25, 2025 receipt date. NIH acknowledges limited assistance may be appropriate, while warning about plagiarism, invented citations, and research misconduct.
Do not assume that editing an AI-generated section makes it acceptable. Read the notice and current application instructions with your institution before deciding how to prepare it.
How does NSF distinguish applicants from reviewers?
NSF's December 2023 notice encourages applicants to describe whether and how generative AI was used in the project description. Applicants remain accountable for accuracy, authenticity, and research integrity.
Its reviewer rule is different: reviewers may not upload proposal content or review records to unapproved generative AI tools. Do not treat guidance for applicants as permission to process confidential material received as a reviewer. Check the current solicitation and policy guide for additional requirements.
Do those rules apply to every foundation or grant?
No. These are two federal agency examples, not a universal policy. A foundation, arts council, fellowship, or corporate program may set different conditions. Silence in one document does not override other application terms or your own confidentiality duties.
What should a person review in every draft?
- Verify each program fact, participant count, budget, and promised outcome against approved records.
- Open every cited source. Confirm it exists, supports the claim, and is current enough for the decision.
- Remove invented partnerships, unapproved commitments, unsupported claims, and borrowed wording.
- Check eligibility, questions, word limits, attachments, submission instructions, and AI disclosures.
What does GrantFlex do in this process?
GrantFlex can help organize requirements and prepare wording from permitted project context. You decide whether AI is allowed for the application, verify the evidence, and approve the final text. GrantFlex never submits an application or certifies compliance with a funder's AI policy.
If the rules prohibit AI drafting, keep that application in a manual workflow. Review data-handling choices before uploading client or applicant documents.
Sources and further reading
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