Don't try to shove things where they don't belong!

With the June deadlines fast approaching, some of you may be in panic mode.  You may be frantically trying to get all of the knowledge out of your head and into the 12 page research strategy.  Or perhaps you are desperately trying to cut pages down to make the 6 page limit for your R03.  Either way, don't let your panic cloud your better judgement.  You need to follow the page limits, as does everyone else who applies for a grant from any funder, not just NIH.  The requirements are in place to make things uniform and help to ensure a fair and consistent review.  Read some of my previous advice on shortening paragraphs and editing proposals.  Also, read this older post that explains why you should not try to hide extra information in the Appendix to circumvent page limits.