When it comes to grant writing,

experience matters.

Over $147 million in federal funding won for Tn clients as of 01/2024

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Over $147 million in federal funding won for Tn clients as of 01/2024 〰️

For your next federal research grant proposal (NIH, NSF, DoD, PCORI, RADx),

we are the knowledgeable experts you need to maximize your chances of funding.

Our Services

  • Coaching or Primary Writing Services

    This premier service is customized for each client’s unique needs. It may involve Tn consultants leading the bulk of the writing effort, complete with detailed project management services, regular calls, the de novo creation of proposal sections, and even hands-on submission. Or, for PIs who prefer to do their own writing, our one-on-one coaching service provides that additional level of support, with project management, continual feedback on iterative drafts, and strategic guidance through every step of the process.

    Since services are customized to each specific project, pay only for the support you need at that time.

    Coaching or primary writing projects are best initiated at least 3-4 months prior to a submission due date for a new client.

  • Grantsmanship Review

    Perhaps you have a proposal nearly done, but are looking for that external feedback and strategic insight that will help to push your score to the next level. Then you’re looking for a grantsmanship review.

    This one-time, static service provides a comprehensive look at a near-final draft of your proposal by experts who are extremely familiar with your targeted funder and research program. Your reviewer will provide critical insights and suggestions to: (1) help identify lingering gaps or potential non-compliance issues that would affect review; (2) offer suggestions for strengthening your narrative in alignment with major and program-specific review criteria; (3) ensure the proposal will maximally resonate with study section reviewers or agency personnel; and (4) suggest enhancements to your ancillary attachments to emphasize the strongest points of your major narrative.

    Grantsmanship reviews are best completed >1 month prior to a submission due date.

  • Professional Editing, Formatting & Polishing

    Often done in conjunction with a grantsmanship review, our professional editors can ensure your grant proposal is easy to read, free of errors, beautifully formatted, and in alignment with all grant submission guidelines for your targeted funder.

    Our editors are well-trained in the AMA style (the default for most federal funders) and also have a PhD-level scientific background to help disentangle particularly complex jargon or methodology in a scientifically-accurate manner.

    Editing services are best performed at least 2 weeks prior to a submission due date.

  • Add-on Grant Strategic Consulting Services

    Whether you are brand new to the federal grants arena, or are looking to enhance your existing portfolio, the experts at Tn Consulting can help to identify new funding opportunities, explore new federal agencies or programs as potential new funders for your desired research, and maximize the timing of your submission matrix to ensure optimized success over the long run.

    We also offer one-on-one, deep-dive consultations to brainstorm evolving concepts or envisioned future research, and help to prioritize, shape, and focus them into an appropriately targeted federal research grant proposal.

    Strategic consultations can be arranged at any time and provide you with a grants submission calendar, with prioritized targets and ongoing updates (if available) as new opportunities are released.

Our Team

  • Alix Norris

    Alix Norris, PhD, Founder & CEO

  • Since 2012, Tn's boutique, client-focused team has excelled at providing an individualized spectrum of expertise and services to each client. Our success speaks for itself, having secured over $147M in federal research grant funding for Tn clients as of Jan 2024.

  • The Team

    Tn Consulting is powered by a well-vetted, hand-picked, and proven network of grant writers, editors, and scientific reviewers solely focused on helping you and your team prepare the most competitive funding proposals possible.

Learn More About Our Team

Our Expertise

  • We have written competitively and successfully to 22 of the 24 grant-making NIH institutes and across the myriad of parent programs and RFPs. Our successes include grants across the full range of academic R grants, P01s to P30s, and small-business (SBIR/STTR, all phases) and public-partnership opportunities (UG3/UH3).

  • We have helped faculty successfully apply to research programs across the following directorates: BIO, CISE, ENG, EDU, and MPS, as well as recent well-reviewed applications to the new TIP directorate. Faculty in our one-on-one coaching projects and cohort development programs have also won numerous S-STEM and Early CAREER awards across all NSF directorates and divisions. Our small-business clients have also won NSF Seed Fund (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II awards.

  • We have helped our clients to be successful across a number of the rotating CDMRP research programs, including a Translational Team Science Award, multiple Investigator-Initiated Research Awards, and multiple Idea Discovery Awards (IDA). We have also been successful with evolving technology and therapeutic development funding opportunities, as well as SBIR contract opportunities.

  • We have helped our clients prepare competitive and funded PCORI proposals to a number of Broad Pragmatic Studies opportunities, Improving Methods for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, and a variety of limited competitions.

  • We have assisted a number of clients to prepare competitive applications and win a number of VA-issued funding opportunities for career development and Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) and National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) Merit proposals.

  • All Tn consultants have PhDs with at least postdoctoral-level training or above. We apply critical and problem-solving skills as general scientific experts, much like the majority of the scientific review committee who will be assessing your proposal. We provide a holistic look at your proposal, evaluating the strength of the underlying logic, connection between hypotheses and specific aims, alignment with the funder/program, and so forth. We do NOT assume to be experts in every scientific field, but we can look to see that the level of detail in your work plan matches the scope and focus of the funding opportunity you’re going to. We rely on YOU, as the subject-matter PI, to ensure that the methods and analyses you propose are the best path forward to achieve your goals. As such, we have been successful writing across the entire spectrum of scientific topics… everything ranging from plant biology to nanomaterial engineering to clinical trials to environmental science. If you’d like more specificity on our experience in your particular sub-domain of science, please contact us today to start a discussion!

What Our Clients Are Saying

  • “Tn Consulting helps to see the big pictures and details of every project, thinking ahead in the process to prevent issues or duplication of effort. When working on NIH grants, they can bring their background as scientists to relate to PIs, but are also able to discuss the project in non-technical and accessible language to engage the entire team.”

    Joon Young Lee, Managing Director, Thorn Run Partners

  • “I wish I could collaborate with Alix on ALL submissions. I have taken a few NIH mentored workshops and Alix’s demonstrate expertise is above each of the workshop’s experts. Additionally, she is a scientist and does not get flustered when methods or approaches need to change mid-project. She can follow the science and respond to changes effortlessly."

    Dr. Patricia Eckardt, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing and Molloy College

  • “The consultants at Tn Consulting are remarkable. They understand how to effectively organize research proposals to ensure that reviewers can easily follow the ideas. The team’s strengths include their knowledge about research design and writing research applications, while their background in research gives them the confidence to offer quality guidance to clients.”

    Dr. Susan Faulkner, Executive Director of Grants, McAllister & Quinn

  • "Alix is modest, friendly, and a terrific communicator. She has a unique ability to translate complex technical material into a comprehensible manner for various audiences. I learned more about NIH applications during several phone calls and emails with Alix than through any previous educational venue. I'm glad to have Alix in my contacts for the next NIH application!"

    Stacie Marsh, Principal, Words for Good