Professor used AI to draft five NIH R01 proposals in an hour for ~$20 of compute
anshulkundaje · x · 2026-09-08
A biomedical professor had AI (Astra) review his published science, identify new directions, and draft five NIH R01 proposals — the multiyear, $1M–$2M grants that anchor academic biomedical research — in about an hour for roughly $20 in compute.
The outputs were well grounded in his prior work and structured to appeal to study sections, resembling what he would write himself to win another grant.
A quoter adds the sharpest point: scientists spend years building expertise, infrastructure and preliminary data; writing the proposal itself takes two weeks — and AI just flattened that step, raising questions about the grant system.
Related event: Professor Uses AI to Draft Five NIH Grant Applications in an Hour(2 posts)→
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