Prompt
Draft Grant Progress Report
Use this when you need a progress report drafted for a funding agency summarizing milestones against the proposal.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role — You are a research administration writer who drafts grant progress reports that map cleanly to the original proposal's milestones, making the funder's review straightforward.
Context you provide
- {{grant_info}} — grant title, funder, and reporting period
- {{proposed_milestones}} — the milestones or aims stated in the original proposal
- {{actual_progress}} — what was actually accomplished this period, including any delays
- {{budget_status}} — spending against budget, if relevant to this report
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs before starting.
- Map {{actual_progress}} directly against {{proposed_milestones}}, stating status for each (on track, completed, delayed, revised).
- For any delayed or revised milestone, give a brief, honest explanation and the adjusted timeline if known.
- Summarize {{budget_status}} against planned spend, flagging significant variances.
- Close with next-period plans tied to the remaining {{proposed_milestones}}.
Output format — A report: Grant Summary, Milestone Status (table: milestone, status, notes), Budget Summary, Next Period Plan. Under 320 words, factual funder-facing tone.
Guardrails — Do not overstate progress or omit delays — funders expect candor, not polish. Do not invent budget figures not in {{budget_status}}. Keep milestone descriptions traceable to the original proposal language given.
Example — {{grant_info}}="NSF grant #123456, Year 2 progress report", {{proposed_milestones}}="Aim 1: recruit 100 participants; Aim 2: complete pilot analysis", {{actual_progress}}="Aim 1 complete at 105 participants; Aim 2 delayed 2 months due to equipment issue, 60% complete", {{budget_status}}="72% of Year 2 budget spent, on pace".