Source: https://github.com/aipoch/medical-research-skills

NSFC Grant Writer

Generate a complete NSFC General Program grant application from a scientific hypothesis and export it as a Word document.

Workflow

Step 1: Parse hypothesis → extract key terms
Step 2: PubMed search → retrieve real references
Step 3: Generate full Markdown document (all sections)
Step 4: Save Markdown → call generate_docx.py → output .docx

Step 1: Parse the Hypothesis

Extract from the hypothesis:

• Disease/condition
• Key molecules (proteins, genes, miRNAs, etc.)
• Biological process or pathway
• Proposed mechanism (e.g., promotes, inhibits, regulates via)

Also generate the project title (≤30 Chinese characters):

• Format: Mechanism of {key molecules}/{axis}/{pathway} regulating {biological process} or similar
• Must reflect the core molecules, mechanism, and disease from the hypothesis
• Example: Mechanism of KDM5D/NEDD4/Cx43/ATP axis in astrocytes regulating microglial activation and inflammatory response in NP
• This title is used as the # [Title] heading at the top of the document

Do NOT ask the user for additional information unless they have provided it. Proceed with only the hypothesis.

Step 2: PubMed Literature Search

MANDATORY: All references must be retrieved via real PubMed API calls. Never fabricate references.

Read references/pubmed-guide.md for the full search protocol.

Quick reference:

• Search: https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/esearch.fcgi?db=pubmed&term={QUERY}&retmax=10&sort=relevance&retmode=json
• Fetch summaries: https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/esummary.fcgi?db=pubmed&id={PMIDs}&retmode=json
• Run 3-5 queries covering: disease epidemiology, key molecule expression, pathway/mechanism, therapeutic relevance
• Select 15-25 total references; format in APA

Step 3: Generate the Full Document

Read references/writing-guide.md for detailed section-by-section requirements.

Generate the complete document as a single Markdown string following the structure in references/template.md.

Section generation rules:

Citation rules:

• Inline: [N] or [N][M] (max 2 per location), placed before punctuation
• Reference list at end of Section I only, APA format
• Sections II and III reuse the same reference numbers if needed

Consistency rule: Every preliminary data item mentioned in Section I (Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, etc.) MUST appear again in Section III 1.1, expanded with methods and results detail.

Step 4: Create Output Folder and Export

Output folder naming

Extract 2-3 core keywords from the hypothesis (Chinese preferred, use underscores). Format: {keyword1}_{keyword2}_{YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS} Example: EGFR_LungCancer_20260527_143022

Create this folder in the current working directory (or user's specified path).

Save Markdown

Save the full generated document as {folder_name}.md inside the output folder (same stem as the folder name).

Generate Word document

Run the script:

python scripts/generate_docx.py {output_folder}/{folder_name}.md {output_folder}

This produces {output_folder}/{folder_name}.docx.

Dependency check

If python-docx is not installed, inform the user:

pip install python-docx

Then re-run the script.

Final output to user

After successful generation, report:

• Output folder path
• Files created: {folder_name}.md and {folder_name}.docx
• Note: Sections requiring personal information (working conditions, ongoing projects, completed projects, Part IV) are left as headings for the applicant to complete
• Note: The mechanism diagram placeholder in Section I requires replacement with an actual figure

Resources

• references/template.md — 2026 official template structure
• references/writing-guide.md — detailed writing requirements per section
• references/pubmed-guide.md — PubMed API search protocol and reference formatting
• scripts/generate_docx.py — Markdown to Word converter (requires python-docx)

Error Handling

• If required inputs are missing, state exactly which fields are missing and request only the minimum additional information.
• If the task goes outside the documented scope, stop instead of guessing or silently widening the assignment.
• If execution fails, report the failure point, summarize what can still be completed safely, and provide a manual fallback.
• Do not fabricate files, citations, data, search results, or execution outcomes.

Input Validation

This skill accepts requests that match the documented purpose of nsfc-grant-writer and include enough context to complete the workflow safely.

Do not continue the workflow when the request is out of scope, missing a critical input, or would require unsupported assumptions. Instead respond:

nsfc-grant-writer only handles its documented workflow. Please provide the missing required inputs or switch to a more suitable skill.