Why I’m Offering Grant Reviews

This year, I was offered an NSF rotator position. I’d spent a decade serving on panels, built an incredible track record of funding, and was ready to contribute in a new way.

Then the offer was pulled.

I’ve been continuously funded by NSF for nearly 20 years: REU, GRFP, PRFB, IRES, Macrosystems, EPSCoR, a CAREER award — all of it. I've sat on more NSF panels than I can count, often multiple times a year. I know how this works.

So now, I’m offering that as a service. Big Red Pen.

Because science funding is only going to get more uncertain. Because the process isn’t getting any more transparent. And because if I can help a few more researchers sharpen their proposals and get funded…that matters.

I’m not offering coaching. I’m offering real, NSF-style review based on years in the room, reading the fine print, and knowing what reviewers actually look for.

If you want that kind of feedback on your proposal, from GRFP to CAREER, I’ve got you. Whether you're a first-time PI or a grad student aiming high, this is your chance to submit with clarity and confidence.

This isn’t a side hustle for the sake of it. It’s a practical move: to build a rainy day fund for my lab, to make sure my grad students are covered if our grant gets frozen, to stay independent, as a Hispanic faculty member in a single-income household, and to keep supporting the kind of research that deserves to get funded, even in chaotic times.

Quiet subversion? My specialty!

Check out my packages, or email me (catherine [dot] hulshof [at] gmail [dot] com) for a Scope of Work and to discuss details.