A federal SBIR and STTR specialist explains why grant proposals need peer-reviewed references. Use Google Scholar to find articles, place citations next to claims, and aim for 20-25 references in Phase I and 40-50 in Phase II to strengthen credibility with reviewers.
If you've been following this channel, you'll know that we specialize in federal programs called SBIR and STTR, where we help science and tech startups secure non-diluted funding. And when we work with clients, we encourage them to really hash out a rigorous R&D approach. And a great way to support those statements is to include references from peer-reviewed journals. And this is a great way to prove the validity and to justify the need for your proposed innovation. So to do so, you want to find references from peer-reviewed journals and scientific articles, and I'll recommend going to Google Scholar. It is good practice to include a or a citation next to the statement that you want to make referring to that journal article. And that just makes it easier for the reviewers to find additional information if they need it. So when clients are preparing for a Phase I SBIR application, I typically encourage them to find at least 20 to 25 different references, and then for Phase II, at least 40 to 50. Check out the long-form video on my YouTube channel to learn more.
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