The Heilmeier Catechism
George H. Heilmeier developed these questions to agency officials think through and evaluate research programs.
What?
Articulate your idea and goals with absolutely no jargon.
Who Cares?
If you are successful, what difference will it make?
Why?
How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice?
How?
What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful?
When?
What does success look like? What are the intermediate and final exams for success?
Risks and Resources
How much will it cost? How long will it take? What are the risks? What's Plan B?
Develop a Proposal White Paper
Heilmeier is structured to walk you through these steps in proposal development to elevate and refine your thinking.
Understand your Stakeholder
Identify who the proposal must convince — reviewers, funders, or partners — and uncover what they truly value. Tailoring to their perspective ensures your project resonates.
Clarify the Core Question
Define the problem or opportunity in clear, non-jargon terms. A precise question anchors the entire proposal and signals focus from the start.
Design Your Solution
Outline the method or pathway you will pursue, emphasizing why it is credible and differentiated. Highlight feasibility while connecting technical choices to stakeholder needs.
BLUF to Spark Enthusiasm
Deliver the bottom line up front (BLUF): what you will do, why it matters, and what success will unlock. A strong, engaging pitch makes reviewers eager to read more.
Execution: Sketch out the Basics
Show how your plan can realistically be carried out with available resources, expertise, and infrastructure. Demonstrating readiness builds reviewer confidence.
Summarize and Evaluate
Reassess your proposal against key criteria: clarity, impact, feasibility, and alignment. Use the evaluation to refine and strengthen before submission.
Elevate Your Plan
Heilmeier works WITH YOU to create the walk you TO the following endpoints.
Align your Strategy with Stakeholder Needs
Shift from “what I want to do” to “what the stakeholder needs.” That reframing makes proposals more competitive and conversations with funders more compelling.
Identify Weaknesses
Gain a new lens on your work — see it as a skeptical evaluator would. Strengthens your ideas before you hit submit.
Apply the Heilmeier Catechism
With a constructive and patient coach, talk though your idea addresses the Catechism.
Tangible Outputs
Heilmeier is trained to provide the following outputs -- Use this for an initial plan to seed deeper thinking and development.
Research Outline
Work through key elements of overview, problem statement, technical approach, resources, and impact.
Compelling Pitch
Iterate with Heilmeier to develop a compelling pitch that includes a succinct statement of a compelling problem, your unique and differentiate approach, value, impact, and Why you? Why now?
Cross-Agency or Specific Rubric-Based Evaluation
You will receive a qualitative pre-review to identify key areas for improvement.
Questions? See our FAQ.
Over $70 million in project funds raised for customers.
74% rate in raising funds for large research initiatives.
Headframes are a Mindset
Headframes symbolize ingenuity and persistence of engineers and innovators. From R1s to a PUI to federal program management, Headframes Founder, Angela Lueking, Ph.D., has spent the past decade mentoring faculty and fostering partnerships. Today, Headframes draws from a network of disciplinary experts to provide informed mentoring, coaching, team building, and research strategy development.