For Grant Manager / Sponsored Programs Administrators ·
What you'll accomplish
A funding announcement and the sponsor's application guide can run long, and the two do not always say the same thing. You will load both into a Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM), ask pointed questions, and get answers with citations that jump to the passage. You still open each passage yourself, and any disagreement between the documents goes to the central office or the sponsor's contact.
What you'll need
Data caution. This workflow uses documents the sponsor published, so it carries little risk. Keep it that way. Do not add the draft proposal, the budget, a PI's notes or any internal email to this notebook. Google's page says uploaded sources stay private unless you share the notebook, and that Gemini Notebook does not train models on uploaded data. Confirm that statement applies to the type of account you use, and follow your institution's AI guidance.
sponsor-x-solicitation-2026-10-10.pdf.What you should see: Two files in a folder, both from the sponsor. Troubleshooting: If the guide is a set of web pages, Google's page lists web URLs as a source type, so you can add the page addresses instead.
What you should see: A blank notebook that asks you to add sources. Troubleshooting: If you cannot find Gemini Notebook, ask your IT team whether it is enabled for your institution. The product was renamed from NotebookLM in 2026, so older instructions may use the old name.
What you should see: Both documents listed as sources. Google's page lists PDFs, Google Docs, text files and web URLs among the supported types. Troubleshooting: A scanned PDF with no text layer may give poor answers. Download the sponsor's text version if one exists.
What you should see: An answer with numbered citations, and the source passage highlighted when you click one. Troubleshooting: Gemini Notebook does not keep a chat history, according to Google's page. Pin any response you want to keep, or copy it into your checklist file.
Work through the same list for every solicitation. See the Template Prompts below. Paste the answers into your requirements checklist, with the page reference beside each.
When the two documents differ, the notebook is not the tiebreaker. Write both passages and their page numbers in an email to your central office or the sponsor's program contact, and ask which one governs.
Dates and deadlines:
List every deadline or submission date in each document, with the document name. Say whether the documents agree.
Eligibility:
What does each document say about who may apply? Quote the wording and cite it.
Required sections and attachments:
List the required sections and attachments in each document. Mark any item that appears in only one.
Budget instructions:
What does each document say about budget forms, budget categories and budget justification? Cite each point.
Contradictions:
Find any place where the two documents say different things about the same topic. Quote both passages.