system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What happens if a researcher doesn't fulfill the aims put forth in their proposal? (NIH)

I am a senior undergraduate student. In class we have to write a mock grant proposal. I was assigned NIH. 

While writing it, I began to think about what would happen if a researcher couldn't complete all of the aims before the grant period ends? It seems like while writing the grant, it may be easy to over shoot a reasonable aim. What happens in that case?
gpt
A grant is not a contract. As long as you can demonstrate honest effort and reasonable progress towards the stated research objectives, nothing will happen if some targets are missed.

The system is self-correcting, in that the likelihood of getting the next grant will strongly depend on what you've done with the previous one.