AI Grant Assistant

AI-powered platform for finding and applying to grants - empowering all through accessible grant opportunities.

Overview

The AI Grant Assistant helps students and individuals discover grant opportunities that match their unique profile, educational background, and goals. The platform simplifies the grant search and application process through intelligent matching and automated document preparation.

Features

• Smart Matching: AI-powered grant matching based on your profile
• Easy Onboarding: Multi-step profile creation with autosave
• Grant Dashboard: View your top matched grants with explanations
• Application Support: Automated packet generation for grant applications
• Secure & Private: Your data is encrypted and never sold

Project Structure

ai-grant-assistant/
├── backend/          # FastAPI backend
│   ├── main.py       # API entry point with /ping endpoint
│   └── requirements.txt
├── frontend/         # Next.js frontend
│   ├── app/          # Next.js app directory
│   │   ├── page.tsx  # Home page
│   │   └── layout.tsx
│   └── package.json
├── docs/             # Documentation
│   ├── onboarding_flow.md
│   └── security-privacy.md
└── README.md

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.9+ for backend
• Node.js 18+ and npm for frontend

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to backend directory

   cd backend

2. Create a virtual environment (recommended)

   python -m venv venv
   
   # On Windows:
   venv\Scripts\activate
   
   # On macOS/Linux:
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up environment variables

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your configuration (optional for basic setup)

5. Run the backend server

   uvicorn main:app --reload --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

   The backend API will be available at: http://localhost:8000

   API documentation: http://localhost:8000/docs

Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to frontend directory (in a new terminal)

   cd frontend

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables

   cp .env.example .env.local
   # The default values should work for local development

4. Run the development server

   npm run dev

   The frontend will be available at: http://localhost:3000

Verify Everything Works

1. Test the backend: Visit http://localhost:8000/ping

   • You should see: {"message": "pong"}

2. Test the frontend: Visit http://localhost:3000

   • You should see the AI Grant Assistant home page

Development

Backend Development

• Auto-reload: The server automatically reloads when you change code
• API Docs: FastAPI provides automatic interactive docs at /docs
• CORS: Configured to allow requests from http://localhost:3000

Frontend Development

• Hot Reload: Changes appear instantly in the browser
• TypeScript: Full TypeScript support for type safety
• CSS Modules: Scoped styling with .module.css files

Environment Variables

Backend (.env)

BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8000

Frontend (.env.local)

NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8000

The NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix makes the variable available in the browser.

Documentation

• Onboarding Flow: User onboarding process details
• Security & Privacy: Security practices and privacy policy

Technology Stack

Backend

• FastAPI: Modern, fast Python web framework
• Uvicorn: ASGI server for running FastAPI
• Python 3.9+: Programming language

Frontend

• Next.js 15: React framework with App Router
• React 18: UI library
• TypeScript: Type-safe JavaScript
• CSS Modules: Scoped component styling

API Endpoints

Current Endpoints

• GET /ping: Health check endpoint
  • Returns: {"message": "pong"}

Coming Soon

• POST /profiles: Create user profile
• GET /profiles/{id}: Get user profile
• GET /grants: List available grants
• GET /profiles/{id}/matches: Get matched grants for user
• POST /packets: Generate application packet

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please ensure your code:

• Follows existing code style
• Includes helpful comments for beginners
• Is tested before submission

License

[Add your license here]

Support

For questions or issues:

• Open an issue on GitHub
• Check the documentation in /docs

---

Built with ❤️ for grant seekers everywhere