LAUSR

Key Points Question Has the use of “hype” (promotional language) in the abstracts of successful National Institutes of Health applications increased since 1985? Findings This cross-sectional study of 901 717 National Institutes of Health abstracts from 1985 to 2020 shows that applicants described their work in increasingly subjective terms and relied on promotional language and appeals to emotion (ie, 130 adjective forms identified as hype increased in frequency). Meaning This study suggests that applicants, reviewers, and funding agencies should be aware of the increasing prevalence of promotional language in funding applications.