diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index 1290ef73e..7f0262659 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-# READY FOR REVIEW
+# NOT READY FOR REVIEW
+_[edit above to reflect status]_
 
 ## Summary
-_[briefly summarize the changes here]_
+_[briefly summarize the changes here. TL;DR - what's this PR for?]_
 
 ## Need Review By (Date)
-_['10/30', 'asap', etc.]_
+_[When does this need to be reviewed by? '10/30', 'asap', etc.]_
 
 ## Urgency
 _['low', 'medium', 'high', etc.]_
@@ -13,6 +14,20 @@ _['low', 'medium', 'high', etc.]_
 1. _[First testing step]_
 2. ...
 
-## PR Checklist
-- [PR Checklist](https://gist.github.com/sherakama/0ba17601381e3adbe0cad566ad4d80a5)
-- [Humsci Basic PR Checklist](https://github.com/SU-HSDO/suhumsci/blob/develop/docs/HumsciBasicPRChecklist.md)
+## Backend / Functional Validation
+### Code
+- [ ] Are the naming conventions following our standards?
+- [ ] Are PHP functions and variables in `snake_case` and not `camelCase`?
+- [ ] Does Drupal code follow [Drupal Coding Standards](https://www.drupal.org/docs/develop/standards/php/php-coding-standards)?
+- [ ] Does the code have sufficient inline comments?
+- [ ] Is there anything in this code that would be hidden or hard to discover through the UI?
+- [ ] Are there any [code smells](https://blog.codinghorror.com/code-smells/)?
+- [ ] Are tests provided?
+
+### Code security
+- [ ] Are all [forms properly sanitized](https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/security/drupal-8-sanitizing-output)?
+- [ ] Any obvious [security flaws or new areas for attack](https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/security)?
+
+## General
+- [ ] Is there anything included in this PR that is not related to the problem it is trying to solve?
+- [ ] Is the approach to the problem appropriate?