Finding Research Funding

1
Finding Research Funding

• RESI Seminar Series 1
• Robyn Pearson
• Office of Proposal Development
• October 20, 2009

2
Types of Funding Agencies

• Basic research agencies
• NSF, NIH
• Mission-oriented agencies
• ED, NEH, NEA
• Private Foundations
• RWJF, Ford, Kellogg
• Other
• Industry, professional organizations, etc.

3
Solicited vs. Unsolicited

• Solicited
• Terminology
• Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Program Solicitation
• Request for Application (RFA)
• For NIH, Program Announcement (PA)
• Tied to specific agency initiative
• May only last a few funding cycles or may go on
  for years
• Have specific additional evaluation criteria
• Often have specific formatting requirements

4
Solicited vs. Unsolicited

• Unsolicited
• Investigator initiated no specific solicitation
  or RFP
• Typically long-running program relatively
  general statement of research topics of interest
• For NSF and NIH, recurring annual due dates or
  target dates
• Prior communication with program manager
  sometimes required, always encouraged

5
Ways to Find Funding

• Talk to your colleagues who are conducting
  similar research, particularly your mentor(s)
• Look for funding sources credited in books and
  journal articles describing similar research
• Use the web and other information resources
• Schedule one-on-one meeting with OPD staff
  (www.opd.tamu.edu)

6
Resources on the Internet

• Funding Agency websites
• Compilation sites (grants.gov, etc.)
• Automatic e-mail notification services
• Database services
• Google!
• Search for opportunities, funded programs,
  abstracts, workshops, conferences, etc.
• Find reports, publications, project documents
• To search within a site keyword siteurl of site
• e.g., preservation languages sitewww.nsf.gov

7
Funding Agencies

• Notes about agency web sites
• First place funding opportunities will show up
• Pages with funding opportunities can be buried
  when you find a good one, make a note of the URL
• Look for unsolicited proposal opportunities
• Look for additional info on opportunities
• See OPD webpage http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-oppor
  tunities
• New weekly monthly funding announcements
• Compilations and Directories of Funding
  Agencies
• Federal Program Daily Grant Opportunities
• Grants.gov, Federal Register, etc.
• Foundation Funding Links

8
Compendia of Funding Opportunities

• All Federal Funding Opportunities
• http//www.grants.gov/
• Foundations
• http//fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/index.jhtml
• University websites
• http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-opportunities
• Iowa State, Duke, University of North Carolina,
  etc.
• List with links at http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-opp
  ortunities/funding-opportunities-posted-at-other-r
  esearch-universities

9
E-mail Alert Services

• NSF
• https//service.govdelivery.com/service/multi_subs
  cribe.html?codeUSNSFcustom_id823
• NIH Guide LISTSERV
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm
• Dept. of Education
• http//www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edinfo/index.ht
  ml
• Federal Grants
• http//www.grants.gov/search/subscribeAll.do
• Foundations
• http//foundationcenter.org/newsletters/
• More listed at http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-opport
  unities/electronic-funding-alert-services-email-al
  erts

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Database Services

• Community of Science (COS)
• http//www.cos.com/
• Register online (eligibility verified by TAMU
  Office of Sponsored Projects)
• Input profile with key words get e-mail
  notifications
• Be sure to fine-tune search parameters

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Keys to Success in Finding Funding

• Get to know your most likely funding agencies
• Mission, vision
• Funding mechanisms
• Recurring funding opportunities
• More on this later
• Regularly check funding opportunities
• Fine-tune search parameters for subscription
  databases
• Learn how to quickly evaluate a potential funding
  opportunity (eligibility, deadlines, funding
  restrictions, etc.)
• Keep a list of funding agencies, funding
  opportunities with URLs (e.g., MS Word table with
  hotlinks)

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Other helpful links

• Grants.gov
• http//www.grants.gov/
• Fundsnet Services
• http//www.fundsnetservices.com/index.php
• Duke University
• http//researchfunding.duke.edu/list.asp?Postedne
  w
• University of Iowa
• http//research.uiowa.edu/grantbulletin/index.php
• Penn State
• http//cairo.pop.psu.edu/allen/Agencies.cfm
• Foundation Center
• http//foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/index.jhtml

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Next Week

• Evaluating Funding Opportunities
• Questions? Call me at 979-847-9363 or email at
  RLPearson_at_tamu.edu