Funding Your Research with Grants and Contracts

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Funding Your Researchwith Grants and Contracts
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• There are many companies within HF that survive
  on grants and contracts.
• At some time in your career you will be asked to
  pursue 3rd party funding.

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Grants vs. Contracts

• It is common for people to speak of these as if
  they were the same thing.
• Both can finance research, but they are
  fundamentally different.

Grant Sponsor
Contract Sponsor
Researcher
Researcher
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Contracts

• Represent a bi-directional exchange between a
  sponsor and a researcher.
• Can be provided by any individual or agency.
• Acquisition from the Fed often begins with a
  solicitation in the form of a BAA (Broad Agency
  Announcement) or listing in the CBD Commerce
  Business Daily.

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Contracts (cont)

• Contracts often require highly structured
  relationships.
• Requirements of the contract are outlined in a
  Statement of Work (SOW).
• Unlike grants, the contract sponsor might be
  intimately involved in your research methods.

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Contract (cont)

• Before a contract award, the sponsor and
  researcher must agree to specific deliverables.
• Contract durations can vary. In behavioral
  science, contracts generally last 1 year. Five
  at the most.
• There are probably more agencies that will award
  contracts than grants.

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Grants

• A grant is likened to a parent who pays for a
  childs education.
• The outcome is not strictly defined.
• There is no expectation that the money will be
  returned.
• Unlike contracts, grants can be submitted without
  a solicitation, called unsolicited proposals.

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Grants (cont)

• Researcher can initiate contact with sponsor
  without a Request for Proposals (RFP).
• Grants, like contracts can vary in length.
• Most funded basic research is done so through
  grants.

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Proposal Assignment

• To fulfill the writing assignment, you must
• Develop a research idea
• Identify potential funding sources
• Complete all aspects of the proposal and
  application process

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Finding Support

• Some supporting agencies include
• NSF National Science Foundation
• NIH National Institutes of Health
• NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• NASA National Aeronautic and Space Admin.
• ONR Office of Naval Research
• DoD Department of Defense

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Sources (cont)

• NAWCTSD Naval Air Warfare Center Training
  Systems Division.
• NIOSH National Institutes of Occupational Safety
  and Health
• OSHA Occupational Safety and Health
  Administration
• AFOSR Air Force Office of Scientific Research

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Sources (cont)

• USAMRMC US Army Medical Research and Materiel
  Command
• ARI Army Research Institute
• ARO Army Research Office
• DoT Department of Transportation
• FAA Federal Aviation Administration
• NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety
  Administration.

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Sources (cont)

• DOE Department of Energy
• FDA Food and Drug Administration
• CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Foundations
• Private Endowments
• Private Industry

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Types of Funds

• Sponsors will clearly state how funds can be
  used. There are funds specifically for
• Equipment
• Research and development
• Training systems development
• Technology transfer
• Multi-national research
• Product development and marketing
• etc.

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Proposal Basics

• The requirements of sponsors will vary. There
  are, however, commonalties among all funding
  sources.
• Your idea as an activity
• Sponsors fund projects not ideas. Your idea must
  be formalized to a point that the sponsor can see
  a clear progression of thought and activities
  leading to your objective.

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Proposal Basics (cont)

• Concise background.
• Never reinvent the wheel by failing to review
  what has currently be accomplished.
• Statement of need or problem statement
• What are the gaps in the knowledge?
• Who will benefit from the added knowledge?
• What are the significant problems you will
  address?

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Proposal Basics (cont)

• Goals and objectives
• What do you hope to accomplish with the funding?
• Methods
• How will you achieve your objectives?
• Methods must be detailed enough to allow the
  sponsor to evaluate their appropriateness.

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Proposal Basics (cont)

• Budget
• What will it cost?
• How many people are needed?
• How much time will it take?
• What types of equipment are needed?

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Proposal Basics (cont)

• Forms and Directions
• Obtain all required forms and follow directions
  precisely!
• Deadlines and review cycles
• When are they and how long do reviews take?
• Previous funding awards
• What have you accomplished in the past?

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Proposal Basics (cont)

• Human and animal subjects
• Show that the use of subjects has been reviewed
  by an IRB (CFR 45, 46).
• Key personnel biographical sketches
• Who will be performing the work. Whose the
  Principal Investigator (PI)?
• Facilities
• Where will the work be performed? What
  capabilities are located there?

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Budgets

• Budgets are divided into two categories direct
  and indirect costs.
• Direct costs include
• salaries
• fringe benefits
• travel and conference fees
• equipment and supplies
• consultants

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06 UI Fringe Benefit Rates
Rate    Average58     lt20,000/yr51    
20,000-25,000/year46     25,000-30,000/year
43     30,000-35,000/year40    
35,000-40,000/year38     40,000-45,000/year
37     45,000-50,000/year35    
50,000-55,000/year34     55,000-60,000/year
33     gt60,000/year
Source
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Budgets (cont)

• Indirect (aka Facility and Administrative)
• clerical or secretarial assistance
• office space
• heat and lighting
• administration costs
• and expenses not directly attributable to the
  performance of the work.

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Budgets (cont)

• Indirect rates are negotiated. For UI, the
  indirect rate varies by task. See URO home page.
• Never exceed the allowed budget and dont under
  price research hoping to improve your chances.

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Facility and Administrative Rates
Federally-Negotiated Rates, Modified Total Direct
Costs     
 If two thirds or more of the work is done on
campus.See Note below
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Where to find funding...

• Internet tour
• Community of Science braunc76, rtbuimgde
• Grants.gov
• FedBizOpps

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Assignment

• Identify a RFP or funding opportunity within
  human factors.
• Obtain the requisite forms and documents needed
  to respond to the sponsor.
• Respond to the RFP or funding source with a
  complete proposal.
• Due December 5, 2006 at 5 PM Pacific Time.