Volume 15, Number 7: January 7, 2009
FUNDING TIPS
Revising Grant Proposals
In a December 5, 2008 article "Signposting and Front-Loading" in the Chronicle of Higher Education, James Mulholland provides advice on revising grant proposals. His tips include:
- Read other proposals to get an idea of what successful proposals look like.
- Announce a "voice."
- Establish your central questions and advance significant claims.
- Front-load your proposal so hurried readers can easily see what you are doing.
- Use section headings to "signpost" your proposal and help reviewers find crucial information quickly.
- Use clear, forceful, and direct sentences.
Researching Awards Made
Learning about a funding agency's history of awards made is a good way to gain insight into the agency's funding priorities and interests. Most federal funders, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Department of Education, and Environmental Protection Agency, maintain awards-made databases that are free for public use and can be accessed through the GrantSource Library website. An agency's awards-made database provides information about supported research, projects, and investigators. This can help you to determine whether the agency is an appropriate sponsor for your work.
Some private funders also maintain online databases or lists of their awards made, but one of the best ways to identify foundation funding is by searching the Foundation Center 990 Finder, which provides links to IRS 990 tax returns, including awards-made information. The Chronicle of Higher Education also provides some information about major private grants and awards to colleges and universities. The North Carolina Nonprofit Database permits searching for North Carolina state government awards made to nonprofits in the state. For access to these and other private and state awards-made databases, click here.
For assistance in identifying awards made, contact the GrantSource Library (962-3463).
Funding Guides for Diabetes, Stroke, Melanoma, and Stem Cell Research
The GrantSource Library has updated four specialized web pages with funding information for Carolina researchers conducting studies on diabetes, stroke, melanoma, and stem cells. Created in partnership with the UNC Roadmap Office, these funding guides provide information about both federal funding agencies and private sponsors, as well as how to get help at Carolina to identify potential support in these research areas.
Diabetes Research Funding Guide
Melanoma Research Funding Guide
Stem Cell Research Funding Guide
New Search Option for COS Funding Opportunities Database
Have you used the COS Funding Opportunities Advanced Search lately? Be sure to note the addition of "Number of results to view," located directly under the Search button at the top of the screen. This new feature allows you to choose how many results will display per page when you run a funding search.
For assistance in using COS or other funding databases to identify sponsors for your research, contact the GrantSource Library (962-3463) to schedule a consultation or workshop.
NC Biotech Center Changes Collaborative Funding Grant Guidelines
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center announced changes in the guidelines for its Collaborative Funding Grant (CFG) to allow a greater focus on the strategic value of the research project to the biotechnology company partner. In addition, funding will now be for two-year periods only.
The CFG program financially supports a postdoctoral fellow or technician in a university research laboratory to perform program aims to:
- Encourage collaboration between academia and industry
- Help move products or technologies from the lab to commercialization more quickly
- Leverage Biotech Center money in partnership with the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science
The next deadline for the CFG has been moved to February 25, 2009.
Grant Writing Tips from the NC Biotechnology Center
Start early! Planning a project and writing a grant proposal takes time. A successful proposal demonstrates careful planning and attention to detail. Even if the program deadline has just passed or seems like a long way off, it is never too soon to get started.
For more tips from Deborah De, the Biotech Center's Statewide Programs Manager, on getting started, planning your project, and writing the proposal, click here. (pdf)
AHA's New Grants@Heart Application System
In November 2008 the American Heart Association (AHA) launched Grants@Heart, its new web-based system for applicants, grants officers, and awardees. AHA's December newsletter published the following helpful tips for applicants using the new system:
- Be clear with your grants officer about his or her internal deadline. Remember, only your institutional grants officer can submit your application to the AHA.
- If you exceed the page limit (of document you upload) or budget maximum the system will give you an error.
- If the program you are applying to requires a reference report, please remind your referent to download the Grants@Heart template, fill it out and upload it. Do not use the text box. The template requires PDF software to complete.
- Once you fill in third-party names and email addresses in the application fields and hit "save," those people will receive an auto-generated email.
The newsletter also includes a section of Frequently Asked Questions.
All AHA competitions for January 2009 and beyond will be submitted via Grants@Heart.
READ MORE (pdf)