Volume 13, number 8: February 7, 2007
FUNDING TIPS
Learn about New Features and Resources for Improving Your Funding Search Results
The GrantSource Library offers customized group training sessions on identifying potential funding sources for research, training, and other scholarly endeavors. These workshops are especially useful for new investigators, grants administrators, and others unfamiliar with the process of finding funding.
Because of the many recent changes in COS, InfoEd SPIN, and other funding information sources, now is a good time to schedule a workshop for your research team or departmental staff. The following are some new features and services that will be discussed:
- The new COS Record Track feature which enables you to save and track changes in funding opportunities that are important to you.
- InfoEd SMARTS funding alert service, which provides an efficient way for junior faculty to identify funding specifically targeted to them.
- The Foundation Center Platinum Online which offers a wealth of information about foundations that is not available through COS or SPIN.
To schedule a training session about these and other resources, please email the GrantSource Library or call 919-962-3463. The GrantSource Librarians will work with you to plan a session customized to your needs and research interests.
Foundation Directory Platinum Online
The GrantSource Library now subscribes to The Foundation Directory Platinum Online , available for use in the library only. Updated weekly, this directory provides comprehensive data on U.S. foundations, corporate giving programs, and grantmaking public charities, and an extensive database of grants awarded. As a user, you can also benefit from:
- 80,000 detailed funder profiles
- Half a million recently awarded grants
- Over 359,000 fully indexed trustee, officer, and donor names
- Program details and application guidelines for leading foundations
- Sponsor companies information for corporate funders
- 19 search fields
- Quick-links to free Web resources on searching
- Direct links to foundation websites and IRS Form 990 returns
- Search tutorials with step-by-step instructions
Click here to learn more. Email the GrantSource Library or call 919-962-3463 to schedule a consultation on how to use the Foundation Directory Online.
From NIH Extramural Nexus : Who Is a New Investigator?
For the purpose of review and funding, National Institutes of Health (NIH) applicants are considered New Investigators if they have not previously served as the principle investigator (PI) on
- any Public Health Service-supported research project other than a small grant (R03)
- an Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)
- an exploratory/developmental grant (R21)
- certain research career awards directed to researchers at the beginning of their research career (K01, K08, K12, K22, K23, K25 and K99/R00)
Recipients of Independent Scientist and other non-mentored career awards (K02, K05, K24, and K26) are not considered New Investigators. Subproject directors on multi-project grants remain eligible to become new investigators when they apply for independent funding.
For grant applications with multiple principle investigators, all PIs must be new investigators in order for the application to receive special consideration in the review and funding process.
Additional information is available at the New Investigators Program website and on the PHS 398 Instructions.
Click here to subscribe to NIH Extramural Nexus.
Tips on Writing a Letter of Inquiry
Many sponsors require a letter of inquiry (also called letter of intent, pre-proposal, or concept paper) before you can submit a formal proposal. Often these letters are used to pre-screen prospective applications and to make initial selections of applicants who will be invited to submit a full proposal. Sometimes letters of inquiry (LOI) are simply used to gauge the number of submitted proposals and to plan for the review process. The content and format of your LOI will vary depending on how the sponsor will use it.
Some agencies have detailed guidelines about what should be included in an LOI. If there are no specific instructions, follow these general guidelines:
- Address your letter to a specific person, probably the program officer or other person responsible for funding.
- Point out the relevance of your project to the mission of the agency. How will you help the agency accomplish its goals?
- Describe the opportunity the agency has in supporting your project, not how their funding will fill your needs.
- Be brief, summarizing the important points in one or two pages (unless more are specifically allowed).
- Discuss the amount of funding needed.
- Request an appointment with the appropriate program officer to discuss the agency's funding priorities and other subtle distinctions that might not be obvious from the guidelines.
Source: Grant Application Writer's Handbook by Liane Reif-Lehrer. 1995, p. 315 (available in the GrantSource Library).
The GrantSource Library has other proposal writing resources with tips about letters of inquiry. For more information contact the library at 962-3463.
Some useful Web resources:
- What should an LOI include?
- Tips on writing an LOI.
NCURA Training Opportunities
The National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) provides valuable training opportunities for grants administrators in a variety of topics including:
- financial research administration
- fundamentals of sponsored project administration
- cost sharing
- sub-award monitoring
To see the full schedule, click here.