Volume 13, number 9: March 7, 2007
FUNDING TIPS
Time for a COS Funding Alert Tune-up?
If you set up your COS funding alert some time ago or your research interests or funding needs have changed, it may be time for a COS tune-up. The latest new features and changes in the COS funding alert service include the very useful “Your Tracked Records” feature, as well as new applicant organization choices in the “Requirements” field. The GrantSource Library is available to assist you in updating your COS funding alert and to introduce you to the new features. Please contact the library or call 962-3463 to schedule your COS funding alert tune-up.
Funding Tips for International Faculty Members
As an international faculty member searching for funding using the COS database, it may seem natural to narrow your searches to opportunities offered only to citizens of your home country. But many funding sponsors actually open their opportunities to citizens of any country, so you could be missing scores of possibilities.
In addition, many federal sponsors, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NIH), have funding opportunities that permit international faculty members at U.S. institutions to apply through their institutions. In this instance, the location of the university in the United States determines eligibility, not the principal investigator's citizenship. For example, if an NSF grant program supports biological research at U.S. universities, a French citizen working in the biology department at Carolina could apply for a grant through the biology department. (This rule of thumb does not usually apply to awards intended for individuals, such as fellowships.)
You can search for opportunities open to citizens of any country by checking the "Unrestricted" box at the bottom of the “Citizenship or Residency Requirement” field of the main COS search screen. Also, check the "Unspecified" box to search for opportunities for which the sponsor has not indicated that citizenship is restricted. If you are a non-U.S. citizen faculty member, be sure to select “U.S.” as well as your home citizenship, in the “Citizenship or Residency Requirement” field.
If you would like help setting up your COS funding search, please email the GrantSource Library or call 962-3463 to schedule a consultation with a GrantSource Librarian. To learn more about the COS funding opportunities database, click here.
Tips on Grantsmanship and Different Sponsor Types
Rebecca Vermillion Shawver's article, “A Walk through the Wonderful World of Grants,” provides a good summary of some basic rules of grantsmanship and tips about the pros and cons of different types of sponsors—federal, state, and local governments, and corporate and private foundations. This and other articles and e-newsletters about grant-seeking are available through the Charity Channel, a web-based resource for information about nonprofit philanthropy.
Clean Water Act RFP
The North Carolina Division of Water Quality announced that the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2008 Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Grant is postponed until November 2007. The 319(h) grant provides approximately $3 million of federal funds annually from the Environmental Protection Agency for projects to address runoff pollution in North Carolina . Projects may range from on-the-ground water quality restoration to innovative best management practice demonstration projects and public outreach and education efforts. The release of the RFP will be followed by a three-month open application period.
For more details as they become available, check the 319 Grant Program website. For questions or to be added to the RFP email dissemination list, email Kim Nimmer or call 919-733-5083 x582.
RWJF Announces New Funding Commitment
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced a two-year, $115 million commitment to improving the quality of health care in communities across the United States. Their philanthropy will expand the foundation's strategy to improve the quality of care for patients with chronic illnesses by focusing more on care at the local level.
The commitment will build on the Aligning Forces program and contribute more resources to improve the quality across the continuum of care (inpatient and outpatient) in targeted U.S. regions. RWJF will work in up to twenty communities, focusing on coordinating care around the needs of patients, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in care. The foundation will continue to play an active role in national efforts to standardize performance measurement and public reporting to increase understanding of what quality health care is and how to achieve it..