Volume 15, Number 9: March 4, 2009
FUNDING TIPS
Developing a Rigorous Program Evaluation
More and more often, federal and private sponsors are requiring program evaluation components in their grant application processes. Even when an evaluation section is not required, including one can strengthen your proposal. In an Office of Proposal Development newsletter at Texas A&M University, Robyn Pearson offers the following in-depth advice about how to develop a rigorous program evaluation or assessment:
"Depending upon the type of grant program, the quality of the proposed evaluation is given considerable attention during the review process, particularly when a project includes a significant educational or outreach component in addition to research. Not only can evaluation help investigators measure programmatic impacts, but it can also provide feedback on what's working and what's not, allowing programmatic activities to be redirected or changed as needed. Program assessment may also be used to demonstrate accountability or to show that goals and expected outcomes have been met."
Pearson's article also includes an extensive list of resources such as overviews, online courses, templates, and examples.
Read the Guidelines Before Contacting the Sponsor
The top pet peeve for many grantmakers is the fact that many applicants don't read their funding guidelines. When you contact the sponsor, start your inquiry by saying something like "I've read your guidelines, and I have a question..." Making reference to specific items in the guidelines can demonstrate that you have done your homework.
Some important don'ts are:
- Don't simply call the sponsor and ask in general terms if they will fund your project.
- Don't ask for an exception to be made for you if your project doesn't fit the sponsor's guidelines.
For other advice for contacting the funder, including likely questions to ask, click here (pdf).
Tips for Great Grant Writing--What is NIH Looking For?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research NIH Extramural Nexus has introduced a new, regular feature titled "Tips for Great Grant Writing." The inaugural column addressed the basics of grant proposal writing, including the importance of talking to an NIH program officer about your idea or potential research project. Some general things that NIH looks for include:
- Grant proposals of high scientific caliber that are relevant to public health needs and are within NIH Institute and Center priorities
- Investigator-initiated research across the spectrum of the NIH mission
- Projects which are unique
In subsequent issues the column will advance to discussing more complex aspects of the grant-writing process. To receive future columns and other news and updates on NIH policies and activities, click here to subscribe to NIH Extramural Nexus.
Funding Search Advice 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.
For example, many U.S. government sponsors such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) 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 could apply for a grant through Carolina. (This rule of thumb does not usually apply to awards intended for individuals, such as fellowships.)
You can search COS Funding Opportunities for grant programs open to citizens of any country by checking the "Unrestricted" box at the bottom of the "Citizenship or Residency Requirement" field of the 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.
BWF Suspends Traditional Grant Programs and Offers Two New Programs
In a February 23 letter from Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) President John Burriss, the fund announced the suspension of its usual slate of competitive grant programs for fiscal year 2010, which begins in fall 2009. BWF will not be accepting applications for any of its programs except for the two newest: the Preterm Birth Initiative and the Career Awards for Science and Mathematics Teachers in North Carolina.
In 2009 the BWF board and staff will focus on the foundation's five-year strategic planning process which they term "terrain mapping". As part of the process, representatives of BWF's advisory committees met with the board to discuss future directions for their respective programs. Burriss says, "I do look forward to a better financial time in which we will return to funding a full complement of grants in existing and new areas that arise from our terrain mapping review."
To consult the BWF website for program updates, click here.