Volume 14, Number 4: October 3, 2007
FUNDING TIPS
What’s an NIH Concept?
At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), concepts represent early planning stages for initiatives—program announcements, requests for applications, or requests for proposals. Though all concepts do not end up as published initiatives, many institutes and centers (ICs) publish them on their web sites. For example, see the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and National Institute of Mental Health concept web pages.
Learning about an IC's concepts can give you a heads-up on potential initiatives. And applications in a topic featured in a concept may qualify for above-the-payline funding.
An IC's advisory council provides input on the potential direction of future monies. However, council approval does not guarantee that a concept will become an initiative; that decision is based on scientific and programmatic priorities balanced with available funds.
Tips for New Faculty
The GrantSource Library offers new faculty members these tips to get started in a funding search:
- Find out what resources and services are available at Carolina via the Research@Carolina web site, which provides information and links to the offices that support the university's research mission.
- For information about internal grants for faculty, use the Carolina Internal Funding Database.
- Search for external funding opportunities for faculty at all levels using other databases such as COS, SPIN, and Foundation Directory Online, available through the GrantSource Library's web site.
- Talk with other faculty, your departmental colleagues, or your mentor to learn about funding at your new university.
For more information or to schedule a consultation with a GrantSource Librarian, contact gs@unc.edu or 919-962-3463.
Foundations Today Tutorial
The Foundation Center provides an online tutorial to help potential grant applicants better understand the foundation world. The tutorial provides information on what foundations do, how they are changing, and where they fit in the larger philanthropic universe. The FAQ section includes guidance about different types of foundations, what foundations support, and trends in foundation giving.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund Priorities
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) recently announced its funding priorities for research furthering the JDRF mission of finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. In fiscal year 2008, JDRF will provide more than $150 million to support relevant exploratory research, discovery research, non-clinical development, clinical research, and clinical development research in the following general research areas:
- Restoration and maintenance of normal glucose regulation in type 1 diabetes, including restoration of beta cell function, immunoregulation, and metabolic control
- Prevention and treatment of complications of diabetes
- Prevention of type 1 diabetes
Consult the JDRF web site for the scope of funding and the corresponding details of the application process.
William T. Grant Foundation Distinguished Fellows Program
Following the completion of a successful pilot test, the William T. Grant Foundation recently announced that the Distinguished Fellows program will now be a part of the foundation's ongoing grantmaking. The foundation created the Distinguished Fellows program to increase the availability of high-quality research in the service of improved youth development and well-being. This program gives researchers the opportunity to immerse themselves in practice or policy settings and allows influential mid-career practitioners and policymakers to work and be mentored in research settings.
The new Request for Proposals (RFP) for 2008 will be announced later this month.
NC Rural Partners Forum
Date: October 24 and 25
Place: North Raleigh Hilton, Raleigh, NC
The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center will hold its annual Rural Partners Forum with the theme of rural leadership. Speakers and presenters will look at compelling examples of leadership at its best and identify strategies to help rural leaders succeed. The center will also announce a range of new financial, training, and engagement opportunities for rural leaders, including more than $130 million in water and sewer and other rural development grants.
The mission of the Rural Center is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. It operates a multi-faceted program that includes conducting research into rural issues; advocating for policy and program innovations; and building the productive capacity of rural leaders, entrepreneurs, and community organizations.
For more information about the forum and to register online, click here.
BCBS Foundation Regional Information Sessions
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is hosting a series of regional meetings in October and November to discuss the foundation's focus areas and outcomes-based investing strategy. The information sessions will assist current and potential grantees by addressing specific information regarding the desired results of each focus area, as well as the application process and grant cycle.
With its overall mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians, the foundation's focus areas are:
- Health of Vulnerable Populations
- Healthy Active Communities
- Community Impact through Nonprofit Excellence
For meeting dates and locations and to register, click here.