Volume 13, number 6: December 6, 2006

FUNDING TIPS

Starting a Funding Search

Faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars looking for funding should visit Carolina 's GrantSource Library, part of the Office of Information and Communications. The GrantSource Librarians are currently scheduling one-one-one consultations for researchers interested in setting up customized funding searches and alerts. Group demonstrations are also available for research teams, departments, centers, and institutes.

Electronic funding search tools such as COS , InfoEd's Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN), and other funding opportunities databases are linked from the library's web page. CD-ROMs, print directories, and guides to proposal writing are available at the library in 307 Bynum Hall.

To schedule an individual consultation or a group session, contact the GrantSource Library at (919) 962-3463.

RWJF Introduces New Process for Accepting Unsolicited Proposals

In January the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will introduce a new process for accepting ideas from the field for 8 of their 11 Interest Areas (addiction prevention and treatment, childhood obesity, disparities, health insurance coverage, nursing, public health, quality health care, and tobacco use and exposure). Thereafter, RWJF will issue calls for proposals to address problems in those areas. These calls for proposals will be either general calls in the Interest Areas or targeted calls addressing specific questions.

The new approach is designed to:

help applicants better understand what RWJF will fund;
provide a schedule of application deadlines and award dates for each call for proposal; and
improve fairness and expedite the review of proposals.

Because of the change, RWJF will not accept unsolicited proposals in these eight Interest Areas after December 31.

However, after December 31 RWJF will continue to accept unsolicited proposals for the remaining three Interest Areas: building human capital, pioneer, and vulnerable populations.

Doing Grant Business with USAID

Most U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) grant business with the U.S. higher education community is conducted through competitive processes which ensure consistency with USAID development strategies, objectives and quality, while eliciting the best ideas. And although funding is limited, USAID also welcomes unsolicited concepts and proposals that support USAID goals and objectives.

A recent article in the October 19, 2006 Federal Grants and Contracts Weekly offers the following tips for working with USAID:

Learn as much as possible about USAID's mission and objectives before developing your application.
Read the Request for Application (RFA) carefully and follow all its requirements concerning format, length, and content.
Address all review criteria in the RFA.
Describe short- and long-term development-related outcomes and how you will evaluate them.
Demonstrate clearly that the collaboration is a true institutional partnership.
Ensure that your organization is contributing resources to the partnership.
Explain in concrete terms how the partnership's collaboration will be sustained.
Use the USAID Mission's Response form, when applicable.
Demonstrate that funding your application would be a good investment for USAID.

BCBS Foundation Restructures Grantmaking Strategy

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina has revised its approach to giving to focus on three primary areas and on maximizing the impact of the Foundation's support on the health and well-being of North Carolinians . The focus areas are:

While the basic funding guidelines are the same across the focus areas, each has its own application process and grant cycle. Applicants in the Health of Vulnerable Populations and Healthy Active Communities focus areas will engage in a competitive process for funding.

The foundation paid out more than $6 million in grants last year and has awarded more than $30 million since its inception in 2000. The new grants cycle begins next year, with applications due in February and March.

Dealing with Grant Reviews

Handling rejection strategically is a crucial skill for researchers. The Grant Doctor , a career development column in the AAAS ScienceCareers.org website, offers the following advice for dealing with critical grant proposal reviews:

Acknowledge that your emotional response to rejection is normal.
After emotions have subsided, talk things over with a trusted mentor or colleague.
Make an appointment to call the review program officer to discuss your review.
Keep the tone of the conversation professional and constructive, focusing on questions such as “How can I improve the proposal?” and “Should I resubmit?”

If you have concerns about the conduct of the review, discuss them with the review officer.

MacArthur Foundation Digital Learning Initiative

The MacArthur Foundation will host annual competitions to fund research, writing, and demonstration projects as part of its Digital Learning Initiative. Although next year's application guidelines are not yet available, specific opportunities will be announced in early 2007 on the foundation's website and in the Research Support funding blog. Please check back for more information.

While the Foundation is currently not accepting unsolicited proposals, you are invited to engage with current grantees through the Spotlight blog <http://spotlight.macfound.org/>, which features the work of researchers who are already part of the Initiative.

Hematology Grants Clearinghouse

The American Society of Hematology Grants Clearinghouse provides an extensive list of hematology grant opportunities for hematology trainees.

To search for grants, click here.

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