Grant-Writing Basics Getting Started: Developing Your Project Idea and Finding Funding Sources 11/27/2018

Workshop Presenter Lesley A. Brown Director of Proposal Development Research and Economic Development UNC Charlotte 11/27/2018

Grant-Writing Basics: Getting Started Understand UNC Charlotte support for grants Learn how to pick a “fundable idea” Understand sponsors Learn how to match project ideas to sponsors’ needs 11/27/2018

Grant Support at UNC Charlotte Research and Economic Development College-Based Research Offices 11/27/2018

Grant Support at UNC Charlotte Research and Economic Development Office of Proposal Development Office of Research Services and Outreach Office of Research Compliance Office of Technology Transfer Office of Grants and Contracts Administration Charlotte Research Institute 11/27/2018

Office of Proposal Development Developing research agendas Locating funding Identifying collaborators Proposal editing Training Providing resources to large-scale proposal efforts 11/27/2018

Office of Research Services and Outreach Provides institutional approval for extramural proposals Reports on grant activity to the UNC Office of the President Provides training to departmental administrators Maintains NORM (online proposal and award management system) 11/27/2018

Office of Research Services and Outreach Services for faculty Agency guideline review and interpretation Budget development Proposal submission (electronic and mail) 11/27/2018

Office of Research Compliance Oversight of human subjects in research (IRB) Oversight of animal use in research and teaching (IACUC) Oversight of institutional biosafety (IBC) Export control Research ethics 11/27/2018

Office of Technology Transfer Industrial relations Industry-based sponsored research Strategic partnerships Intellectual property (IP) development, management, and commercialization Economic development University spinouts 11/27/2018

Grants and Contracts Administration Post-award support, including: Contract review and negotiation Financial monitoring and reporting of sponsored research Following the guidelines of grants and contracts Account maintenance of grants and contracts Periodic billings and reports and collecting past due bills Monitoring final technical and invention reporting 11/27/2018

Charlotte Research Institute Portal for business-university partnerships at UNC Charlotte Funding is available to faculty for symposia and special projects http://cri.uncc.edu/funding-grants 11/27/2018

Grant Support at UNC Charlotte College-based Research Offices Liberal Arts and Sciences: Peter Szanton, Director of Sponsored Research Health and Human Services: Vikki Cherwon, Pre- Award Administrator Education: Kris Duryea, Director of Research Development and Management Engineering: Lauren Beastall, Contracts Administrator Computing and Informatics: Pat Bridges, Research Officer Other colleges work with Erika Cottingham in ORSO 11/27/2018

Who Submits My Proposal? College-Based Research Offices in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Engineering submit single-college proposals directly to agency Faculty in all other colleges submit proposals through the Office of Research Services and Outreach (ORSO) ORSO submits all multi-college proposals from more than one UNC Charlotte college 11/27/2018

Who Do I Contact First? The college offices and the central offices work seamlessly together If you have a college-based research office, start there Office of Research Services and Outreach: 7- 1881 Office of Proposal Development: 7-1880 11/27/2018

Proposal Routing and Approval Proposal routing is handled by filling out Internal Processing Forms or IPFs NORM (Niner Online Research Management) Online proposal and award information system Tools needed to manage submission of proposals and closeout of funded projects 11/27/2018

Proposal Routing and Approval NORM https://uncc.myresearchonline.org/ramses/ Use your Novell user name and password See FAQ and “Help with IPF Questions” for help Or contact your College-Based Research Office or the Office of Research Services and Outreach 11/27/2018

Proposal Routing and Approval Proposals must be approved by the following All PIs and Co-PIs Department Chairs Deans Center Directors Head of any unit providing matching funds 11/27/2018

Fundable Ideas 11/27/2018

What Do Grants Fund? Research Training Curriculum or program development Planning or feasibility studies Equipment Community service and outreach Seminars and conferences Travel to archives Fellowships 11/27/2018

Finding A Fundable Idea Read literature/journals in your field Serve as a reviewer for major journals in your field Serve on proposal review committees Read winning proposal abstracts Network with colleagues Attend conferences/meetings in your field 11/27/2018

Finding A Fundable Idea Pick a topic within your expertise that has the potential to make a regional or national impact Show how you will contribute to the field by extending work that has already been done or combining existing approaches to a problem 11/27/2018

What Reviewers Look For Work that is important and that addresses a compelling need A well-designed project that fills a gap in the field A project that can be completed within the timeframe specified and with the funds requested An investigator who is competent to carry out the research 11/27/2018

Positioning David A. Stone, “How Your Grant Proposal Compares.” Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/article/How-Your- Grant-Proposal-Com/47471 To win grant money your idea must be well- positioned in the literature Context is everyting 11/27/2018

Positioning Your Idea Show how your idea relates to efforts that have come before Show how you will fill a gap in knowledge Lit review should be comprehensive, but narrow enough to isolate the critical question Show that the next important study in the field will be yours 11/27/2018

Positioning Your Idea Know the big players Have a good track record Integrate teaching and service into research proposals Disseminate your ideas 11/27/2018

Positioning Yourself David A. Stone, “Becoming a Successful Principal Investigator,” Chronicle of Higher Education http://chronicle.com/article/Becoming-a- Successful/66133/ Grants are the end of a process, not the beginning Take steps to raise your profile for review committees 11/27/2018

Positioning Yourself Position yourself as a scholar Develop your publishing agenda Contribute to your discipline Position yourself as a researcher Demonstrate your have the skills to get the research done Establish long-term research agenda Develop partnerships 11/27/2018

Positioning Yourself Position yourself as a grant writer Effective literature review Assemble the right team Understand what the sponsoring agency wants 11/27/2018

Make the Right Match

What Motivates Sponsors? Sponsors want to solve problems Sponsors want to make life better for groups and communities Sponsors want to add to knowledge Your job is to match your project and capabilities to what the sponsor wants to achieve

Understanding Sponsors Every funding agency has its own agenda: NSF funds basic research NIH funds research with broad, health-related outcomes DOD funds applied research Federal agencies, including the national arts and humanities agencies, fund work that has national significance 11/27/2018

Understanding Sponsors National foundations fund work that addresses national or international problems Regional foundations and state agencies fund work that addresses regional, state and local problems An agency’s agenda can be determined by examining its website and printed materials and by talking to program officers 11/27/2018

Potential Funding Sources Federal Agencies State Agencies Foundations Corporations 11/27/2018

Seek Federal Funds First Government support for nonprofit organizations is five times greater than private (foundation or corporation) grant support. 11/27/2018

Federal Funding Match the needs of the project to the priorities of the agency Get to know the agency personnel Send a concept paper for review and comment before submitting a full proposal 11/27/2018

State Government Grants State initiatives in social welfare, health, criminal justice, etc. Funded by state appropriations and federal “pass through” money Few states fund research 11/27/2018

North Carolina State Funding http://state.nc.us/government/ agencies/index.aspx 11/27/2018

Types of Foundations Community National Special Purpose Family Corporate 11/27/2018

Foundation Proposals at UNC Charlotte Foundation Proposal Committee determines whether the proposal will be handled by ORSO (or colleges) or the Office of University Advancement Determined by whether the award will come in as a gift or a sponsored agreement 11/27/2018

Foundation Proposals at UNC Charlotte Faculty and staff can contact either their Director of Development or their College- Based Research Officer or ORSO Doesn’t matter where you start—we will direct you to the appropriate office to handle your foundation proposal 11/27/2018

Locating Funding Sources The Research and Economic Development website has links to online databases and state and federal agency websites Susan Robinson can do a custom funding search for you Contact Susan at ssrobins@uncc.edu or ext. 7-1869 11/27/2018

Online Databases Pivot Funding Opportunities Database Formerly COS International database of faculty expertise and funding opportunities Claim your profile in Pivot to receive weekly updates on funding in your field Email Susan Robinson for instructions 11/27/2018

Hands-on Pivot Workshop Presented by Susan Robinson, Office of Proposal Development Thursday, Oct. 2 12:30-2:00 p.m. COED 007 11/27/2018

Online Databases Foundation Directory Online Provides information on foundations, corporate giving, and related subjects Atkins Library maintains a subscription 11/27/2018

Grants.gov “One-stop-shopping” for Federal grants Find and apply for grant opportunities from all Federal agencies Register to receive email notifications of grant opportunities Over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies http://www.grants.gov/ 11/27/2018

Contacting a Potential Sponsor Introduce yourself and outline your background/expertise Give a brief synopsis of the project and ask if it falls within the agency’s funding priorities If it does not, ask for other agencies that might be interested 11/27/2018

Contacting A Potential Sponsor If your project fall within the agency’s priorities Are there aspects of the project that should be emphasized? Are there unallowable costs? Will a program officer review a preliminary draft? Who will review the proposal? When is the next deadline? 11/27/2018