1. Applying for Grants and Fellowships: Advice for SLA Graduate Students (Fall 2018)
Christopher Rodning, Professor, Anthropology Kevin Gotham, Associate Dean, SLA Katherine M. Johnson, Assistant Professor, Sociology

2. Some important first points
Understand why institutions want you to write grants
High visibility for the institution
Overhead or indirect costs help pay for administration
Contributes to prestige and national ranking of the university
Understand the benefits one gets from being a successful grant writer
Direct resource benefits (money for research, travel, time to write, etc.)
Professional benefits (opens doors to consulting and job opps)
Indirect benefits (helps improve research and writing skills)
Understand what you must do to be a successful grant writer

3. Learn how to search for funding
The faculty in your department/program are the best source for finding external funding opportunities
Consult your mentors and peers for opportunities specific to your field of study; for example, fellowships provided by a discipline's professional association.
Check the SLA and OGPS websites
Howard Tilton Library: Funding and Grants Research Guide.
Attend your professional meetings and network
See 2016 Lewis-Burke report (“Federal Programs and Fellowships that Provide Support For Graduate Students”)
Pay attention to s from Kevin Gotham via Ann Schumacher
See the sources at the end of this ppt

4. Proposal Development Strategies
Develop a long-term research agenda with clear goals and objectives (follow the “SMART” mnemonic)
Create a plan, not just a proposal
What do you intend to do and why is your research important?
What work has already been done and how are you going to do your research (data collection and analysis)?
Conceive of the final product before writing the proposal(s)
Research multiple funders to identify their priorities and see if they fund projects similar to yours

5. Proposal Development Strategies
Familiarize yourself with funding sources and proposal guidelines
1. internal funding opportunities
Provost’s Office and OGPS
SLA website (Summer Merit Fellowship; JE Land Fund)
Your department or graduate program
2. external funding opportunities:
Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA)
Google: e.g., “humanities grants for graduate students”
Federal grants database (Grants.gov)

6. Proposal Development Strategies
Check:
eligibility
average size of awards
maximum amount available
previous awards
proposal requirements and format
deadlines
evaluation criteria and process

7. Proposal Development Strategies
A successful proposal is one that is thoughtfully planned, well prepared, and concisely packaged
Base the proposal on an interesting idea that fills a gap in scholarly knowledge
Survey the literature
Contact Investigators working on topic
Obtain preliminary data
Prepare a brief concept paper
Discuss with colleagues/mentors
Use concise, direct, and straightforward language (no jargon)

8. Proposal Development Strategies
Understand the importance of the abstract (first impression)
Write to the audience that will review your proposal
Explain the urgency and timeliness of your work
Provide evidence that you can successfully complete the project (don’t be over- or under-ambitious)
Read guidelines several times and follow directions completely
Explain the value-added nature of the research
Why should anyone care about your work?
Answer the “so what” question

9. Final Thoughts
Private foundations and government funders are looking to fund research that is bold, original, innovative, and transformative
Pay attention to the funding agency’s goals and review criteria as you craft your proposal
If possible, revise and resubmit if you get declined for funding
Be tenacious, persistent, and resilient

10. Sources
Grant Writing Tips for Graduate Students from the Chronicle of Higher Education. Nov. 6,
On the Art of Writing Proposals (SSRC).
Tips on Writing a Grant Proposal (EPA).
Writing Proposals for ACLS Fellowship Competitions.