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

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

3. 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

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

5. 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

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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Charlotte Research Institute
Portal for business-university partnerships at UNC Charlotte
Funding is available to faculty for symposia and special projects
11/27/2018

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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:
Office of Proposal Development:
11/27/2018

16. 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

17. Proposal Routing and Approval
NORM
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

18. 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

19. Fundable Ideas
11/27/2018

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

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

25. 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

26. 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

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

28. 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

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

30. Make the Right Match

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

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

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

36. 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

37. 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

38. North Carolina State Funding
agencies/index.aspx
11/27/2018

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

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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 or ext
11/27/2018

43. 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
Susan Robinson for instructions
11/27/2018

44. 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

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

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

47. 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

48. 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