1. ITCS Workshop May 23, 2000 Maxims for Grant and Contract Seeking Presented by Alan A. Schreier, Office of Sponsored Programs

2. The Primal Maxim of Grantsmanship : Grant Seeking is a Contact Sport

3. Maxims for Grant Seekers I You should spend more time reading than writing and more time talking than reading!

4. Reading What?? §Descriptions of Potential Sponsors §Sponsor Program Guidelines and other Materials l annual reports, news articles, descriptions of successfully funded projects §Samples of Successful Applications to that Sponsor §University Rules and Regulations

5. Talking to Whom?? §With Colleagues and Collaborators §With Chairs & Deans §With Potential Sponsors §With Grantees of the Sponsors §With Former Reviewers for the Sponsors §Again, with the Potential Sponsors §OSP staff

6. Maxims for Grant Seekers II Have a well developed Concept for your project before you start your Sponsor search.

7. Hallmarks of a Well Developed Concept §You can describe why it is important. §You can describe what you want to do and how you plan to do it. §You have identified and gotten commitments for the necessary resources and/or endorsements. §You can successfully defend your concept to skeptical colleagues.

8. Maxims for Grant Seekers III Not All Sponsors are Worth the Effort of an Application Qualify your Potential Sponsors!

9. Findings Sponsors §Talk to your Colleagues, both internal and external (networking) §Searching Data Bases l COS, GrantSource, Foundation Center, etc.. §Alert Services

10. Types of Sponsors §Federal Agencies §NC State & Local Governments §Pure Non-Profit Foundations §Corporate Sponsors l Direct Support l Support via a Captive Corporate Foundation

11. Qualifying Sponsors §Is the Sponsor Interested in Your Project? §Have they sponsored similar projects? §How many grants/contracts does the sponsor award? §Are they likely to have the resources to give you an award at the level you need? §Are you the type of grantee/contractor they want?

12. Maxims for Grant Seekers IV Continue Contact with Your Potential Sponsor while you prepare the proposal

13. Maxims for Grant Seekers V Apply to Several Sponsors. You can double or triple you chances for success.

14. Maxims for Grant Seekers VI Give yourself enough time to prepare a good proposal.

15. Maxims for Grant Seekers VII Follow the Sponsor’s Guidelines Compulsively!!

16. First Steps §Develop your idea/project §Get collaborators as needed - talk, talk, talk to work out details. Put it in writing. §Find and qualify potential sponsors. §Work out a preliminary budget §Talk with Chairs and Deans to get needed Resources (faculty time, cost sharing, etc.)

17. First Steps continued §Contact Sponsors - Get Information §Talk to grantees, reviewers §Outline proposal/project in detail §Get University forms and consult with OSP (especially for F & A cost sharing) §prepare a detailed budget §Write proposal Narrative

18. First Steps continued §Get Criticism and Revise Proposal and Budget §Prepare University Forms, Get Chair and Dean Signatures §Submit Proposal and forms to OSP §Mail Proposal §Follow up Contacts with Sponsor

19. Maxims for Grant Seekers VIII You will be Judged on the Quality of your Budget! Prepare a Realistic Budget!!

20. Budget Preparation Hints §Use models budgets for similar projects. §Try to identify all possible expenses. §Included Indirect (Overhead or F & A) Costs. §DO NOT ‘High Ball’ or ‘Low Ball’ the budget!

21. Budget Preparation Hints continued §Consult with Experienced Grantees in your field §Use the help of Business Professionals in your Unit. §Use the OSP Budget Worksheet §Always use the Sponsor’s Budget form if it exists.

22. Maxims for Grant Seekers IX University Rules and Regulations PROTECT the Faculty and the Institution

23. Protect from What? §Law suits - Liability Issues §Disbarments - Following Sponsor Rules, especially federal Human Subject rules, etc. §Auditors - Audit Exceptions - Punitive pay backs. §Cost Over Runs §Lack of Institutional Commitment for Resources §Angry Chairs, Deans, & Vice Chancellors

24. Why?? §ECU’s resources are finite. Not all projects are approved by deans and chairs. §ECU is the legal applicant for the grant or contract. Not the faculty member, or department, or the school. ECU will be responsible for any funds received. §There are many federal and state laws that govern grants and contracts, especially in the liability and regulatory area.

25. University Forms: Internal Processing Form (IPF) §Required by UNC General Administration §Main instrument through which departmental and school approval is demonstrated §Also, basic information for GA and ECU data bases is recorded.

26. University Forms: Abstract §Another UNC General Administration Requirement. §Shorter is better §Remember, the abstract is public information. Use the ‘Daily Reflector Test’

27. University Forms: Coding Sheet §Another UNC General Administration Requirement §Do not spend more than five minutes doing this form. §Chess codes are general activities, e.g., research, instruction, etc. §CIP codes are academic disciplines. §Other questions are legislatively required.

28. University Forms: Cost Sharing Commitments §Identifies specific direct and F & A cost sharing requests and who will provide them. §Documents approval of the requests by the appropriate university official responsible for the resources.

29. University Forms: Multi-disciplinary Apportionment §Defines the “per cent” effort different units will provide a project. §Total must equal 100%. §Used to determine a fair distribution of the F & A recoveries to the units.

30. University Forms: Budget Worksheet §Will do all necessary calculations for the University. §Easy to use and it is ‘formatable’. §Keyed to the university’s accounting system for easy transfer when an award is made

31. Internet Tools for Faculty Office of Sponsored Programs ECU

32. OSP WEB SITE What’s Available Abstracts of funded projects Funding opportunities Custom searches & Alert services Faculty expertise profiles (Via COS)

33. OSP WEB SITE What’s Available Forms, Forms, Forms Budget Worksheet Administrative guidance Direct links to sponsors Links to other resources More to come!

34. Community of Science §Contains several databases of interest l Federally funded proposals l A huge funding opp.’S database l Faculty expertise database l Inventions database §Alert service available §URL: http://www.Cos.Com

35. The Primal Maxim of Grantsmanship : Grant Seeking is a Contact Sport