Grants Development and Research

Donald LongCoordinator, Grants and Contracts PAC 515dlong7@uis.edu217-206-7409

University of Illinois at Springfield

Grant Search

– Resources Central Illinois Nonprofit Resource Center (CINRC)

http://library.uis.edu/findinfo/grants/index.html

Pamela M. Salela, Associate Professor, CINRC Coordinator (psale2@uis.edu) (206-6783)

Affiliations

Foundation Center (http://foundationcenter.org)

Publications & Training

Reference Guide for Researchers (http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/guides/research.html)

Donors Forum of Chicago (http://donorsforum.org)

Publications

Workshops (Chicago)

Lumpkin Family Foundation

GoodWorksConnect.org

Resources

– CINRC Databases (campus only) Foundation Director Online

http://fcomline.fdncenter.org/ipl.pl

Foundation Grants to Individuals Onlinehttp://gtionline.fdncenter.org/ipl.php

Illinois Funding Sourcehttp://ifs.donorsforum.org

– IRIS www.library.uiuc.edu/iris

Additional Resources

Association list serves

Grants.gov – www.grants.gov

National Science Foundation– www.nsf.gov

National Institute of Health– http://nih.gov

Council for Undergraduate Research – www.cur.org

Additional Resources

Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide www.wkkf.org

Grant Experts Nonprofit Website– www.grantexperts.info

US Dept. of Health & Human Services– http://grants.nih.gov/grants/grant_tips.htm

NSF Publications– http://www.nsf.gov/publications/

Thompson Publishing www.thompson.com– Winning Strategies for Developing Proposals

and Managing Grants, 3rd Edition

Additional Resources

U.S. Department of Justice– www.justice.gov

State and Government Websites– www.ed.gov

Large Companies/Businesses, Banks, Trusts, & Investment Companies – Often have Foundations

Grants and Contracts Office Services

Identification of external funding sources

Interpretation of sponsor guidelines and requirements

Assistance with all stages of proposal development

Official submission of proposals to outside sponsors, including electronic submissions through grants.gov, Fastlane, etc.

Assistance with protocols for research involving human and/or animal subjects

Assistance with intellectual property issues

A webpage with links to relevant information, and downloadable forms www.uis.edu/grants

TYPES OF FUNDING

Corporate Funding

Corporations provide around 5% of total private giving

Various pockets– In-kind, Sponsorship, Grants, Gifts

Most follow strict giving guidelines

Many link giving with talent acquisition

Senior management may influence

May allocate based upon market

Foundation Funding

Foundations provide around 14% of total private giving

Fit their mission; Follow their guidelines

Engage in pre-proposal discussions

RFPs, Guidelines, Invitations

Letters of Interest/Intent

No assumptions– Research each Foundation (4 general types)– Be clear about your project

UIS Provost Funding

Summer Competitive Scholarly Research Grant Program (SCSRG)

Strategic Academic Initiatives Grant (SAIG) Program

Scholarly Presentation Support Program

Federal agency home pages (ed.gov)

State agency home pages

www.uis.edu/academicaffairs/faculty/index.html

THE GRANT PROCESS

Ethics and Training

Gain an understanding of – Ethics policies and practices in your field of

study– University requirements– Sponsor requirements

Training will be required for– Human subjects– Animal – Bio-safety and medical

Citi Training (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) https://www.citiprogram.org/Default.asp

Before You Begin

Develop a clear set of goals and an ideal timetable for your project

Conduct a wide search for potential funding sources

Find research similar to your project– Look for best-practices– Speak with other professionals in your field– Contact organizations who have already funded

your work

Know your subject matter

Keep Going Keep the end in mind

– What do you wish to accomplish– Define your research question(s)

What steps do you need to take to accomplish your objective

What data will you need to collect– Develop a data collection plan

How will you gather data Who needs to approve (internal/external How long will it take to collect

Budget

Suggestions for Success

Establish a track record with peer reviewed publications

Do your research. Know current “best practice” related to your grant topic

Show institutional support – List all available resources even if you haven’t

tapped into them yet

Find collaborators – Colleagues down the hall, at another campus– Attend professional conferences

Source Reviews

Read mission statements of potential funders

Identify the funders priorities and what they will and won’t support

Identify eligibility requirements

Look at titles & abstracts of previously funded projects

Look for application deadlines and cycles

Contact the potential funding source via email and/or phone to discuss potential submission

WRITING TIPS FOR THE ENTIRE PROCESS

Writing Tips

Follow directions

Use simple and direct language

Repeat the funder’s language back to them

Include tables, flowcharts, and diagrams

Use trend data to support your position

Ask for reviewer comments

Volunteer to serve as a proposal reviewer

Writing Tips Cont.

Collect & read successful proposals

Do not deviate from the guidelines– Format is as important as content

Communicate the intellectual significance and broader impact of your project– Sustainability is important

Write a concise abstract– Include required components

Writing Tips Cont.

Use a logic model (W.K.Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Foundation Guide) http://www.wisconsin.edu/edi/grants/Kellogg_Logic_Model.pdf

Y o u r P la n n e d W o rk Trip P la n n in g

Yo u r In t e n d e d R es u l ts Trip R e s u l ts

Resources/ In p u t s

Activities O u t p u t s O u t c o m e s Impact

• H o lid a y flight s c h e d u le s

• F a m ily s c h e d u le s

• F re q u e n t flyer h o l id ay o p tio n s

• H o lid a y w e a th e r

• C re a te family s c h e d u le

• G e t holiday flight info

• G e t tickets

• A r ra n g e ground tra n s p o r t

• T ic k e ts for a ll fa m i ly members

• F re q u e n t f ly e r miles u s e d

• M o n e y saved

• F a m ily m e m b e rs enjoy v a c a t io n

• C o n t in u e d good family relations

Writing Tips Cont.

Proofread– First time through for flow of thought– Second time through for continuity– Third time through for errors

(Do a spell check, make sure acronyms are supported, verify tense is used correctly)

Don’t assume that reviewers who read your proposal are experts in your field

Have someone not familiar with your work or writing read your proposal

DO NOT

Go over number of pages allotted

Forget about the formatting requirements

Pad your budget with items that cannot be justified

Wait until the last minute to submit the application

DO NOT Cont.

Send the same proposal to multiple funders

Assume that reviewers are experts in your field

Get discouraged!!

DEVELOPING THE BUDGET

Budget Information

Budget– Prepare a detailed and justifiable budget– Prepare a budget narrative for each item– Budget should reflect your program design,

management plan, and evaluation plan – Check for match requirements and include

verification of ability to provide the match, if required

If in doubt– Talk to the staff at the funding agency

Planning Collection of Data

Ask this question: “Who will collect what, when, and from where?

Understand required tasks

Identify staff assignments

Clearly understand time needed to complete tasks

Organize resources to boost efficiency

Minimize errors and delays

When Should You Develop Your Data Collection Plan

Data collection plan, evaluation plan, and budget go hand-in-hand.

Develop the “first-draft” of your data collection plan while developing your project proposal.

Make revisions of your data collection plan as needed during the project proposal stage.

You’d rather make changes prior to funding as opposed to after a contract has been signed.

Include in the Budget

Personnel– Faculty and staff normally as a % of time– GAs at monthly rate– Students and hourly workers

Fringe Benefits– Faculty and staff (54.13% of salary)– Students and hourly workers (0.17% to 7.82%)

Travel– State travel rates and regulations apply

Equipment– Threshold varies depending on sponsor

Include in the Budget Cont.

Supplies– Must be specific for the project– At times can include computers & software

Printing/Mailing/Duplicating

Contractual– Outside entities contributing to the project

Indirect– State and non-profits grants - 10%– Federal grants - 44.1%

University Rates

Grants Website– www.uis.edu/grants/proposals/rates.html– www.uis.edu/grants/proposals/

policies.html#budget

OBFS Website– http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/cms/

One.aspx?portalId=909965&pageId=913330

General Principles to Follow

Inflate costs in multi-year budgets

Be realistic, but estimate a bit high

Indirect costs are real costs to the University and are not normally waived

GETTING FUNDED

To Get Funded

Reviewers need convincing– Reviewers may not be experts– Show benefits beyond the classroom– A new way of solving a problem- Innovation– Data supports your idea– ‘Intend’ vs. ‘will’

Rejection is okay?– The national success rate is…– Reviewer notes are your map to success

Grant Awards

Official notice is always in writing from the funding agency– Will include:

Award number Amount of Award Date of the Award Critical information about the award

– Additional attachments Compliance regulations Reporting requirements Conditions of acceptance Changes necessary in the budget, evaluation plan,

personnel, etc. that must be completed and evidence of compliance submitted before the grant can begin

Grant Awards

Award notifications– Are legally binding contracts– Include funder’s expectations and assurances

Look for at least 3 key tools1.Official Notification2.The conditions or laws governing the acceptance

of the award3.The program guidelines

Funded Grants at UIS

Contact Grants and Contracts Office– Routing and approval procedures– Chart of accounts– Audit requirements – Point of contact/budget manager

Make note of the funding year– Expenditures cannot begin before the first day of

authorized funding and cannot go beyond the last day (some exceptions)

Review the award notice with the application, plan for implementation, personnel needs, and budget against changes presented with award notification

UIS Requirements for Proposals & Awards

All proposals submitted to external sponsors by UIS faculty, staff and students require internal approval using the UIS Internal Clearance Form.

All awards must be officially accepted by the campus, and must be signed by the proper authority.

MANAGING YOUR GRANT

Management Components Who

– Is involved with the project– Oversee daily operations– Ensure compliance with rules and regulations– Fiscal oversight

Develop a management plan– Include:

Data collection plan Reporting requirements/timelines (internal and

external)• Program, monthly, quarterly, mid-year, evaluation, subcontract, final)

Formative and summative evaluation plan Roles and responsibility of personnel Research requirements (human subjects, animal, bio-

safety, progress reports, drafts, approvals, supervisors/sponsors, etc.)

Management Components

Budget– Amendment regulations/requirements

Internal and sponsor Allowable expenses Verification of audit record requirements Budget Closeout

Termination of Project– Storage of documentation

Security, where, for how long• Budget, IRB, Animal, Bio-safety

Who is responsible Disposition of equipment

– Publication requirements

THANK YOU!

Contact Information

Donald LongCoordinator, Grants and Contracts PAC 515dlong7@uis.edu217-206-7409

Website: www.uis.edu/grants