How to Find Funding

Kerry Kinney (CE)

Rick Neptune (ME)

Preston Wilson (ME)

You have a Great Research IdeaNow What? Identify Appropriate Funding Agency

Search On-line Databases Community of Science Database GrantsNet

Specific Agency Web Pages Ask Others in your Department

Once you have identified the appropriate funding source: Read RFP guidance carefully Talk to other faculty who have experience

with the funding agency you are considering.

How to Find Funding for your Great Research Idea – The Bottom Line

You need more than a great idea! You must be able to communicate your

research plan and convince reviewers to fund it.

Proposal writing skills are absolutely absolutely essentialessential…… Tell a concise “Story” Submit a few well-written proposals; not

many poor proposals

Logistics

Numerous drafts likely – allow enough time.

Have mentor, other experienced faculty members review it.

Review other successful proposals to get an idea of scope and format….

Logistics Understand the procedures at your “Office of

Sponsored Projects” Lead Time Required? Signatures Required?

Institutional Budget Requirements Overhead Rates Tuition and Fees Summer Salary

Once you have scope of proposed project defined, develop a reasonable time frame for the project

Keep in mind that you may have a new graduate student working on the project.....

If your proposal is funded - Great! If it isn’t, remember you are in good

company Some agencies fund less than 10% of the

proposals they receive! Don‘t get discouraged; Revise proposal – Refine research idea; Submit to new funding agency Keep Trying

The Aftermath

Funding Opportunities NIH - www.nih.gov

CRISP – Database of funded projects http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/

NIH Review Criteria http://www.csr.nih.gov/guidelines/r01.htm

Article: How to get NIH funding http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2000/10/12/1

NSF - www.nsf.gov CAREER program

http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/start.htm Engineering Division

http://www.nsf.gov/home/eng/ Article: NSF grant writing

http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2000/07/06/8

Funding Opportunities NIDRR - The National Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/nidrr/index.html

Miscellaneous Funding links GrantsNet - http://www.grantsnet.org/ Science Magazine – search for articles

http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/ Grant writing

http://www.research.umich.edu/proposals/PWG/pwgcontents.html Google search for articles Book – Research Proposals: A Guide to Success (Ogden and

Goldberg)

Industry SBIR mechanism (NSF, NIH)

ONR sponsors a wide range of basic and applied research. From biology and medicine to math,

computer, physical and social sciences, and engineering.

Research areas are listed in the Science and Technology (S&T) pages: http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/

Find the areas that best coincide with your expertise.

A Specific Example: Office of Naval Research (ONR)

ONR Funding Many research opportunities

discussed in the S&T pages are open to all: university faculty, university and national lab personnel, Navy labs, small and large businesses.

ONR Funding Special Programs for University Faculty

ONR-Wide Young Investigator Program http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/industrial/363/

yip.asp Individual S&T Program Faculty-Specific Awards Ocean Acoustics-Entry Level Faculty Award

http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/ocean/321_sensing/info_acous_awd.asp

Mechanics and Energy Conversion http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/engineering/

333_mechanics/usea_uli.asp

ONR Funding In general, ONR proposals are not peer-

reviewed. You need to meet the program managers

(PMs) in your area. The PMs are obligated to interact with

offerers. Call or email, introduce yourself, set up a

meeting. Present your ideas to them. Receive feedback on your ideas and what

they need.

ONR Funding Develop a pre-proposal (white paper)

that fits into an existing program and utilizes your expertise.

If the project has a high likelihood of being funded, PMs will offer suggestions and request a full proposal.

Receive grant, do work, repeat process! ONR PMs tend to provide long-term support to a core group of Principal Investigators (PIs) in their areas.

Questions?