Follow the Yellow Brick Road:

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Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Locating Evaluating Funding Opportunities Octobe
r 16, 2008 Pollyanne S. Frantz, Ph.D. Director
of Proposal Development Office of Research and
Sponsored Programs
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Session Overview

• Funding opportunity databases
• Awards information
• Electronic publications
• Searching strategies
• Interpreting guidelines
• Q A

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Funding Opportunity Databases

• Broadest in scope (includes federal/state/private
  funders)
• Community of Science (subscription)
• Sponsored Programs Information Network
  (subscription)
• GrantsNet (free)
• FundSource (free)
• Federal funding only
• Grants.gov
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
• Private funders (foundations) only
• Foundation Directory Online (subscription)
• Foundation Centers Foundation Finder (free)
• Foundation Centers 990PF (free)
• Other valuable resources
• Appalachian Regional Commission (free)
• GuideStar (free subscription)

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Selected Awards Information Sources

• Agency databases NSF, NIH, DoED
• Agency web sites NEH, NEA
• Individual foundation web sites
• Foundation Center
• Foundation Finder 990 Finder (FREE)

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Selected Electronic Publications

• Agency-specific
• MyNSF (National Science Foundation)
• EDInfo. (U.S. Dept. of Education)
• NIH TOC (National Institutes of Health)
• NEH Connect! (National Endowment for the
  Humanities)
• RFP Bulletin (Foundation Center)
• Grants.gov email notification subscription
  (federal)
• Rural Assistance Center Health Update (mix)
• GrantsNet Funding News (RSS format)

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Searching Strategies

• Define your project create a list of related
  keywords terms
• Think broadly on initial searches
• Refine limit searches based on initial results
• Use different keywords phrases in search
  results to launch additional searches
• Dont rely on just one database

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Interpreting Guidelines Part 1

• Read (and re-read) guidelines
• Are you eligible?
• What will be funded?
• What is the agency really looking to fund?
• What is the format?
• What information is required?
• Are these the most current guidelines?
• When is the deadline?
• How many awards will be made?

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Interpreting Guidelines Part 2

• Pay close attention to
• Words
• Concepts
• Phrasing
• Themes
• Review criteria
• Further sleuthing includes
• Perusing agencys web site for additional
  information
• Searching awards databases
• Talking to program officers

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Do this But not this

• Read guidelines thoroughly
• Work back from deadline
• Answer all questions in order
• Proofread all materials
• Get advance institutional approvals for
  commitments
• Start submission process early

• Speed read guidelines
• Ask for a deadline extension
• Dismiss details as trivial
• Disregard formatting requirements
• Fail to secure institutional approvals
• Wait until 4 p.m. to meet a 5 p.m. deadline

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Are we having funding yet?
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Thank you!

• Follow the Yellow Brick Road
• Locating Evaluating Funding Opportunities