Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Faculty Survey

St. Kate's Grant Institute:
January 12-14, 2010; Join us for a three day workshop designed for faculty and staff interested in pursuing grants. More »

St. Kate's Evaluation Institute:
June 2010; Join us next June for a two-day workshop designed for faculty and staff interested in learning more about project evaluation! More »

Getting Started-External Grants

External funding is available for those with original, innovative ideas that have measurable results. External funding may be from private sources such as corporations or foundations or from local, state or federal government sources. As an external grant-seeker, it is important to consider how your ideas fit the University and its Strategic Plan. You will also want to consider how your ideas might fit with a funder's interests and purposes.

STEP #1: Begin to Formulate Your Project

Outline your ideas
Begin to develop your goals and objectives. Consider enlisting the help of an evaluator as you develop measurable outcomes for your project.
Speak with colleagues and potential community partners about possible collaborations or seek feedback regarding your ideas.
Consider how your ideas fit with the University’s mission and/or the Strategic Plan.
Consider how much time you would like to devote to the project: How large of a project would you like to undertake?
Consider whether your project is a one-time endeavor or something you would like to sustain (i.e. if your project is programmatic, how will you carry on after the grant funding ends?)

STEP #2: Complete the Grant Proposal Form for Internal Approval.

Fill out and submit the Grant Proposal Form
You will need to log in using your Lotus Notes username and password.

Note that it is helpful to fill out this form while still in the early stages of your planning process. The Grant Proposal Form is a communication tool and approval form that allows you to let your Chair/Director, Dean and Vice President know that you would like to pursue external funding. If collaborating with faculty or staff from other departments, you should also route the form to their chairs/directors, deans and Vice President (for more info visit the Toolbox!). Your project does not need to be completely developed, nor do you need to have a funding source in mind in order to fill out the form.

Consult the Grant Proposal Form Instructions if you need help filling out the form!

Once you have submitted the form, it is routed to your Chair/Director, Dean and Vice President for approval. The Chair/Director, Dean and Vice President may offer feedback, which you can view via the Grant Proposal Form link (link above), and will also assign a priority to your project. BE SURE TO TRACK YOUR APPROVAL FORM. It is often helpful to touch base with your chair/director or dean if you notice a delay in processing.

STEP #3: Meet with ORSP and CFR Staff

Once your Grant Proposal Form is approved, staff from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) as well as Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) in the Development Office are notified. ORSP will investigate potential government funding sources that might fund the project while CFR will research corporate and private foundations. At this time, you will meet with either ORSP or CFR staff to begin discussing possible funding sources, establish a timeline for the development and submission of a proposal, and discuss your project in more detail.

STEP #4: Prepare your Proposal

Once a potential funding source is identified and a timeline for proposal submission established, you will begin developing and writing your proposal. If you will be submitting a grant to a government agency, you will work closely with ORSP throughout the process. CFR staff will assist you in developing your proposal if you are applying to a private source. We recognize that this can sometimes be a daunting process, and we're here to help you through every stage!

Visit Developing your Proposal for more information on developing and writing your proposal.

STEP #5: Develop Your Budget

Whether you are applying to a government agency or a private source, ORSP will work with you in the development of your budget. ORSP must review all budgets prior to submission to make sure they comply with institutional policies and government regulations.

Visit Developing your Budget for more information on developing your budget.

STEP #6: Manage your Award

Once you have completed the proposal, ORSP or CFR will submit it to the funding agency. Should you receive a grant award, ORSP will guide you through the grant management process and provide budgetary assistance and oversight.

Visit Managing Your Award for more information on managing your award.

"Third time's a charm" is often true in grant-seeking, so if your project does not receive funding upon first submission, don't be too discouraged. ORSP will help you revise, reframe and resubmit your proposal as needed.