How to Find Funding

How to Find Funding Kerry Kinney (CE) Rick Neptune (ME) Preston Wilson (ME) You have a Great Research Idea Now What?  Identify Appropriate Funding Agency  Search On-line Databases      Once you have identified the appropriate funding source:   Specific Agency Web Pages Ask Others in your Department Community of Science Database GrantsNet 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 essential…   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”    Institutional Budget Requirements    Lead Time Required? Signatures Required? 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..... The Aftermath   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 Funding Opportunities  NIH - www.nih.gov  CRISP – Database of funded projects  http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/ http://www.csr.nih.gov/guidelines/r01.htm http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2000/10/12/1  NIH Review Criteria   Article: How to get NIH funding   NSF - www.nsf.gov  CAREER program  http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/start.htm  Engineering Division  http://www.nsf.gov/home/eng/ http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2000/07/06/8  Article: NSF grant writing  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/ http://www.research.umich.edu/proposals/PWG/pwgcontents.html Google search for articles Book – Research Proposals: A Guide to Success (Ogden and Goldberg)  Grant writing     Industry  SBIR mechanism (NSF, NIH) A Specific Example: Office of Naval Research (ONR)  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. 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/inf o_acous_awd.asp http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/engineering/333_mech anics/usea_uli.asp  Mechanics and Energy Conversion  ONR Funding       In general, ONR proposals are not peerreviewed. 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?