The Nuts and Bolts of Research Funding

1. The Nuts and Bolts of Research Funding Alicia J. Knoedler, CRA, PhD Assistant Vice President for Research Director, Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment

2. Overview • Your instructor • Why do I need grant money? • Types of Grant Funding • Sources of Grant Funding • How do I get grant money? • Searching for Funding Opportunities • Grant Terminology • Grant Writing • Questions/Discussion

3. Alicia J. Knoedler, CRA, PhD • Associate Vice President for Research • Director, Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment • PhD (1996) in Cognitive Psychology from Purdue University • CRA – Certified Research Administrator (2004) • Taught Research Methods and Statistics for 8 years • Grant writer and proposal development specialist for over 9 years • Nitpicky perfectionist for over 35 years • Specialty – knowledge of government, military, and private foundation funding for training programs, basic science, multidisciplinary research, and applied science

4. Why Do I Need Grant Money? • Because I need it…. • You need what grant money can buy to do your innovative, cutting edge research and/or programs • Building a record of funding • May be a criterion for employment, tenure/promotion • May need it to pay your salary • Will make you a more competitive job candidate • Prestige • Respect • Funds for discretionary spending

5. Why Do I Need Grant Money? • Just Say No! • Government Grant Funds will • not* pay for… • Books or other publications • Professional Society • Memberships • Lab Refreshments • Travel from home to lab • Furniture for the lab • Equipment that is not • research-project related • Express mail (fed-ex) • Personal computers • There are always exceptions – the • key is “project-related” • Graduate Students • Stipend/Summer salary • Tuition • Materials (incl. Equipment) • Project-Related Travel • Subject payments • Access to equipment • Undergraduate Research Assistants

6. Why Do I Need Grant Money? • Postdoctoral Fellows/Trainees • All those items listed previously, and… • Graduate and Undergraduate Research Assistants • Faculty • All the items listed previously, and… • Funds for Graduate Research Assistants and Postdocs (especially stipends and tuition) • Project-Related Collaborator Travel and Communication • Salary in academic year buys course releases • Project-Related Equipment

7. Types of Grant Funding • Grant • vs. Fellowship • vs. Contract • vs. Cooperative Agreement • vs. Award • vs. Gift • vs. Scholarship • Types of Grants • Research grant • Travel grant • Conference grant • Curriculum development grant • Collaborative grant • Dissertation grant • Postdoctoral grant • External vs. internal

8. Sources of Grant Funding • Government - $$$ • Military - $$$ • Corporations - $$ • Foundations - $ to $$$ • Organizations - $ • Internal Funds (available at the university) - $ • The availability of these funds depends on the match between the grant program and the proposed project

9. How do I get grant money? • Determine why you need grant money • Determine how much you need • Find grant/funding opportunities that fit the two issues above as well as fit your project idea/topic • Apply for that grant/funding • Develop a unique, innovative, and fundable project idea • Get as much advice and assistance as you can when applying for a grant • Expect to be turned down many times before success!!!!! • Get the funds, spend them wisely, and apply for more grants

10. How do I get grant money? • Graduate Students • First and second-year students • NSF Graduate Research Fellowships (www.nsf.gov/grfp) • Post-comps, pre-dissertation • NIH National Research Service Awards – Predoctoral (F31) • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-108.html- Individual (general) • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-109.html- Diversity based • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-107.html - MD/PhD students (F30) • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-211.html - for graduate students in nursing • Others at: http://grants.nih.gov/training/F_files_nrsa.htm • NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants - www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13453 (SBE serves as an example) • Spencer Foundation, Dissertation Fellowships for Research Related to Education - http://www.spencer.org/content.cfm/dissertation-fellowships-in-education-program • American Association of University Women (AAUW), Dissertation Fellowships- http://www.act.org/aauw/amdissert/ • Several others depending on disciplines • Check with your discipline’s professional society for other possibilities (APA; SPSSI; IEEE; etc.)

11. How do I get grant money? • Postdoctoral Fellows/Trainees • NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-110.html • NIH Pathway to Independence (PI) Award (K99/R00) - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-063.html • NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships and Supporting Activities – http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13454 • Minority Fellowship Program (APA) - http://www.apa.org/mfp/ • National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program - http://www.lrp.nih.gov/about/extramural/index.htm • NIH Post-Doctoral Visiting Fellow Program - http://www.training.nih.gov/postdoctoral/vf.asp • NIH Postdoctoral Research & Training Opportunities (Intramural or at NIH campuses) - http://www.training.nih.gov/postdoctoral/pdopps.asp • There are other opportunities that may be discipline specific or population specific (Ford Foundation Minority Postdoc)

12. How do I get grant money? • Faculty • Individual or Collaborative grants for basic science -> NSF, NIH, DOE, NASA, DOD, DARPA, Foundations, some Industry, etc. • Large Collaborative Programs/Centers for basic or translational science –> NSF, NIH, etc., Foundations • Training grants for graduate students and postdocs –> NIH, NSF, etc. • Applied and/or contract research –> Military, Corporations • Seed/Pilot Funds –> Internal to institutions • Sabbatical Funds –> Foundations, perhaps some government sponsors (depends on the discipline) • Funds to complete a book -> NEH, SSRC, Foundations (depends on the discipline)

13. Searching for Funding Opportunities • Community of Science - http://fundingopps.cos.com/cgi-bin/fo2/search • Grants.gov - Find - http://www.grants.gov/applicants/find_grant_opportunities.jsp • Grants Net - AAAS - http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding?CFID=18956&CFTOKEN=20417659 • Foundation Finder (from the Foundation Center) - http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/foundfinder/ • Grantsline (at Notre Dame) - http://grantsline.nd.edu/ • Database, UC Riverside - http://or.ucr.edu/RD/SearchOr.aspx • Large list of others: http://opd.tamu.edu/funding-opportunities

14. Searching for Funding Opportunities • Lists of Funding Opportunities – Arts and Humanities focused • http://isla.nd.edu/for-faculty/external-funding/search-for-funding/ • http://humanities.osu.edu/studentinfo/grads/gradexternalfunding.cfm • http://www.grad.washington.edu/students/fa/calendar.shtml • http://www.la.psu.edu/CLA-Deans_Area/research/calendar.htm • http://resfacil.msu.edu/groups/FundingHumArtsRes/wiki/1e59c/Arts_and_Humanities_by_Category.html

15. Searching for Funding Opportunities • Graduate Student Focused: • University of Notre Dame - https://apps.nd.edu/gfs/index.cfm?Main.Search • Cornell - http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/?p=132 • Michigan State: http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3gradinf.htm • Harvard: http://gsasgrants.fas.harvard.edu/ggg.cgi • UCLA: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/grapes/search.asp • Purdue: https://ias.itap.purdue.edu/rgs/wfd_funding.Search_form • University of Maryland: http://www.arhu.umd.edu/graduate/fellowships/database • Columbia: http://www.ais.columbia.edu/sws/gsas/search.php • Yale: http://studentgrants.yale.edu/search.asp and http://bin.yale.edu/~etb6/fdb-index.html

16. Grants Alerts • Community of Science • National Science Foundation: https://service.govdelivery.com/service/multi_subscribe.html?code=USNSF&custom_id=823 • National Institutes of Health: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm and http://www.nih.gov/Subscriptions.htm • Grants.gov: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription.jsp

17. Grant Terminology • Sponsor • PI = Principal Investigator • Co-I or Co-PI = co-Investigator * • Postdoctoral Fellow (senior personnel) • Research Associate (senior personnel) • Research Assistant (senior personnel) • Consultant • Subcontractor • Prime or lead institution • Percent effort

18. Questions so far…

19. Grant Terminology • Budget Terminology • Direct costs • Salary (AY [sabbatical and course release] and summer) • Fringe benefits (the AY and Summer rates) • Other direct costs • Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) • Indirect costs (aka Facilities and Administrative or F&A costs) – rates vary by institution and type and location of research • Total costs = direct costs + indirect costs • Unallowable costs • Cost sharing – asking the institution to split costs with the funding agency

20. Characteristics of a Fundable Idea • Has some outcome – solves a problem, takes an innovative approach, fills in gaps in known outcomes, will inform policy and/or procedures, commercial application, etc. • Is motivated by sound theory • Advances theory • Can be realistically executed (has rational plans) • Has been thoroughly considered • Inspires enthusiasm from PI and reviewers • Fits a general funding program type • Has specific goals or aims • Balances risk and success • Fits the sponsor’s priorities

21. Common Grant Sections/Questions • All grant applications are different, but you can create some of your own boilerplate language to use over and over again • Describe your prior research experience • Describe your short-term research goals • Describe your long-term career goals • Describe your current project and expected outcome • Details are important • Show some thought, planning • Get feedback from experienced writers and reviewers

22. Common Grant Sections/Questions • Goals – What are goals? • My goal is to earn a PhD and take a job as an assistant professor at a research institution • My goal is to improve my methodology skills by taking additional courses during my training • SMART Goals • S = Specific (who, what, when, why, which, why) • M = Measurable • A = Attainable • R = Realistic • T = Tangible • Your goals can never be stated too specifically • Goals vs Objectives vs Aims

23. Tips for Successful Grant Writing Three Common Problems… • LACK OF LOGICAL THOUGHT AND COMMUNICATION • NOT FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS • MISSING THE BIG PICTURE

24. Typical Sections of a Grant Proposal • Cover Page (Face Page, cover letter, etc.) • Abstract (Summary, description) • Table of Contents • Research Plan (project description, narrative) – structure varies by program/agency • Timeline or work plan • Listing of personnel and their effort on the project • Biosketches (vita, resumes) • Prior research or project funding (current and pending support, other support) • Budget and budget justification • Facilities and Resources • Appendices (attachments)

25. Proposal Process and Getting Help • Decide to pursue external funding • Find funding opportunity (trouble, contact crpde@ou.edu) • Decide to complete a proposal – complete an OU Infosheet (http://research.ou.edu/proposal/infosheet/infotype/InfoMain_2008.asp) • Need help in planning and developing proposal content and/or would like someone to read and give comments – contact crpde@ou.edu • Office of Research Services (ORS) will contact you about budget, forms, deadlines and other requirements • Submit proposal early and wait 3-6 months for a decision • If you receive a grant, ORS will assist • If you do not receive a grant, CRPDE can help you by going over your reviews with you and planning a revision

26. Why you need help… • To compete with all of this:

27. Tips for Successful Grant Writing • Understand how time, money, and project scope of work all work together • Be flexible - If you want grant money, you need to figure out how to tweak your research ideas/approach to get it • Market your project to the appropriate agency/agencies • Know current priorities for funding agencies • Read the guidelines and find help to understand them • Don’t assume that you know everything, even after you have 20 years of continuous funding (rules change fast) • Spend your money wisely, guided by what you proposed • Go for grants rather than contracts (contracts have more restrictions) • Revisions – respect reviewer comments and address them • Start small and build

28. Tips for Successful Grant Writing • Start early on grants/proposals – VERY EARLY • Make friends with a good research/ grants administrator • Develop collaborative relationships among colleagues • Develop a sequential plan for funding that includes independent and collaborative research • Publish and otherwise become well-known in your field • Expect (and do what is necessary) to obtain a strong record of funding OVER TIME • Seek internal funding to get projects started or to start new lines of research • Get to know program officers who manage the programs to which you will apply • Get feedback whenever and wherever you can on your grant proposals • Be persistent and don’t give up; persistence pays off

29. Questions/Discussion

30. Contacts • CRPDE – http://crpde.ou.edu • Alicia Knoedler, Director • aknoedler@ou.edu • Cindy Clark, Center Administrator • cgclark@ou.edu • crpde@ou.edu • Office of Research Services - http://research.ou.edu/