Graduate Funding Information Center The Graduate School

1. Identifying Funding Sources:How to Search for Funding Opportunities for Graduate Research and Study Graduate Funding Information Center The Graduate School 307 Bynum Hall Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. gfic@unc.edu

2. Topics for Today • Funding fundamentals • Tips for researching funding opportunities • Tools: • Funding databases • Setting up funding alert service/s • Funding guides and print resources • Awards made and expertise resources • Funding agencies • Proposal writing help

3. Funding Fundamentals • Start early • Plan ahead for your long-term funding needs • Be aware of lengthy turnaround times • Use a variety of resources, including print, electronic, and especially people • Become familiar with sponsors in your field • Check for funding offered by your department, professional organization, honor society, and other affiliation groups PDF Handout: Funding Fundamentals

4. Tips for Researching Funding Opportunities • Look for funders with a good fit - identify their goals or needs • Widen your search - look at the larger field and approach your work from different perspectives • Brainstorm broad and specific keywords • Categories that apply to yourself • Types of awards sought PDF Handout: Tips for Researching Funding Opportunities

5. Graduate Funding Information Center http://gradfunding.web.unc.edu

6. Funding Databases • COS Pivot Funding Opportunities Database • Large, multi-disciplinary funding database – search, create accounts, receive alerts • Carolina Internal Funding Database • Information on funding provided by or administered by UNC-Chapel Hill • Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database • Free database of graduate and postdoctoral funding opportunities compiled by UCLA

7. Funding Alerts, Guides, and Print Resources • Funding Alert Services • Sponsor-specific alerts • Subject-specific alerts • Funding Guides • General guides for graduate students • Discipline- and population-specific funding lists • Print Resources at GFIC • Money for Graduate Students series • Financial Aids for Special Populations series Handout: Selected Major Fellowships for Graduate Students

8. Funders and Funded • Databases of Awards Made • Used to find out who and what was actually funded • Faculty Expertise • Information on research activities of faculty • Funding Agencies • Links to important sponsor information

9. Proposal Writing Resources • Successful Proposals Collection • Carolina graduate students’ successful proposals • General online proposal writing guides • “Grantsmanship in Support of Study or Research: Writing a Fellowship Proposal or Statement of Purpose,” chapter 5 of Scholarly Pursuits, Harvard • Contains sample proposals, cover letters, biographical statements, CVs, and more • Funder or field-specific proposal writing guides • NIH and NSF graduate resources • Guides for grads in the humanities and sciences

10. Thank You! • Start early • Think broadly • Work your resources • Gather information • Strategize Please take a moment to tell us how we did.