YOU. US. INDY.

MARCH 30-APRIL 2

CELEBRATING90 YEARS!Grant Writing:

Reinvent Your Approach to Supporting

Research & ProjectsMegan Drangstveit | Michigan State University

Wednesday, April 2, 2014 | 9:45-10:45 a.m.

Sponsored Program: Commission for Academic Affairs

Administrators

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Introductions

Megan Drangstveitmdrangst@msu.edu

Doctoral StudentHigher, Adult & Lifelong Educationhttp://www.education.msu.edu/ead/HALE/default.asp

Graduate AssistantInstitute for Research on Teaching & Learninghttp://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad

Audience members…

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Program Description

Identifying and securing funding and resources within higher

education can mean the difference between a program

continuing or ending, or a dissertation being completed on time,

if at all. Understanding how to find appropriate funding

opportunities, compose grant applications, and successfully

secure funding or alternative resources for research and

projects is a skill that can be helpful no matter one's position.

This session aims to assist graduate students and higher

education / student affairs practitioners in exploring the world of

grants and external funding and cultivating creative resources.

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Learning Objectives

1. Learn about grants.

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Learning Objectives

1. Learn about grants and grant writing in general.

2. Identify resources to find appropriate funding and refine grant applications.

3. Consider alternative support for research.

Keywords• Academic Affairs• Professional Preparation

Professional Outcomes• Human and Organizational

Resources• Assessment, Evaluation, &

Research (AER)

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What is IRTL?

Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning – Doctoral Student Support, College of Education, Michigan State University• Resource for education doctoral students

– K-12 admin; higher, adult & lifelong ed (higher ed admin); curriculum, instruction & teacher ed; ed policy; kinesiology; math ed; ed psych & ed tech; rehab counselor ed; school psych; special ed; measurement & quant methods

• Workshops and other activities• Overview, writing, budgets, Responsible Conduct of Research,

etc.• Sessions for groups and classes• Sample proposals and budgets on the website• One-on-one consultation• Budgeting, text review

• http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad

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MSU Librarieshttp://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad

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Audience Poll (think, pair, share)

1. What are grants?

2. Does anyone have grant experience (writing, reviewing, etc.)?

3. What types of things are you hoping to fund?

4. Where would you expect to look for funding?

5. What assumptions do you have about the external funding process?

6. What questions did you hope to have addressed today?

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GETTING STARTED

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What role can grants play in my career?

• Funding agencies exist to advance research and/or practice within an area.

• Grants can be used for training, travel, work buy-outs, supplies, hourly staff, tuition, graduate assistantships.

• Funds can be used to complete a dissertation, create/sustain a program, or conduct small research projects.

• Foundations are required to spend their funds.

• Start small, “earn” your way up to larger awards.

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Grant-funded programs on campus

Programs focused on:• Leadership• Access/recruitment• Retention• Supporting specific communities/populations• Volunteering/community engagement• Health/wellness• Training• Tutoring

• What examples come to mind of grant-funded programs?

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A littleplanning

An excitingidea

A support network

Why Not?

• If you're seeking funding for your dissertation, you will do or have already done (most of) the work.

• Grant writing skills are valued no matter your role.

Turning your idea into a competitive grant proposal takes:

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Target the proposal at the intersection:

Moneyresearch funding is available

Eligibilityyou're ready

and meet requirements

Fityour research interests map

to RFP

Timea competitive proposal can

be written in the time available

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Money

Internal Funding External Funding• Your department / college

/ program• Research entities on

campus (grant administration, other departments)

• Institution-wide opportunities

• Databases• Regional foundations• Professional

organizations & associations

• Government entities

… is there research funding available?

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Eligibility …are you ready?

Early Stage funds tuition and fees, as well as a stipend for living for early doctoral students.

Predissertation funds research and experiences that aid research, such as travel, language study, and supplies.

Dissertation funds research and experiences that aid research, such as language study, travel, supplies, facility use, and/or stipend for living after the defense of dissertation proposal to completion.

Write-Up tuition and fees, stipend for living expenses to concentrate mostly or only on writing and completing the dissertation.

Postdoctoral funds opportunities towards the development of an academic career.

OR:

Research or Project Grants

To fund project creation, operation, and/or research activities

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Eligibility

…do you meet the sponsor's requirements?

• Citizenship?

• Comprehensive exams and/or coursework complete?

• Dissertation proposal defense complete?

• Full-time employee vs. faculty member vs. student?

• Faculty advisor's “OK”

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Fit

…does your project match the funder's goals and priorities?

Many sponsors have websites with helpful information:• What are the sponsor's goals and priorities? What have

they funded in the past?• What is their program focus?

population? method? Issue?• Who can I contact for information

for assistance, guidance, or advice?• What are the review criteria?• Do they have sample proposals?

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Time

... can a competitive proposal be written in the time available?

• Start early.• Assess your timeline.

– When will you complete doctoral program requirements? collect data? conduct analysis? write up?

– Can your continue operations until funding would be received?

• Do you have time to complete the application?• How long does it take for a decision? When will the funds

become available?• Can you reapply?

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FIND FUNDERS

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Google can be helpful, but there are better resources out there.

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And, it is unlikely that someone will walk up to you and hand you cash.

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Search in the right places

Start local

• Talk to faculty members, people on campus with similar

interests, supervisors, colleagues, those who work in

grant-funded programs.

• Talk with your librarians. MSU Libraries: Jon Harrison

–http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm

• Consider any on-campus funding search resources.

• Focus on community organizations or other entities located

in your area.

• IRTL Selected Funding Opportunities

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Search in the right places

Other people of interest may include:• Grant administrators• Statisticians or those in charge of databases• Budget staff• Development/Fundraising/Advancement staff• Outreach office• Technology staff (data management, resources,

etc..)

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MSU Libraries

MSU Librarian Jon Harrison’s

resource page:

http://staff.lib.msu.edu/

harris23/grants/index.htm

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Search in the right places

Databases (institutional/personal subscription may be required)

• Foundation Center (http://foundationcenter.org)

– Foundation Directory Online Professional

– Foundation Grants to Individuals Online

– Foundation Directory Free (https://fdo.foundationcenter.org)

– GrantSelect (http://www.grantselect.com)

• GuideStar (http://www.guidestar.org)

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Know relevant agencies & associations

• Government databases & agencies

• Government databases (e.g. grants.gov)

• Government agencies (NSF, NIH, etc..)

Links to specific organizations/associations are on the next slide

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Links for agencies & associations

• AAUW - http://www.aauw.org• ACLS - http://www.airweb.org/• ACPA - http://www.myacpa.org• ACUHO-I - http://www.acuho-i.org/• AERA -

http://www.aera.net/default.aspx• AIR - http://www.airweb.org/• ASHE - http://www.ashe.ws• Boren - http://www.borenawards.org• Doris Duke - http://www.ddcf.org• Ed.gov - http://www.ed.gov• ETS - http://www.ets.org/research• Ford Foundation -

http://www.fordfoundation.org/• Fulbright -

http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright/

• IRA - http://www.reading.org• NACADA - http://nacada.ksu.edu• NACA - https://www.naca.org/• NAFSA - http://www.nafsa.org• NASPA - http://www.naspa.org• NIH - http://nih.gov• NSF - http://www.nsf.gov• Spencer -

http://www.spencer.org/content.cfm/fellowship-awards

• SSRC - http://www.ssrc.org• SSSP - http://www.ssspresearch.org• Wenner-Gren -

http://www.wennergren.org• Woodrow Wilson -

http://woodrow.org

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Learn grant cycles

• Grants and other funding sources typically follow a regular cycle.

• Plan ahead so you can prepare your materials on time, rather than waiting (perhaps a year) until the next deadline.

Fall

Spring

Summer

Sept: APA, AERA, Fulbright, NSF

Oct: Spencer, IRA, NSF

Nov: AAUW, SSRC, IRA, Ford, Wenner-Gren, AERA, ETS, AIR

Dec: AAUW, Boren, ETS

June: Fulbright

Jan: AIR, AERA, APA, NSF, SSRC

Feb: ETS, NSF, JKCooke

Apr: NSF

May: Wenner-Gren

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Select Dissertation Funding Opportunities Related to Higher Education Topics• AERA Dissertation Grants• Fulbright Programs• National Academy of Education / Spencer Dissertation Award• Woodrow Wilson Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in Women's Studies• Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship• NACADA Academic Advising Research Support Grant• AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program in Education Research• Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship• American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowships• Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship• Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowships• Dr. Susan R. Komives Research Award• ACPA Research Grants

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From Students:

“My ability to apply to highly relevant funding sources made my application stand out.”

“I'm in the process of finding grants that fit my needs. This is hard to do! The most challenging aspect of writing a winning grant is finding a granting agency that is open to the kind of work I'm doing.”

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Questions to consider

• Who cares about your research question?• Who cares about / owns your dataset?• Who cares about your population / sample (age, gender, etc)?• Are there funders who are focused on your location?• Who cares about your methods?• What organizations (professional, non-profit, foundation,

government, etc) share your focus area, even if in another discipline?

Funding may exist from sources outside of traditional streams for your discipline.

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Quick sharing / check-in

• Talk with your neighbors about any resources for identifying funding opportunities you have used, expect to use, think exist, or doubt exist on your own campuses.

• Who can you identify as a possible resource / connection to learning more?

• Other questions you have so far…?

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PREPARE PROPOSALS

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“There is no amount of grantsmanship that will turn a bad idea into a good one, but there are many ways to disguise a good one.”

WILLIAM RAUBFORMERDeputy Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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Typical Components of a Grant Application

• Descriptive Title• Abstract / Summary• Overview / Narrative• Significance• Plan of work• Background / Bibliography / Literature review• Previous experience or preliminary data• Applicant / Environment narrative / Personal statement• Budget• Completion schedule• Letters of recommendation

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Review Process

• The NIH has wonderful videos available which give a glimpse into the reviewing process. These videos are helpful, even for those not considering NIH funding.

• NIH Peer Review• What Happens to Your NIH

Grant Application• NIH Tips for Applicants

http://public.csr.nih.gov/aboutcsr/contactcsr/pages/contactorvisitcsrpages/nih-grant-review-process-youtube-videos.aspx

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Reviewers

• Accomplished, dedicated, knowledgeable,

conscientious

• Possibly past recipients of grants from the

agency, or associated with it

• Reviewing large stacks of proposals thoroughly

and quickly

• Overcommitted and overworked, very tired

• Underpaid for their efforts (@ the meeting itself)

• Inherently skeptical and overly critical

• Looking for the easiest way to get the job done

well

• Foundation family members

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Reviewers

• Keep in mind that the reviewers may not be in your same discipline / functional area.

• Write clearly in a way that is accessible to non-academics.

• Grab their attention right away – title, intro sentence, etc.• Websites may provide information on past/current

reviewers. Use this knowledge to inform your writing.• Complete your application with the review process in

mind. Use the rubric, if available.

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Reviewers

• Talk to colleagues about any past experiences as reviewers. – What did they look for? – What impressed them? – What were basic mistakes they saw? – How did they evaluate proposals with others from

different specializations?• If possible, take advantage of opportunities to serve as a

reviewer for grants, awards, etc. within your field.

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Some practical advice…

• Start early. Give yourself plenty of time to write a competitive proposal and revise, revise, revise.

• Examples. Read successful proposals.

• Feedback. Have people within and outside of your field review your application. If your colleagues tell you something is unclear – trust them. Contact program officers for clarification.

• Writing. Use clear language. Write simple and direct sentences. Use vivid verbs, avoid too many adjectives. Use repetition and parallel construction; do not substitute synonyms for repeated terms. Grab the reviewer's attention. Avoid jargon.

• Great idea. Have a compelling idea that advances the science and is reasonable to achieve.

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Some practical advice…

• Match. Ensure your project matches the funding announcement AND the agency's mission.

• Follow the instructions. Read them. Read them again. Have someone else read them. Check that you are reading the most recent instructions. Font size. Margins. Page/word/character limits. Figures. Appendices. Headings.

• Use the rubric. Understand how your proposal will be evaluated and follow the instructions.

• Clean. No typos or grammatical errors allowed. Follow the requested format.

• Budget. Reasonable and accurate.

• On time. Submit early even, just not late.

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Attention to Detail Matters

Good ideas are not enough – grant writing is the fine art of assembling a persuasive narrative that convinces reviewers to fund your idea, and not other people's ideas!

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Words of advice from students:

What do you believe are the most challenging aspects of grant writing?• Writing concisely. • Relating relevance to a general audience.• Be prepared to write 8+ drafts of your proposal.• Making my proposal more focused and concise, and

making it accessible to people outside of my area of expertise.

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The Only Instruction for Success:

Carefully read and follow ALL of the current/correct

application instructions!

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Other Research Support

• Office space• Locked cabinet• Copying / printing• Transcription services• Computer access• Audio / video recording

devices• Data storage on network /

cloud storage• Telephone access

• Transportation / parking• Posting signs / soliciting

participants• Food or snacks for

participants or self• Administrative support• Software (purchase, training)• Wi-Fi passwords / system

username• Existing datasets

What may be some other means of support?

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Other Support

What may be some other ways to extend your (limited) budget?• Itemized tax return? Be sure to include non-reimbursed

business expenses (conference travel, etc).• Credit cards with flight/cash rewards (maintain $0 monthly

balance carrying over).• Sell your skills – event planning, editing, etc. on the side.• Partner with others – hotel rooms, transportation, events.• Travel grants – department/institution, graduate organization.• Union benefits – professional development funds, training.

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Create Your Support Network

You

Research Administration

Staff

Colleagues & Friends

Advisor / Supervisor

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Words of Advice from Students

“Obtaining funding is hard! Don't get discouraged when the first one (or two) don't yield anything fruitful.”

“Spend the time you want to agonize about starting an application working on the application. Doing it will help you learn how to do it.”

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Quick Check In

• Can you name any experiences or responsibilities that have similar processes, tasks, or expectations?

• What related skills do you already possess?

• What creative ways can you think of to support your research/practice?

• Think about:

– What do you want to fund?

– Where can you find funding?

– Who can be part of your support network?

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Select Resources

Carlson, M., & O'Neal-McElrath, T. (2011). Winning grants step by step, third edition.

Jossey-Bass.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database:

http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/grapes/search.asp

Grant Writers’ Seminars and Workshops. (2014). Write winning grant proposals.

Harrison, J. (2012). Grants and related resources. MSU Libraries. Reference Librarian

Jon Harrison http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm

Kraicer, J. (1997). The art of grantsmanship. University of Toronto.

Michigan State University. (2014). Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning.

http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/

Pzreworski, A., & Salomon, F. (1998). On the art of writing proposals.

Brooklyn: Social Science Research Council. (free link)

Texas A&M University. (2006). The craft of grant writing.

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Additional Proposal Writing Resources

• IRTL list of resources at MSU: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/search.asp

• Getting Inside the Grant Process workshop series (also linked from our website)

• Part 1: Dissertation Funding Opportunities: http://www.slideshare.net/irtl

/getting-inside-the-grant-process-funding-your-dissertation

• Part 2: Budget Preparation for Research Projects: http://www.slideshare.net/

irtl

/michigan-state-university-college-of-education-institute-for-research-on-teaching-and-learning-budget-basics

• Part 3: Grant Proposal Writing:

http://www.slideshare.net/irtl/getting-inside-the-grant-process-part-3-grant-proposal-writing

• Planning your proposal: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/plan.asp

• Budget Creation: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/budget.asp

• Writing your proposal: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/write.asp

• Advice from Dr. Kris Renn: http://vimeo.com/39357523

• Advice from Mike DeSchryver: http://vimeo.com/39357524

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Select Resources

• MSU Libraries – Jon Harrison: – http://staff.lib.msu.edu

/harris23/grants/index.htm

– Grants for Individuals– National / Michigan /

Lansing Area / International & Foreign Grant Makers

– Newsletters, blogs, books, other resources.

• IRTL Resources List:– http://education.msu

.edu/irtl/grad/search.asp

– IRTL Resources– MSU Resources– Funder Resources– Funder Databases– Resources from

Other Institutions

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Please Rate This Session in Guidebook

1. Find this session in Guidebook

2. Scroll to bottom and click on “Rate this session”

3. Complete Session Feedback Form

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Questions?

Megan Drangstveitmdrangst@msu.edu

Institute for Research on Teaching and LearningMichigan State University, College of Education

http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad

Thank You!

YOU. US. INDY.

MARCH 30-APRIL 2

CELEBRATING90 YEARS!