Locating and Choosing a Funding Source
A list of funding sources, including government agencies, foundations, associations, and research centers, is at the bottom of this page.
How do you and your organization maintain contact with your elected federal, state, and local government representatives? Their staff can provide invaluable guidance on navigating the government funding process and alert you to available grant funding opportunities.
Your government representatives may be able to introduce you to those who work at grant funding organizations or help monitor the progress of your proposal. As we mentioned in Unit 2, these local politicians may write a letter on your behalf, describe the good services your organization provides their constituents, or otherwise support your grant application.
Many campuses support faculty with internal grant programs. Using the California State University (CSU) as one example, these may include:
- Professional development, research, and creative activity grants
- Research seed money
- Travel funds allocated for particular events or to present at particular conferences
- Stipends to try new technologies or teaching strategies and study their impact on student learning
- Outstanding scholar awards
Information about these awards often comes from the Faculty Development Center, the campus foundation, or through departments or colleges themselves. In addition to these local campus awards, there are CSU system-wide monies available such as the Wang Award to support outstanding scholarship. In addition, each campus has an office dedicated to identifying and expanding opportunities for faculty to obtain external funding.
The office may have different names, such as Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Division of Research Affairs, or Grants, Research, and Sponsored Programs, but all have the same basic charge of supporting faculty and others who seek, apply for, and manage external funding for the work they do on campus. Various external funding is available from foundations, corporations, and professional organizations. Allocating the time to determine what is available is well worth the investment. Faculty members are expected to learn how to locate appropriate resources for their work.
Match Funding to the Research Purpose
Most funding agencies have a mission or goals they hope to accomplish, and they offer money to researchers to further these goals. The more the research project furthers those goals, the more likely it is to be funded. Read the guidelines from each agency carefully to avoid wasting time applying for funding from places where the work does not align with their objectives.
Match Funding to the Project Size
Generally small funding agencies provide support for small projects, large ones for large projects. Matching the size of a "suggested range" of proposals as described by the agency will increase the chances that a proposal is funded. Local or community agencies often offer smaller grants (under $10,000), regional agencies are likely to offer larger awards in the middle range ($10,000-$100,000), and national or international agencies are most likely to offer larger awards (over $100,000). There are exceptions to this general description, but if in doubt, it is best to contact the agency and ask about the average anticipated award amounts to be clear before applying.
Read the RFP Carefully
Granting agencies or organizations carefully spell out the types of projects they hope to fund. The closer a grant proposal meets the guidelines outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP), the more likely it will be funded. Take the time to make certain that the activities in the proposal meet all criteria, timelines, and purposes indicated. Missing details in the RFP or failing to follow all guidelines closely is a frequent reason proposals are not funded.
Grant Search Strategies
Agencies that provide grants for research activities make considerable effort to get the word out to appropriate individuals and institutions and encourage them to apply for support. Most campuses have departments or individuals dedicated to supporting faculty members as they apply for grants through the campus itself or an affiliated foundation. In addition to contacting these individuals on your campus, check with faculty professional development centers and campus administrators. Next, contact professional and governmental organizations since many offer grant monies. Most are listed on the Internet. Be sure to target these sources carefully to avoid wasting time following up on inappropriate sources with different goals and objectives than your own.
Examples of Funding Sources
Government Agency Funding
Grants.gov
Health and Human Services
This federal grants search site is the managing partner for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
This
site offers basics about the grant application process, lists types of
grants available, describes an overview of the peer review process, and
many other helpful details.
Grants and Contracts Website
Office of Science, US Department of Energy
This
site offers funding to colleges and universities, non-profit
organizations, for-profit commercial organizations, state and local
governments, and unaffiliated individuals.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA funds are
provided to researchers to address national problems and needs related
to agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and
communities.
Business Research Opportunities
Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health
This site provides a collection of funding opportunities for small business innovation.
Mathematical Sciences Program
National Security Agency
This
program was started in response to an urgent need for faculty in
mathematics and supports unclassified research in particular areas of
mathematics.
Foundation Funding
The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
This
foundation welcomes proposals from any of the natural, social, or human sciences that promise to increase understanding of
the causes, manifestations, and control of violence, aggression, and
dominance.
Spencer Foundation
The Foundation's research
grants are organized around broad topics of importance for educational
improvement: (1) relationship between education and social opportunity,
(2) organizational learning in schools, school systems, and higher
education, (3) teaching, learning, and instructional resources, and (4)
purposes and values of education.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Endowment sponsors programs around particular problems that evolve with changing needs.
Cancer and Leukemia Group B Clinical Scholar Award for CALGB Oncology Junior Faculty
The Cancer and Leukemia Group B Foundation
This grant is available to junior faculty studying particular innovations in cancer treatment.
Association Funding
AERA Grants Program
American Educational Research Association
With
support from the National Science Foundation, this research grants
program seeks to stimulate research on U.S. education issues using data
from large-scale national and international data sets. It supports quantitative projects that analyze existing data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), National Science Foundation (NSF), or other federal agencies.
American Federation for Aging Research
The major
goal of this program is to assist in the development of careers of
junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in aging
research. The site offers examples of promising areas of research.
Grants and Fellowships
American Sociological Association
The American Sociological Association offers several applied research grants and social policy fellowships in sociology.
International Funding
IREX
International Research & Exchanges Board
IREX offers a range of professional, scholarly research and small grant opportunities for international individuals.
World Oral Literature Project
University of Cambridge
This
site supports local communities and committed fieldworkers who collect oral literature by providing funding for original
research.
International Security & Foreign Policy Program
Smith Richardson Foundation
This
program supports junior faculty and doctoral students
researching American foreign policy, international relations,
international security, military policy, and diplomatic and military
history. These grants are offered annually.
Society Funding
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
This group
supports investigations of 1-5 years by experienced scientists
for basic or clinical research relevant to their mission.
Office of Research Listings
Funding Search Engines
Office of Research, University of California Riverside
This database is one example of how faculty members may find project funding.
Research Funding for New and Young Faculty
Sponsored Projects Office, University of California Berkeley
This site lists organizations and programs by field of study and deadlines and provides a synopsis of what the organization is looking for with their support.
Locating Funding
Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Relations, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
This site exemplifies how campuses organize and provide guidelines for possible funding sources.
Junior Faculty Research Grants and Career Development Awards
Health Sciences, University of Utah
This site lists many awards available for application only by junior faculty.
Grant Programs for Young Investigators
Office of Sponsored Research, University of New Hampshire
This chart is a compilation of a summary of programs designed to support young faculty with grant monies.
Centers of Research
Small Grants Competition
Center for Poverty Research, University of California at Davis
The
UC Davis Center for Poverty Research annually solicits proposals for
its Small Grants from junior faculty from all disciplines.
Source: Robin D. Marion, https://cdip.merlot.org/facultyresearch/LocateandChooseaFundingSource.html
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