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FEBRUARY 9, 2011 SESSION 3 OF AAPLS – HOW TO FIND FUNDING AND READ AN RFA APPLICANTS & ADMINISTRATORS PREAWARD LUNCHEON SERIES Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

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Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal. February 9, 2011 Session 3 of AAPLS – How to Find Funding and Read an RFA Applicants & Administrators Preaward Luncheon Series. Goals for this Session. Funding Opportunity Databases - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

FEBRUARY 9, 2011

SESSION 3 OF AAPLS – HOW TO FIND FUNDING AND READ AN RFA

APPLICANTS & ADMINISTRATORS PREAWARD LUNCHEON SERIES

Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Page 2: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Goals for this Session

Funding Opportunity Databases Introduce you to funding opportunity databases and their

features.Provide illustrated guides to Tufts sponsored databases,

available for download at the AAPLS website.

Reading a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

Work through a sample Request for Applications (RFA) as a group, discussing how to find important information and best practices.

Provide Office of Proposal Development guide on how to read an RFA, available for download at the AAPLS website.

Page 3: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Introduction to Databases

• Funding opportunity databases are an efficient way of finding federal and non-federal funding for research.

• ResearchProfessional and Community of Science are among the databases subscribed to by Tufts.

• Use them to receive weekly digest emails of opportunities tailored to your research interests.

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Why Use Funding Opportunity Databases?

• Searching for funding through a database gives a wider view of available opportunities.

• They allow you to stay informed about the maximum number of opportunities with a small amount of initial effort.

• Search can be tuned to your specific interests and research activities.

Page 5: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Available Databases

Grants.govAll U.S. government federal funding opportunities are posted on Grants.gov. Those seeking federal funding should look here first.

Community of Science (COS)The Community of Science (COS) database allows researchers to search more than 25,000 records representing nearly 400,000 opportunities, worth over $33 billion.

ResearchProfessionalThis database includes every funding opportunity from the NIH, NSF and another 60+ federal agencies in the U.S., as well as private funding sources.

GrantsNetThis is a searchable database of funding opportunities in biomedical research and science education. It contains programs that offer training and research funding for graduate and medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty.  

Illinois Researcher Information Service (IRIS) Researchers may search the IRIS Database for funding opportunities in every field from agriculture to zoology, or view upcoming deadlines in 25 subject areas.

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How to Sign Up

• Easy to register and sign in.

• Once registered, searches can be saved using multiple keyword combinations.

• These searches can be re-accessed at any point.

• Any saved search can also be saved as a funding alert email.

Page 7: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Searching for Funding

• Searching for funding using a database involves looking for opportunities that match your research interests.

• You can search based on the topic of your research, as well as criteria such as budget, activities allowed, and residency requirements.

Page 8: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Email Alerts

• Email alerts come in an easy to read weekly digest, based on your keywords.

• Digest shows a snapshot of possible opportunities, with links to more information.

Page 9: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Notes About Databases

• You must be logged into a Tufts-networked computer to use any subscription-based database without a username. With a username, you may use the databases from anywhere.

• Subscriptions to multiple databases will cause some overlap, so remain subscribed to email alerts for those which you find have the best results for your work.

Page 10: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Example Search – ResearchProfessional

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Switching Gears

When you find a funding opportunity that looks promising, it’s time to review the funding announcement.

You may be asked to review Requests for Applications (RFA), Requests for Proposals (RFP) or Program Announcements (PA).

Every funding opportunity announcement is different, but the information that you need to know to successfully apply is consistent.

Page 14: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

How to Read an RFA

Reading a Funding Opportunity Announcement takes practice. You must read it like a lawyer.

Key is to know what basic types of information to look for in any funding opportunity announcement.

Investigators and Administrative Staff often have different perspectives while reading an RFA.

Non-Program related information may not be found within the RFA, but instead in supplementary documents.

What do I do if the instructions are not clear?

Page 15: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

What to Look For

1. Initial Questions: Deadlines Letters of intent Eligibility Limited submissions

Page 16: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

What to Look For

2. Program Description: Agency’s objectives Agency’s vision Help documents.

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What to Look For

3. Document Specification: Page limits Fonts & margins Headers & footers Submission method

Page 18: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

What to Look For

4. Budget: Budget caps Number of awards expected Cost-sharing Time commitment Format Specific costs required Indirect costs Constraints on allocation of funds Sub-awards Effort Budget justification

Page 19: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

What to Look For

5. Narrative Structure: Required sections Required or suggested subheadings Organization Language that reflects the agency mission

and FOA Required tables or figures.

Page 20: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

What to Look For

6. Review Criteria: Identify the criteria reviewers will use to

evaluate the proposal

Page 21: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

What to Look For

7. Special Sections Required: Identify all required sections aside from the

main narrative (i.e. biographical sketches, resources, human subjects)

Required letters of support or collaboration Appendix materials

Page 22: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Further Questions

Discuss the application with your Department Manager or Grant Administrator

Learn which colleagues have successfully applied for similar grants and use them as resources

Contact program officers at agencies.

Page 23: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Additional Tips

Always check for updates to an RFA. Both federal and non-federal funders often issue updates after an RFA is released.

Remember to check the funder’s proposal guide for additional key information on page limits, fonts, etc.

When reviewing a funding opportunity announcement, check funder databases to see who has been funded previously using this mechanism. This can give you great insight into whether your work is a good fit.

Page 24: Module B: Developing a Successful Proposal

Have Questions?

Office of Proposal Development

grantwriting.tufts.edu

[email protected]