http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/what-is-a-grant Grants are like venture capital. They enable individuals and institutions to make a leap forward in their work; they usually do not fund general operations. Unlike charitable gifts, grants represent an agreement between the funding agency and the principal investigator or project director to carry out the project as described in the proposal or grant application. Impartial peer reviewers and experienced program staff base their grants decisions strictly on the merits of the work, apart from any bias toward the principal investigator or his/her institution. A charitable gift often represents the esteem or loyalty of the donor; a grant signifies the informed approval of peers in the field. A grant has terms and conditions, which are enforceable, while donations generally do not. Grants are very competitive. They are never awarded to the mundane, uninspired, or parochial. A successful proposal is one that offers something new, refreshing, and enlightened and sufficiently convinces the funding agency of the ability of the project director to carry out the proposed project or program. The grant is a tangible vote of confidence from the funding community with the expectation that a new experimental design, innovative curriculum, faculty exchange, or K-12 partnership will provide measurable benefit to your discipline, the field of teaching, or the community. Grants are also different from contracts, which are a means of procurement for services. In federal contracts, the scope of work is defined by the agency, which then may retain the work product, as opposed to a grant in which the plan of work is proposed by the principal investigator who maintains control of the work product. http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/what-is-a-grant Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:50 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/why-is-grant-money-available Grants are a funding instrument through which federal agencies, private http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/why-is-grant-money-available Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:50 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/who-must-provide-internal-approval-for-my-proposal-and-how-long-does-that-process-take-grant-proposal-clearance Both the chairperson (if http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/who-must-provide-internal-approval-for-my-proposal-and-how-long-does-that-process-take-grant-proposal-clearance Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:50 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/do-i-have-to-have-a-funding-source-in-mind-or-do-i-just-need-an-idea Grantseekers do not need to http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/do-i-have-to-have-a-funding-source-in-mind-or-do-i-just-need-an-idea Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:50 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/how-do-i-find-out-about-grant-opportunities-in-my-discipline One of the best ways to locate funding opportunities is to talk to colleagues http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/how-do-i-find-out-about-grant-opportunities-in-my-discipline Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:51 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/who-actually-applies-for-the-grant--and-who-gets-the-money-when-the-grant-is-awarded In general, it is the institution that applies for grants and the president is the signatory on all grant proposals and applications. In the case of research proposals, however, the principal investigator (PI) is the applicant and if the PI leaves the institution, the research grant goes with him/her. Actual grant funds are always remitted to the College. In the vast majority of instances, agencies and private foundations will only make grants to IRS-designated, 501(c)3 organizations – that is, organizations that the Internal Revenue Service has determined to be private and not-for-profit. The exception, again, would be fellowships, which generally cover a researcher’s living costs at another institution. In those cases, funding flows through the College to the faculty member. http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/who-actually-applies-for-the-grant--and-who-gets-the-money-when-the-grant-is-awarded Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:51 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/where-can-i-get-advice-on-proposal-writing  The FGG staff has a combined 31 years of experience in proposal writing and project planning. In addition, proposal writing advice is plentiful on the Internet and in print sources. A small library of books is available in the FGG office. The FGG staff has reviewed the wealth of information available online and selected the best, listed in the Proposal Development section of this website. Much of this advice comes directly from experienced faculty and researchers who have been successful in applying to federal agencies and foundations. In the sciences in particular, researchers who have applied to the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have described the process and pitfalls in great detail. Their very specific advice is invaluable to first-time applicants. More general guidance is also available from the Foundation Center and the Grantsmanship Center. The Social Science Research Council offers advice for researchers in their fields and the Environmental Protection Agency provides one of the best interactive grantwriting sites, which includes a grantwriting exercise. Also, program officers from various federal agencies have written articles that give insight and advice from the perspective of program staff and reviewers.  http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/where-can-i-get-advice-on-proposal-writing Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:51 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/how-difficult-is-it-to-obtain-a-grant Grantseeking is competitive. Approval success rates vary. National Science http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/how-difficult-is-it-to-obtain-a-grant Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:52 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-decision-on-a-grant Four to six months is the http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-decision-on-a-grant Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:52 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/what-is-the-incentive-for-faculty-to-apply-for-grants The real incentive for http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/what-is-the-incentive-for-faculty-to-apply-for-grants Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:52 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/where-can-i-find-the-colleges-duns-or-employer-id-number-and-other-institutional-data-required-by-granting-agencies FGG will provide http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/where-can-i-find-the-colleges-duns-or-employer-id-number-and-other-institutional-data-required-by-granting-agencies Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:52 -0400 http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/who-has-ultimate-responsibility-for-the-management-of-grant-supported-projects-and-the-administration-of-a-grant The principal investigator http://www.stvincent.edu/fgg11/institutional_advancement/alumni/who-has-ultimate-responsibility-for-the-management-of-grant-supported-projects-and-the-administration-of-a-grant Mon, 05 May 2008 11:56:54 -0400