Practicum:
Taking Your Project
to a Grant Agency
Katherine Arens
Germanic Studies, UT
This PowerPoint available at:
http://www.texas.edu/courses/arens
1. FIND GRANTS
• Visit The Hogg Foundation Library (Lake
Austin Blvd), which will work with you to
develop funding sources.
1. FIND GRANTS
• Visit The Hogg Foundation Library (Lake
Austin Blvd), which will work with you to
develop funding sources.
• Join your professional organization(s) -newsletters announce grants in area(s)
1. FIND GRANTS
• Visit The Hogg Foundation Library (Lake
Austin Blvd), which will work with you to
develop funding sources.
• Join your professional organization(s) -newsletters announce grants in area(s)
• If you qualify for a grant you can't afford to
take, don't forget the International Fee
Scholarship awards, which can help supplement
foreign awards (Study Abroad Office)
2. SELECT THE TARGET
AGENCY/IES WITH CARE
• Match your work to the funding priorities
and resources of the agency.
• A preliminary phone call often saves work;
many funding entities help with drafts
• CALL THEIR OFFICES -- they'd rather
talk for 10 minutes than sort 5 lbs. of paper.
3. Tailor the proposal
TO THAT AGENCY.
BE SURE YOU INCLUDE:
• a clear statement of the focus and content of
your work accessible to outsiders (most
grant entities use peer reviewers, which
means you cannot be guaranteed specialist
readers)
3. Tailor the proposal
TO THAT AGENCY.
BE SURE YOU INCLUDE:
• a description of unique features of your
proposed work -- what distinguishes it from
other work in the field (your need
argument)
3. Tailor the proposal
TO THAT AGENCY.
BE SURE YOU INCLUDE:
• a statement of the relevance of the work:
– in the social sciences, address the funding
agency and its public benefit
– -in the humanities, tell outsiders "what it's good
for"
3. Tailor the proposal
TO THAT AGENCY.
BE SURE YOU INCLUDE:
• a timetable -- what preliminary work is
done, what will be accomplished during the
grant period, in what order must tasks be
undertaken (and under what conditions)
when will the project be completed (and in
what form -- book, report . . . ?)
3. Tailor the proposal
TO THAT AGENCY.
BE SURE YOU INCLUDE:
• a statement of the relevance of the funding
to the completion of the work (tie into
timetable and state of the art, as well): this
includes any pre-commitments you have on
publication or public presentation of results,
any other funding sources who will
contribute
3. Tailor the proposal
TO THAT AGENCY.
BE SURE YOU INCLUDE:
• If you are applying for a grant abroad (e.g.
Fulbright), be sure to stress why you can't
do your project in residence in the US, and
then explain clearly what you'll bring back
to the US, as a future teacher/researcher.
4. Watch mechanics:
• neatness and legibility (NO FUNNY FONTS, OR ODD
PAPER )
• correct and consistent reference style
• readability -- does the eye of the reader know where to find
information in the middle of a review panel discussion
(i.e., use subtitles or section heads to set off information;
include a clear table of contents (sections and
subsections) on
longer proposals
• suitability -- watch vita-padding, vitae or resumes that do
not "fit" the look of the funding agency (particularly for
interdisciplinary projects)
5. Grants & Professional
Profiles
• Your grant-getting strategy is part of your
professional development
• Applying for grants shows professionalism -- even
small grants impact your vita. Small grants
leverage into big grants.
• First grants are the hardest to get U
• Use small grants as "seed money" to impress
larger agencies
• request comments from boards, read and reapply
NOTE ON EXPECTIONS:
• If you get full-year release time grants,
your vita should show results (publications,
presentations, developments) or you will
have difficulty getting subsequent grants.
Practicum:
• You have gone to the Hogg Foundation Library,
and as part of an extensive grant search, you have
found some likely and some less likely funding
sources.
• The task you will undertake is to decide how to
modify an existing dissertation prospectus to fit
the missions of different grant agencies.
Your group needs to choose
whether it wants to deal with a
grant in the sciences/public health
or one in the humanities/social
sciences.
1) Break into groups of about 5
people, and pick one of the
two sets of materials in your
handoutss
(health or cultural studies)
2) Skim the (excerpt from the )
grant proposal your group has
chosen. Skim the brief
descriptions of the grant
programs.
Identify:
a) how close your project might "fit"
each grant competition
b) what the big obstacle(s) might prevent
your project from fitting each of the
agency missions
c) what changes you might have to make
to help your project fit.
Think of issues like:
-specific methods or collections
-catering to specific audiences
-highlighting specific methodologies
-extending your project's data take/scope
to profit from the agency's opportunities
-odds: is it even worth applying? Why
or why not?
You will have 20 minutes to work
out the assigned task. Take
the first 5 minute to skim the
materials. Work your way
through the three grant
agencies provided.
Prepare to report to the group.