pursuing funding in the humanities and humanities- related social sciences lucy deckard academic...
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Pursuing Funding in the Humanities and Humanities-
Related Social Sciences
Lucy DeckardAcademic Research Funding Strategies, [email protected]
Proposal Development WorkshopUT San AntonioApril 14, 2015
Copyright 2015 Academic Research Funding Strategies. All rights reserved
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Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC
Our goal: To help your institution, faculty and staff to develop the skills they need to compete successfully for research funding.
http://academicresearchgrants.com
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Lucy DeckardPresident, Academic Research Funding Strategies
Established 2010Nine years in proposal development at Texas A&M UniversityJunior Faculty Initiative, CAREER, instrumentation, research, education, Center-level proposalsNSF, NIH, DOE, DoD, DoED, IMLS, FoundationsResearch Engineer (16 years in applied research, with extensive proposal writing experience to NSF, DARPA, ONR, AFOSR, ARO, DoE)
OverviewGetting startedFinding funding opportunitiesUnderstanding what the funder is looking forWriting the proposal narrative
Getting Started
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Establish Your Research Agenda
Long-term planProjects are steps along the pathBuild a line of scholarshipMay change
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NetworkTalk to senior colleagues, department head
What are the expectations in your department regarding funding?When should you start pursuing funding for your research?Where have they been funded?If possible, find “grant mentors”
Attend conferences and seek out program directors from agencies, colleagues in your area who have been fundedDetermine where you expect to seek funding and work to become part of that community
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Be StrategicUse your time wisely.Outline grant submissions for the first 2 or 3 years as part of your overall career plan
Understand expectations in your field, institution and departmentGet to know your agency(ies) and programs
Work to position yourself to be competitive (publications, preliminary work)Allow enough time to prepare a well-written proposal
Learn the process at your institution
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Persevere IntelligentlyPlan on rejection
Funding rates typically 20% or lowerEven the best researchers are declined more than they are funded
Learn from declined proposalsEach proposal will get better than the one before
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Narrow Your Net
Identify agencies and organizations most likely to fund your researchLearn about them
How do they announce funding opportunities?Do they accept investigator-initiated proposals?What are their mission, goals and culture?Who are the Program Directors?Do they have recurring competitions?
Check funding opportunities regularlyNetwork with others funded by these agencies and with Program Officers
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Finding Funding Opportunities
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What Do You Need?
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Support while you write your dissertationA semester off to work on a bookTravel to a museum or collectionFunding for an entire research project
Grad students supportTravel to research siteMaterials and suppliesSummer salary supportPayments to research subjects
Funding for an outreach or education project
Think from the potential funder’s point of view
What will the outcomes of your project be ?A bookNew policies?Expanded access to original sources?A new piece of art?
Who would be interested in those outcomes?
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Where Are You In Your Career?
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Starting graduate schoolStarting to write your dissertationLooking for a postdoctoral positionNew facultyMid-career facultySenior faculty
Ways to Find FundingTalk to colleagues doing similar research Look for funding sources credited in books and journal articles describing similar researchUse the web and other information resources
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Grants.govFoundation CenterUCLA Humanities Funding OpportunitiesDuke University Funding OpportunitiesWilliam and Mary Humanities Funding Sources A-to-ZPortable Fellowships and Grants for Humanities Faculty (UC-Boulder)Residential Fellowships and Grants for Humanities Faculty (UC-Boulder)Hall Center for the Humanities, University of KansasArts & Humanities Funding, Vassar CollegeHumanities Opportunities by Funding Program, SwarthmoreMLA Fellowships and Grants (login ID required)Finding Grants and Fellowships in the Humanities, Johns Hopkins UniversityFunding for Humanities & Arts Research, Michigan State UniversityFunding Opportunities in the Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences, Lewis & ClarkHumanities & Social Sciences, Barnard
Resources for Finding Funding
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Some Agencies and Foundations that Fund Research in the Humanities
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National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Guggenheim Memorial Foundation American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Ford Foundation Fulbright Programs National Humanities Center American Association of University Women Spencer Foundation Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Graham Foundation
Some Agencies and Foundations that Fund Research in the Social Sciences
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Ford FoundationFulbright ProgramsCarnegie FoundationAmerican Association of University WomenSpencer FoundationSocial Science Research Council
More Agencies and Foundations that fund Research in the Humanities
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Discipline-specific Institutes, Foundations, Societies
Council on Library and Information ResourcesArmy Heritage Center FoundationLuce FoundationAmerican Institute of Indian Studies
Libraries, museums, collections, e.g.SmithsonianThe Getty FoundationSallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture
Understanding What the Funder Is Looking For
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Step 1: Understand the Funder
What is their mission?What is their culture?What are they trying to accomplish with this program?How are proposals reviewed?Who makes the funding decisions?
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Step 2: Understand the ProgramIf it is a solicited grant, analyze the solicitation carefullyIf it is investigator-initiated, understand the program What’s motivating this opportunity?Who has been funded in the past?What are the review criteria?What outcomes do they expect from funded project?
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Can be large and similar to federal agencies Can be small and quirkyTend to have very focused priorities that can change over timeDo your homework
Check out their websiteWhat and who has been funded?990 finder on Foundation Center websiteTry to talk to the Program Officer
Private Foundations
Example: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
Funds humanities and related social sciencesResearch FellowshipsNew Faculty FellowshipsDissertation FellowshipsPostdoctoral FellowshipsMore
Does not fund creative works (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, or pedagogical projectsUltimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work
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Example: Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
Funds policy-oriented topics relevant to both the U.S. and JapanMust have Japan-based collaborative partnersTangible project outcomes (publication, paper, etc.)Minimum 20% total project budget from non-CGP sourcesSee link
Example: Alfred P. Sloan FoundationPublic Understanding of Science and TechnologyFunds film development programs at Tribeca, Sundance, etc.Apply to those organizations
E.g., Tribeca Film Institute Sloan Filmmaker FundExample of why you need to understand the funder, funding opportunity, and process!
CluesRead and re-read the solicitation very carefullyLook for words that are repeated often, special termsIf reports or publications are referenced, read themUse agency funding databases to learn about funding historyTalk to the Program Officer
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Program RequirementsRead carefully and make a checklistPlan to explain how you will meet each program requirementStart work on setting up collaborations, partnerships if needed
Supporting letters may be needed for your proposalTo be competitive, you must meet all program requirements
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Explicit Proposal RequirementsNote carefully formatting rules (page limits, fonts, margins, etc.) – these may be in a separate document or on their websiteLook for suggested or required sections
Make an outline that mirrors solicitationInclude checklist of everything that must be addressed, divided by sections; keep this checklist through early drafts
Note supplementary documents neededBios, Lists of Current Funding, Letters of support, Annotated bibliography, etc.
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Unspoken ExpectationsQualifications and experience of PI(s)Infrastructure provided by PI’s institutionPreliminary work
Often very importantVaries greatly depending on agency, discipline, etc.
Info sources:Previous awardeesPrevious reviewersProgram officers and previous program officers
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Talking to the Program OfficerDo your homework first
Read solicitation carefullyRead background documentsInvestigate previously funded projects
Prepare a concise description of your project Goals, objectives, outcomesOne short paragraph
Try e-mail and phoneIf possible, use e-mail to set up phone conversationAsk open-ended questions and listen carefully
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Talking to Previous Awardees
Most previous awardees very generous (unless they will be competing with you for renewal)Ask about program reviews, feedback from program officerBe aware that programs may evolve and criteria change Previous awardees often also reviewers
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Review CriteriaMost important part of solicitation or program description!Plan how you will meet each review criterionStructure your proposal outline to reflect review criteriaIf you are weak in an area, plan how you will address this
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Is the research original and important?How does it serve the wider field of the humanities?How does it contribute to the mission of the funder?Does it integrate multiple fields?Are the research methods and costs appropriate?Government agencies: If Fox News called, how would they justify funding this project?
Typical Things Reviewers Look For
Planning Your ProjectStart with your great idea
Translate it into a project
What will your outputs be?How long will it take?What will your approach be?What have you done so far?How does this advance your line of scholarship?
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Grantsmanship
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Things to Keep in
Mind
It’s not about you…It’s about the funder
Understand what the funder is trying to accomplish by giving this grantExplain how funding you will help them to accomplish those goals
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A Proposal is Not an Academic ArticleMust be persuasiveMust communicate passionMust communicate impact Must be easy to understand by readers with various backgroundsMust tie research to the goals of the funderFocuses on future, not pastMust inspire confidence in researchers’ abilities and resources
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Make Your Proposal Easy to Understand and Easy to Read
Write to the intelligent reader not an expertWrite simply, clearly, and avoid jargonInclude white spaceQuickly implant in the reviewers’ mind the compelling reasons why your research is relevant to the field and why it should be funded.
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You must convince the reviewers…This is a project that should be done
It supports the goals of the agency and programIt will yield significant resultsIt is more important (or cooler or more significant) than other proposed projects
You are the right person to do itYou have the skills and resources to be successfulYou have thought through the project
And most importantly, you must….
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Intrigue the Reviewers
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Now to the Nitty Gritty… Writing
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Producing the ProposalDo you need to submit through your institution? (Usually the case for faculty)If so, involve your Office of Sponsored Projects earlyIf you have collaborators involve them earlyWork on your budget in parallel with your proposal textFinalize your proposal several days before the due date (check with your Office of Sponsored Projects for deadlines)
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Scheduling Your Writing
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Work backward from due dateCheck with your pre-award administrators
How much time for routing?When do they need the finished proposal?
Do you need letters of collaboration?Do you need input from others?Line up editors (when do they need a draft?)Work on budget in parallelDon’t forget other requirements (Bio, Letters of Reference, etc.)
Example: NEA Art Works GrantsComponents Required
Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF-424)Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form NEA Organization & Project Profile FormAttachments Form to which you have attached:
Organizational Background StatementDetails of the Project NarrativeProject Budget Form, Pages 1 and 2Financial Information FormBiographies of Key Project PersonnelList of Current Board MembersYour Own Project Budget (optional)Programmatic Activities ListSpecial Items
Work samples to be submitted electronically
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Typical NEH Fellowship Narrative Section
Narrative SectionGoal, significance, contextBackgroundPrior WorkProject Plan
Three page limitOne-inch margins Font size no smaller than eleven point
Generally not separate named
sections
Exercise: You are a Reviewer
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Get to the exciting stuff here!
The Project Narrative: Getting Started
First Para-graph
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Zzzzzzz
Revi
ewer
’s Att
entio
n Le
vel
Generic Intro
Long, unconnected background
Strong, Unique Intro
Concise background that provides context
Get to the exciting stuff here!
The Introduction and OverviewLong-term research goal/ContextProject specific goal(s)Significance/NeedHypotheses/research questions/new knowledgeHow your approach is differentExpected outcomes
Put Your Project in Context
The Big Question orThe Big Need
Preliminary Work Funded project 1 Further work
Project Goals/Specific Aims Outcomes
What is the kernel of your great idea?What you will accomplishThe approach you will useThe problem you’re addressingNew tools or resources you’ll bring to the problemThe team you’ve assembled
Put it up front!
Example: NEH FellowshipFirst Four Paragraphs
Long-term Goal: Explore concepts of the relationship between mind and body in the nineteenth centuryGoal of this project (a book): Nervous illness in America in the late-nineteenth centuryOpportunity/Innovation: New source - letters from women suffering from “nervous illness”Key Questions: What did late-19th-century Americans mean when they spoke of nerves…
First sentence is unique to this project
NEH Fellowship: First ParagraphI am writing A Case of the Nerves, a book on late-nineteenth century “American nervousness.” Many believed in that era that Americans were too tense, suffering from neurasthenia or hysteria, and experiencing “nervous prostration.” Before Freud and his followers informed the American public that all was in the mind, especially in subconscious mental life with its profound link to the emotions and sexuality, American physicians emphasized the important role of the body and physical organs in what is today labeled mental illness. In particular, Americans read, heard, and thought about the controlling force of the nerves. As a cultural historian, I hope to explore the nervous body as those in the late nineteenth century envisioned it. The subject offers a critical intersection where the biological person meets the ideas and practices of the age.
Project goal is presented early
Provides context
On NEH website: Link
Overarching goalSignificance
NEH Guidance: Address Research and Contribution
Intellectual significance of the proposed projectDescribe value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Provide overview of the project - basic ideas, problems, or questions examined by the study. Explain how the project will complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in the field.
Methods and work planClarify the part or stage of the project that will be supported by the fellowship. Provide a work plan describing what will be accomplished during the award period. For book projects, explain how the final project will be organized. If possible, provide a brief chapter outline. For digital projects, describe the technologies that will be used and developed, and how the scholarship will be presented to benefit audiences in the humanities.
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NEH Guidance: Address Competencies, Skills and Access
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If the area of inquiry is new to the applicant, provide reasons for working in it, and explain the ability to work in it. Specify the level of competence in the languages or digital technologies needed for the study. Describe where the study will be conducted and what research materials will be used. If relevant, specify the arrangements for access to archives, collections, or institutions that contain the necessary resources.
NEH Guidance: Address Final Product Dissemination
Describe the intended audience and the intended results of the project. If relevant, explain how the results will be disseminated and why these means are appropriate to the subject matter and audience. If the project has a Web site, provide the URL.
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NEH Evaluation Criteria—an example
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Evaluators are asked to apply the following five criteria when judging the quality of applications. The intellectual significance of the proposed project, including its value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. The quality or promise of quality of the applicant’s work as an interpreter of the humanities. The quality of the conception, definition, organization, and description of the project and the applicant’s clarity of expression. The feasibility of the proposed plan of work, including, when appropriate, the soundness of the dissemination and access plans. The likelihood that the applicant will complete the project.
Another Example: One Month Residency at the Harry Ransom Center
What are they trying to accomplish by funding this residency?
Project Title: “Theatre and Friendship: Modern Drama and Sociability, 1880-1930”Requesting One-Month Residency, Harry Ransom Centerby Katherine E. Kelly, Associate Professor, Department of English
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The objectives of this study are threefold: at its most ambitious, this study attempts to contribute to a new understanding of modernism as a movement infused with and participating in theatrical and dramatic culture (cf. Daniel Albright, Nina Auerbach, Penny Farfan). Secondly, this study brings to light some of the particular methods by which self-identified members of Modern Drama coteries in London and the US circulated a new kind of urgent theatre, achieved through the force of various alliances and accompanied by interartistic exchange both on and off the stage. And thirdly, in line with recent studies of the marketing efforts of modern artists, this project attempts to demystify the anti-commercial claims of modern drama, complicating avant-gardists’ self-presentation as non-commercial purists. All of these objectives aim to reconfigure the history of Modern Drama as intertwined with but distinct from that of modernism.
Project Title: “Theatre and Friendship: Modern Drama and Sociability, 1880-1930”Requesting One-Month Residency, Harry Ransom Centerby Katherine E. Kelly, Associate Professor, Department of English
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Role of HRC Collection: I am aware of a number of HRC holdings that I will need to consult for various chapters of this study*; however, I suspect I will continue to discover materials as I begin to work, as I am especially interested in how the subject of theatre and theatrical attendance appears in the letters and diaries of modernists, some of whose materials are held at the HRC: James Joyce, Nancy Cunard, E.M. Forster, Radclyffe Hall, D. H. Lawrence, Wyndham Lewis, and members of the Bloomsbury Group, for example.For Chapter 1 “Avant-Garde Sociability: Ibsen in London and the Amateur in Provincetown,” I will view HRC holdings on Elizabeth Robins, Lady Florence Bell, and G. B. Shaw…
Helpful Resources on Grant Writing for the Humanities
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How to Get a Grant from NEHWriting Proposals for ACLS Fellowship Competitions, by Christina M. GillisHow to Write Effective Proposals, Susan Stanford Friedman, Department of English, University of Wisconsin-MadisonTen Myths About FulbrightHumanities Resource CenterHow to Write Grants in the Arts and Humanities ACS Workshops for Grants DevelopmentSignposting and Front-Loading, by James Mulholland, Assistant Professor of English at Wheaton College in Massachusetts.
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Follow guidelines of the funderDepends on the type of grantCheck if cost share if required (typical for arts grants)
If yes, start working on this early!Be sure your budget is appropriate based on your project plans
The Budget
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Requirements depend on funder and programExamples
BiosketchLettersSamples of workBudget NarrativeAdditional Forms
Don’t Forget Other Required Components
You’ve finished a draft!
Ask others to read it and give you feedbackIs it clear? Is it compelling? Does it address all of the review criteria?Did they see any weaknesses that should be addressed?Include time for revisions
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Submitting Your ProposalUsually submitted via web (Grants.gov or other web interface)
Check this out in advanceDo you need to register?
Follow the requirements of our institution (check with Office of Sponsored Projects or equivalent)
Routing and ApprovalQuality CheckUploadingSubmittal (must be done by an institutional representative)
Try to submit at least a day before the deadline69
NEH Review & Selection Process—an example
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Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits. NEH staff comments on matters of fact or on significant issues that otherwise would be missing from these reviews, then makes recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities. The National Council meets at various times during the year to advise the NEH chairman on grants. The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the review process and, by law, makes all funding decisions.
If you get funded…
Celebrate!
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If you don’t get funded…Read the reviewsGet mad/depressedRemember that even the most prominent scholars have a drawer full of declined proposalsPut the reviews in a drawer for a few daysRead the reviews again carefully
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Analyzing the ReviewsDid the reviewers have particular concerns that you can address?Were the reviewers confused or unclear about your project?Were the reviewers unimpressed by the significance or novelty of your idea?Were the reviewers generally favorable, with no clear issues brought up?Were the reviewers unconvinced that you could do the proposed work?Did the project topic not fit the program?
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Get Feedback from othersIf possible talk to the program officer - be nice!Ask for clarification of reviewer commentsTalk to your mentorsAsk for advice
Should you resubmit?Should you apply to a different program?What would strengthen your proposal?
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No Matter WhatYour next proposal will be better than your lastYour thinking about the project has evolvedYou have learned from the experience and developed new skills
Good luck!
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Questions?
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