transforming good ideas into funded...

Transforming Good Ideas into Funded Research:

Strategies for New Faculty & New Grant Seekers

Dr. Nicole WagnerAssistant Director, Office of Research Development

Office of the Associate VP for Research

Ms. Stephanie A. KorcheckResearch Coordinator for Proposal Development

College of Education

Strategies for New Faculty & Grant Seekers – Feb. 25, 2016

SESSION OBJECTIVES

2

Understand strategies related to developing a

fundable research agenda

Understand how creating a Work Plan is an efficient

way to operationalize your research agenda into

individual research projects

Learn about tools to identify potential funders and

funding opportunities

Learn strategies to get to know potential funders

Understand why and how to prepare a concept

paper to obtain feedback on your research project

Learn about research development resources at

Texas State


SECURING EXTERNAL FUNDINGFOR RESEARCH

3

Be Strategic and

Efficient with Your Time!

1. Develop a Five-Year Research Agenda

2. Identify Potential Funders

3. Develop & Submit Concept Papers

4. Craft and Submit a Full Application


DEVELOP A FIVE-YEAR

RESEARCH AGENDA

4

All scholarship placed within

context of larger agenda


KEY CONSIDERATIONS

5

Passion


KEY CONSIDERATIONS

6

Gain Independence

from Graduate Advisors

Develop Strong Publication Record

Linked to Research Agenda


KEY CONSIDERATIONS

7

Education Plan Related to

Your Research Agenda

Improve undergraduate and graduate student

education

Increase diversity of graduates

Broader impact on society


KEY CONSIDERATIONS

8

Mentors

Department Chair and Faculty

Faculty from other departments

Colleagues from other institutions

Consider Co-PI Role


KEY CONSIDERATIONS

9

Awareness of

Current Funding Landscape

Current Literature

Professional Organizations

Conferences

Preliminary Review of Funders

Strategies for New Faculty & Grant Seekers – Feb. 25, 2016 10

All funded research

begins with

a good idea…


FUNDABLE RESEARCH IDEAS

11

Address Significant, Timely Problem

Multidisciplinary Approach

Innovative

Broad Impact


RESEARCH AGENDA TEMPLATE

12


BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING

RESEARCH AGENDA

13

Turns good idea into fundable projects

Defines scope of work

Identifies resources required for success

Foundation for

Research design

Project timeline

Budget spreadsheet/justification

Parameters to identify potential funders


STRATEGIES TO LAUNCH

RESEARCH

14

Texas State – AVPR, college

Professional Organizations

“Local” Foundations

Tenure-Track Fellowships/Awards

National Foundations and Federal

Agencies – exploratory/pilot grants


POTENTIAL FUNDERS

15

Schedule time to search opportunitiesPIVOT

http://pivot.cos.com

Foundation Directory Online (through Alkek)

Library “Grants and Scholarships” Database

Grant Resources Center

http://www.aascu.org/GRC/Default.aspx

username: txstate; password: awards

Talk with Research Coordinator

Attend “Finding Funding” workshop

http://pivot.cos.com/

http://www.aascu.org/GRC/Default.aspx


FUNDER HOMEWORK

16

Priorities – mission, strategic plans,

previous awards

General Procedures

Sign up for Alerts, Newsletters

Program Officers, Reviewers,

Funded Researchers


Don’t Wait For a

Call For Proposals!

50% NSF and 80% NIH funding

is awarded through unsolicited,

investigator-initiated proposals


PREPARE CONCEPT PAPER

18

Mini proposal to sell significance

and viability of your idea

Feedback regarding strengths and

weaknesses of project

Relationships with program

officers

Best use of your valuable time –

would you rather prepare 3 or 55

pages?


FIRST DRAFT

19

Title

Intro

Background and Purpose

Project Description

Goals and Objectives

Research Design

Anticipated Outcomes

Project Needs and Key Personnel

Significance and Impact

References


THIS IS

A

SALES PITCH!


You MUST write

with your

audience in mind

Level of expertise

Link to funder’s priorities

It’s all about the “so what?”

Think grandiosely!


SHARE YOUR CONCEPT PAPER

22

Research Coordinator

Mentors

Potential funder(s)

You cannot! will not!! must not!!!

send the same version

to multiple funders


CONCEPT PAPER OUTCOMES

23

Feedback

Applicable to Funding Priorities

Strengths and Weaknesses

Relationship with Program Officer

Next Step

Receive Funding

Expanded Concept Paper

Full Application

Different Program Officer


UPCOMING WORKSHOP

Effective Strategies for Crafting

Competitive Research Proposals

for External FundingTue, Mar 29, 11am-12pm, ALK 105/6

Preparing a compelling research proposal for external

funders requires strategic decisions throughout the

project development and writing processes—

approaches that are very different from those used

when preparing other scholarly works. Whether you

are a new or experienced grant writer, Effective

Strategies will provide specific, practical information

you can immediately use to make your proposal stand

apart from competing submissions.


INITIATIVE FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS (IIRDA)

26

IIRDA’s mission is to serve as a resource

that meets the need for state-of-the-art

research support in a comprehensive,

rigorous and interdisciplinary way.

Externally Funded Proposal Assistance

Faculty Consultation Services

Professional Data Analysis Services

http://www.txstate.edu/trec/iirda.html

http://www.txstate.edu/trec/iirda.html


Questions?


Dr. Nicole WagnerAssistant Director, Office of Research Development

Office of the Associate VP for Research

[email protected]; 512-245-2314

http://www.txstate.edu/research/

Ms. Stephanie A. KorcheckResearch Coordinator for Proposal Development

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

College of Education

[email protected]; 512-245-2041

http://www.education.txstate.edu/orsp/

PRESENTER INFORMATION

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.txstate.edu/research/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.education.txstate.edu/orsp/

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