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Identifying Funding Opportunities

Charles Kaars, Ph.D.Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Projects ServicesUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkOctober 6, 2008


Identifying Funding Opportunities

Identifying funding opportunities really means:Locating organizations and

programs most likely to provide funding in support of your scholarly activities


Q: Where do you start your search for funding?

A: With yourselfNot with your computerNot with your Sponsored

Programs office


Project and Personal Assessment

What is the goal of the project?What is the significance of the goal?What objectives are needed to reach

the goal?Are any of the objectives achievable

independently?Is reaching any of the objectives notable?

Have you successfully completed a funded project?


Project and Personal Assessment

Have you already advanced the field? Do you have all of the technical

expertise needed to perform the project? Are all of the facilities you need

available to you? Are all aspects of the project feasible? Who funds others working in the field?


Some Realities

It’s easier to get funding if successfully completed a funded project

Being a collaborator or co-investigator counts

If you’re not well established start small – even if your goals are big

Some funding is better than no funding Time is money – small projects are the

foundation for big programs


Write a Projected Life History of the Project

What will you start with? How small can you start? What is needed to start?

What will the first results enable?What is needed to build on the first

results?


If You are not Established or Funded

Look into institutional funding Look for organizations that

support work in your field and offer small grants

Plan on requesting funding for the smallest project that will produce notable results


How do You Find out About

Institutional grants programs? Organizations that support work

in your discipline? The types of grants that funders

make? What makes sense for your

project?


What Next?

What are the next steps after you identified a prospective sponsor? Have a more experienced colleague

review your thinking Talk with a program official at the

funding organization about your project

Does it respond to their mission and objectives?

Does it fit with the grant program?


Then …

Write your proposal Well before the deadline so that you

and your colleagues have time to critically review it


Contact Information

Charles Kaars, Ph.D.Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Projects ServicesUniversity at BuffaloThe State University of New York Phone: (716) 645-5000, extension 1101Fax: (716) 645-2760Email: [email protected]

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