The earlier you let the grants team know of your interest in applying, the better we’ll be able to support you—searching for grant opportunities that align with your work, reviewing drafts to provide feedback from the funders’ perspective, obtaining letters of institutional support, etc. Also keep in mind that obtaining College approval (needed before submission of all grant proposals) may take 1-2 weeks. Receiving a response from the funding organization (federal funding agencies in particular) could take six months or more. Planning well in advance of your anticipated project start date is therefore crucial.
When evaluating grant opportunities, consider your role in the project (prime/lead or subawardee), how your project fits into the mission of the agency and program, the phase of the project, resource needs and funding availability, success rates, residency requirements, disciplinary and departmental expectations, length of application and time available to plan and write, etc. If you have questions or are unsure where your project fits within these categories, the grants team is here to assist. We encourage you to reach out to us.