Practicum: Taking Your Project to a Grant Agency Katherine Arens Germanic Studies, UT.

Practicum: Taking Your Project

to a Grant Agency

Katherine Arens

Germanic Studies, UT

This PowerPoint available at:

http://www.texas.edu/courses/arens

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


• Join your professional organization(s) -- newsletters announce grants in area(s)

1. FIND GRANTS


• 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)



• a description of unique features of your proposed work -- what distinguishes it from other work in the field (your need argument)



• 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"



• 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 . . . ?)



• 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



• 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 competitionb) 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.

Practicum: Taking Your Project to a Grant Agency Katherine Arens Germanic Studies, UT.

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