Grant Seeking in Higher Education

Written for anyone in higher education who is responsible for submitting and running a grant-funded project, Grant Seeking in Higher Education offers a hands-on resource for developing and managing the grant process from start to finish. Step by step, the authors will help you to identify and sort through potential sponsors, tap into campus support that is already in place, and prepare to write a targeted grant proposal that can generate results. Once you have completed the research, the book outlines the keys to writing a winning proposal, including an effective proposal narrative, thorough budget, and readable proposal package. To give grant seekers an extra edge, the book contains a toolkit of tested materials. These proven tools—templates, examples, and cheat sheets—are designed to help you approach your project as a grants professional would. Grant Seeking in Higher Education also spotlights the need for academic leaders to create a campuswide culture that fosters efficient and effective grant seeking. Praise for Grant Seeking in Higher Education "This book realistically provides great advice on proposal development and grants management. Additionally, readers receive a bonus as the authors have included some very helpful tools and templates that have assisted them in their grant endeavors." —Gail Vertz, chief executive officer, Grant Professionals Association "This book is well researched, especially with regard to issues of collaboration, helpfully organized, and chock-full of practical advice—a must-have for any research development professional's bookcase!" —Holly Falk-Krzesinski, founding president, National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP)

List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes vii Foreword ix Preface: What’s in a Name? xi Acknowledgments xv About the Authors xvii PART 1 THE HOW-TO MANUAL Section 1 Diving into Grants Culture 1 Grants Culture: The Big Picture 5 2 The Matching Game: Finding Funders 17 3 Tapping Support on Campus 33 4 Collaboration: The New Frontier 43 5 Preparing to Write 55 Section 2 Developing Your Proposal 6 The Writing 71 7 The Abstract 81 8 The Heart of the Matter: The Proposal Narrative 91 9 Budgets 111 10 Making It Shine: The Proposal Package 129 Section 3 Next Steps 11 Review, Rejection, and Reshaping 149 12 Your Project Is Funded—Now What? 161 PART 2 GRANT-SEEKING TOOLKIT Section 1 Diving into Grants Culture 179 Grant Glossary 179 Tools for Finding Funding 188 Funding Search Cheat Sheet 190 Prewriting Questions 192 Section 2 Managing the Proposal Work 197 Planning for Proposal Development 197 Developing a Concept Paper 202 Four Sentences to Focus Your Elevator Pitch 203 Contacting a Program Offi cer 204 Managing Proposal Development 206 Narrative Timeline for Proposal Development 207 Section 3 Developing Your Proposal 215 Proposal Logic 215 Moving from the Larger Context to the Detail 216 Proposal Outlines 217 Evaluation 220 Budget Justification 223 Subcontracts and Consulting Agreements 229 Sample Subcontract Scope of Work 232 Travel Expenses 233 Letters of Support and Commitment 235 Project Timelines 239 Proposal Review Processes 246 Section 4 Building Institutional Grants Culture 251 Tools for Hiring Grant Writing Consultants 251 Interview Questions 253 Interview Writing Prompts 254 Reference Check Questions 256 Tools for Managing and Nurturing Grant Writing Consultants 257 Survey Instrument 269 Flextime Memo 273 Afterword: Summing It Up 275 Appendix: Building a Grants Culture: A Word to Campus Leaders 279 References 303 Index 309