BEST PRACTICES by Gil Harootunian, PhD, Director, ORSP A Dozen Pieces of Tested Advice.
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BEST PRACTICES by Gil Harootunian, PhD, Director, ORSP A Dozen Pieces of Tested Advice
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Transcript of BEST PRACTICES by Gil Harootunian, PhD, Director, ORSP A Dozen Pieces of Tested Advice.
BEST PRACTICES
by Gil Harootunian, PhD, Director, ORSP
A Dozen Pieces of Tested Advice
#1: Program Guidelines
Read (then re-read) the sponsor’s Program Guidelines.
The guidelines clarify explicit ‘eligibility thresholds.’ Research or teaching priorities Funding ceilings, floors, or allowances Standards for evaluation Supplementary requirements or
documents, etc.
#1: Program Guidelines
Entire ‘Program Guidelines’: National Endowment for the Humanities Department of Education National Science Foundation
Outline the critical requirements for complex grants. Create a “Summary Sheet” of critical
points and priorities. “Summary Sheet” is a quick guide
during planning and during submission.
#2: Past Awards
From past awards, you can deduce implicit expectations (vs. explicit expectations in Program Guidelines).
What are they actually funding? You are ‘reading between the lines’ of
the Program Guidelines. Discern Funding Trends.
Department of Education NSF
#2: Past Awards
Other examples National Endowment for the Humanities
National Science Foundation Department of Education
Outline—then consult frequently.
#3: Touch Base w/ ORSP
We will—Translate ‘sponsor-ese’ into plain English.
Share experiential knowledge of what gets funded (and what does not).
Explain both internal and external procedures.
Contact program officers on administrative / budget / technical issues
#3: Touch Base w/ ORSP
We will—Elaborate on sponsor prerogatives like
“positive accountability.”Example: “GRPA”
Elaborate on most common reasons for declension of a grant application.An excessive or poorly justified budget (NSF).
Why? Indicates that project is poorly designed.
(Repeat: We are happy to do budgets!)
#4: Touch Base w/ Program Officer
Example: After you have studied the program guidelines and talked w/ ORSP, contact sponsor’s program officer to see if your idea is competitive.NSF requirementNSF updates
Keep in touch w/ program officer between applications or between pre- and post-award.
#4: Touch Base w/ Program Officer
Cycle back: discuss w/ staff in ORSP the highlights of your discussion w/ sponsor’s program officer.Share and store knowledge for future applications.
Verify program officer’s comments (no human is infallible).
Be careful you do not hear what you want to hear.
#5: Heed the Reviewers
Question: Whom should you heed? Answer: Always heed the
reviewers. Team of experts reviews and—importantly—
responds to your project. Reviewers have more say than anyone else in the
funding of your project. That is why second-time submissions have the
highest funding rate. Most program officers (if asked) will repeat all
this.
#6: Form TeamsDisciplinaryInterdisciplinaryMultidisciplinaryReadersMentors“De facto team” w/ reviewers [who remain anonymous]
#7: Leverage, leverage, leverage
A.k.a., “Bang for the Buck” Example: National Science Foundation’s “EarthCube”
Leverage ≠ Cost ShareCost share = Commitment measured in cash
Leverage = Bringing resources to bear; being resourceful
#8: Network, network, network Read notices in professional journals.
“How I Got My First Grant” tale Ted Stevens’ Amendment
Visit sponsor booths at professional conferences.
If in D.C. area, try to talk w/ program officer(s). If time and resources permit, go to federal
agency workshops. The feds are fast becoming the ‘gold standard’ in
external funding.
#9: Be Resourceful
Use resources. ORSP resources
Sample Budget NarrativesEvaluation guidelinesLetters of support guidelines and samples
Sponsor resourcesNIH “OppNet” ―Basic Behavioral & Social Sciences Opportunity Network
Do not re-invent the wheel.
#10: Disseminate….
Shows you are valuable member
of the field. Advances knowledge in field. Assures sponsor of mileage
(a.k.a., bang for the buck). Does not apply to salary or
proprietary information.
#10: Disseminate….
Examples Articles, conference papers, etc. Fresno State’s ADCC
Faculty who deposit data in digital collections have higher # of citations
NSF: National Science Digital Library
NIH: Pub Med Central NEH: Publicly accessible results
#11: Evaluation—Make It Good
Sponsor ensures it is getting what it wants through on-going evaluation. So important, we have session on this.
Examples: Department of EducationIMLSNEANSF
#11: Evaluation—Make It Good
New standard = positive accountability (vs. old standard of negative accountability)
External vs. internal evaluator? Formative and Summative
Formative = strategy to monitor project as it evolves to provide feedback
Summative = strategy to measure overall effectiveness and extent to which goals met
#12: Align w/ Sponsor’s Priorities
Examples Scalability (a.k.a., Replication).
Does sponsor want a project that can be scaled up regionally or even nationally?
U.S. Department of EducationNational Science Foundation
SustainabilityDoes sponsor want projects that can be
institutionalized?The Council for International Exchange o
f Scholars (a.k.a., Fulbright Program)
#12: Align w/ Sponsor’s Priorities
Examples Community Engagement
Does sponsor want more fluid boundaries between academy and surrounding community?
National Endowment for the Arts Infrastructure
Does sponsor want to strengthen institution’s long-term capacity to support your work?
National Endowment for the Humanities
#12: Align w/ Sponsor’s Priorities
How can you be sure that you are aligning your project’s goals with the sponsor’s goals?
Cycle back: Re-read the program guidelines.
Talk w/ grants managers Talk w/ program officer
Questions?
