How to answer faculty who How to answer faculty who say, “Why should I apply for a say, “Why should I apply for a

grant when no one here grant when no one here cares?”cares?”

Tuesday, May 13Tuesday, May 139:00-10:15 9:00-10:15

Kimberly GrayKimberly GrayDirector, Grants Administration and Director, Grants Administration and

Sponsored ProgramsSponsored ProgramsAugusta State UniversityAugusta State University

Augusta State UniversityAugusta State UniversityAugusta, GAAugusta, GA

6,588 students6,588 students250 faculty250 faculty

One Grants Office,One Grants Office,2 employees2 employees

((office opened 8/5/05)office opened 8/5/05)

Mission: Mission: The Office of Grant Administration and The Office of Grant Administration and Sponsored Programs is committed to encouraging, Sponsored Programs is committed to encouraging,

supporting, and facilitating faculty and staff in supporting, and facilitating faculty and staff in seeking external financial support to help the seeking external financial support to help the

University fulfill its mission and values. University fulfill its mission and values.

Goal 1: Goal 1: Assist faculty and staff in obtaining grants Assist faculty and staff in obtaining grants and contracts for their respective departments. and contracts for their respective departments.

Goal 2: Goal 2: Increase the amount of facilities and Increase the amount of facilities and administrative costs (indirect) that the University administrative costs (indirect) that the University receives through awarded grants and contracts.receives through awarded grants and contracts.

Goal 3: Goal 3: Maintain appropriate management controls Maintain appropriate management controls and standards in the administration of grants, and standards in the administration of grants,

contracts and sponsored programs from the time of contracts and sponsored programs from the time of award to the time of completion. award to the time of completion.

Goal 4: Goal 4: Be responsive to the needs of the Be responsive to the needs of the community through grant-funded programs. community through grant-funded programs.

Purpose: Purpose: To raise To raise external dollars to help the external dollars to help the

University carry out its University carry out its mission by supporting mission by supporting

faculty and staff research faculty and staff research and proposal writing as and proposal writing as well as administration well as administration

needs.needs.

Why apply for grants? Why apply for grants?

–To fund additional and summer payTo fund additional and summer pay–To support research, curriculum To support research, curriculum development, including travel, development, including travel, equipment and materials purchaseequipment and materials purchase–To develop and support collaborative To develop and support collaborative projectsprojects–To fund release time, hire student To fund release time, hire student assistants, graduate assistants, or assistants, graduate assistants, or program assistantsprogram assistants–To pursue innovative and creative To pursue innovative and creative scholarshipscholarship

Why apply for grants? Why apply for grants?

–For the money, but more importantly For the money, but more importantly for the positive changes you help to for the positive changes you help to make in the lives of both students and make in the lives of both students and teachers.teachers.–To fund the research or creative To fund the research or creative activities you expect to complete for activities you expect to complete for your thesis or dissertation.your thesis or dissertation.

–Enable you to accomplish goals that Enable you to accomplish goals that

otherwise might be out of reach.otherwise might be out of reach.

Why apply for grants? Why apply for grants?

–To bring recognition to you and to To bring recognition to you and to your department as well as your your department as well as your universityuniversity–To give you the opportunity to To give you the opportunity to carryout a specific project that might carryout a specific project that might not be fundable using general fund not be fundable using general fund money. This procedure also frees up money. This procedure also frees up general fund monies for other general fund monies for other purposes.purposes.

What to do? What to do?

FOCUS ON NEW FACULTYFOCUS ON NEW FACULTY-GET TO THEM BEFORE THE VETERAN FACULTY GET TO THEM BEFORE THE VETERAN FACULTY GET TO THEM. GET TO THEM.

KNOW YOUR FACULTYKNOW YOUR FACULTY - VISIT, READ THEIR BIOS, SIT IN ON - VISIT, READ THEIR BIOS, SIT IN ON DEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS, ATTEND THEIR DEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS, ATTEND THEIR PRESENTATIONS, BE INTERESTEDPRESENTATIONS, BE INTERESTED

IDENTIFY YOUR CORE GROUP IDENTIFY YOUR CORE GROUP OF FACULTYOF FACULTY- INFUSE THEM WITH INFORMATION- INFUSE THEM WITH INFORMATION

What to do? What to do?

KEEP YOUR OFFICE ON THE KEEP YOUR OFFICE ON THE RADARRADAR-IT KEEPS THEM THINKINGIT KEEPS THEM THINKING

GIVE THEM SOMETHINGGIVE THEM SOMETHING-PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN HAND, PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN HAND, NEWSLETTER, GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, NEWSLETTER, GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, NOTEPADS, PENS, CUPS NOTEPADS, PENS, CUPS

What to do? What to do?

PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICESERVICE -FILL OUT FORMS, SUPPORT LETTERS, -FILL OUT FORMS, SUPPORT LETTERS, CLEARINGHOUSE REQUESTS, ETC.CLEARINGHOUSE REQUESTS, ETC.

GO ABOVE AND BEYONDGO ABOVE AND BEYOND-HELP WITH ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS THAT -HELP WITH ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS THAT MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH GRANT APPLICATIONSGRANT APPLICATIONS

-ATTEND CAMPUS FUNCTIONS-ATTEND CAMPUS FUNCTIONS

What to do? What to do?

PROVIDE WORKSHOPSPROVIDE WORKSHOPS -FINDING FUNDING, BUDGET WRITING, -FINDING FUNDING, BUDGET WRITING, SPECIFIC GRANT WORKSHOPSSPECIFIC GRANT WORKSHOPS

BRING IN SPEAKERSBRING IN SPEAKERS-SUCCESSFUL GRANT SEEKERS OR FUNDERS-SUCCESSFUL GRANT SEEKERS OR FUNDERS

END OF YEAR LUNCHEONEND OF YEAR LUNCHEON- ANNUAL RESEARCH APPRECIATION LUNCHEON- ANNUAL RESEARCH APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

Other Suggestions: Other Suggestions: –Email alerts – listservsEmail alerts – listservs–Contracted Grant Writer or Contracted Grant Writer or external consultantexternal consultant–Peer review committee or Peer review committee or University Advisory committee on University Advisory committee on grantsgrants–Retreat – grant writing retreat of Retreat – grant writing retreat of select group along with seasoned select group along with seasoned investigatorsinvestigators–MentoringMentoring

Results? Results?

’’05-’06 05-’06 20 submittals20 submittals

$299,730 award$299,730 award

’’06-’0706-’07 26 submittals26 submittals

$393,757 award$393,757 award

’’07-’08 07-’08 29 submittals29 submittals

$1,369,784 award$1,369,784 award

Obstacles Obstacles

Yes, there are obstacles. Every campus has a Yes, there are obstacles. Every campus has a culture – changing that culture for the better is culture – changing that culture for the better is difficult and takes time. And there are always difficult and takes time. And there are always excuses:excuses:-Not enough time, I teach a full loadNot enough time, I teach a full load-We aren’t big enough to apply for an NSF We aren’t big enough to apply for an NSF grant, only the big schools get them.grant, only the big schools get them.-We don’t have cash match, and it’s necessary if We don’t have cash match, and it’s necessary if you are going to get funded.you are going to get funded.

The list goes on….The list goes on….

So the answer to the question So the answer to the question “Why should I apply for a grant when no “Why should I apply for a grant when no

one here cares?”one here cares?” is: is:____________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, May 13Tuesday, May 139:00-10:15 9:00-10:15

Kimberly GrayKimberly GrayDirector, Grants Administration and Director, Grants Administration and

Sponsored ProgramsSponsored ProgramsAugusta State UniversityAugusta State University

kgray@aug.edukgray@aug.edu

Comments? Suggestions?Comments? Suggestions?