Welcome to the Grant Writing Office (GWO)


GWO was developed with all researchers in mind, including professors who will embark upon grant writing for the first time, experienced researchers who seek funding and need a refresher, and graduate students who are the future researchers and scientists of the University of South Florida (USF). Sponsored by the Division of Sponsored Research, our goal is to provide education and resources to assist researchers as they develop competitive grant proposals to fund research endeavors.

GWO provides an assortment of resources and tools to assist with the development of creative ideas, grant writing, budget preparation, and also to provide an understanding of key terms used by the research administrative community at USF. Please check the website regularly for updates on grant writing, new tools and grant development training.

Research is a core mission at our University, and we welcome the opportunity to support your research development. Happy grant writing!

Rebecca Puig
Assistant Director
Division of Sponsored Research




Are you searching for funding?


Searchable databases which compile funding opportunities from federal, state, and local governments, as well as corporations and foundations are available. Workshops on how to use these databases to their fullest potential are available monthly.

SOURCES (http://www.research.usf.edu/sources.asp)

SOURCES is a bi-weekly online publication from the Division of Research Grants. Enormously popular with the USF researchers and faculty, each issue contains no fewer than fifty funding opportunities divided up among several disciplines.

USF Internal Awards Program

The mission of the Internal Awards Program is to foster excellence in research and scholarship by USF faculty and support activities aimed at securing extramural funding. It typically is administered in two cycles annually through the Division of Sponsored Research (DSR).

COMMUNITY OF SCIENCE (http://www.cos.com)

Community of Science (COS) is the leading global resource for hard-to-find information critical to scientific research and other projects acrossall disciplines. COS aggregates valuable information so you spend less precious time and money searching for the information you need, leaving more time and money for your projects.

Find funding with COS Funding Opportunities: search the world's most comprehensive funding resource, with more than 23,000 records representing nearly 400,000 opportunities, worth over $33 billion.

Identify experts and collaborators with COS Expertise: search among 500,000 profiles of researchers from 1,600 institutions throughout the world. Discover who's doing what -- current research activity, funding received, publications, patents, new positions and more.

Promote your research with a COS Profile: showcase your research and expertise among researchers and scholars from universities, corporations and nonprofits in more than 170 countries. Use convenient tools to keep your CV updated and accessible.

IRIS (http://www.library.uiuc.edu/iris/)

IRIS offers three Web-based funding and research services: the IRIS Database of federal and private funding opportunities in all disciplines; the IRIS Alert Service; and the IRIS Expertise Service.

The IRIS Database currently contains over 8,600 active federal and private funding opportunities in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. In addition to funding opportunities for faculty, the IRIS Database also contains fellowships and scholarships for grad students and undergrads. Users can search IRIS by sponsor, deadline date, keyword, and other criteria. Most IRIS records contain live links to sponsor Web sites, electronic forms, or Electronic Research Administration (eRA) portals. The IRIS Database is updated daily.

The IRIS Alert Service enables students, staff, and researchers at subscribing institutions to create their own IRIS search profiles. Users can select their preferred search frequency, delivery method (e-mail or Web), and keywords. The program runs the user's profile against the IRIS database and delivers the search results automatically via e-mail or the Web.

The IRIS Expertise Service enables researchers at subscribing institutions to create detailed electronic CVs ("biosketches") and post them to a Web-accessible database for viewing by colleagues at other institutions, program officers at federal and private funding agencies, and private companies. The biosketches can also be used in the electronic submission of grant proposals. There are no copyright or ownership restrictions on IRIS Expertise Service biosketches. Subscribing institutions can download their faculty members' biosketches at any time and use them to populate a local database or even another online service.





Need help creating a proposal?


The preparation of a proposal for submission involves the following:
1) locating a funding source;
2) writing a project summary and description;
3) prepare a budget and budget justification;
4) completing all proposal transmittal form(s);
5) submitting the correct number of copies of the application to the funding source by the deadline date.

Sample Proposals

Resources for Funding

Searchable databases which compile funding opportunities from federal, state, and local governments, as well as corporations and foundations.
(http://durango.research.usf.edu/index.php?/writing/continuation/funding)

Resources for Writing

Proposal Development Worksheet
Click here for the Proposal Development Worksheet

Grant Writing Tips & Sites
(http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/grntlink.htm#GrantsWriting)

Grant Application Writer's Handbook (Fourth Edition)
By Liane Reif-Lehrer
ISBN 0-7637-1642-1

National Institutes of Health
(http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/)
CRISP database: examples of Funded Research

United States Patent and Trademark Office
(http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html)
Examples of abstracts

Do Your Homework

Research the Funders....
  • grant-making philosophy
  • program interests
  • criteria


    • Follow their application process carefully...
  • When is the deadline?
  • What is their preferred method of contact?
  • Is there a page limit?
  • Is there a mandatory font size or type?


    • Include a cover letter (if applicable)...
  • Introduce your organization or use USF's General Information Blurb
  • Outline the link between your proposal and the funder's interest
  • One paragraph of the cover letter should provide a brief summary of your project



    • Typical Proposal Components

  • Cover Page or Project Summary
  • Project Description
  • Budget
  • Budget Justification
  • Facilities, Equipment, & Other
  • Curriculum Vitae, Biographical Sketch, or Resume
  • Current and Pending Support


    • General Checklist for Proposal Submission

  • Are the research goals clear?
  • Is the topic [or purpose(s)] appropriate for support by the granting agency? If in doubt, call the agency to ask.


  • Is the study design good?
  • Has the research been done by others and if so have you sited their work?
  • Does the study design relate to the purpose of the project?>
  • Have you spelled out:
          How the data will be obtained?
          How the data will be interpreted?

  • Staff, time and Budget?

    •       Have the investigators allocated enough time for the commitment?

  • Is the overall presenation good?

    •       Have you accounted for the fact that your reviewers may not know of your previous work or reputation?
          Have you spelled out a specific plan of research?



    Need help with budget preparation?


    This section provides information on the preparation of proposal budgets, including detailed information on the various elements which constitute direct costs and the concepts of indirect costs, cost sharing, and matching. The budget section of a proposal sets forth the estimated cost of the project. As such, it should be made an integral part of the proposal so that the cost estimates are clearly related to the purposes of the project. The budget will strengthen the proposal to the extent that this relationship can be clearly demonstrated.

    Typical Budget Components


    FORMS

    NIH Forms
    (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm)

    RESOURCES

    Consultants

    Budget
    Budget (Sample)

    Budget Calculator
    Budget Calculator (Excel File)

    Budget Justification (Sample)
    Budget Justification (Sample)

    CAS Exceptions

    Cost Principles for Educational Institutions - OMB Circular A-21
    (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a21_2004.html)

    COMPASS
    (http://compass.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/compass.cfg/php/enduser/home.php)

    Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations - OMB Circular A-122
    (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a122/a122_2004.html)

    Cost Sharing

    Dunn & Bradstreet
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/dsrfs.htm#dun)

    F&A Costs (Indirect Costs)
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/indirectcost.htm#Chart)

    Example

    Electronic Shell

    FAST
    (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Fast/)

    Fringe Benefits
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/dsrfs.htm#FBR)

    GEMS
    (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/hris/)

    Indirect Cost Rates
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/indirectcost.htm#Chart)

    NIH Budget and Budget Justification Guidelines
    (http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/extra/extdocs/gntapp.htm#12)

    NIH Salary Cap
    (http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm)

    NSF Budget Calculator
    NSF Budget Calculator (Excel)

    NSF Budget Guidlines
    (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/nsf04_23/2.htm#IIC2g)

    OMB Circulars: Educational and Non-Profit Institutions Documents
    (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index-education.html)

    Subcontracts
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/Subawards-%20final%20draft.pdf)

    Tax Exemption
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/Tax%20Exempt%20Certificate%202004-2009.pdf)

    Travel
    (http://usfweb.usf.edu/controller/travel/)

    Tuition
    (http://www.research.usf.edu/sr/dsrfs.htm#tuition)

    Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations - OMB Circular A-122
    (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index-education.html)







    Questions on Routing and Approval?


    The purpose of the Proposal Review and Certification form is to advise and inform university administrators, including directors, chairs, deans and vice presidents, of possible future project activities of a faculty or staff member. A proposed project may require special accommodations such as release from teaching assignments or additional space allocation.


    Proposal Review & Certification Form (a.k.a. Internal Form)









    Does your proposal involve working with human subjects or animals?









    Looking for A Grant Writer?


    The University of South Florida in no way endorses any vendor or firm listed on this website. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by USF of any firms, individuals or methods of practice, nor does USF warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information provided or infer that the database is a complete listing of individuals in the selected field. It is the responsibility of each organization to make their own inquiries and contacts, discuss project scope and fees, check references provided by listed professionals, and otherwise perform due diligence as would be appropriate to similar business decisions and transactions.

    Childrens Board list of Grant Writers and Consultants
    Excel Spread Sheet
    This site is updated and maintained by the Childrens' Board of Hillsborough County.





    Grant Writing Workshops in the Tampa Bay area


    PRACTICAL GRANT WRITING & EVALUATION WORKSHOP

    January 18-20, 2006 - Tampa, Fla. Presented by KMH Consulting, the cost of this workshop is $550. It will be held at the USF Downtown Center (Channelside). For more information, visit their website athttp://www.kmhconsulting.com/workshops.html.

    USF Deptartment of Education

    LASER co-hosts a series of research grant writing workshops. The purpose of the workshop is to link faculty and graduate students with research mentors to develop research proposals to submit for funding. Participants spend 1-2 days crafting high quality research grant proposals for submission to federally funded competitions such as field initiated, directed research or model demonstration, as well as private foundations and corporations.http://www.coedu.usf.edu/LASER/brochure.PDF

    Tampa Bay Library Consortium - Fundamentals of Grant Writing

    This workshop can be presented in a standard classroom and provides information and tools to help improve an organization's chances to be successful in winning grant awards. It provides comprehensive information about the grant writing process including the essential administrative functions required to be successful in winning grants, how to build an organizational portfolio for use in writing grants, helpful tools in planning for grant acquisition, how to search for funding, and how to write compelling proposals. For more information, visithttp://www.tblc.org/ws_info.php?ws=181.

    Grant Writing USA

    Whether you're a beginning grant writer who's just getting started or a seasoned pro ready to move to your next level of performance, Grant Writing USA can help you get there -http://www.grantwritingusa.com. For information about hosting a workshop at USF, see this pdf brochure -HostGrantWritingUSA.pdf.

    Grantsmanship Institute

    Visit their website -www.rdsgrants.com.

    American Grant Writers Association

    Visit their website -www.agwa.us

    Calendar of upcoming workshops -Workshop Schedule



    Confused by all the acronyms used in a research proposal?


    Pardon our dust! We are under construction.





    Cover Page or Project Summary


    It should be brief:
  • No longer than two or three paragraphs
  • It is often helpful to prepare the summary after the proposal has been developed.
         This makes it easier to include all the key points necessary to communicate the objectives of the project.
    •      Statement of Objectives
         Methods to be employed
         Significance of the proposed activity to the advancement of knowledge
  • The summary document becomes the foundation of the proposal. The first impression it gives will be critical to the success of the venture. It very possibly could be the only part of the package that is carefully reviewed before the decision is made to consider the project further.