challenges

Challenges Facing Grant Writers in Today`s Environment

New and seasoned grant writers are encountering increased challenges in seeking funding for their research and organizations. Many of these challenges are beyond their control. In this blog, I will briefly outline five of the most common barriers. In subsequent blogs, I will comprehensively address each one: Increased Competition: As the demand for grant funding… read more

teaching-and-research

Donors Want to Fund Interdisciplinary Research

Interdisciplinary grant research has become increasingly important in today’s world as many of the most pressing issues facing society are complex and multifaceted. In order to fully understand and address these issues, it is often necessary to bring together experts from multiple disciplines to collaborate on research projects. This type of collaboration can lead to… read more

diversity

Higher Education Applauds the Biden Administration FY 22 Budget

The Biden Administration’s FY 2022 Budget for higher education signals support for innovation in agriculture and science, climate change, rural development and access as well as equity via the funding of minority institutions. For example, the NIH and NSF budget increases of 20% are for innovative programs that translate to the increased funding for transformative… read more

match

SBIR/STTR: A Win-Win Partnership for Private and Public Sectors

Partnerships between institutions of higher education and the private sector are encouraged and often lucrative endeavors. The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) are the best mechanisms toward this effort and are often referred to as the nation’s largest sources of early stage/high risk funding for start-ups,… read more

bidding

The Development of Competitive Bids is an Art and Science

The formal business acquisition process has always been a competitive endeavor. Today, winning bids is especially challenging given changing priorities, limited time and resources, and constrained budgets. The most successful organizations adopt industry standards and best practices – and when pursued diligently – find that win rates improve, and effectiveness and efficiencies are discovered. Best… read more

success

How to Build a Successful Nonprofit

The key to maintaining a successful nonprofit organization is to have a diverse fundraising strategy that builds upon your organization’s core strengths and resources. It is essential, therefore, to know your organization, understand your place in the giving community, and build on your strengths and resources. Once, when I worked for a small, under-resourced organization,… read more

international

Increase Your Funding via International Partnerships

In my own career, I recall a very wealthy donor from Asia, who funded a major program at a leading university department where I was the director. He asked me what I believed would be an important funding area if he were to donate $1 million to my department. I told him that international research… read more