diversity

The Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Grant Proposals

In the world of grant writing, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are essential components for successful and impactful grant proposals. Government and foundation grants are increasingly prioritizing these values, recognizing that projects reflecting diverse perspectives and equitable practices can lead to more innovative and effective outcomes. To craft a compelling grant proposal that aligns with… read more

success

Key Trends in Grant Funding

In recent months, several trends have emerged in the landscape of grant procurement, reflecting both ongoing challenges and new opportunities. These include: Increasing emphasis on grants that address pressing societal issues, such as climate change, public health, and social inequality. For example, there has been a surge in grants for renewable energy research, community health… read more

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

success

What Makes a Successful Grant Writer?

Successful grant writers possess a variety of characteristics that contribute to their effectiveness. These are learned through experience, various proposal submissions, collaborative efforts with colleagues, and focus and determination. Thus, successful grant writers: Strong Research Skills: Can identify relevant funding opportunities, understand the funding organization’s priorities and requirements, and gather supporting data and evidence for… read more

Leader

Boost Your External Funding via Effective Leadership

Leadership is an essential component of any successful institution. Leaders guide their teams, inspire their people, and drive their organizations towards achieving their goals.  Equally, leadership training has become increasingly significant for those who need to be successful at managing and implementing grants, for their leadership skills will have an important effect on their teams… read more

writing

The Letter That Will Get You Funded

In order to assess the validity of a proposal in relationship to the solicitation, many donors, especially foundations, request a Letter of Intent (LOI) from future applicants. This is the letter that will lead to the invitation to apply for the grant. If the application that follows meets the donor’s criteria and is well written,… read more

doctor

How Can the Academic Community Recover from the Impact of COVID-19

There is no question that COVID-19 has had and is having a severe impact on faculty throughout US colleges and universities. This is reflected in all areas of their work, including research, teaching, tenure and promotion and service. Findings of a recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey of faculty stress which surveyed 1,122 faculty members… 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

support

University Support for Faculty Funding Success

The pool of funds available for grants in the US is steadily shrinking given that funding is similar from year to year, and those funds are not keeping up with inflation and labor costs. Also, grant funding has been dramatically reduced in certain federal funding agencies and in others it has fallen by 20-25 percent,… read more