Grant Information Resources and Research AssistanceOffice personnel collect and organize information about grant opportunities offered by private foundations, government agencies and corporations. The office also has copies of successful proposals to a number of granting agencies which can serve as a resource in the proposal-writing process. Faculty members who are looking for financial support for research and equipment, for sabbatical expenses and projects, for instructional equipment, for curriculum development projects, etc., are welcome to come to the office for consultations, review available online databases, and look through hard copy resources.
Dissemination of Information
The office provides news of grant opportunities to faculty and staff in a quarterly online newsletter entitled Grant Information (aka The Blue Sheet). Office personnel also contact faculty and staff members directly by phone and e-mail.
Advising and Project Development
Office staff are available to meet with faculty members to advise on the appropriateness of a project for a given granting agency, to suggest names of foundation and other agency personnel who may be helpful, and to make inquiries on behalf of faculty members. This office also is in a position to suggest the appropriate format of proposals to different funding sources. This advice will be most effective if faculty contact the office as early in the grant-seeking process as possible. Good proposals take time to develop. Corporate, foundation and government agency proposal deadlines may be as much as six to nine months before decisions are announced. A good rule is to begin working on a request 12-18 months in advance of the time one expects to start using the grant funds.
Proposal Preparation and EditingThe Assistant Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations, Bob Weisenfeld, serves as the primary writer of institutional proposals, and is available to assist with the writing, critiquing and, to some extent, production of applications from individual faculty and departments. As noted earlier, this assistance can best be provided when a faculty member or department contacts the office early in the proposal-writing process.
NSF FastLane Submission of ProposalsResponding to the October 2000 requirement that all National Science Foundation applications be submitted electronically, the office helps format faculty proposals for electronic submission and otherwise assists faculty in using FastLane.
Grants.gov
In response to the requirement that an increasing number of federal proposals be submitted via Grants.gov, the office assists faculty in completing required forms, uploading documents, submitting the proposal and otherwise using Grants.gov.
Stewardship
The project director of a funded program has responsibility for project implementation, fiscal management, and reporting. Good stewardship of external funds is a critical aspect of the grant cycle process. The way in which the project director executes the funded project, maintains records, and submits reports may well affect the credibility of Gustavus (as well as the project director) and, hence, future eligibility for funding. The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations assists the project director with his or her responsibilities by monitoring the progress of projects, helping to ensure that legal and ethical standards are upheld, reminding project directors to submit interim and final reports on time, etc. The office will also assist individual grant recipients or project directors in the preparation and filing of required reports.
The Corporate and Foundation Relations Office maintains the College's records of all College-sponsored grant activity. Therefore, a copy of all correspondence with a funding agency should be forwarded to the office, including proposals, award letters, terms and conditions of a grant, revisions in project priorities and budget, and reports.
