How to Win Government Grants in Tough Times: Part 1

Budgets are shrinking at all levels of government making competition for government grants intense. Now is the time to learn the essentials of a successful grant proposal and how to set yourself apart from the competition.

The federal funding landscape is in an “age of sequestration” and is likely to continue this way into the future. This means fewer dollars for existing programs and fewer competitions. Programs are likely to be combined resulting in less money available.

The initial steps in strategic grant seeking include the following:   

  • Read the RFP thoroughly to make sure you qualify.
  • Always ask: Are we competitive?
  • Don’t be afraid to make tough decisions. Can you fulfill the requirements of the grant?
  • Does the RFP align with your goals and mission? Is it a good fit for you?
  • Look at the number of grants that will be awarded. If they are numerous, you have a better chance.

Here is an RFP checklist to help you decide whether a specific grant opportunity is right for you.

Look for Part 2 of “How to Win Government Grants in Tough Times” in the October issue of the Research Bulletin.

Excerpted from The Chronicle of Philanthropy Webinar, August 13, 2013

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How Researchers Network

Researchers rely heavily on networking at conferences and seminars and make little use of personal introductions, online social networking, or proactive self-promotion, according to Straight Talking, a report published by the UK researcher development organization, Vitae.

Vitae surveyed almost 500 researchers at eight UK universities and found that less than one-fifth regularly use online social networking to develop existing work contacts or make new ones. Only 14% feel comfortable asking someone they know to introduce them to an important person in their field, and 85% rarely send copies of their work to these prominent individuals.

Excerpted from Nature Jobs Blog posted by Rachel Bowden, April 17, 2012

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Export Control Reform Is Under Way

The U.S. government will implement new export control rules in October 2013 and January 2014. UF is evaluating procedures to ensure compliance with the new regulations. For a brief discussion of the new rules, see the July/August 2013 issue of Export Controls @ UF.

This information is important for

  • faculty and lab staff who have export control projects;
  • faculty who may be considering research projects with export control requirements;
  • research administrators who process projects with export control requirements.

Why is export compliance important?

Export control violations can result in penalties and fines which may apply to an individual, the institution, or both.

Please feel free to contact Brandi Boniface (boniface@ufl.edu or 392-2369) or the Division of Research Compliance at 294-1632 with any questions regarding export controls.

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Awarded Projects for August 2013

College of Education – Awarded Projects – August 2013
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Title: Gates Foundation Algebra Nation
Project Period: 07/31/2013—06/30/2015
Award Amount: $250,000.00
Principal Investigator: Lynda Hayes (PK Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: IDEA Part B, Entitlement 2013-2014
Project Period: 07/01/2013—06/30/2014
Award Amount: $196,593.00
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Submitted Projects for August 2013

College of Education – Submitted Projects – August 2013
Principal Investigator: Walter Leite (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/IES
Proposal Title: Project INCUBATE: Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Big Data Training in Education
Requested Amount: $3,755,757.00
Principal Investigator: Pasha Antonenko (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Kentucky (IES Subcontract)
Proposal Title: Managing Challenging Behaviors: Virtual Environment Training for Teachers in Elementary Schools (VETTES)
Requested Amount: $443,948.00
Principal Investigator: Maureen Conroy (CEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Virginia Commonwealth University (IES Subcontract)
Proposal Title: Development and Validation of Treatment Integrity Measures of Classroom-based Instructional Interventions in Early Childhood Settings
Requested Amount: $179,506.00
Principal Investigator: Maureen Conroy (CEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Virginia Commonwealth University (IES Subcontract)
Proposal Title: BEST in CLASS—Elementary: A Preventative Classroom-based Model
Requested Amount: $297,580.00
Principal Investigator: Holly Lane (SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Kent State University (IES Subcontract)
Proposal Title: Exploring the Relationship Between Cell Phone Use, Social Network, and Academic Performance in Undergraduate College Students
Requested Amount: $167,840.00
Principal Investigator: Patricia Snyder (CEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (IES Subcontract)
Proposal Title: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Subcontract with UF
Requested Amount: $222,859.00
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Washington (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Central Florida (IES Subcontract)
Proposal Title: The Florida Partnership for Civic Learning
Requested Amount: $37,259.00
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OER Report of Accomplishments

The OER has completed a draft of its annual report outlining data on externally funded projects and grants activities. We are pleased that faculty productivity has been sustained, and efforts toward securing external funding remain active.

The following represents a summary of accomplishments for FY 2012-2013:

•  COE faculty members in all schools and centers have submitted a total of 66 proposals, requesting $66.8 million. Proposal submissions included 18 NSF, 9 US Department of Education (5 for IES contracts), 10 Florida Department of Education, and 2 Spencer proposals.

• Research funding per faculty member totaled $429K, a 40% increase.

•  COE PIs and Co-PIs had 22 proposals funded totaling over $30 million in new awards, including one NSF and one US Department of Education/IES contract, a 17% increase.

•  Finally, COE schools and centers have 67 currently funded projects totaling $77.7 million, a 39% increase.

Congratulations for another banner year!

The final version of OER’s annual report will be available through the OER website soon.

 

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Senate Approves FY 2014 Education Bill

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies approved a FY 2014 bill providing money to improve early childhood care and education. Several highlights are summarized below.

  • Head Start: The bill includes $9.6 billion for Head Start. This includes $1.4 billion to expand Early Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships.
  • Child Care: The bill includes $2.5 billion for Child Care Development Block Grants.
  • Preschool Development Grants: The bill includes $750 million for a new program to support states’ efforts to expand or create high-quality preschool systems for four-year-olds from low- and moderate-income families.
  • Investing in Innovation: The bill provides $170 million for the Investing in Innovation education program.
  • Special Education: The bill provides $11.7 billion for educating students with disabilities, including: $463 million to support statewide systems of coordinated and early intervention services for two-year-olds and younger with disabilities, as well as their families; and $70 million to support research on how people with disabilities learn and how best to meet their educational needs.
  • Title I (Education for the Disadvantaged): The bill includes $14.6 billion for Title I grants to school districts for improving education for low-income students.

Visit this page for a complete summary.

To read the complete bill, visit http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s1284/text.

 

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Free iThenticate Accounts Available for Faculty, Post-Docs

Reprinted from UF Postdoctoral Update July 23, 2013

The iThenticate anti-plagiarism service is available free for faculty and graduate students through UFIT’s campus-wide contract. IThenticate can be used to scan your own possible publications and grant proposals to ensure proper citation of all sources prior to submission. Many government organizations use Ithenticate to review funding proposals and documents, including the NIH, NSF, and EPA.

To use, go to the LSS website, open Research Tools, click on iThenticate, and then click on Request an Account. Email UFIT’s e-Learning Support Services team for assistance with iThenticate or any of your online learning support needs.

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Qualifications for Principal Investigators of Human Subjects Research

Reprinted from UF Administrative Memo
July 11, 2013

Working with the three UF IRB’s (IRB-01, 02, 03), faculty stakeholders, and research deans in affected colleges, the Office of Research has developed guidelines to better define the qualifications needed to be a Principal Investigator (PI) of a human subjects research project.

The new guidelines are posted on the UF IRB website and specifically address the role students can play in overseeing human subject research. The University must ensure that PIs are suitably qualified and accountable for all aspects of research projects, and that other investigators are qualified to fulfill the requested role. The IRBs designate as PI the person who either conducts and/or oversees the entire protocol. The PI is also the person held accountable by the University and IRBs to ensure all human subjects’ regulations and any financial issues are addressed. A PI often delegates some of the research activities to students, study coordinators, or others; however, the PI remains accountable for the protocol.

These guidelines were updated to be consistent with peer institutions, are effective July 15, 2013, and will apply to any new protocol or revision request submitted. They are available at http://irb.ufl.edu/docs/studentpolicy.pdf.

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Office of Research Restructuring Announcement

Reprinted from UF Administrative Memo
May 28, 2013

Over the past year, the UF Office of Research has undergone some restructuring to better serve the needs of the UF research enterprise. The Office of Research is now composed of the following:

  • The Division of Sponsored Programs, formerly known as DSR, facilitates institutional approval for all extramural proposal submissions, accepts and administers grant awards, and negotiates contracts and other research-related agreements on behalf of the University of Florida.
  • The Division of Research Compliance supports and promotes ethical research practices at the University of Florida that fully comply with all federal, state, and local laws, and is responsible for coordinating institution-wide research compliance policy and procedure.
  • The Division of Research Program Development assists UF faculty and staff in the pursuit of internal and external research funding, coordinates internal funding programs, and assists in coordinating large interdisciplinary research initiatives.
  • The Division of Research Operations and Services provides support that underpins the campus-wide services that are part of the Office of Research portfolio.

Other functions within the Office of Research such as institutional oversight and research communications remain unchanged.

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Awarded Projects for July 2013

College of Education – Awarded Projects – July 2013
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Florida Foundation
Project Title: Palm Beach Count STEM Initiative-PEW
Project Period: 05/15/2013—05/30/2014
Award Amount: $337,959.00
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Florida Foundation
Project Title: Palm Beach Count STEM Initiative-Quantum
Project Period: 05/01/2013—06/30/2016
Award Amount: $905,894.00
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Florida Foundation
Project Title: Palm Beach County STEM Initiative—Community
Project Period: 06/01/2013—05/31/2015
Award Amount: $661,203.00
Principal Investigator: Marisa Stukey (PK Yonge)
Co-PI: Christy Garison (PK Yonge)
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: RTTT—District Evaluation Systems Monitoring
Project Period: 05/15/2013—06/30/2014
Award Amount: $30,000.00
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Submitted Projects for July 2013

College of Education – Submitted Projects – July 2013
Principal Investigator: Pasha Antonenko (STL)
Co-PI: Kent Crippen (STL), Treavor Boyer (Environmental Engineering Sciences)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: Co-regulation of Distributed Cognition and Collaboration in STEM Problem Solving
Requested Amount: $1,493,368.00
Principal Investigator: Elliot Douglas (Materials Science & Engineering)
Co-PI: Mirka Koro-Ljungberg (SHDOSE), David Therriault (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: How Engineers Approach Ill-Structured Problems
Requested Amount: $1,005,269.00
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Florida Foundation
Proposal Title: Palm Beach County STEM Initiative–Quantum
Requested Amount: $900,430.00
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI:
Funding Agency: University of Florida Foundation
Proposal Title: Palm Beach County STEM Initiative–Pew
Requested Amount: $900,430.00
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Florida Foundation
Proposal Title: Palm Beach County STEM Initiative–Community
Requested Amount: $900,430.00
Principal Investigator: Alice Kay Emery (SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Working with the Experts Project (Part B) 2013–2014
Requested Amount: $175,000.00
Principal Investigator: David Miller (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Take Stock in Children
Proposal Title: Take Stock in Children Evaluation
Requested Amount: $48,612.38
Principal Investigator: Bernard Oliver (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: The School District of Palm Beach County (Subcontract)
Proposal Title: iLEAD Academy Project
Requested Amount: $1,137,891.00
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Grant Writing Tips: Letter of Commitment

A very common element of grant proposals is a letter of commitment from one’s department chair (in the case of COE, school director). See the following grant writing tip reprinted by permission from Grantseeker Tips newsletter Issue #362, June 18, 2013 published by Miner and Associates, Inc.

What information should be included in a letter of commitment from a department chair?

Department chair commitment letters are crucial because they help document the environment in which the research will be conducted and reassure the reviewers that there is institutional “buy-in” of the PI and the project.

Depending on each faculty member’s situation, letters may contain the following items:

•     Affirmation that the faculty member is a “rising star” in the department with a unique skill set.

•     Assurance that the faculty member will be given protected released time to carry out the proposed project.

•     Promise that the faculty member will have guaranteed access to essential departmental and university resources such as instrumentation, equipment, library holdings, computers, and similar items.

•     Pledge that the faculty member will be able to use “start-up package funding” or internal seed support to complement grant funding.

•     Guarantee that the faculty member will be provided support personnel to help carry out the project (e.g., student support from undergraduates, graduates, or post-docs; laboratory support from electrical or mechanical personnel; and research design and statistical analysis expertise).

To subscribe to the free Grantseeker Tips newsletter, go to http://www.MinerAndAssociates.com and enter your email address on the right-hand side of the home page.

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Awarded Projects for June 2013

College of Education – Awarded Projects – June 2013
Principal Investigator: Donald Pemberton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Madison for Education Consultancy, LLC
Project Title: Training Services Agreement
Project Period: 02/02/2013—08/31/2016
Award Amount: $1,815,099.00
Principal Investigator: Donald Pemberton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Zero to Three
Project Title: Zero to Three—Doris Duke Part B
Project Period: 06/01/2013—11/30/2015
Award Amount: $93,500.00
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Submitted Projects for June 2013

College of Education – Submitted Projects – June 2013
Principal Investigator: Lynda Hayes (PK Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: IDEA, Part B, Entitlement 2013-2014
Requested Amount: $196,593.00
Principal Investigator: Lynda Hayes (PK Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Title I Part A: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged 2013-2014
Requested Amount: $136,292.01
Principal Investigator: Lynda Hayes (PK Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Title II, Part A, Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund 2013-2014
Requested Amount: $27,819.25
Principal Investigator: Virginia Dodd (College of Dentistry)
Co-PI: Anne Corinne Huggins (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Proposal Title: Developing an Instrument to Measure the Antecedents of Oral Health Literacy
Requested Amount: $16,118.00
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: SRI International (Subcontract)
Proposal Title: Validation of SunBay Middle School Mathematics
Requested Amount: $2,241,002.00
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