Missouri State allocates over $500,000 annually to support faculty research and other scholarly activities.  Part of those funds are allocated to faculty and staff who develop grant  proposals. Click on $upport for faculty to learn more.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced grant writer, OSRP has created a Guide to Proposal Development that you can scan and find information at the click of your mouse. 

Proposal Development Process:

Use the OSRP Concept Outline to organize your project ideas and begin the proposal development process.

Proposal Checklists: (From the Grants Resource Center)  

National Science Foundation-General
National Science Foundation-CAREER
National Institutes of Health
Grants.gov

(PDF documents open in a new window) 

Responsibilities of the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs:

The SRP office provides administrative services to assist principal investigators in developing and submitting proposals that comply with sponsor and university requirements; negotiates and accepts grant awards, obtains authorized signatures on sponsored agreements and contracts; documents human subjects or animal use approval; and coordinates with grants accountants to establish project accounts.

 

Tips to Get Started:

If you plan to write a grant proposal, please do the following:

• Conception of Idea: Contact OSRP immediately for project and proposal development assistance.
• Identify Potentaul funding source information: Visit our External Funding Opportunity page to begin your search or contact OSRP for support.
• Follow funding-agency guidelines: Acquire the funding guideleines and application forms from the correct sources, either through Grants.gov or the sponsor web sites.
• Discuss with your Department Head and/or Dean: Review the proposed budget with all affected persons to address funding and resource needs with your and other departments.
• Plan your project: Write an outline of your proposal well in advance of agency deadlines. Make notes of budget needs. Contact OSRP for support. If needs be, call the funding source; Call, email, or visit the foundation or agency to ask questions and to discuss project.  Conversation with program officers of funding agencies are critical to the success of all proposals.
• Collaborations: If any partnerships are involved ensure all parties are in agreement. Letters of support may be required. Remember, OSRP Staff can review and edit your proposal in accordance with sponsor guidelines.
• Complete narratives and budget: Identify proposal elements and write contents according to guideline speciifcation.  Work with OSRP to ensure both the narrative and budget are in alignment. 
• Review submission specifications: Preliminary proposal required? Electronic submission called for? Contact OSRP for guidance.
• Have only authorized university officials sign grant or contract documents.
• Review, revise, rewrite:  Get feedback from colleagues, OSRP staff, others to ensure clarity and completeness. Contact Compliance Officer if projects involve Human Subjects, Animal Care and Use, Biosafety or any other compliance issues.
• Final check and signature routing:  Confirm unit/department/college commitments.  Obtain IRB/IACUC approval (if required).  Collect all necessary supplementary materials (supporting letters, agreements, etc).  Ensure you have the Internal Approval Form completed with PI and Approver signatures from your Department Head, and Dean.
• Submit final copy to OSRP for processing:  Allow sufficient lead time in advance of deadline.  For print submissions, OSRP will duplicate and mail.  For electronic submission, OSRP will convert to appropriate electronic format and submit.
• Receive word from sponsor:  If you are funded, let OSRP know.  The office of Contracts and Grants will assist with all reporting and post-award grant activity.  If you are not funded, seek comments for next submission, and let OSRP know.
• Consult the OSRP web site for Federal Regulations & University Policies, and web links for contact and other information regarding Conflict of Interest, Misconduct in Science, research on Human Subjects, Animal Care and Use, research involving Biohazards, and other issues with which you should be familiar.

 

Type of Sponsors:

Frequently, sponsors require specific institutional information such as a DUNS number or an EIN number.  You're one click away from what you need to know.

Support for research and scholarly activities can come from diverse sources. The more traditional sources include;

• Federal agencies
• State agencies
• Private foundations
• Corporations, industry, business
• Not-for-Profit organizations (universities, libraries, museums, etc.)

Less traditional sources include local government, community groups, or discretionary funds from program officers in the more traditional sources. Some disciplines or activities lend themselves more readily to some types of sponsors than to others.

Some generalities can be made about these categories of sponsors. However, there are no rules that sponsors must follow in terms of their giving patterns, application process, or review procedures.

Federal agencies:

• They generally have the most accessible information.
• They are considered by some to be the most stable source of funding.
• In some fields, support from this category may be used as a faculty performance tool (i.e. if successful in the peer review process).
• Federal agencies often have the longest timeframe for reviewing proposals and making awards.

State agencies:

• This is an increasingly important category of funding; there is some federal flow through to state.
• The competition may be less intense than for funding from federal agencies.
• State agencies often have less accessible information or mechanisms for advertising.

Private foundations:

• Approximately 40,000 foundations in the United States annually award over $10 billion; 3,000 foundations have 90 percent of the assets.
• By law, foundations must pay out five (5) percent of market assets on net return on investments.
• Corporations, industry, business
• These are a good source of non-monetary contributions.
• They often have no established program or written guidelines.

Not-for-Profit organizations:

• Such organizations generally offer smaller amounts of money.
• They generally have a quicker turnaround than do other types of sponsors.

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