Identifying Funding Sources: How to Search for Funding Opportunities for Graduate Research and Study

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Identifying Funding Sources How to Search for
Funding Opportunities for Graduate Research and
Studyin Biomedical Engineering

• Office of Information Communications
• GrantSource Library

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• Office of Information Communications
  GrantSource Library
• 307 Bynum Hall
• (on Cameron Avenue)
• Monday-Friday 800 a.m. - 500 p.m.

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Contact Us

• Public Service Desk 919-962-3463 gs_at_unc.edu
• Susan Gramling, GrantSource Librarian 919-962-776
  6 susan_gramling_at_unc.edu
• Elizabeth Allen, GrantSource Librarian
  919-962-6022 allen_at_unc.edu

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Contact at NC State

• Carol Linelle Ashcraft, Research Resource
  Manager Proposal Development Unit (919)
  513-2466 carol_ashcraft_at_ncsu.edu

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Library Services

• Assistance and instruction in
• using databases and other resources to conduct
  funding searches
• finding internal sources of funding
• finding tips and guides on proposal writing
• identifying funded research and awards made
• finding information about researchers and
  research at Carolina and elsewhere

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Topics for Today

• Funding fundamentals
• Tips for researching funding opportunities
• Online resources
• Searching with COS and other funding opportunity
  databases
• Print resources available at the GrantSource
  Library

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Funding Fundamentals

• Start early
• Plan ahead for your long-term funding needs
• Be aware of lengthy turn-around times
• Use a variety of resources, including print,
  electronic, and especially people
• Become familiar with sponsors in your field
• Check for funding offered by your department,
  professional organization, honor society, and
  other affiliation groups

PDF Handout Funding Fundamentals
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Tips for Researching Funding Opportunities

• Look for potential funders whose mission
  encompasses your work
• Identify funders goals or needs
• Broaden your search
• Approach your search from different perspectives

PDF Handout Tips for Researching Funding
Opportunities
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Things to Consider Before Searching

• Keywords that apply to your research
• Categories that apply to yourself
• Types of awards sought

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Where to Start Your Search

• Visit our website and search on your
  ownhttp//research.unc.edu/grantsource
• Use Finding Funding 101 for tips on organizing
  your search
• Visit the GrantSource Library for in person help
  and instruction in using online and library
  resources
• Email or call if you have questions

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http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/
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COS Funding Opportunities Database

• Advanced search (recommended)
• recommended fields keywords, requirements,
  citizenship or residency, activity location,
  funding type
• click Keywords in More Search Fields and then
  Browse to view keyword subject tree
• use Search feature to find keywords you want
• uncheck Explode when you use broad keywords

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_databa
  ses.phpcos
• PDF Handout Searching COS Funding Opportunities

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COS Saved Funding Searches

• Weekly email with new or updated opportunities
• For best results, do these steps
• first, register for an account to create your
  COS expertise account (student accounts are
  unpublished)
• click Create my Account and then COS Profile
• select Workbench Home tab
• click Add a Search to do a search and then
  Save Search

http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_alerts
.phpcos PDF Handout Intro to COS Workbench
Funding Alerts
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Carolina Internal Funding Database

• Information on funding provided by or
  administered by UNC-Chapel Hill
• Searchable by only one field at a time
• Search by applicant type, award type, or specific
  internal sponsor (such as Graduate School)
• Smaller database
• Dont overlook this important resource

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_databa
  ses.phpcarolina

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Funding Guides

• Selected major fellowships for graduate students
• includes something for virtually all disciplines
• Subject- and population-specific resources
• NEW! Funding Guide for biomedical engineering
• University and State of NC funding information
  sources

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_guides
  .php
• Handout Selected Major Fellowships for Graduate
  Students (pdf)

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Graduate School Funding Resources
http//gradschool.unc.edu/funding/
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Additional Resources
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InfoEd SPINFunding Opportunities Database

• Similar to COS
• Main differences
• additional opportunities not in COS
• different choice of keywords and search terms
• different interface (keywords alphabetized)
• Click on Advanced Search
• Be certain to click Search dont click Enter

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_databa
  ses.phpspin

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Other Funding Databases

• Federal databases
• become familiar with the databases of your
  fields major federal sponsors, such as NIH or
  NSF
• Specialized databases
• Subject specific databases such as GrantsNet
• IIE Passport Study Abroad Funding
• IIE Funding for US Study
• International Education and Financial Aid
• Commercial scholarship databases

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_databa
  ses.php

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Specialized Alert Services

• Agency-specific alerts
• NIH Guide Table of Contents
• NSF Email Updates
• Subject-specific alerts
• GrantsNet Email Updates (biomedical/science
  education)
• TIP Search Research Funding

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_alerts
  .phpspecialized

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Print Resource Collection

• Money for Graduate Students Series
• Financial Aids for Minorities, Women, Disabled
• Proposal writing guides
• Sample successful fellowship proposals
• Discipline-specific directories

http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/print_resource
s.php
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Proposal Writing Resources

• Proposal assistance and resources at Carolina
• Online proposal writing guides
• Funding Your Graduate Work, UCLA
• Scholarly Pursuits A Guide to Professional
  Development During the Graduate Years, Harvard
• Chapter 5, Grantsmanship in Support of Study or
  Research Writing a Fellowship Proposal or
  Statement of Purpose
• Contains sample CVs, cover letters, biographical
  statements, fellowship proposals and more.

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/proposal_writi
  ng.php

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Faculty Expertise

• Search COS Expertise Database
• information about faculty research interests at
  Carolina and elsewhere
• use to identify potential mentors, collaborators,
  and others
• Research Abstracts Database (RAD)
• database of proposal abstracts submitted by
  UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and graduate students

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/faculty_expert
  ise.php

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Databases of Awards Made

• Use to find out who and what was actually funded
• Federal grants awarded databases
• Private and state grants awarded databases

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/awards_made.ph
  p

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Funding Agencies

• US government agencies
• NIH, especially training grant information
• NSF, especially graduate student specialized
  info
• Private and community foundations, corporate
  grantmakers

• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/agencies.php

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Thank You!

• Please take a moment to tell us how we did.
• Handout GrantSource Library
• Presentation Evaluation