When preparing a grant proposal, a variety of information may be needed and will vary depending on the criteria listed in the specific RFP (request for proposal) guidelines. Below are some resources and information you may find helpful. Keep in mind that these elements may or may not apply to your proposal.
Potential funding sources with links, tips and info
All federal opportunities are required to be listed at grants.gov. The site also provides search and alert systems.
New York State has instituted a program called the Grants Gateway which lists currently available requests for proposals and contractual opportunities. Our office routinely reviews the alerts and notifies faculty members who have expressed an interest in these competitions. Of course, it is open to the public, and anyone can sign up to receive these alerts as well.
Seeking funding from local corporations and foundations, such as Wendt Foundation or Oishei Foundation, should be done through the Buffalo State College Foundation. They can be contacted at 878-4658 or via the web.
Often when you begin reading over Requests for Proposals you will note that there can be a requirement(s) for the institution to be registered in an electronic submission system. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF) requires registration in their system, FastLane; other federal sites requiring this type of set-up include NIH, grants.gov, and NASA. New York State’s Grants Gateway requires “prequalification” by an institution. Even individual foundations may require an institutional registration in order to proceed with a proposal submission. PLEASE NOTE: Do not register yourself or attempt to register our institution with such sites – these are done by the Pre-Award and Contract Services office as the Authorized Organizational Representative. If you have any questions, please contact us first!
Two federal agencies, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, have specific application guides that must be used in conjunction with any Request for Proposal. The links are provided below:
NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Current & Pending Support
Many proposals require institutional information and/or statistics, as well as information about Buffalo and the Western New York area. Some also require a description and information about the Research Foundation for SUNY and its relationship with SUNY. Below are various documents and sites that may prove helpful in preparing this information.
Consider Including a description of how the proposed project correlates to the strategic plans of the organization. To review relevant campus and SUNY strategic plans follow the link(s) below.
Faculty are often required to include institutional information in a proposal. Below are links to various resources – Buffalo State College, the City of Buffalo and the US Census Bureau.
Institutional Research - for example Student Enrollment (Gender, Age, Ethnicity, etc.); Fact Sheets (per semester); and Reports (graduates) - Sample introductory paragraph
City of Buffalo – Maps, census data by neighborhoods, other census statistics.
US Census Bureau Quick Facts – land facts, population data, ethnicity data.
Certain required costs such as fringe benefits and indirect costs need to be reflected in a proposal budget. These are represented as standardized rates established by the Research Foundation for SUNY and Buffalo State. Below are links to the most recent information:
The following information can be helpful to you when completing your Routing Sheet:
First, many proposals are not funded on the first try. It does not mean that your idea, research, training, etc., is not fundable. Revisions or redirection are often required. All federal agencies will make the reviewers' comments available to you. The National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health are available electronically; generally others send them to the Principal Investigator via regular mail. Occasionally, you will need to request that the comments be sent or the Pre-Award office can do that on your behalf. Private corporations and foundations may choose not to offer reviewer comments.
It is always a good idea to request a colleague in your field to review your proposal, especially if the reviewer comments indicate pedagogical or research methodology problems. As always, Pre-Award is happy to review your proposal narrative for clarity, grammar, and readability to a general audience.
Many funding opportunities are cyclical and if the priorities are still in line with your proposed study, you should consider reapplying on the next round. Pre-Award will continue to alert you to such ongoing requests for proposals, as well as search for other sponsors that may be compatible with your project.
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