I have a really great project in mind!  How do I find funding to support it?

Step #1 – Let us know what it is

Write up a brief description (paragraph to half-page) of the project.  It’s helpful if you include such information as the research question you’re exploring, the services you will provide, your target population (i.e., low-income students, under-performing students), collaborations with other researchers or community partners, equipment needs, and/or direct benefits to the University.  Please also include a very rough estimate of how much money you might need ($1k-$50k, $50k-$100k, $100k-$500k, $500k+) and how much time you may need (months? years?), as well as a few keywords related to your project (solid state chemistry, sports psychology, early childhood education, problem-based learning, etc.).  This information will help us target a specific search for opportunities that have a greater chance of matching your funding needs.

Step #2 – The search is on!

Email your description of the project to Bianca Hunter in the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) to start the process.  OSR has access to online databases for funding opportunities, and the University of La Verne has an institutional membership through which we can request assistance conducting funding searches.  The La Verne community can also conduct their own searches through our subscription to Community of Science. Visit the website or contact OSR for more information.

Once OSR has received your search results, you will be sent an email with a list of possible funding opportunities for which La Verne is eligible to submit.  PLEASE NOTE: Eligible to submit does not mean approval to submit (or even approval to prepare), so don’t start writing yet.

Step #3 – Found one.  Now what?

Once you’ve identified a funding opportunity that looks promising, you need to obtain approval from your College to proceed.  This helps ensure that you and your project will have the support you need to prepare and submit a competitive, fundable proposal BEFORE you take all that time to write one.  It is especially important to have full approval if your project requires additional classroom or lab space. If your project requires classroom or lab space, contact Chip West, Senior Director of Central Services and Capital Planning to guide you with the proper procedures and policies for requestion additional space Capital Project Form Nothing’s worse than spending weeks on a proposal only to find out at the submission approval stage that you are not authorized to move forward. So, save yourself the time and heartache by notifying the appropriate people early and obtaining formal approval to start working on a proposal.  You can do this through the Department Approval Form/Capital Project Request Form. The information on this form will help your College understand and plan for your project.

With your signed approval form in hand, now you can get started.  For proposals to public funding agencies (federal/state/municipal), contact Amy Velasco, Director of the Office of Sponsored Research, for proposal preparation and submission assistance.  Please find attached, the grant proposal authorization form for Government grants Government Grant Proposal Authorization Form  For proposals to private funders (foundations, professional societies, etc.), contact Denise Gutierrez, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, for assistance.  Please find attached, the grant proposal authorization form for private grants Private Grant Proposal Authorization Form  Proposals for external funding must receive additional on-campus approvals prior to submission to funding agencies, so please let OSR and/or Advancement help you develop a responsive, compliant, and successful application. PLEASE NOTE: Do not contact the funding agency, Amy Velasco and/or Denise Gutierrez will be the liaison for the agency and La Verne.