2012 Office of Grants Facilitation Workshop: Preparing the Successful Grant Application

Are you writing grant proposals but wish your success rate was higher? Come learn some of the tricks of the trade and get a better overview of the grant application process at Rutgers. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and to learn more about the challenges and opportunities in the current funding environment.

Lunch will be provided for those who register by May 25. This workshop is limited to 40 people and is designed for Rutgers faculty and post-docs. Advanced graduate students are welcome but must first contact Xenia Morin (xmorin@sebs.rutgers.edu) to obtain permission.

Where: Cook Campus Center, Room 202 A/B

When: Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 9:30-4:00 pm

9:15 am - Registration and Coffee

9:30-12:30 pm - MORNING SESSION

9:30 am - Welcome and Introductions

10:00 am - Overview of Grant Proposal Development and Application Process at Rutgers, SEBS (Xenia Morin, Office of Grants Facilitation)

How long does it take?
Planning your time and identifying tasks
Project management
Creating checklists and tasks
Setting expectations
Getting training
How to work with others during the proposal development phase

10:30 am - RU Offices that can support your proposal development—navigating who to call at RU for assistance These include: Office of Grants Facilitation at SEBS, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP), Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC), Rutgers Foundation, Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB), Animal Care, Rutgers Environmental Heath Office, Office of the Proposal Development (limited submissions) in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, International Office, NB Graduate School, Website resources.

11:00 am - BREAK

11:15 am - Understanding Funding Agencies and Finding Funding Opportunities (Xenia Morin, Office of Grants Facilitation)

What kind of funding is best for your project?

Quick funding searches: Getting Started with COS Pivot

Understanding the Funding Organization and Finding a Match

Determining what a funding agency funds and why
The role of the Program Officer
Myths and realities

11:45 am - Considering New Funding Options:

Understanding the Department of Defense—Bruce LaMattina, Rutgers

12:15-1:15 pm - LUNCH and Informal Networking Opportunity

1:15- 4:00 pm - AFTERNOON SESSION

1:15 pm - Writing the Successful Application Overview (Xenia Morin, Office of Grants Facilitation)

Getting the most out of the request for applications (RFA) or funding opportunity announcement (FOA)

Identifying your team and making new contacts

1:45 pm - Project Narrative Writing Tips and Tricks (Xenia Morin, Office of Grants Facilitation and Mike Muller, OPD)

Determining your audience for writing
Learning how to write a responsive application
Why writing a proposal is different from writing a scholarly paper
Why writing a draft or two isn’t enough
Getting feedback
Technical editing

2:15 pm - Project Budgeting - the reality check for the scope of your work (Theresa Kirby, Office of Grants Facilitation)

Creating a draft BUDGET for the funding agency
Writing a budget justification
Who can help? What information do you need?
Cost-sharing
ORSP budget template - why use it?
What is important in budgeting?
Estimating F&A (indirect costs)
Refining the budget during proposal development

2:45-3:00 pm - BREAK

3:00 pm - Navigating the “Paperwork” (Sarah Dumais, ORSP and Ryan Womack, RU Libraries)

What to expect: sorting out the internal and external paperwork
Endorsement Forms-internal paperwork. External paperwork and its connection to the internal paperwork.
Tools for creating a budget
Subcontracts, professional services agreements, and Letters of Intent, Memorandum of Understanding
International work—the challenges and the opportunities
Biosketches
Current and Pending Forms
Data management plans
Post-doc mentoring plans
Broader impacts and outreach
Submission mechanisms

Before you leave: Wrap-Up and Reflection

Work Time: Creating your tentative plan for your next application for funding