GRANTS

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the incentive for a faculty member to pursue funding?
Funding can support a faculty member’s research which is an essential component of their professional development. Project specific grants provide an opportunity to develop innovative work aligned with the University’s strategic fundraising priorities in curriculum development, academic excellence, student research and enhanced uses of technology. When a faculty member is named the principal investigator of a project they play a leadership role in advancing the academic mission of the institution. Pursuing funding with private foundations, corporations and government agencies provides a unique opportunity for visibility of the faculty member’s professional expertise.

2. Is the fundraising process different for the three offices (corporate, foundations and government)?
While the overall goal of each of the grants offices is to work with faculty and staff in an efficient and professional manner to secure funding for special projects and research, some steps are different. There are some key differences related to funding guidelines, donor cultivation, award notifications, external public relations, budget protocol and reporting procedures. These are covered in further detail on the funding process guidelines for each of the respective offices. To maximize the procurement of funding from various donors, the lines of communication between the three offices are extensive.

3. What are the advantages and what is involved in grants that include multiple schools and external partnerships?

Multiple Schools - Donors like to see that their funding is impacting as broad a base of stakeholders as possible. Projects that are interdisciplinary in nature are also considered highly competitive. A variety of successful projects at Fairfield have been designed to include internal partnerships across schools.

External Partnerships - - Partnerships with agencies and organizations with a common interest in the goals of a particular project serve to strengthen the implementation of an initiative. These collaborations provide an opportunity to pool resources and are also favorably reviewed by the donors. Discussions with potential partners should take place early in the planning process for a project, with the goal of securing letters of support.

4. What happens if Fairfield is approached by another organization to pursue a grant?
This often happens and the first step is to determine if the proposed project is aligned with the institution’s mission and the strategic plan of the particular school or department. Discussions should take place with the department chair and the dean to confirm that the opportunity is a priority for the institution. The appropriate grant officer should be contacted to serve as a liaison with the grants person at the other organization. The Funding Sources Request form needs to be completed for projects of this kind. If the University is approached to be involved with a grant opportunity it will fall into one of three categories: to be the fiscal agent, to be a subcontractor, or to have a partnership.

5. What is the advantage of Fairfield University being the fiscal agent on a grant?
Serving as the fiscal agent on the grant gives the University authority over the maintenance of the grant funds. This is the preferred arrangement.

6. Are there faculty on campus with grant experience that would be willing to provide me with their perspective on the grant procurement process?
There are a variety of faculty on campus who have extensive experience in the grants process. Some that have expressed a willingness to answer your specific questions are provided below:

Corporate Relations - Dr. Judy Primavera, College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Phil Greiner, School of Nursing,

Foundation Grants – Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer, College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Laura Nash, College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Suzanne Campbell, School of Nursing.

Government Grants – Dr. Laura Nash, College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. David McFadden, College of Arts and Sciences

7. How do I know what expenses are allowed when writing a proposal?
All funding sources have different budget requirements and limitations. Be sure to read the application and budget guidelines closely. Generally, there is a budget example within each application or an outline noting expected conformity. Each budget form generally contains line items for a variety of financial resources specifically related to the implementation of the project. If a funding source is identified it is best to contact the grants officer at the University to inquire about what is allowable if the guidelines are not clear. The following budget templates provide an overview of the categories included.

• Corporate Relations Budget Example

• Foundation Relations Budget Example

• Government Relations Budget Example

8. What do I need to know about cost sharing in the budget for my project?
Cost sharing, also known as matching, relates to the portion of the budget that the institution is required to match. Government funding agencies have specific guidelines for the percentage of a budget that must be a cost share and is clearly noted in the application guidelines. Private foundations and corporations look favorably on projects that show that there is some institutional support for the project. Most foundation and corporate grant guidelines do not specify a required amount. Cost sharing, if required, can be in two forms: in-kind cost share or cash cost share. All cost shared must be approved by the University grants officer before submitting the proposal.

9. What is involved in donor cultivation?
Donor cultivation is especially important as part of the foundation and corporate fundraising process. Oftentimes, in the case of corporate fundraising, cultivation has to be done well before any grant submissions will be considered since they do not always have clear guidelines on how a grant will be awarded.  

Once a specific project has been defined and the research on the donor has been reviewed conversations with potential donors early in the proposal development process are critical to the success of the grant award. This allows the project team to develop a submission that is crafted to meet those areas important to the funders while keeping the integrity of the program in tact.

The stewardship, reporting process, is another significant component of cultivation as it keeps funders aware of the good work made possible by their investments. In the event a proposal is denied, the contact is an excellent opportunity to build upon the relationship.   Many times a declined award in one cycle can lead to a successful grant in a future submission.

10. What happens if my proposal is denied funding?
The denial of a grant from a particular funding source is not the end to searching for funding. Rather, it provides an opportunity to revisit the list of funding prospects and consider another submission. (See the full narrative for an Unsuccessful Proposal—Do Not Despair) In addition, keep in mind that there are three possible directions to pursue funding—corporate, foundation and government. If an application is denied, the three grant officers will discuss and work with faculty and administrators to explore alternative funding sources through all three offices.

11. What is a PA, RFA, RFP, NOT, BAA, and RFI?

• Program Announcement ( PA ) : funding announcement for grants relating to areas of increased priority and/or emphasis on particular funding mechanisms for a specific area of science. Applications are usually accepted on standard receipt dates on an on-going basis. (A PAR is a PA for which special referral guidelines apply, as described in the PAR announcement. A PAS is a PA that includes specific set-aside funds, as described in the PAS announcement.)

• Request for Applications (RFA ): funding announcement for grants that identifies a more narrowly defined area for which one or more agencies have set aside funds for awarding grants. An RFA usually has a single receipt date, as specified in RFA announcement.

• Request for Proposals ( RFP ): solicits contract proposals. An RFP usually has one receipt date, as specified in RFP solicitation.

• Notice: (NOT ) announces policy and procedures, changes to RFA or PA announcements, RFPs and other general information items.

• Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) A BAA is a general announcement of an agency's research interest including criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all offerors capable of satisfying the Government's needs

• Request for Information (RFI) A RFI is a document used to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes when the Government does not presently intend to issue a solicitation.