BU Experts Share Advice on Applying for and Receiving Large Grants at April Workshop
On Thursday April 6, BU faculty members and grants professionals shared their advice and experiences at a lively and informative workshop on “Large Grants for Social Scientists.” Associate Dean Arianne Chernock (CAS History) served as moderator, and Deborah Carr (CAS Sociology), Rachel Nolan (CAS International Relations) and Jessica Simes (CAS Sociology), offered their insight and perspectives on the process of identifying, applying for, receiving, and reviewing large grants, defined as more than $20,000. Cecilia Lalama (Foundation Relations) presented an overview of the assistance that BU’s Foundation Relations office and its partner office Federal Relations can provide to faculty seeking external funding. Chris Chiofolo, CISS grants administrator, also was available to answer questions regarding the supports CISS can provide during the grant application and management process.
The panelists, each of whom has obtained large grants from foundations and the federal government, underscored the importance of external funding for scholars of all stages – from graduate students to senior faculty members. Although writing successful grant proposals takes time, focus, and energy (and may detract time from more urgent goals like publishing), external grants can be essential to launching a new research project, hiring student research assistants, collecting new data, or paying for course releases.
Some of the insightful tips offered at the workshop include
- Stay organized! Keep a document for yourself of grants you find and want to apply for in the future.
- Try to envision the application process as a useful intellectual exercise. Applying for grants is an opportunity to re-envision the work you’re doing and strengthen your intellectual framework. It can act as a roadmap for where you can go next.
- Adopt the mindset of the selection committee. The committee is looking for easy ways to narrow down their pool of applicants, as applications far outnumber the number of grants available. If you haven’t convinced them within the first paragraph that your study is important and innovative, they will likely move on.
- Make sure you’ve considered “fit.” Ensure that your work is consistent with the aims of the funding organization or particular RFP (Request for Proposals). Keep in mind what type of work the organization has funded in the past and confirm you can provide what they’re asking for.
- Take a step back. You know why your work matters to YOU, but why should it matter to someone else? Make this obvious in your application.
- Knowledge translation matters more than ever. Funders care deeply about ensuring that your research has impact. Be clear about how your work will inform policy and practice, clarify how you will disseminate your results broadly — to the general public and policy makers. Think about ways you might directly engage stakeholders in your research process, and ways that you might give back to the communities you study.
- Precision matters. If you are seeking funding for an empirical project, it is critical that you clearly describe precisely what you are doing, and that you demonstrate that the method or approach you propose is feasible for studying your research question.
- Write clearly. Your proposal will be read by those who share your expertise as well as those who know very little about your subfield. Crystal-clear jargon-free writing ensures that all reviewers can understand and appreciate your work.
- Sing out your strengths. What evidence can you provide that you are ideally suited to carry out the proposed project? What substantive or methodological expertise do you bring to the project? While many funding organizations focus on the project, most also focus on the person and their qualifications.
- Recognize the limits of your expertise. Bringing on a consultant who has the expertise, skills, or networks you lack can be an important addition to your research team.
- Consider the pros and cons of receiving grant funds. Often, grants come with a lot of strings attached. Make sure you know what you’re getting into (read the contract!) and that it’s worth the effort.
- Rejection happens; it’s a part of the process. For every grant someone receives, there are five they’ve been rejected from. Don’t let it be a point of discouragement.
BU has extensive resources for those seeking external funding. Check out the Center’s external opportunities webpage, Foundation Relations’ funding opportunities page, or the Office of Research website (including the Pivot Database) to learn of other small (and large) grant opportunities.
Sociologist Jessica Simes, a recent recipient of the highly competitive NSF Career Award, shared slides with helpful advice focused on National Science Foundation (NSF) awards. See here: Simes_NSF Sociology
Foundation Relations’ Cecilia Lalama also shared important resources including overview slides (CISS Large Grants Panel) and these links:
Foundation Relations resources
Early Career Funding Roadmaps (how to request) – in partnership with Federal Relations
Foundation Relations events (“Meet the Funder” sessions)
Upcoming “Meet the Funders” virtual sessions (BU Research site) – in partnership with BU Research
Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Thurs., 4/20 1 p.m.
“Meet the Funders” virtual series (BU Research site – past sessions/recordings)
Successful Proposal Library (direct link) – in partnership with Federal Relations/BU Research ***Kindly consider donating your successful LOIs and proposals***
RFPs we maintain on a CAS faculty-staff page
RFPs we feature on the Foundation Relations website (powered by BU Community of Science/Pivot)
Chris Chiofolo writes a regular “Ask Chris” column for CISS, where he answers questions about grants. See past columns here and sign up for virtual office hours, or send your own question to Chris at cjc@bu.edu.