The Foundation Relations team (FR) is always available to help. The FR team member who works with your academic unit can be found on the Contact Us page.

Whether or not you work with Foundation Relations, you’ll want to keep the following in mind:

Get to know the funder

  • Sign up for the foundation’s newsletters for updates and announcements.
  • Check to see if the foundation hosts webinars about their funding programs, and if any past events are posted on their website or YouTube page.
  • Check out videos of previous Meet the Funders webinars hosted by FR. Future webinars will be posted on our website and promoted by the Office of Research through their email and website.
  • The Proposal Library has examples of successful proposals from BU faculty for a variety of funders, both federal and private (BU login required). The library is maintained by FR, Federal Relations, and the Office of Research.

Look to your network

  • Ask for feedback on your proposal drafts from colleagues, faculty mentors, FR staff, past awardees, and/or your peers at other institutions
  • Check LinkedIn to see if you have any connections who work at or are affiliated with the foundation.
  • Introduce yourself to program officers at conferences. Check vendor, exhibitor, and panelist lists to see if funding agencies (government or private) are attending. Reach out to set up a meeting at a booth, over coffee, or at a BU- or funder-hosted event.
  • Check to see if you have any connections with current or previous awardees and reach out for insights or advice (and don’t be afraid to cold-email!).

Lean on Foundation Relations

  • Ask FR to connect you with a program officer well in advance of application deadlines to learn if a project is within scope of their funding program and ask for any advice they can offer.
  • If your proposal is rejected, ask if the funder can provide reviewer comments, or ask FR to reach out for comments on your behalf. Faculty are often successful after multiple attempts, especially if they address comments in future proposals.
  • FR maintains a list of BU faculty who have served as proposal reviewers or in other capacities for foundations. Some foundations invite current/past awardees to review new proposals; doing so can offer helpful  insights into the review process.
  • Ask FR for a funding program’s Data Visualization Report (available for select funding programs) to get a sense of whether you’re a good fit for the program.
  • Ask FR to hold a Red Team Review for your proposal to a high-value and/or highly competitive funding program. These reviews bring together a previous awardee and a colleague familiar with your science to advise how to strengthen your proposal.
  • Watch the Building Authentic Relationships with Foundations webinar hosted by FR. The session outlines how faculty can identify relevant program officers, reach out for meetings, prepare for conversations, and develop meaningful partnerships with foundations.

You can review the list of centrally managed funders on our Need to Know page. Per the request of the foundation’s leadership or the university’s, these foundations should only be approached through or with clearance from Foundation Relations.