Many grant writers feel that the proposal is the most important aspect of grant research. They spend more time writing the proposal than they do on all other parts of the process -- planning, research, and follow-up. It should not be assumed that grant writing can be reduced to a formula or that what worked for one institution dealing with a funding source will also work for another at a different time or with a different funder. Nor should it be assumed that a beautifully prepared application will always be successful -- they can and do fail to find support. Less often, but occasionally, a poor application will be successful, primarily because some need of the funder will be met by the accomplishment of the proposed activity.

    Grant applications differ greatly in form, style, and content depending on factors such as the granting agency requirements, the type of project, and the size and type of the institution that will administer the funds. In arriving at funding decisions, government agencies must consider the national priorities that have been established by the current administration, or geographic distribution, or the state of the art in a particular field. Private foundations nearly always reflect the partialities and biases of the donors, and it is not unusual for foundation grants to be made to friends of the trustees. Corporations are known to favor applications that come from localities where their headquarters or operational units are located. While there is no one right or wrong methodology for the process of obtaining a grant, there is a wealth of information readily available on the Internet.

    This resource hub was designed to assist colleges and universities that are interested in pursuing funding for information technology support programs. The hub provides information on 10 potential funding sources including the federal government; general advice or 10 hints for prospective grant writers; a listing of 10 universities that have demonstrated skill in receiving significant grants; and, finally, a sample of a preliminary grant application submitted to FIPSE that demonstrates how the information contained within this resource hub resulted in an actual grant submission.

    The team that created this hub welcomes your comments and wishes you well with all future funding applications:

Vivienne Baldini Chirip
Catherine Buckley
Mary Meehan
Mary Beth Russell