a presentation by the Indiana University Grad Grants

a presentation by the Indiana University Grad. Grants Center Esen Gokpinar-Shelton Proposal Development Consultant September 8, 2018

What are grants? 2. How do we map and locate grants? 3. What are some of the key tips before drafting a proposal? 4. How do we write winning grants? 1.

§ Grants (or fellowships) are forms of monetary funding given by an organization, such as a governmental or academic institution, for a particular purpose § Grants can help you: § Earn a graduate degree § Conduct major research projects § Fund conference travel § Obtain language proficiency § Complete a pre-dissertation research § Complete your dissertation in a timely manner Grants add lines to your CV and help you to develop a professional persona, serving as stepping stones to reaching your long-term goals

§ Define your long-term goals § M. A. Job OR M. A. Ph. D. § Ph. D. Job out of academia OR Ph. D. Job in academia § Identify skills that move you toward these goals § Advancing language proficiency § Conducting independent fieldwork § Gaining professional experience in a foreign setting § Gaining teaching experience § Find grants to help you build these skills

§ Coursework § Pre-dissertation research § Prospectus/proposal § Qualifying exams § Dissertation research § Fieldwork? Archives? Lab work? § Dissertation write-up § Graduation (post doc opportunities)

COURSEWORK § Fellowships (largely internal) § Scholarships § Teaching and graduate assistantships (SAA) § Travel grants § Conferences § Workshops § Short-term research (usually in summer) Q U A L I F Y I N G E X A M S RESEARCH, WRITING § Fellowships (largely external) § Travel § Conferences § Workshops § LONG-TERM Research § Equipment and other research expenses § Dissertation completion support

INTERNAL AWARDS EXTERNAL AWARDS § Monies distributed within the university § Monies that come into the university from system § GPSG; OVPIA; CAHI; COAS; Departments, schools, colleges § Advantages: often less competitive, experience-building, make you attractive to future funders § Disadvantages: usually small in dollar amount outside § Fulbright; Social Science Research Council; National Institutes of Health; National Science Foundation; etc. § Advantages: major dollar amounts, more prestigious than internal awards § Disadvantages: often highly competitive, time-consuming

SMALL TRAVEL/RESEARCH AWARDS: § GPSG Travel/Research Award (up to $500 & $1, 000) § OVPIA International Engagement Grant (up to $1, 000) § OVPIA Summer Pre-dissertation Travel Grants (up to $2, 000) § IUPUI Travel Awards (up to $1, 000) LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, DIVERSITY AWARDS: § Wells Graduate Fellowship ($42, 000) § President’s Diversity Dissertation Fellowship ($25, 000) For more internal grant opportunities, see: http: //graduate. indiana. edu/admissions/financial-support/fellowships-awards/index. shtml https: //graduate. iupui. edu/admissions/financial-support/fellowships-awards/index. html

§ Talk to more advanced students and your advisor/faculty § What kinds of awards do students in your program/field tend to apply for? § What/who has been funded in recent years? § What are the current trends in the funding landscape? § Do research online § Search databases § Community of Science (COS) Pivot § University of Illinois Fellowship Finder § George Mason University Fellowship Opportunities page

§ Use Funding Search Engine to find funding and sign up to receive alerts to receive relevant grants § Free for IU students § Find a funding match by location, fields of interest, types of support, geographic focus § Instantly view matching faculty from inside or outside IU. § https: //pivot. cos. com

§ Use Funding Search Engine to find funding and sign up to receive alerts to receive relevant grants § https: //www. grad. illinois. ed u/fellowship/

§ Use Funding Search Engine to find funding and sign up to receive alerts to receive relevant grants § Find links to opportunities related to dissertation research and completion. § Find lists of the most common fellowship programs & opportunities divided by focus or field. § http: //gradfellows. gmu. edu/fell owship-opportunities/

Mission statements, key words, expected results, types of candidates § NSF: To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense; and for other purposes. NSF envisions a nation that capitalizes on new concepts in science and engineering and provides global leadership in advancing research and education. § NIH: To seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. § Ford Fellowship: increasing ethnic and racial diversity in faculties, in educational benefits, and in the education of all students

§ The funder may offer multiple funding programs so read descriptions carefully! Fellowship, dissertation funding, research, etc. Based on funding program, you must consider: § The deadline (is it feasible? ) § Funding amount (is it enough? ) § Eligibility requirements (Are you eligible? What is the level of experience expected/required? )

Fellowship funds are available for: • Educational expenses • Living expenses • Dependent child care • Travel to professional meetings, conferences, or seminars, as long as it does not exceed 10 percent of the fellowship • International Fellowship funds are NOT available for • Purchase of equipment • Indirect costs • Research assistants • Previous expenditures, deficits, or repayment of loans • Publication costs • Institutional (overhead) costs • Tuition for dependent’s education • Travel to or from a fellow’s home country • Travel to or from the fellow’s research location, if abroad

§ Quantitative or qualitative? § Theory building or policymaking? § Which disciplines?

§ Know your audience! § Disciplinary audience (experts in your field)? § Topical audience? § Community experts? § Educated but layman audience?

The structure of grant proposal sections varies across each funding agency. § Cover sheet § Table of contents § Project summary (abstract) § Project description § Budget and budget justification § Facilities, equipment, and resources § References § Appendix

NIH NSF USDE NEH Component • • • Descriptive Title Abstract/Summary Budget Application Credentials Background/Significance Previous Experience or Preliminary Data • Narrative Description • Completion Schedule X X X X X X X X

What we will learn as the result of the proposed project Why it is worth knowing How we will know that the conclusions are valid Why you should be the one to conduct the research

Research Questions: § WHAT do you wish to accomplish? § As with goals, is the question S. M. A. R. T. ? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound § Avoid a long list § Three usually suffice § Bullet, number, or use formatting to highlight the different questions

Literature Review: § Not all grants require full literature reviews, but almost all require that you show knowledge of your field § Who else has asked questions similar to yours? § What did they find? § What didn’t they look into? § Where does your work build off of and add to previous scholarship? § What is the broader significance of your work to people outside your specific area/discipline? § This is the place to cite secondary sources

Significance & Broader Impacts: Re-address the significance of the project § Why is it important to you? § Career development § “I will do X upon finishing my grant” § Why is it important to scholarship in and out of your field? § tests an important theory § moves toward policy change § fills a hole in the literature § advances human knowledge § helps us rethink an everyday concept § Why is it important to funders? § helps fulfill their explicit mission of § advancing theory § promoting mutual understanding, etc. How is your project innovative?

Methodology & Timeline: § Amount of detail depends on the specific grant § Links methods explicitly to research questions § Why is a particular method the best way to answer a particular question (which helps you to elicit answers that speak to the central issue in the project)? § Addresses feasibility § Think carefully about time frame, personal skillset, environment, any likely obstacles (e. g. , internet access) § Often includes a timeline for project § e. g. , “From January to March, I will conduct fifteen semistructured interviews with. . . ” § “The first phase of my project. . . ”

Researcher’s Qualification: § Coursework § What kinds of courses have you taken (theory, methods, etc. )? § How has that coursework prepared you for this specific research project? § Previous research on topic § When and where have you been for previous research related to this project? § What did you learn? § How will you build on these previous experiences? § In-country contacts and affiliations § Name-drop if you can § Language training (if applicable) § “I have a [high-advanced] proficiency in Mandarin” § What can you do (research-wise) with your language?

§ Use direct, clear language (readable/skimmable) § Bold, italic, and bullet points help readers navigate § Signposts (“This project will address xxx from the perspective of yyy and qqq, in order to demonstrate aaaaa. ”) § Concise writing isn’t necessarily brief, but economical. We often get carried away with redundancies and verbose language. Find a good balance. Don’t make your writing choppy. § Avoid jargon § “Critical theory seeks to problematize the hegemonic reification of oppressed stratified social constructs. ” § Repeat main objective/question and its importance § Have a singular, feasible plan drawing on personal strengths/training

§ Circulate your proposal for feedback § ADVISORS, colleagues, friends, GGC, past winners of this fellowship § Choose readers in accordance with particular grant (e. g. , NSF vs. Fulbright) § Account for lots of time to review longer proposals (especially during summer) § Try explaining to others (orally) what the project will accomplish and why it’s important § Remember: critical feedback is good feedback § Write and re-write based on the various critiques you receive

§ In-person appointments § Email gradgrnt@indiana. edu § Provide GGC with draft materials 48 hours in advance of consultation § Brainstorming, drafting, editing grant proposals § Either in-person or electronically via email or Skype § Searches for external (non-IU) funding opportunities § ”Mapping” funding for your graduate career