Grant Writing Essentials: Developing a Fundable Idea

When: January 13, 2011 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Where: Bracken Library, Room 215

The first of four sessions of the Grant Writing Essentials series offered by Ball State's Sponsored Programs Office and HR Learning and Development. This one-hour workshop with Dr. Stanley Geidel focuses on how to transform ideas for grant proposals into fundable projects. Specifically, attendees will learn how to develop, refine, and test their proposal ideas to increase their chances for funding success.

Click here to register


Previously
Grant Writing Essentials Workshops

GRC Deadlines Available

Grants Resource Center (GRC) helps to identify sources of federal and private support for faculty's project ideas. In addition, as a subscriber, SPO has access to GRC's comprehensive funding information system.

GRC publishes "Deadlines" once a month around the 15th. This publication includes grant programs with deadlines upcoming in the next 3 months.

View them on our secure BSU pages:
Grants Resource Center
GrantSelect

How to write a good proposal summary

From {Centered}:
Almost every grant request must include a proposal summary. But what goes into a good one? Most funders will prescribe what the summary should include. But in the absence of instructions, here’s what Arianna Dogil and Carrie Rothburd ("The Elements of a Good Proposal Abstract," CharityChannel, October 6, 2010) say your summary should include:

• The name of your organization and contact information
• The need and purpose of the project for which funds are requested
• The people or constituency who will be served
• An overview of the project, including what will be done, how it will be done, and its goals and objectives
• What you expect to achieve, and how you will measure success
• How much you’re asking for

Dogil and Rothburd also provide examples. They suggest using bold headers and bulleted or numbered lists to make the summary easy to read. Finally, they advise you to write it after you’ve written the proposal itself. This can make it easier to then go back and streamline the full proposal, because it forces you to decide:

• What are the most important elements of the project?
• What is it absolutely critical to know about the project in order to understand it?
• What must your reader know in order to understand why this particular project should be funded now and can’t wait?

COS Free User Training Webinars available!

RefWorks-COS recently launched COS User Training. These sessions are open to faculty, students, and staff at Ball State University. Sign up for a live broadcast when they become available in January to submit your questions to the presenter or watch a pre-recorded tutorial on your own time. Sessions range from brief product overviews (18-20 minutes) to full tutorials.

COS User Training is conducted via WebEx, an online meeting service that combines video, audio, and other features to deliver a very effective training experience.

The COS subscription is provided by the Sponsored Programs Office at Ball State University for the BSU community. To access the database off-campus, you will need to first sign up for a free account from a computer connected to the BSU network.

NIH Application Error Correction Window Closing

This new year, make a resolution to plan ahead and submit your NIH grant applications in advance of the deadline. With the error correction window going away as of January 25, 2011, submitting your application early is the best way to ensure success. For deadlines on or after January 25, 2011, all applications must be error free by the deadline.

Remember, you will still have the two-business-day application viewing window to view your assembled application image before the deadline. The viewing window is your one chance to view your grant application just as the NIH reviewers will see it.

For assistance completing your application, check out our updated SF424 (R&R) application guide (ADOBE-FORMS-B series) and Ten Checks to Help Avoid Common Errors.

Service Learning Funding Available: January Deadlines

Youth Service America is seeking applications for two grant programs to support service learning projects taking place during Semester of Service 2011.

The National Education Association (NEA) is partnering with Youth Service America to offer 30 Youth Leaders for Literacy grants to support service learning projects focused on increasing young people's interest in reading and in efforts to improve literacy in schools and communities. Projects must be youth-led (ages five to 25) and must address an established literacy need in the applicant's school or community. The projects will launch on NEA's Read across America Day on March 2, 2011 and culminate on Global Youth Service Day. Applications are due by January 5, 2011.

Youth Service America is also working with Special Olympics to offer [Get into It] grants that bring together students of all abilities to fight childhood obesity in their schools and communities. The program awards grants of $500 or $1,000 to help youth create and implement service learning programs to fight childhood obesity. Projects will launch on Spread the Word to End the Word Day on March 2, 2011 and, like the Youth Leaders for Literacy awards, conclude on Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17, 2011. Applications are due by January 19, 2011 and must be completed by a teacher and a unified pair of students (one with and one without an intellectual disability).

Special Olympics will host an application training webinar on January 4, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

NIH Launches New Website: Feedback NIH

By establishing a new interactive website, Feedback NIH , the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is providing a forum in which individuals throughout the biomedical and behavioral research community can comment, express concerns, and ask questions about the agency's activities. Comments are currently being sought on separate proposals to create a new NIH institute - the Institute for Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction - and a new NIH center- the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. 

Comments and questions not related to the current discussions may be submitted at any time to NIH-Listens@mail.nih.gov.

Dates Announced for IAC Individual Artist Program Grant Workshops

The Indiana Arts Commission recently announced dates for Individual Artist Program (IAP) grant workshops.
Artists interested in applying for an IAP grant may attend a workshop to learn more about the application process. Dates scheduled so far include:

December 13, 2010 - Terre Haute
4:30 - 6:30 (EST)
Arts Illiana
23 North 6th Street, Terre Haute
Hosted by Arts Illiana
To register: contact Sherri Wright at (812) 235-5007

December 15, 2010 - Bloomington
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Bloomington City Hall, McCloskey Room
401 N. Morton St., Bloomington
Co-hosted by Bloomington Dept. of Economic & Sustainable Development and ArtsWORK South Central
To register: contact Miah Michaelsen at (812) 349-3534

December 20, 2010 - Lafayette
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (EST)
Tippecanoe Arts Federation
638 North Street, Lafayette
Hosted by Tippecanoe Arts Federation
To register: contact Paige Sharp at (765) 423-2787

December 21, 2010 - Indianapolis
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Phoenix Theater
749 N. Park Ave., Indianapolis
Hosted by Phoenix Theater
To register: contact Sharon Gamble at (317) 635-7529

January 10, 2010 - Fort Wayne
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne
303 E. Main St., Fort Wayne
Hosted by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne
To register: contact Dan Swartz at (260) 424-0646

This information can also be accessed on our website at http://www.in.gov/arts/2659.htm.

Related
IAC: Individual Artist Program: February 14, 2011

How to Fail in Grant Writing

In yesterday's The Chronicle of Higher Education, the article "How to Fail in Grant Writing" provided a humorous take on exactly what NOT to do when putting together a grant proposal.

Authors Elizabeth Jakob, Adam Porter, Jeffrey Podos, Barry Braun, Norman Johnson, and Stephen Vessey all have experience with grant rejection, whether from being a program officer, a grant reviewer, or a grant writer. They give a tongue-in-cheek look at all aspects of the grant package, including content, format, literature review, etc.

Read it at The Chronicle's website here.

For those of you who would like a more positive take on grant writing, read David Stone's "Becoming a Successful Principal Investigator" from July 7th Chronicle.

Fall 2010 Fellows Immersive Learning Showcase: December 8

On Wednesday, December 8, Building Better Communities will host the Fall 2010 Fellows Immersive Learning Showcase. This is an opportunity for the student teams and faculty mentors to present outcomes of the Building Better Communities Fellows, Health Fellows and Emerging Media Fellows projects with which they have been involved over the past year.

Each student team has worked diligently to address a challenge for a business or nonprofit organization within Indiana. There will be 15 exhibits, with student representatives available to answer questions and to provide a detailed overview of how the project evolved from problem to resolution.

What: Fall 2010 Fellows Immersive Learning Showcase
When: December 8, 2010 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Where: Ball State University, Student Center Ballroom

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the Showcase, to see the work of their peers, and to find out more about getting involved in future Fellows projects. We are always seeking faculty and students who are interested in turning Ball State's expertise and talent into organizational solutions for partners across Indiana.

Building Better Communities is proud to offer the Fellows program, which is funded in part by the Lilly Endowment.

Project support for Emerging Media projects is provided by Ball State's Digital Corps and Emerging Technologies unit.

For more information, call the Building Better Communities office at 765-285-4068. Light refreshments will be provided

IES Research Funding Priorities

From GRC:

At its November 1, 2010 meeting, the National Board for Education Sciences approved research priorities for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the arm of the U.S. Department of Education that works to compile statistics, support research, conduct evaluations, and promote and facilitate the use of scientific evidence. According to the published priorities, IES will sponsor projects that do the following:

• Examine the state of education in the U.S.;
• Develop and evaluate innovative approaches to improving education outcomes;
• Understand the characteristics of high-quality teaching and how better to train current and prospective teachers and to recruit, support, and retain effective teachers;
• Understand the processes of schooling through which education policies, programs, and practices affect student outcomes; and
• Understand classroom, school, and other social contextual factors that moderate the effects of education practices and contribute to their successful implementation and sustainability.

In addition to research, the priorities describe an increased focus on education and training of educators. IES will support “postdoctoral and interdisciplinary doctoral training in the education sciences, providing training to equip education researchers with the skills to conduct rigorous research and effectively engage stakeholders in that research, and conducting training in research design and methods and in the use of longitudinal data.”

Related
Institute of Educational Sciences
Search IES Funding Opportunities

Creative Teaching Grant: January 18, 2011

The Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Scholarship (ITAS) is now accepting applications for the 2009-10 Teaching Grants. Proposal deadline is Tuesday Jan.18, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Any faculty member holding a tenure track or academic year contract appointment in any academic unit of the University may apply. Awards may be up to $7500 or 11% of salary, whichever is less.

Creative Teaching grants support intensive development of pedagogical resources for a course, a program, or a curriculum component. Grants should address the following goals:

1. Foster creative or innovative instruction within Ball State University
2. Contribute to the enhancement of student learning
3. Provide long-term benefit to the teaching and learning processes at Ball State University
4. Produce results or outcomes to be shared with colleagues.

Proposals addressing diversity are encouraged.

The 2010-11 Creative Teaching Grant Application Manual is available on-line.

Full-time faculty interested in applying should ask for an application manual from ITAS (TC 402) or print out the version available above.

Further information may be obtained from by contacting Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Scholarship (ITAS) 285-1763; itas@bsu.edu; TC 402

Related:
Creative Teaching Grant: January 18, 2011

Save the Date: 2011 Student Symposium - March 29, 2011

2011 Student Symposium

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

2nd Floor, L.A. Pittenger Student Center

3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The Annual Student Symposium is a chance for all Ball State students to present what they have learned through their research experiences to a larger audience. The Symposium provides a forum for students, faculty, and the community to discuss cutting edge research topics and to examine the connection between research and education.

The Symposium is a 2-hour poster session, and includes projects from all disciplines and encourages interdisciplinary discourse, allowing students to learn from each other about exciting research topics.

Guidelines and registration form will be available January 10, 2011 (first day of classes Spring semester). Updates will be posted through the BSU Communications Center, the Sponsored Programs Office website, and the SPO Newsletter Blog.

Questions? Contact the Sponsored Programs Office at spo.bsu@gmail.com or 765.285.1600

Policy Changes Affect NIH Grant Applications

From GRC GrantWeek:

In recent months, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released several notices regarding policy changes to its application and review processes:

• Reviewers have been instructed not to consider inappropriate text or materials that have been placed in application sections (such as the Protection of Human Subject section) that do not have page limits, or in the appendix, as a way to circumvent page limits for the Research Strategy or other page-limited sections.
• The two-day error correction window will be eliminated for all electronic and paper-based applications submitted January 25, 2011 or later.
• Post-submission grant application materials are acceptable only if they result from unforeseen administrative issues, and must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days prior to the peer review meeting. Exceptions are specified for institutional training mechanisms and certain request for applications.
• New applications for Career Development, Institutional Training, and Individual National Research Service Award programs must use ADOBE-FORMS-B1 packages for deadlines on or after January 25, 2011. Applications for all other NIH programs must use the new forms for due dates of May 7, 2011 and beyond.
• The “grandparent” grace period for A2 (second resubmission) applications is ending. All applicants, including those who were eligible for continuous submission, who submitted A0 (original submission) applications that were assigned through August 2009 council are permitted two resubmissions. Applicants can determine their assigned council date by examining the first page of the Summary Statement, or by viewing their Status page in eRA Commons. Applicants who are allowed two resubmissions must submit their A2 application no later than the appropriate due date for cycle III in 2010. The exceptions are HIV/AIDS A2 resubmissions, whose final resubmission date is January 7, 2011.
• Resubmission (A1) applications submitted on or after January 25, 2011 will not be accepted later than 37 months after the date of receipt of the initial new, renewal, or revision application.

For more details, contact the NIH Division of Receipt and Referral at 301/435-0715 or the NIH review policy officer at ReviewPolicyOfficer@mail.nih.gov.

Butler University: Undergraduate Research Conference

The Butler Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) provides a way to encourage undergraduate students from all disciplines to become involved in research and creative endeavors. In a typical year, the Butler URC brings together approximately 600 students from over 30 Midwest colleges and universities to share their learning and experiences. At the conference, undergraduate students present summaries of their work in sessions organized by topics via a brief oral presentation or poster presentation format.

New this year, students with especially good paintings and films can display their talent!

Butler URC will take place on April 15, 2011. Registration will open in early December. Stay tuned for updates on this post. Registration deadline is February 18, 2011.

Butler University occupies 290 acres in Indianapolis' Butler-Tarkington neighborhood. The University emphasizes a liberal arts-based education with the goal of teaching clear and effective communication, appreciation of beauty, and a commitment to lifelong learning, community service and global awareness.

Butler University Undergraduate Research Conference

Grant Wrangler for K-12 Schools & Educators

Grant Wrangler® is a free grant listing service offered by Nimble Press™. Grant Wrangler® makes it easier for educators, school libraries, and parents to find school funding. Listings include grants for teachers, school grants, and funding for arts, history, mathematics, science, technology, literacy, and more.

Check it out here!

BBC Fellows now recruiting for spring projects

BBC Fellows projects allow undergraduate and graduate students to work with an interdisciplinary team to help address a specific challenge for an Indiana business or organization.

If selected for a project team, you will gain valuable technical skills, network with potential future employers, and attend professional development training at no cost to you.

Selected students are also eligible to apply for a Fellows Leadership Award. Students with leadership experience or special skills in emerging media may apply for this Award, which involves a $1,000 scholarship to assist with tuition.

For more information, go to www.bsu.edu/bbc/fellows or apply online. Most Fellows projects are available for 3 credit hours, and the program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

Questions? Contact Ruth Coffey, Fellows Project Coordinator, at 765-285-1817.

Related:
Emerging Media Fellows
Health Fellows

Inside Higher Ed: Tips for Proposal Writers

In Friday's Inside Higher Education, an anonymous scientist shares 10 useful proposal pointers with would-be grantees. Writing as the Prodigal Academic, she or he offers advice any applicant can use to lighten the reviewer's burden and make a proposal stand out from the verbose and disorganized.

"If you are writing a proposal please keep in mind that many of your reviewers will be reading 10+ proposals in a short period of time, not all of which are well within their expertise. I never appreciated how difficult it is to do a good and thorough job until doing it myself!"

Click here to read more at Inside Higher Education

Proposal advice from federal grantmakers

Much of the best proposal-writing advice comes from the people who decide which grant applications get approved. "Grant-Writing Tips From the Experts Who Really Matter" (Local/State Funding Report, October 18, 2010) offers such advice from three federal agencies.

From the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs:

• Do use your own language rather than recycling the words in the grant announcement.
• Do keep your sentences short and simple.

From the Institute for Museum and Library Services:

• Do seek grants only from programs that are a close fit with your organization’s work.
• Don’t go after a grant unless you’re convinced the match is really there. If you stretch for it anyway, this will be evident in your request.

From the Environmental Protection Agency:

• Do make sure your proposal reflects careful planning and offers objective evidence to describe both the problem to be addressed and your organization’s qualifications for achieving the goals of the project.
• Don’t throw a proposal together to meet a deadline. Reviewers can tell the difference between a rush job and a proposal that was meticulously developed.

From The Grantsmanship Center e-publication Centered

IAC: Individual Artist Program: February 14, 2011

Follow up to previous post: IAC Individual Artist Program 2102 to be announced soon

The fiscal year 2012 Individual Artist Program (IAP) program is now accepting applications in dance, literature, music, theatre and folk arts related to the traditional disciplines listed here. Artists working in visual arts, crafts, design arts, media arts, and photography will have the opportunity to apply again next year.

IAP applicants must be at least 18 years old; reside in Indiana for one year preceding the application date; and remain an Indiana resident during the grant period. The IAC cannot provide funding if the artist is enrolled in a degree-granting program; has received an IAC grant in the prior fiscal year; or is a part of a collaboration for which another artist is applying for IAC support in the same year.

IAP applicants may apply for up to $2,000 for projects that may include, but are not limited to: supplies; rental/purchase of equipment; time for the development, completion or presentation of a work; documentation of a work; travel essential for artistic research or to present or complete work; or advanced workshops that further career development.

Guidelines can be found here: IAC Individual Artist Program

International Education Week: November 15-19, 2010

Message from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about International Education Week 2010.

International Education Week (IEW) is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. A joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, IEW is an effort to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States. Find out how to get involved at the IEW website. Get involved locally: Visit the Rinker Center for International Programs to learn about BSU study-abroad programs and activities on campus. Learn about the various Fulbright programs that provide funding for students, scholars, teachers, and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools, sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Nonprofit Collaboration Database

The Nonprofit Collaboration Database, created by the Lodestar Foundation, is a resource for everyone seeking real-life examples of how nonprofits are working together.

This unique database provides models and best practices of exceptional nonprofit collaboration efforts drawn from projects presented for consideration for the 2009 Collaboration Prize. Explore different collaboration models, learn about strategies for overcoming challenges to working together, find metrics for measuring outcomes, and more.

Go to the Nonprofit Collaboration Database >>

Fisher Faculty Fellowship 2011-2012: February 2011

John W. Fisher Faculty Research Fellowships are available to any tenured or tenure-line faculty member with a research proposal in either American business or American politics.

Each $1,900 stipend may be spent between July 1 and June 30 during the fellowship period.

The Fisher Fellowships support scholars with research projects in advanced stages. A major factor in evaluating proposals is the extent a researcher will use the fellowship to complete a project.

The anticipated deadline for this opportunity is February 2011. Stay tuned for updates. SPO will link the application once it becomes available.

Creative Teaching Grant: January 18, 2011

Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Scholarship sponsors and/or administratively supports programs that recognize and promote excellence in teaching at Ball State University.

ITAS provides administrative support for the Creative Teaching Grants, a program that promotes instructional creativity and experimentation. The University Creative Teaching Committee administers the award and chooses awardees. Full-time faculty interested in applying should ask for an application manual from ITAS (TC 402) or print out the version available below.

The 2010-2011 Creative Teaching Grant Application is now available on the ITAS website.

Grant Writing Tips for Grad Students

The Chronicle of Higher Education posted this excellent article: Grant-Writing Tips for Graduate Students. It is not just relevant for graduate students, but all grantseekers. Highlights include:

Really talk to your advisers and peers. They might be busy, but they want you to get funded. They write their own grants and have most likely overseen other students' proposals. Think about organizing weekly or monthly meetings with a group of peers to review each other's work. In addition, some universities or laboratories keep successful student-grant proposals on file that you can use for reference as you write your own.


Start the application months early. Sure, you can pull together a quiz at the last minute for that laboratory course you are teaching, but don't put off working on your grant proposal.


Don't take rejection too seriously. Every successful scientist has had grant proposals turned away. It's part of the process.

Please click here for the full article.

Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Travel Fund: December 1

Funds are now available from the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellowship Fund to support faculty members that are presenting scholarly papers or serving on a symposium at professional conferences on topics directly connected to the mission of the Cohen Fund. Three awards of up to $500 will be made each academic year. Funds may only be used to offset travel expenses (e.g., airfare, lodging, local transportation, meals). You can find the guidelines and criteria linked with this new opportunity at: www.bsu.edu/peacecenter

The first deadline to apply for these funds is December 1, 2010.

IAC: Individual Artist Program 2012 to be announced soon

Beginning mid-November, the fiscal year 2012 Individual Artist Program (IAP) program will accept applications in dance, literature, music, theatre and folk arts related to the traditional disciplines listed here. Artists working in visual arts, crafts, design arts, media arts, and photography will have the opportunity to apply again next year.

IAP applicants must be at least 18 years old; reside in Indiana for one year preceding the application date; and remain an Indiana resident during the grant period. The IAC cannot provide funding if the artist is enrolled in a degree-granting program; has received an IAC grant in the prior fiscal year; or is a part of a collaboration for which another artist is applying for IAC support in the same year.

IAP applicants may apply for up to $2,000 for projects that may include, but are not limited to: supplies; rental/purchase of equipment; time for the development, completion or presentation of a work; documentation of a work; travel essential for artistic research or to present or complete work; or advanced workshops that further career development.

We will post when the application becomes available or to be notified directly, please visit http://www.in.gov/arts/individualartistprogram.htm and click on the red exclamation point icon to be added to the subscriber list for that page.

Supreme Court Accepts Case Challenging Key Feature of Bayh-Dole Act

From AAAS Policy Alert – November 10, 2010:

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging universities’ claims to ownership of faculty inventions created with federal funding. The case, Stanford v. Roche, strikes at the core of the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, which allows universities to retain the rights to research funded by federal grants. Stanford sued the pharmaceutical company Roche, alleging infringement of technology for detecting HIV levels in a patient’s blood. The university claims it owns the technology because its discoverer worked at Stanford. Roche counters that the inventor signed a contract that gave the company patent rights to anything that resulted from their collaboration. In a September 2009 ruling, the U.S. Federal Appeals Court for the Sixth Circuit overturned a California District Court decision, stating that “Stanford lacks standing to assert its claims of infringement against Roche.” A friend-of-the-court brief filed by the Obama administration stated that the appeals-court ruling undermined the intent of the Bayh-Dole Act and “turns the act’s framework on its head.” The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case early next year in time to rule by the end of June.

ASPiRE International Travel Grant Program: December 1

The ASPiRE Internal Grant Program funds tenured and tenure-track faculty members to facilitate international academic or creative activity that will lead to external funding. Please note that International Travel Awards are intended to supplement travel funds provided by the faculty member's college and department.

For complete program guidelines, please visit the SPO website here.

Deadline: December 1, 2010 (for travel dates January 1, 2011-March 14, 2011)

Further deadlines are as follows:

• February 15, 2011 (for travel dates March 15, 2011-May 14, 2011)
• April 15, 2011 (for travel dates May 15, 2011-June 30, 2011)
• June 15, 2011 (for travel dates July 1, 2011-August 14, 2011)

NEH America's Media Makers Production & Development Grants

Grants for America’s Media Makers support projects in the humanities that explore stories, ideas, and beliefs in order to deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. Grants for America’s Media Makers should encourage dialogue, discussion, and civic engagement, and they should foster learning among people of all ages.

NEH offers two categories of grants for media projects, development grants and production grants.

• Development grants enable media producers to collaborate with scholars to develop humanities content and format and to prepare programs for production.
• Production grants support the preparation of a program for distribution.

Applications that respond to NEH’s new Bridging Cultures initiative are welcome. Such projects could focus on cultures internationally, or within the United States. International projects might seek to enlarge Americans’ understanding of other places and times, as well as other perspectives and intellectual traditions.

Applications may be submitted for any phase of a project. Applicants are not required to obtain a development grant before applying for a production grant. Applicants may not, however, submit multiple applications for the same project at the same deadline.

Deadline: January 12, 2011 (projects beginning October 2011)

The Bridging Cultures through Film: International Topics initiative—a separate grant program—supports documentary films that examine international and transnational themes in the humanities through documentary films. These projects are meant to spark Americans’ engagement with the broader world by exploring one or more countries and cultures outside of the United States.

Benefacta Day: November 10

BeneFacta Day, the annual event celebrating the "good works" of Ball State researchers and creative scholars, will take place on Wednesday, November 10, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Ball State Museum of Art.

This year, celebration is the keyword, as we put on our party hats, bring out the wine and cheese, and truly celebrate all those faculty and professional personnel who have received grant funding or who have submitted proposals during the previous year.

Festivities will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Museum of Art, as BSU faculty and staff have an opportunity to greet each other and share refreshments. A short program at 5:15 p.m. will include recognition of faculty who have pursued a sponsored project during the 09-10 AY.

All are cordially welcome to attend.

BeneFacta Day

Wednesday, November 10

4:30-6:30 p.m.

Ball State Museum of Art

Transparency in Philanthropy: GlassPockets

Foundations are using the internet like never before to make their interests and activities accessible to the public. Through GlassPockets,the Foundation Center and its partners are working to inspire private foundations to greater openness in their communications and increase understanding of best practices in foundation transparency and accountability in an online world.

GlassPockets features include:

• Grantsfire RSS feed that allows foundations to submit and post grant data electronically in near real-time.
• Facts & Trends in Philanthropy illustrated with easy to understand and interactive charts and graphs.
• Philanthropy at Work tracks the news, grants, commentary, and case studies initiated or funded by grantmaking institutions in select subject areas.
• Foundation Transparency 2.0 allows you to see how, through their web sites and other online communications vehicles, foundations are working to make their operations more transparent.

Visit GlassPockets: http://www.glasspockets.org/

September 2010 Issue of Research Development & Grantwriting Newsletter

Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC started publication in September of a subscription-based monthly electronic newsletter for faculty on how to compete successfully for research and education funding from federal agencies and foundations. Articles and resources in Research Development & Grant Writing News address how faculty can use proven competitive strategies to achieve success in a very difficult funding climate. The first issue is available for free as a sample for those considering subscribing. It can be downloaded here.

From Foundation Center: Introducing GrantSpace

GrantSpace is the Foundation Center's new learning community for the social sector. GrantSpace is a grantseeker's one-stop shop for information about grants and fundraising.

At GrantSpace, you can: View recordings of discussions with grantmakers Listen to podcasts featuring experts in the field Find answers in the Knowledge Base Chat live with a Foundation Center librarian Get information about opportunities in your subject Increase your expertise in fundraising Attend training and events, in-person and online Register to rate content and leave comments

GrantSpace will help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to get grants, manage your nonprofit, and improve your community.

Go to GrantSpace

Go to Foundation Center Online

Digital Humanities Institutes Seek Summer Participants

The 2011 institutes sponsored by the National Endowment of the Humanities Office of Digital Humanities have been announced and are beginning to accept participant applications (check for updated links as information comes available).

• University of Denver's Institute for the Digital Humanities will host a series of three workshops held over 18 months for faculty and advanced graduate students on the use of digital media in scholarship and teaching.
• Computer Simulations in the Humanities will be hosted by the University of North Carolina, with a focus on computer simulations and modeling techniques in the humanities for twenty four humanities scholars.
• Brown University will lead an Advanced Text Encoding Seminars to provide a more in-depth look at specific encoding problems and topics.
• The SUNY Research Foundation of Albany’s Institute for Globally Networked Learning in the Humanities will include a capstone conference on developing international team taught courses in the humanities.
• The Digital Institute for Archaeology will support advanced training in geospatial technologies critical to the practice of modern archaeology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
• The University of Southern California Los Angeles will support a month-long summer institute, “Broadening the Digital Humanities: The Vectors CTS Summer Institute on Digital Approaches to American Studies.”
• The University of Virginia will host “Summer Workshops: Emerging Issues in Digital Scholarship,” a two-year series of summer workshops engaging scholars and institutional administrators in concerns relating to peer review and evaluation of digital scholarship.

These institutes bring together scholars, librarians, scientists, museum officials, technologists, and advanced graduate students for intense learning experiences at various institutions. If accepted as a participant, most of the institutes will cover travel costs. Information on hosting an institute is available online.

NCIIA: funding and training to advance your projects

The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) helps faculty and students move their technology ideas and inventions along the path towards commercial reality - to create socially beneficial innovations and businesses.

NCIIA funds faculty from member institutions (BSU is a member institution) whose programs and projects encourage innovation and invention among students, and whose work benefits people and the environment.

Course and Program Grants
Course and Program grants are awarded to institutions to strengthen existing curricular programs or build new courses and programs in invention, innovation, and technology entrepreneurship, with an increasing emphasis on environmental and social entrepreneurship.
Next Deadline: December 3, 2010
Award: $2,000 to $50,000 for 1-3 years


Advanced E-Team grants
United States-based universities and colleges are eligible to apply. NCIIA provides support for E-Teams (collaborating groups of college students, faculty and industry mentors) to bring innovative technology products and services from idea to prototype, and eventually to market.
Next deadlines: December 3, 2010
Award: $1,000 to $20,000 for 12-18 Months


Please visit the NCIIA grants page for more information on these opportunities and others, including grant guidelines, podcasts, FAQ, and previously funded proposals.

Questions? Please contact Augusta Wray (amwray@bsu.edu or 5-5033) in the Sponsored Programs Office.

The Amazing Taste: Global Food Fair & iFest

Join SPO and the Ball State community for The Amazing Taste: Global Food Fair & iFest on Thursday, Oct. 14, from 5-8 p.m. in the lawn between DeHority, Park, and Woodworth halls. This vibrant street fair atmosphere will combine Ball State's traditional iFest with an elaborate array of foods from more than 25 countries.

See the Menu and Activities list at Dining Services.

Cost is $7.55 or a meal card swipe for Ball State students; $8 for ages 13+; $5 for ages 3-12; and free for ages 2 and under. (Visa/MasterCard and Dining Plus also accepted.)

The Amazing Taste is sponsored by Ball State Dining, the Rinker Center for International Programs, the Multicultural Center, and University Program Board.

See special Dining hours in other locations to accommodate The Amazing Taste.

OER Podcasts: Study Section Mechanics and Scoring Your Application

The Office of Extramural Research (OER) presents conversations with NIH staff members in a series called "All About Grants". Designed for investigators, fellows, students, research administrators, and others, we provide insights on grant topics from those who live and breathe the information. In mp3 and updated every other week. Information on RSS and Podcasts

The All About Grants podcast series continues with:

Dr. Alan Willard, Chief of the Scientific Review Branch at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, who discusses what goes on during a study section meeting in “The Ins and Outs of a Study Section Meeting.”

And Dr. Sally Amero, NIH Review Policy Officer, who explains the application review criteria, how they are scored, and how the reviewers arrive at the final overall score in “Scoring Your Application.”

Previous post about NIH OER podcasts can be found: NIH OER Podcast Episodes: All About Grants

NIH: Act Now to Retain Your eRA Commons Citations

As of October 22, 2010, “PD/PI Entered” citations will no longer be available in eRA Commons. If you an eRA Commons user who has used the Publications page of your Personal Profile to store your professional citation information, you must transfer this information to a My NCBI account in order to retain it (i.e., for use in future progress reports).

The easiest way to transfer the information, and to reduce the amount of cutting and pasting from eRA Commons to My Bibliography, is to use My Bibliography’s “Add Citations in PubMed” option to search for your citations that are in PubMed, using search options such as author or title. My Bibliography will query PubMed and present a list of citations that you may save to your My Bibliography section. For citations that you have entered into Commons that are not a part of PubMed, you can copy and paste the citation information from Commons to My Bibliography.

Several demos released this summer provide users with step-by-step instructions for navigating the integration of eRA Commons and My NCBI.

For more information, see NOT-OD-10-103, “An Easier Way to Manage Citations,” and “My NCBI: Move It or Lose It!”

Office of Management and Budget: Grants World Blog

Looking for up-to-date information on grants-related topics from the Office of Management and Budget? View their new Grants World blog for information on what is being done about improper payments made by the Federal government, a description of recent changes made to the Federal Register, and a Grants.gov update.

From Grants World Blog:
Why blog about grants?
We started this blog in an effort to improve federal grants community communications with external audiences and promote the Administration’s goals of transparency and public engagement. This blog serves as as a vehicle for providing news and updates to the public and grantee/applicant community.

NIH: New Application Forms for 2011

NIH must periodically implement updated versions of SF424 (R&R) application forms to stay current. Beginning this month, NIH will begin adding a new form package, referred to as ADOBE-FORMS-B1, to all funding opportunity announcements (FOAs).

Applicants submitting for Ks (Individual Research Career Development Awards Programs), Fs (Individual National Research Service Awards), Ts and Ds (Institutional Training and Career Development Programs and Other Training Grants) will be required to use ADOBE-FORMS-B1 for due dates of January 25, 2011 and beyond. Applicants submitting for all other NIH grant programs will be required to use ADOBE-FORMS-B1 beginning May 8, 2011.

As always, we encourage applicants to return to the FOA to pick up the most recent form version before applying. To learn more about the transition and the changes resulting from the forms update (they are minor, for the most part), please read NOT-OD-11-007 and NOT-OD-11-008. To learn about choosing the correct forms package, view the recently updated online resource: "Do I have the right electronic forms for my NIH application?"

New Grants Resource Center Deadlines Available

New GRC Deadlines are available here or at the top of the side column. This publication includes deadlines for the month of January 2010 and late announcements for November and December 2010. A Ball State username and password is required to access these resources.

New Videos Reveal How NIH Identifies the Most Promising Research Applications

Via NIH News

The National Institutes of Health's Center for Scientific Review (CSR) today released a new video to show new applicants and others how NIH assesses over 80,000 grant applications each year to help find those with the most merit. With the majority of NIH’s $31 billion budget supporting grants to researchers, these assessments help ensure investments lead to significant advances in science and health.

"The video provides an inside look at the dynamic way reviewers evaluate NIH grant applications," said CSR Director Dr. Toni Scarpa. "You'll see the rigor and integrity of their efforts, which have enabled NIH to identify ground-breaking research year after year."






The NIH Peer Review Revealed video can be viewed and downloaded via CSR’s website.

Cohen Peace Fellowship Program: November 3

The Cohen Memorial Fund was established in 1984 to support the Benjamin Cohen Peace Fellowship Program, which awards funds in alternate years to Ball State faculty and graduate students for research in fields related to progress toward a peaceful world.

Under the guidance of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, there are two types of Cohen Peace Fellowship:

The Cohen Peace Faculty Fellowship provides support for faculty to conduct activities in the areas of basic or applied research on topics related to peace. Funds may be used for salary, supplies, expenses, and/or travel. Preference will be given to tenure track faculty members.

The Cohen Peace Graduate Fellowship provides support for graduate students to conduct activities in the areas of basic or applied research on topics related to peace. Funds may be used for assistantship stipend, supplies, expenses, and/or travel and may also include tuition remission during the academic time period of the fellowship.

Complete applications and all required materials are due to the Sponsored Programs Office by 5:00 PM on November 3, 2010. SPO will route the University Clearance Sheet and forward the complete applications to the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies Cohen Review Committee for review and notification of awards.

Full guidelines may be found here.

For more information on how to apply for the fellowship, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, 285-1622, peacecenter@bsu.edu.

NIH OER Podcast Episodes: All About Grants

The Office of Extramural Research (OER) presents conversations with NIH staff members. Designed for investigators, fellows, students, research administrators, and others, we provide insights on grant topics from those who live and breathe the information. Podcasts are in mp3 and updated every other week. More information on RSS and Podcasts can be found at the NIH website.

Understanding the Assignment Process
All About Grants is beginning a new series of episodes to help listeners understand how the NIH reviews the approximately 80,000 competing applications we receive each year. Learn what happens to your application once it arrives at NIH, including how it gets assigned to a study section. Dr. Suzanne Fisher, Director of the Division of Receipt and Referral, discusses this and more in "Who Receives Your Grant Application and What Do They Do With It?"

Communicate the Value of Your Research
Dr. Sally Rockey, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, describes which parts of the application are made public via the RePORTER website and why using plain language in these sections can help express the value of your research to the public in "Using Plain Language for Application Titles, Abstracts and Public Health Relevance Statements."

NIH Loan Repayment Programs: November 15

For researchers who have incurred significant educational debt, the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are an attractive opportunity. If you can commit to conducting two years of qualified biomedical or behavioral research at a nonprofit or government institution of your choice, the two-year awards repay up to $35,000 of student loan debt annually (for program details, see NOT-OD-10-105). On average, nearly 40 percent of all new LRP applications are funded, and the awards are renewable. So start your application now; the deadline is November 15.

With the start of our 10th year, we are creating new professional development opportunities to capitalize on the growing list of current and former participants. The newly-launched LRP Ambassador Network encourages alumni to share their experiences with potential applicants, and this fall, LRP will host a Webinar for young professionals who want to learn how to map out their careers with NIH.

Interested in Applying?

• Contact an NIH LRP liaison to discuss research priority areas
• Review the application tips available in “Tips for Completing a Competitive Application”
• Check out the LRP payment estimator

Visit www.lrp.nih.gov for more details and to apply. For additional assistance, call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at (866) 849-4047 or lrp@nih.gov. You can also sign up to receive application cycle updates through Twitter @NIH_LRP or www.twitter.com/NIH_LRP.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database

The Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) database catalogs extramural funding opportunities of interest to prospective and current graduate students, students working on a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, and postdoctoral scholars. It contains information on over 500 private and publicly funded awards, fellowships, and internships. Advanced search options allow users to refine their search by field, academic level, award type, award amount, and other criteria. GRAPES is maintained by the Graduate Outreach, Diversity and Fellowships Office at the University of California - Los Angeles.

Visit GRAPES at the UCLA website.

Remember: Deadline dates are subject to change. Once you have confirmed the actual deadline date, begin the application process as early as possible. Some organizations require application materials, such as reference letters, that take time to prepare. Each organization also has its own schedule for reviewing and funding applications, and you may be required to apply many months before the funds are available.

Save the Date: BeneFacta Day November 10

BeneFacta Day, the annual event celebrating the "good works" of Ball State researchers and creative scholars, will take place on Wednesday, November 10, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Ball State Museum of Art.

This year, celebration is the keyword, as we put on our party hats, bring out the wine and cheese, and truly celebrate all those faculty and professional personnel who have received grant funding or who have submitted proposals during the previous year.

Festivities will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Museum of Art, as BSU faculty and staff have an opportunity to greet each other and share refreshments. A short program at 5:15 p.m. will include recognition by President Gora of faculty who have pursued a sponsored project during the 09-10 AY.

All are cordially welcome to attend.

BeneFacta Day

Wednesday, November 10

4:30-6:30 p.m.

Ball State Museum of Art

Provost's Immersive Learning Grants: November 1

Provost's Immersive Learning Grant guidelines are below. Please note that the procedures and the funding periods have changed from past calls. Proposals for any and all of Spring, Summer, and Fall 2011 will be reviewed in November, proposals for AY 2011-2012 will be reviewed in March 2011. Complete application information is available from the provost's office.

Preference will be given to projects that meet all or most of the characteristics of immersive learning.

While preference will be given to new proposals and activities, successful projects previously funded by the Provost’s Immersive Learning Grant may apply for funds where need exists and unduplicated students will be served. Faculty members are encouraged to consider how their existing courses may be made more immersive.

Preference will be given to projects that can become self-sustaining. If the project is requesting equipment, please address why new equipment is needed and how it will be maintained. Equipment purchased specifically for immersive learning projects will be turned back to the Provost’s Office if the project is not sustained.

Interdisciplinary proposals involving multiple departments and colleges are encouraged. Proposals should address how students will be recruited and how credit will be assigned.

Preference will be given to projects that work with one or more community partners. Letters of support from said partners should be attached to the proposal. Projects involving international travel should provide a signature of support from Dr. Kenneth Holland, Dean Rinker Center for International Programs.

Projects should involve primarily undergraduate students.

All full-time faculty (tenured, tenure-track, and contract) are eligible to apply. Professional Personnel in collaboration with faculty are also eligible.

Proposals must be signed by appropriate chairs and deans and sent to the Office of the Provost by 5:00 p.m., November 1, 2010.

The proposal is limited to 6 pages, not including the cover memo, letters of community support, or letter of chair support.

Faculty receiving funds are expected to provide a mid-grant report and provide a public presentation of the project upon its completion. Faculty will be asked to provide assessment data at the conclusion of the project. Faculty members who are funded will be asked to use an experimental evaluation form for assessment purposes.

NEH Teaching Development Fellowships: September 30

The National Endowment for the Humanities will award Teaching Development Fellowships to support college and university teachers pursuing research aimed specifically at improving an existing undergraduate course that has been taught in at least THREE different terms prior to the application deadline. The research undertaken as a part of the project may involve engaging with fundamental texts or sources, exploring related subjects or academic disciplines, or cultivating neglected areas of learning.

The program has three broad goals:

1. to improve the quality of humanities education in the United States;
2. to strengthen the link between research and teaching in the humanities; and
3. to foster excellence in undergraduate instruction. Research in any area of the humanities is welcome.

Teaching Development Fellowships cover periods lasting from three to five months and carry stipends of $4,200 per month. Thus the maximum stipend is $21,000 for a five-month award period.

The application deadline is September 30, 2010.

For more information and instructions, please see the grant guidelines.

NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA): September 24

AREA grants support small research projects in the biomedical and behavioral sciences conducted by faculty and students in health professional schools, and other academic components that have not been major recipients of NIH research grant funds.

The three goals of the AREA program are:

• to support meritorious research,
• to strengthen the research environment of the institution, and
• to expose students to research.

Students will benefit from participating in meritorious research and will be encouraged to continue studies in the biomedical sciences. The AREA or R15 grant is a research award and not a training award, so the focus is not on course work but on hands-on meritorious research.

Award: Applicants may request a maximum of $300,000 total direct costs plus applicable Facilities & Administrative (F&A)/indirect costs for the entire project period of up to three years. Note when a consortium is involved, the $300,000 direct cost limit is exclusive of consortium F&A costs. These can be requested in addition to the $300,000 direct costs limit.

Deadline: September 24

Website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm

Graduate Fellowships Available: NSF & EPA

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. Three years of support is provided by the program for graduate study that is in a field within NSF's mission and leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships are awarded to individuals in the early stages of their graduate study. All applicants are expected to have adequate preparation to begin graduate-level study and research by Summer or Fall of 2011. Confirmation of acceptance in an NSF-approved graduate degree program is required at the time of fellowship acceptance, by May 1, 2011.

Please review the eligibility criteria before applying.

Award: Stipend is currently $30,000 for a 12-month tenure period
Deadline: Varies by discipline (see: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10604/nsf10604.htm#dates)
Guidelines: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10604/nsf10604.htm


2011 EPA STAR Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study.

Eligibility:
Reference the "Eligibility Information" to determine your eligibility as a graduate student.
Reference the "Specific Areas/Topics of Interest" to determine eligible areas of study.

Deadline:
November 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM for receipt of paper applications,
November 5, 2010 at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications to Grants.gov.

Guidelines: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2011/2011_star_gradfellow.html

Award:
Up to $42,000 per year per fellowship. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years.

New ENHANCE Program

The purpose of the ENHANCE - Preliminary Federal Proposal Incentive Program is to provide support for faculty members involved in early investigations, the results of which will serve as the basis for a federal grant proposal. This award provides modest support to fund supplies and related expenses needed to acquire preliminary research or other information that will directly impact the development of the proposal, enhance the feasibility of the request, and result in a strong proposal submission.

The funds will support Supplies, Equipment, Expenses, and Travel (S.E.E.T.) costs associated with garnering preliminary results up to $3,000.

Applications will be submitted to the Proposal Manager assigned to the applicant’s unit and will consist of the following:

• Application Cover Sheet
• One page budget justification for the requested expenses
• One or two page narrative summarizing the project and including:
• The targeted federal sponsor and a link to the program guidelines,
• Justification of the need for pilot research,
• Any reviewers' and/or program officer's comments validating the need for pilot research.
• Deadline: 15th of each month

See the ENHANCE guidelines for more information. If you have further questions, contact your department's Proposal Manager.

Grant Writing Essentials Workshops

A variety of educational opportunities await Ball State faculty, staff, and students intent on developing a skill set for grant writing.

The "Grant Writing Essentials" (formerly "Grants Dollars Trilogy") is a four-part series led my SPO Program Manager, Stanley Geidel and offered by Ball State's Office of Learning and Development. The sessions include:

• Developing a Fundable Idea: Focuses on how to transform ideas for grant proposals into fundable propositions. Specifically, how to develop, refine, and test their proposal ideas to increase their chances for funding success.
  
• Writing the Proposed Narrative: Provides detailed guidance for developing proposal content as well as how to present the grant narrative for maximum effectiveness. Several tips for success are included that will help distinguish and professionalize your proposal.
  
• Budget Development: Outlines a straight-forward approach on how to construct a grant budget. Information on direct costs, indirect costs, and cost sharing is presented, along with advice for developing a winning budget strategy.
  
• Putting It All Together--Writing a Sample Proposal: Attendees at this workshop will have the opportunity to create a grant proposal and present it to a professional review panel. The panel will critique each proposal and offer suggestions and advice. 

Register for these session at the Learning and Development website or simply click the links above to register for individual sessions.

Questions about these workshops may be directed to Stanley Geidel.

Electronic Research Tools workshops: September 20 & 28

Sponsored Programs Office and Bracken Library are combining forces to lead workshops for faculty and graduate students to learn about electronic tools for research and grantsmanship. Workshop sessions will apply to both faculty members and graduate students and will be held during the following dates/ttimes:

Monday, September 20 – 10:00a.m.-12:00 p.m. (identical sessions, choose one)

Tuesday, September 28 – 3:00-5:00 p.m. (identical sessions, choose one)

Both sessions will be held in Bracken Library Room 225.

Workshops will focus on the following information sources:

• Web of Science (searching literature/citation indices)
• Community of Science & GrantSelect(identifying funding opportunities)
• IRBNet (electronically submitting IRB protocols)

Web of Science, is a powerful database that indexes journals in the sciences, social sciences and humanities and enables users to search core journals for major researchers in your field, or search citations to articles.

COS and GrantSelect provide Ball State University with access to services that help you locate funding sources in all the academic disciplines, publicize your research online, and locate potential research collaborators.

IRBNet training will instruct users on how to successfully submit their research protocols electronically to the Institutional Review Board, the Animal Care and Use Committee, or the Institutional Biosafety Committee.

Presenters include Instructional Services Librarians Lisa Jarrell and Brenda Yates Habich, and Research Information Coordinator Augusta Wray.

If you are interested in attending either of these sessions, please register via the Instructional Services workshop page.

New Personnel for IP and Tech Transfer

The Sponsored Programs Office is pleased to announce the appointment of individuals responsible for intellectual property development and technology transfer activities. Beginning fall semester 2010, Stephanie Sisco, Proposal Manager in SPO, will advise faculty, staff, and students on matters of copyright or patent disclosure. Wil Davis, newly named Interim President of the Ball State Innovation Corporation and Innovation Management Services (BSIC/IMS), will support commercialization efforts, including interactions with the private sector, licensing, and company formation.

Interim President of BSIC
As Interim President of BSIC, Wil Davis assumes responsibilities as the principal officer for the management of works of intellectual property created by Ball State University employees and students. Davis will provide assistance to Ball State inventors, authors, and entrepreneurs, facilitating marketing, licensing, or the development of new businesses springing from University-owned technology.

Davis is chairman and co-founder of Ontario Systems, a software development company headquartered in Muncie that focuses on the receivables management industry. Founded in 1980, Ontario Systems became one of the largest software companies in the state of Indiana. The company’s success led to many honors including Techpoint’s CyberStar Award in 2001 as Indiana’s outstanding technology product company. Also in 2001, Davis received Ernst and Young’s Indiana Heartland Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In demand as a keynote speaker and seminar leader, Davis has published his first book, entitled Creating a Culture of Excellence: Changing the World of Work One Person at a Time.

Davis earned his undergraduate and MBA degrees from Ball State University and received an honorary doctorate from Indiana Wesleyan University. The Ball State University Alumni Association named Davis a 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and he has also received the Miller College of Business Award of Distinction. He succeeds Michael Halbrook at the Ball State Innovation Corporation and will maintain an office at the Innovation Connector and in the Sponsored Programs Office.

Manager of IP Disclosures
Stephanie Sisco (formerly Klinger), in addition to serving as Proposal Manager for the Miller College of Business, Teachers College, and Building Better Communities, will provide Ball State personnel with information and guidance regarding the Ball State Intellectual Property Policy and IP disclosures. Sisco’s service in SPO dates to 2003, when, as Grants Specialist, she managed the University’s intellectual property accounts, tracking expenditures and income. Following a tour of duty as grant writer in the Center for Media Design, Sisco returned to SPO as Proposal Manager in 2008. Earlier in her career she served as grant writer for the Cincinnati Museum of Art. She holds the B.A. degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Annual Report 2009-2010

The Annual Report from the Sponsored Programs Office for the 2009-10 FY is now online. You will find a navigation bar on the left of the PDF document, and links to the individual colleges and other summary areas on the Table of Contents page.

The statistics illustrate a year of work well done. FY 09-10 brought a record level of funding—$26,406,714—in external dollars to Ball State University, as compared to the total $26,082,888 the previous year. 656 proposals were submitted that resulted in 422 funded awards—the latter also a new record—up from 401 awards in FY 2008-09.

Congratulations to the faculty, staff, and students who submitted grant proposals during the past fiscal year!
Questions about the document may be addressed to Augusta Wray.

NEH Enduring Questions: September 15

The NEH Enduring Questions grant program supports the development of a new course that will foster intellectual community through the study of an enduring question. This course will encourage undergraduates and teachers to grapple with a fundamental question addressed by the humanities, and to join together in a deep and sustained program of reading in order to encounter influential thinkers over the centuries and into the present day.

What is an enduring question? The following list is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive but serves to illustrate.

• What is the good life?
• What is good government?
• Is there such a thing as a just war?
• What is friendship?
• What is beauty?
• What is the relationship between humans and the natural world?
• What is evil?
• Are there universals in human nature?
• What are the origins of the universe?

Enduring questions are questions to which no discipline, field, or professions can lay an exclusive claim. They are questions that have more than one plausible or compelling answer. They have long held interest for young people, and they allow for a special, intense dialogue across generations. The Enduring Questions grant program will help promote such dialogue in today’s undergraduate environment. New this year: An Enduring Questions course may be developed by up to four faculty members.

The application deadline is September 15, 2010.

NEH Enduring Questions grants can provide up to $25,000 in outright funds for projects serving a single institution. The grant period may run between eighteen and thirty-six months. Recipients may begin their grants as early as May 1, 2011, but must begin no later than January 1, 2012.

Please contact your department's Proposal Manager for more information.

About the Research Newsletter

"Research" is a monthly newsletter published by the Sponsored Programs Office. Regular highlights include information about upcoming grant deadlines, new funding opportunities, funded and submitted proposals around the University, and news from the SPO staff.