Third Annual Grantsmanship Information Session

Each year, the Sponsored Programs Office offers a number of Grantsmanship Information Sessions (GIS) for Ball State affiliates and this year, the third annual (GIS) will be held on Monday, February 3rd, 2014. The event will take place on the second floor of the Student Center from 1:30 - 4:00 pm.

Dr. David Stone, Associate Vice President for Research at Northern Illinois University will present a keynote address titled Research at Ball State Redefined: Empowering Faculty. A Knowledge Unit Meet & Greet that fosters interdisciplinary research and explores potential opportunities for collaboration is scheduled to follow the keynote address.

Campus Knowledge and Support Units in attendance will include:

• Applied Anthropology Laboratories
• Center for Energy Research/Education/Service
• Center for International Development
• Center for Middletown Studies
• Center for Peace and Conflict Studies  
• Social Science Research Center 

A number of Concurrent Information Sessions are scheduled to take place at various locations throughout the Student Center:

Positioning New Faculty for Success in Research 

Dr. David Stone will present several research practices to help build a solid foundation for new faculty members to successfully begin their research agenda.  

Fulbright Scholar Information Session

Mr. Justin Miller, Director of Sponsored Programs will introduce the Fulbright Scholar Program which sends both faculty and professionals abroad each year as they conduct research in various academic and professional fields.

Professionalize Your Approach to Grantsmanship

SPO Program Manager, Dr. Stanley Geidel will discuss a professional approach to seeking external funding by examining three important roles that faculty occupy in the Academy: the roles of professor, principal investigator, and grantseeker. 

New Ways to Approach Private and Foundation Funding
This presentation will explore the current state of private funding while examining the trends that colleges and universities should consider when applying for grants offered by corporations and foundations. 

To RSVP for this event click here. For questions, please contact the Sponsored Programs Office at SPO@BSU.edu or call 5-1600. You can also join the event Facebook page!

From TheChronicle.com: How Your Grant Proposal Compares

Competition in the grant world is fierce. While a good idea is essential to a winning grant proposal, it certainly isn't enough to win. David A. Stone is director of the Office of Sponsored Projects at Northern Illinois University. In his article "How Your Grant Proposal Compares" from The Chronicle of Higher Education's July 29, 2009 edition, Stone gives some advice for newbies and seasoned professionals on how to effectively position your grant proposal and your idea so you stand a fighting chance.

Excerpt 
Integrate teaching and service into research proposals. The reach of well-positioned proposals extends beyond the scientific exercise itself. The clear expectation among grant agencies, large and small, is that research projects make an impact on the world around them. Two ways in which that can be demonstrated in a proposal are to reference integration of the project with teaching and service. The National Science Foundation, for example, requires that proposals demonstrate the ways in which students will be involved in and learn from research projects. It also anticipates that work done in the lab will find its way back to the classroom; the more explicit attention you give that transmission in the text of your proposal, the better.

Full Text: http://chronicle.com/article/How-Your-Grant-Proposal/47471/?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

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.