Steps to Getting a Grant

Step 1: You have an idea or need for external funding.

Step 2: You look for potential sources of funding via specific federal or non-federal websites, or via google or other search engines.

Step 3: Your funding source is a private foundation or government program requiring a preliminary proposal:

  • You develop a contact letter or a preliminary proposal and take it to ORSP for review
  • You send out the contact letter or preliminary proposal with cover letter to the targeted funding source, and give a copy to ORSP.
  • If the funding source responds with interest, you develop a full proposal and fill out a Checklist for Funding Approval form. If not, you revisit other possible sources of funding and begin the process again.

Step 4: Your funding source is a program that requests a "full" proposal:

  • You develop the first draft of a full proposal, with budget assistance from ORSP staff.
  • You discuss your proposal and budget with your department chair and college dean to make certain they agree to any institutional commitments involved in the proposal
  • You prepare a final version of your proposal and fill out a Checklist for Funding Approval form.

Step 5: You circulate your final proposal with the Checklist for Proposal Approval to your department chair and college dean for approval and signature. If you have co-investigators from other departments included in the proposal, their department chairs and deans must also sign.

Step 6: You bring the proposal and signed Checklist for Proposal Approval to ORSP for final review.

Step 7: You receive a notice from the funding agency letting you know whether or not you were funded.

  • If your proposal is funded, you send a copy of the award letter to ORSP so that a budget account can be set up and a budget number for your project issued. Forward checks to ORSP.
  • If your proposal is denied, send a copy of the denial letter to ORSP. It would also be helpful to request a copy of the reviewers' comments from the funding agency. Then, take a deep breath and begin the process again by identifying other possible funding sources.