Frequently
Asked Questions– Grantseeking At Valaparaiso University
Below, please find a list of frequently asked questions regarding grantseeking
at Valparaiso University. Click on any question or simply scroll down
to review the entire list of questions.
What is the role of the Director of
the Lumina Center?
What is the role of the Office of Institutional
Advancement?
If I have an idea for a project, what
do I do?
Should I write a prospectus for my
project?
Once a prospectus is completed, what
is the next step?
If I identify a potential funding source,
how do I proceed?
What are the key components to a proposal?
What are important items in a budget?
How do I obtain institutional approval
to submit the proposal?
What do I do after I am awarded a
grant?
Is there anything else that I should
be aware of?
What is the role of the Director of the Lumina
Center?
The Director of the Lumina Center assists faculty in the development of
projects and the search for funding sources. The Director also acts as
the University’s Sponsored Research Officer (SRO) for all proposals
to the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The assistance provided by the Director can take many forms, and may
include:
- providing general information about the grantseeking process and
helping to identify and contact the funding source
- acting as a liaison with other offices on campus, especially the Office
of Institutional Advancement
- facilitating discussions about the project concept and project implementation
- providing technical assistance in the writing of a proposal
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What does the Office for Institutional Advancement
do?
The primary responsibility of the Office of Institutional Advancement
is to conduct fundraising efforts for university-wide initiatives. The
Foundations and Corporations Coordinator in OIA works to obtain funds
for the University from many of the same funding sources that individual
faculty and departments want to pursue. As a result, communication with
the Foundations and Corporations Coordinator is essential early in the
grantseeking process, and the Director of the Lumina Center is the formal
liaison to facilitate this communication.
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If I have an idea for a project, what do
I do?
Talk to your colleagues, your department chair, or others in your professional
network to see if the project is feasible and in line with the University
mission and priorities. Then begin to look for funding sources. These
may include government agencies, private foundations, corporations, individuals,
or the University itself. The Lumina Center provides a list of Internet
links on its web page that will help in your search. For individual faculty
research, two key resources are The
Grant Advisor and The
Foundation Center.
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Should I write a prospectus for my project?
Yes, most definitely. A prospectus is a 1 or 2 page summary of the project
that highlights the nature of the project, the need for the project, your
qualifications for doing the project, and an estimated budget. This document
provides a basis for informing people about your project, and encourages
them to seek more information. In addition, it can provide the basis for
any full proposal that may be written at a later date.
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Once the prospectus is completed, what is
the next step?
All project ideas that require external funding support are reviewed by
the Director of the Lumina Center and the Foundations and Corporations
Coordinator in OIA. Please submit this information electronically by going
to the Lumina Center web page at www.valpo.edu/organization/lumina/GPIP.html
and completing the online Grant and Project Information Page (GPIP). You
will be asked to give details about the proposed project, including names
of other campus partners, a brief description, budget estimate, project
start date and duration, potential funding sources, and the level of support
that may be needed from the Lumina Center and/or OIA. You will receive
notification in a timely manner about the status of your initial project
idea.
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If I identify a potential funding source
for my project, how should I proceed?
Forward the name of the funding source to the Director of the Lumina Center.
The Director will check with OIA to determine if the University has any
current or past relationship with the funding source that might be helpful
in obtaining funding. The Director will also check to be sure there is
no conflict between your project and other current projects that may be
presented to the same funding source. If there is a conflict, the Grants
Management Group, comprised of representative from the Provost’s
Office, OIA and the Lumina Center, will determine which project will be
submitted to this funding source. Alternative funding sources may then
be considered.
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What are the key components to a proposal?
When writing the proposal, adhere strictly to the guidelines provided
to you by the funding source. Tools to assist you in the research, writing
and budget preparation process are available on the Lumina Center web
page and in the Christopher Center.
The key components in any proposal are:
- the problem or need statement and solution,
- the goals and objectives,
- the activities,
- the principal investigator's (PI) or project director's (PD) qualifications,
- the assessment and evaluation plan,
- and the budget.
Each of these should be clearly articulated and appropriate for the project.
These components should be tied to each other. For example, do not put
in an activity that has no budget to support it, and do not put money
in the budget for things not needed to perform the activities. Also, each
objective should have an assessment measure linked to it.
It is critical that other people beside yourself have an opportunity
to read the proposal before it is submitted. These readers should include
someone familiar with the project, as well as someone unfamiliar with
the project. The Director of the Lumina Center is available to assist
with this process. Remember that these readers have not done their job
correctly if they return the proposal and it has not been marked up--it's
their job to find everything that a reviewer might misconstrue, misread,
or misunderstand. Poorly conceived projects and projects presented poorly
rarely get funded!
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What are important items in preparing a budget?
Indirect costs, matching costs, and cost sharing are important items to
know when preparing a budget.
Indirect costs are the hidden costs that the University incurs while
you are working on the project. They include, but are not limited to telephone
and Internet usage, office space, furniture, heating, air conditioning,
and lighting. Each funding agency has its own criteria concerning indirect
costs. It is imperative that you follow them correctly. If you are in
doubt, contact the Director of the Lumina Center for assistance.
Matching costs (also called cost-sharing) are the University’s
contribution to the project and are usually a required element of most
Federal grants. Matching costs can either be in the form of actual money
or in-kind dollars. If the match is in actual money (funded by either
donations or University funds), you will need to make arrangements for
accessing these funds. If the match is in-kind dollars (represented by
such things as release time, housing for students, indirect costs, etc.),
you will need to document the detail of the arrangement or expenditure
since matching costs usually need to be reported to the funding agency.
Many proposal guidelines give specific criteria for matching funds or
for cost sharing. If no criteria are specified, it is reasonable to assume
the a University cost sharing contribution in the range of 15 - 25 % of
the requested amount should be identified in the budget. To the funding
agency, this indicates a level of commitment by the institution.
In the proposal guidelines, there are usually expectations about the
University's contribution to the project. The amount or percent may vary
and whether it is required (matching) or simply anticipated (shared cost).
As the budget is developed, the source for any internal funds needs to
be identified and checked. For small projects, this may simply mean checking
with your chairperson on the availability of departmental funds. On other
projects, it may involve assistance from the Dean's Office, the Provost's
Office, the Office of Admissions, Conference Services, and others. It
is important to begin conversations with the various individuals early
on in the development of the project. An internal version of the budget
should identify the source of each of the University's contributions to
the project.
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How do I obtain institutional approval to
submit a proposal?
At the very least, you need the approval of every faculty and staff member
involved with providing funding, facilities, services, or personnel as
part of the University's contribution to the project. If a project requires
a significant commitment of University resources, ongoing conversations
with the Administration should begin early in the proposal development
process.
Approximately two weeks before the submission of a proposal, a final
draft of the proposal needs to be circulated on campus with a copy of
the "Grant Proposal Approval Form.” The GPAF requires four
signatures: the Lumina Center Director or the Foundations and Corporations
Coordinator (OIA); the appropriate Dean, Associate Provost, or Vice President
for non-academic areas; the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs;
and the Vice-President for Administration and Finance. The Director of
the Lumina Center can assist in this process.
While administrators may recommend small editorial changes be made in
the text or budget before it is submitted, they will also check the following
areas:
- curricular or scholarly merit of the project
- organization and feasibility of the project
- project's match with the University's mission and/or priorities
- potential conflicts with other proposals being sent to the same funding
source
- writing and presentation quality
- budget accuracy
- level of contribution of University resources
If concerns are identified in any of these areas, the PI or PD will be
strongly urged to address these before the proposal is submitted to a
funding source. Please note that if you engage the appropriate people
with the project early in the development process, this is not likely
to occur.
When the completed grant proposal approval form is returned to you with
all required signatures, please send copies of the form and the entire
proposal to the Director of the Lumina Center, the Foundations and Corporations
Coordinator in OIA, and the Director of Budgets, Grants, and Special Projects.
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What do I do after I am awarded a grant?
A copy of the proposal, the budget, and any contractual documents must
be forwarded to the Director of Budgets, Grants, and Special Projects
in the Finance Office. You will also need to inform the Director of the
Lumina Center and the Foundations and Corporations Coordinator in OIA
about the details of the grant, including periodic reports that may be
required. Inform anyone else who assisted in the proposal development,
and inform the Office of University Relations so that appropriate publicity
may be arranged. Make sure that you visit the Managing Your Grant link
on the Lumina Center web page for specific information regarding internal
and external grants management.
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Is there anything else that I should be aware
of?
Before you send the proposal in, make sure the project is one to which
you are willing to commit your time and energy. Preparing a successful
proposal takes a great deal of time and effort. However, if you wait until
you have the time to prepare a great project, it will never happen. You
will always reap the benefits of a successful proposal.
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