Find Funding Resources 

There are a variety of funding resources available to faculty, students, and staff. They basically fall into two types: internal (intramural grants) and external, such as Pivot

Internal (Intramural) Funding

Intramural grants are funded by the university. These funds are a good way for new or junior faculty to get used to handling grants, improve their track record and get ready to apply for external funding. Proposals are evaluated based on: quality of the project; researcher's qualifications; contribution of the funding to complete the project; contribution of the project to the professional growth of the researcher; likelihood of its contribution to the reputation of the University; and appropriateness of the proposed budget. 

Intramural funding opportunities include:

More information about the policies and procedures governing intramural research grants can be found within UPS 280.000  PDF File Opens in new window

External Funding

External funding includes local, state and federal agencies, as well as corporate and private foundations. Among the resources for identifying external funding are:

  • Grants.govOpens in new window , an E-government initiative operating under the governance of the Office of Management and Budget. Grants.gov focuses on improving access to services via the Internet. It is currently the single access point for more than 900 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies, allowing organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities.
  • PivotOpens in new window , a database that provides a comprehensive list of worldwide funding opportunities in all disciplines, as well as tools for creating portfolios and finding collaborators. Also: pivot Quick Start Guide, step-by-step information on how to create an account, customize your search for funding opportunities, create lists and more; and pivot YouTube channelOpens in new window , a wealth of training videos and tutorial.
  • GrantForward   Opens in new window Opens in new window , an online search engine of upcoming external grant funding opportunities.
  • Philanthropy News Digest   Opens in new window Opens in new window ,  a listing of current funding opportuniies offered by foundations or other grantmaking organizations .
  • Federal Agencies ListOpens in new window  

Submitting a proposal to an agency that has not put out a call for proposals is considered an unsolicited proposal. If you have a new and innovative idea that does not fall under the topic areas publicized in a call for a proposal, you may wish to consider submitting it as an unsolicited proposal. The submission should be relevant to the agency’s research and mission, and should be persuasive enough to convince the agency to fund the proposal.