There are countless opportunities for sourcing grants and a
simple web-search will reveal many potential funding opportunities.
However, in
the field of education and research there are several institutions and awarding
bodies that are excellent places for any applicant institution to begin their
search for grant funding.
Foundation Center
Knowledge to build on (training)
The Foundation Center is a clearing house of grant making
bodies, grant writing knowledge, and general grant funding information and
should be a first stop for anyone beginning to source a grant or write a
proposal in education and research:
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/
Grants: Beyond the Money by Alan November
Solid background information regarding grant writing and the
grant award process is important. You should read as much about the general
process as you can. This article by Alan November is a good introductory
article to the grant proposal industry:
http://www.anovember.com/default.aspx?tabid=159&type=art&site=182&parentid=26
California Department of Education
Finance & Grants Division
Every state funds and seeks sources of grants. However, some
states have collected better resources and information than others.
California’s Department of Education, Finance & Grants Division, is an
excellent source of grant making and grant writing information:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/
Bureau of Educational Research
College of Education at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
The College of Education at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign maintains a Bureau of Educational Research which offers grant
funding opportunities as well as grant writing information and resources. This
site is an excellent resource for the would-be grant writer:
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/ber/webpages/Grant_Writing_Guides.html
National Science Foundation
Research and Education Grants
The National Science Foundation is a good source of funding
opportunities and should be explored:
http:www.nsf.gov
National Science Teachers Association
Research and Education Grants
The National Science Teachers Association offers much
information about grant writing as well as functions as a clearing house for
science and education related grants such as the Toyota TAPESTRY grant program:
http://www.nsta.org/
SRA International
A Professional Society, Educating and Supporting Research
Administration Around the World
SRA International is an excellent source of international
grant opportunities in education and research. It offers not only grant funding
opportunities as well as grant writing guidance but also is a source of grant
writing career related information:
http://www.srainternational.org/sra03/index.cfm
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science Grants
The U.S. Department of Energy makes grant awards in science
and education. It offers a wealth of grant funding opportunities:
http://www.sc.doe.gov/
U.S. Department of Education
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Grants and Research Information
The U.S. Department of Education is another valuable
resource in grant funding opportunities. It funds many different types of
programs and projects in education and research as well as offers instruction
in completing grant proposals:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/grants/grants.html
Carnegie Corporation of New York : Research and Education
Grants
The Carnegie Corporation is a private non-profit institution
which awards many grants throughout the year in a variety of fields and
disciplines including education and research.
http://www.carnegie.org/
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Research and Education Grants
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is another private foundation
which awards a variety of grants including education and research related
projects throughout the year: http://www.rbf.org/
These and many other sources of information are available in
the web. Again, as I mentioned in the misconceptions about grant writing
processes, the research and planning phase is probably your most important
activity related to grant writing.
After all, if you have done your homework
then the funding agency you petition with your grant proposal is likely to be
extremely interested in your project or program because, ideally, it is
perfectly aligned with its own mission and objectives.
